Ten Tips to Quiet Your Loud Screaming Pet Bird and Regain Your Sanity

So you have a pet bird and thought it was cute when it was so vocal in the beginning. But now, your fid (feathered kid), is getting out of hand with screams and squawks and shrill loud sounds that make your house sound like the entire Bronx Zoo has been moved inside your living room. You can't talk on the telephone without the other person commenting on the background noise. You can't hear your DVD and you are wondering if your headache will ever go away. Your bird doesn't listen to you when you tell him to simmer down or be quiet. So what's a bird dad or mama to do? As caretaker and house role model, it is your job to figure it out and restore some silence and sanity. Here are some tips to quiet your bird and at least minimize the amount of time you have to listen to bird noise insanity.

1. A healthy bird will scream and squawk for one of two reasons. Either he lacks attention, or he is happy. Paying attention to your bird doesn't mean you need to be playing with it the whole time, but it means being with it. That means give your bird plenty of time to be with you, even if in the cage, to watch you while you go about your business. Let it hang out with you when you read, watch television, knit, wash dishes, cook, or are working on some indoor project. Your bird is your buddy, so them them feel like it a and treat them that way. Most pet birds need at least a few hours attention every day, and some breeds need several hours. Resaerch your bird type to see if you are spending enough buddy time with it.

2. Give your bird a small stuffed animal to play with or talk to if you can not be with it. Be sure the stuffed toy has no embelleshments that are potentially dangerous, such as attached eyes or doodads.

3. Have a cover for your bird cage that is dark in color, but lightweight and breathable. Cover up the cage with this cover to see if it quiets the bird for a while. Only do this for short periods of time because you do not want your bird to get worried or paranoid.

4. Many birds will get quiet when it is completely dark. Put them in a room where the lights are completely shut and see if that works.