Dolcinea The Bird

By Mikel K

January 27 2013

The Daily K

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"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings."

--Salvador Dali

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”--Robert Lynd

“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.”--Victor Hugo

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Dolcinea came home, today, from Animart, the great pet store in Austell, Ga. where she was raised,, being hand fed and lovingly cared for there by Teri and her wonderful staff. Megan and Mom came up and gave Dolcinea a hug and a kiss before Teri released her baby to us.

Our baby is now playing on her swing in my office. We are leaving her in her cage for 2 hours at a time, with 15 minute visits to the outside with us, as Teri has said we should do upon getting Dolcinea home. We are elated to have our bird home with us. Our dogs, Morisson, Dylan, and Penni, are very curious about their new sister, and so is my black cat Jaggar, who I won't let get close to the bird. This is my first bird, and I love her. Kobain, our other cat has yet to notice the bird.

In honor of our new companion, Dolcinea the Bird, I play the band The Byrds to start her first morning with us. Dolcinea listens to “Mister Tamborine Man,” as she shakes the sleep from her eyes. She has done well her first night in her new cage.

Joan draped a sheet over the cage, last night, at bedtime to help the bird sleep. The Checklist, entitled, “The Bird Nanny’s Birdy Basics,” that Teri from Animart gave us, as we were taking our bird home, yesterday says that Dolcinea is supposed to get 10 hours sleep.

Dolcinea has been eating well, enjoying the pellets that are her staple food, as well as the strawberries, apple, carrots, and celery that we have been placing in her snack dish. The Bird Nanny checklist also says that you should take your bird into the shower with you to bath it. Joan will have fun with that!

I put Dolcinea on my desk to see what she would do, and to free my hands up to do some typing. First, she started to chew on a piece of paper, so I have learned to not leave valuable pieces of paper on my desk when she visits there. Then the bird picked up one of my plastic toothpicks, the kind you use as a sort of dental floss. I figured that it would be unhygienic to floss my teeth with a tool that the bird had had in her mouth so I took it from her. She squawked. Then Dolcinea picked up one of my knives by the handle. Joan joked that the bird was, “Plotting her escape!”

Back in her cage she is yawning a bit. Our dogs are fascinated with our new bird, especially Dylan. He loves to stare at Dolcinea. I hope that it is love in his heart that he feels for her. Jaggar, my black cat, is the one who I am keeping the closest eye on. She has also shown an interest in the bird, and I feel certain that it is not love that the cat feels for the bird in her heart.

Dolcinea is not much interested in the oatmeal that we offered to her, this morning. It is important that she eats, and not lose weight or we will have to take her back to the pet store for further work. It seems that it is possible that she could develop anorexia in her new environment. We are supposed to keep an eye on her chest bone, and make sure that it is not protruding too much, and also be on the lookout for green poops. I’ll check her chest and let Joan be in charge of the poop patrol!

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“Birds…scream at the top of their lungs in horrified hellish rage every morning at daybreak to warn us all of the truth. They know the truth. Screaming bloody murder all over the world in our ears, but sadly we don’t speak bird.”

--Kurt Cobain

We are teaching Dolcinea to say, "I'm a writer." Teri at Animart joked that we should teach her to say, "Get a book deal!" We are also teaching her to say, "My name is Dolcinea. I love Joan. I love Mikel K." It is supposed to be several months before she starts speaking to us.

I’m careful not to cuss in front of the bird as I do not want her spewing obscenities when she begins to talk. This will have to be true when she tries to bite me, or actually bites me to let me know that she does not want to leave her cage at the moment that I am trying to get her out.

I just saw Dolcinea drink water for the first time. It makes me happy, somehow; I guess because I so want her to be a healthy bird.

I have had her on her perch for a great part of the morning. She loves to exercise up there, flap her wings wildly. She has not yet learned how to climb down onto the other levels of the wooden perch; I have to help her down. She has been eating her pellets, also, this morning. Jaggar likes to come in and stare at Dolcinea. I am not comfortable with this and often spray the cat with water from a water bottle. The dogs seem to have gotten used to her: one big happy family we are.

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Dolcinea had a fantastic day yesterday. We let her out of her cage a lot, often setting her on top of the cage where she has fun climbing about, and biting on her wooden perch. She has not yet started climbing on her perch, but she will with time. She ate well, yesterday, nibbling on her pellets, often, and munching on the assorted snacks that we put in her snack bowl.

Doolinea has started to either chirp or squawk at Joan when she walks in the room. It is so rewarding to hear her say hello in such a manner. The bird also squawked at me, this morning, when I came into the room, but I am not sure if she was squawking at me because I woke her up, or because she loves me!

The dogs, cats, turtle, and frog all seem to be adjusting well to their new sister who is, of course, stealing a lot of attention from them currently. I liken the arrival of this bird to the arrival of a new baby in someone’s home. There is a lot of oohing and aahing going on.

