Captive birds, especially the larger species, should spend at least 1-3 hours outside of their enclosures every day. These timeout sessions are opportunities for physical and mental stimulation. Birds that don’t have regular timeout sessions can become bored and tend to form bad habits in their effort to find ways to burn off excess energy. Smaller species of birds, like finches and canaries, won’t need timeout sessions if they have a spacious enclosure. “Time out” sessions will give them hours of fun and stimulation outside of their cage. But make sure that the room where your pet is allowed to spend their time-out sessions in has been thoroughly bird-proofed beforehand. You can let your pet play with bird-safe toys, a jungle gym specifically designed for birds, and rawhide for pet parrots. If you have other pets in the household, they should not be allowed inside the room while your pet bird is having a “time out”.

Talk with your Ellicott City, MD vet to make sure that your pet bird is receiving the right amount of exercise that he needs to stay in tip-top shape.