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In today’s world almost every family with kids has a family pet. Whatever pet it may be, it becomes just like another child or family member. Birds are commonly among these family pets, especially budgies and cockatiels. Any family that mixes birds and kids has a few extra things to consider that they never may have thought of! A Bird as a Family Pet: the Pros and Cons Let’s start with the bad part of mixing children with birds. Birds, being fragile creatures, obviously can’t put up with any rough housing and big hugs such as a dog or cat might. However, if kids are properly taught how to handle feathered friends gently this may never pose a problem. Secondly birds can be stubborn and sometimes not very friendly, and children need to understand this before they’re allowed to handle them. In the first months of a bird living in the house, it should be handled and tamed by an older individual before interacting with younger family members. Now for the good! Birds are hardy and fairly easy to care for, making them great pets for teaching responsibility to kids. Birds are also very social creatures that enjoy company and interaction with their “flock” (whether it is people or other birds). Interacting with birds can make a great activity that the entire family can participate in. Bird Breeds That Are Best for a Family Depending on how much the family plans to interact with their birds, there are a few bird breed common to families with kids. The most common of these would be budgies and cockatiels. Both of these birds are good for first birds and children’s pets, as they are hardy and once tamed can become very affectionate. There are a few differences as always between the two breeds, as budgies are sometimes more difficult to tame and cockatiels commonly learn to speak more easily. Other breeds sometimes owned by families include finches and lovebirds. Finches are nice to look at, fun to watch and easy to care for but aren’t the best for families interested in taming their birds. Lovebirds are on the other side of the spectrum: they need an abundance of attention, especially if you decide only to purchase a single bird. Contrary to popular belief lovebirds don’t require a mate; however they are very social and need daily attention and interaction with family. Always keep in mind that larger birds might not be the best for children. They have stronger beaks and claws that can cause a lot more damage, and are best suited as pets for experienced bird persons. When choosing the breed of bird for your family, do a lot of research on the breeds you are interested in by taking a trip to the library and checking out some breed specific books. Helping Children Care For Birds However responsible they may be, younger children shouldn’t be in full responsibility of a bird. They should be encouraged to do a lot of their own research on the care and handling of a bird, but the parent(s) should also do plenty of research on their own. Always make sure that children know what they’re doing when feeding, handling, and caring for their birds and try to supervise this as much as possible. Birds are small creatures that are sensitive, and a mistake made in their care can be a serious problem. However with proper supervision and a bit of luck, a bird could be your family’s next perfect family pet! | |||||||||