Dolcinea started doing the cutest thing when she was at the pet store, and continues to do it here at home. She holds her food in one of her claws and eats from that claw. I am sure that this is a normal thing for birds of her ilk, but Joan and I thought that it was the cutest, smartest thing that we had ever seen, and we still do. Being the proud parents that we are, we constantly praise our bird’s intelligence.

It is fun to have Dolcinea in the house with us. I have been around dogs, cats, turtles and a frog for a long time, but I have never lived with a bird. Joan has and she has long told  me what a wonderful experience it is. She is so right!

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I used to joke to Joan, when Dolcinea was at the pet store, that, once the bird came home, I was going to lose a girlfriend, because my girlfriend would be spending so much time with the bird. This morning Joan said, “There are only three strawberries left.” We often have fruit for breakfast, and I thought that she was going to say, “And you can have them,” as she is so often an incredible sharer.

Nope. She says, “I guess they are for Dolcinea.” The bird is not only stealing my girlfriend, but is also taking food out of my mouth!”

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It is important to make a gratuity list, be it in your brain and not on a piece of paper. It is important to think of the things that you have, the things that you are thankful for instead of being disgruntled about what you don’t have. Making a gratuity list makes you feel better about life. I am thankful that this bird is in my life. I love Joan, and my dogs, cats, turtle, and frog. I am blessed to have them all in my life.

Lady D has found her way to her treat bowl and is a snackin' away. She now has her back to me. I don’t know if this means that she doesn’t like me, or if she trusts me. Maybe she is sick of looking at me.

She don’t want to go back

to where she come from,

 bitchy self sometimes and all

 so she munches on her pellets

 and she chews on her celery

 strawberries carrots and kiwi.

 Little Miss sometimes hard

to handle, every once in awhile

 tries to bite the hand that feeds her.

When I pulled the sheet off of Dolcinea’s cage to start her day, this morning, she was on the bottom of her cage playing with her multi-colored ball. I put my hand in to get her to “Step up,” which is the command we give her to climb onto our hands, and she bit me!  Dolcinea seems to not be a morning kind of bird!!

I just misted the bird lightly with water. It is supposed to be important to start the process towards having her bath. Dolcinea squawked like I was throwing fire on her. She then shook herself, and sent some of the water back at me. I hope that she is not a revengeful little bird!

What’s it like?

to have such little privacy?

I watch you eat.

I watch you poop.

I watch you play.

Mostly, Dolcinea’s bites are not that intense. I think she has only drawn blood once! (And that was on Joan’s hand, and not mine). The more I know the bird, the easier it is for me to stay away from her beak, as she tries to bite me.

It seems to me that Dolcinea is not much of a morning bird. As the day proceeds her mood gets better, and her desire to sink her beak into our hands lessens.

"Experts regard Dolcinea, an African Grey, as one of the most intelligent birds in the world."--Wikipedia

Dolcinea is an African Grey.

"The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus), also known as the Grey Parrot, is a medium-sized parrot found in the primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa. Experts regard it as one of the most intelligent birds in the world. They feed primarily on palm nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter, but have also been observed eating snails. Their overall gentle nature and their inclination and ability to mimic speech have made them popular pets, which has led many to be captured from the wild and sold into the pet trade. The African Grey Parrot is listed on CITES appendix II, which restricts trade of wild-caught species because wild populations can not sustain trapping for the pet trade."—Wikipedia

Docinea has light-grey feathers, cherry-red tail, and an all-black beak.

(((((Longevity

Like many large parrots, the African Grey is a long-lived bird. The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database states the longest reliably recorded longevity for the species in captivity as 49.7 years. Also acknowledged are claims of captive African Grey parrots reaching the ages of 73 and 93,[5] whereas the World Parrot Trust lists a longevity of 50–60 years for an African Grey in captivity.[6] The Guinness Book of World Records listed a grey parrot that allegedly lived in captivity for 72 years as the longest-lived specimen for the species.[7]))))))))—Wikipedia

Is Dolcinea a Congo African Greys or a Timnehs?

“Noises: Wild African Grey Parrots often whistle, click, or make other sounds. An African Grey's owner should expect to hear regular renditions of microwaves, telephones, alarm clocks, video games, and other electronic sounds, as well as dripping water, wild birds, and any other sound often heard by the parrot. African Greys have even been known to repeat the profanity they heard from an owner even after they no longer live with that owner. African Greys also have the ability to mimic, and distinguish between, the different voices they hear.”—Wikipedia

The species is endemic to primary and secondary rainforests of West and Central Africa—Wik

Their sociability and intelligence can make African Grey Parrots excellent pets. They have a devoted following among parrot owners. However, the same qualities mean African Greys require a special commitment by their owners to provide frequent one-on-one interaction and supervised time out of their cages. They must be kept entertained and busy with people and toys or they may become stressed and develop self-destructive behaviors. African Greys require large cages, varied diets that include fresh foods, and plenty of safe and destructible toys. If not provided with these items, African Greys quickly develop unpleasant behaviours and may eventually develop health problems (such as feather-plucking) that are difficult to remedy.

