Uncommon Pets: Tips for Proper Care at Home from Experts

If you’re an animal lover, you may be more than just a little eager to open up your home to some less usual pets than are commonly found in households today. Of course, many creatures have specific care needs regarding living space, diet, and routine care. However, when you’re able to meet their needs, you’ll find that many exotic or unusual pets add an excitingly wild dimension to life in your home. 

 Are exotic pets good for children? 

Pets teach responsibility, conservation, patience, and respect for life. Tailor noise levels and beak strength to the age of the child. Very young children enjoy watching budgies, finches and canaries flit about and chirp. By about five years of age, a child is ready to hold, under supervision, a budgie, lovebird, or cockatiel. At about seven or eight, children are capable of feeding and light cage cleaning. Be sure that children wash their hands before and after handling pet birds. Supervision is key! 

Locate the cage in area where the bird can observe family activity, yet not be in the middle of a maelstrom. Avoid placing the cage in bedrooms or in the kitchen. Bird dander may exacerbate human allergies, especially in bedrooms. Cooking fumes and cleaning products in the kitchen will be harmful to a bird. Stress is a factor when a bird moves to a new home. Do not over handle, over stimulate or over train the newbie. Allow the bird to adjust to its new environment, and work with it at its own pace. 

Do take noise level into consideration. Birds ordinarily begin to chirp at daybreak and may wake sleeping children. A dark cage cover will help the bird to sleep a bit later. 

Avian escapes often occur when exterior doors are opened while birds are at liberty in the home. Make it a hard and fast rule that your child’s bird must be safely inside its cage before doors are opened. 

-Susan Chamberlain

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