Even the healthiest, happiest pet African Grey will generate a fair amount of mess and noise. Like most parrots, they are not domesticated, and even a well-socialized, hand-raised, aviary-bred bird is only one or two generations removed from its wild predecessor. Despite this, the recorded history is long of African Greys being kept by the ancient Greeks, wealthy Roman families, King Henry VIII, Portuguese sailors, and others.

I am really trying not to cuss in front of our bird.

 It would be embarrassing to introduce Dolcinea K Bird

to a friend, or family member, and have her go, "Oh fuck!"

Since bringing the bird home, I have used my acoustic guitar to shoo Jaggar, my black cat, out of the room when I am leaving the bird alone in the room. I certainly don’t want the cat in there with Dolcinea when I am not supervising. It has gotten to where Jaggar runs out of the room the minute I pick up my guitar to play. What is that about salivating like a Pavlov’s cat?

I won’t let Jaggar sit and stare at the bird. I shoo him out of the room when he does this. It feels creepy to me, and not healthy. I don’t want the cat to develop an infatuation with the bird.

Dolcinea, nicknamed now Lady Di just did laundry with me. She perched on my hand as I pulled dry clothes out of one machine and then put dirty clothes in another. I put a towel over the wicker laundry basket so she couldn’t poop on but one of our clean things. Jaggar, of course, followed us down the stairs. Lady Di took to flight landing on the basement floor. Jaggar moved in, as I knew he would, but was soundly commanded to back off. That cat is not going to get to my bird. He will have to learn to live with her under my rules.

My frog has shown no interest in our bird; neither has my turtle. Of course, this is understandable due to the nature of those beasts. My frog continues to stay burrowed down in the dirt that covers the bottom of his cage. My turtle basks under her hot light without a care for the bird at all.

Now, the dogs and the cats: they are a different story!

It’s a wonderful morning, a great day to be alive. Dolcinea is not in the mood for me to take her out of her cage, but she is enjoying being petted on the head by both Joan, and I. She just climbed onto Joan’s hand and came out of her cage with Joan, which makes me feel lonely and insecure, since she would not climb on my hand!

Dolcinea will let out the cutest squawks when Joan comes in the room, and she, also, squawks when Joan leaves the room. She does no squawking for, or about me! Maybe it’s a girl thing.

I like to let Dolcinea out onto my desk and see what she gets into. There are so many things for her to play with and chew on. I have to watch her like a hawk, though. I do not want her chewing on my computer monitor, or an opened knife that I mostly use to open letters. I have to stay one step ahead of her when she is on my desk, closing the knife and pulling other unsafe objects, and things that I just don’t want her chewing on.

I have put her back in her cage, now. I always put her on the bottom of her cage, so that she can play with her multi-colored rubber ball, and so that she will have to climb back up to her food and her swing, getting some exercise in the process. She has made it to her swing and is happily swinging back and forth, licking her back feathers at the same time.

She is going to have a good day, and so are you, and I.

We don’t know for sure that Dolcinea is a female. The folks at Animart, where we bought the bird, seem to think so, but until she has has undergone a DNA test, we won’t know for sure.

Dolcinea is still under her sheet, the one that we cover her cage with at night so that she is undisturbed in her sleep. I hear her moving about in there. Soon, I will yank the sheet, and say good morning to her. It is so nice having her in our home. She is a bit cantankerous at times, but I feel certain that as she comes to know us better, trust us more that she will be less moody; after all it is not normal for a bird to exist in such proximity to humans. She is supposed to be out in the wilds of Africa flying from tree to tree foraging for food.

We bought a used cage for Dolcinea, the other day, one that we can keep in my office, so she can be near me during the day when I am cranking out great works of literature and Joan is out there slugging it out on the old nine to five. The bird seems to have no preference between cages. Joan made some toys for the bird out of measuring spoons. The toys she made really are genius, and cost like a quarter a piece, having bought all the materials from the dollar store. Dolcinea is just as happy with her new trailer trash toys, as she was the expensive ones. I think that we are onto something here.

The bird has been eating up a storm, recently. She loves her pellets, and she loves to raid her snack container and feast on strawberries, garbanzo beans, celery, carrots, and pear. Joan just tried some banana on the bird; the bird rejected it. We just bought unsalted peanuts for her. We know that she will eat peanuts because we fed her the ones we eat: salted and roasted. Joan figures that the salt is probably not best for the bird.

Dolcinea’s other cage is out in the living room, so she can be with the family when we are in there. The dogs and the cats seem to have lost interest in the bird, which doesn’t mean that I am not going to watch them like a hawk. I love this little bird, and it is my job to not let anything happen to her.

The bird is fun to watch in his cage, going from toy to toy, going from food to water, but, mostly, when I stick my hand in his cage, and try to get him to “step up” onto my hand, she bites me. I am going to try getting her out of the cage with my work gloves on.

My black cat with the yellow eyes, Jaggar, used to hang out in this room all the time with me, my office as I call it, since I have desk and a computer in here, as I type poems, as I practice on my guitar, so I don’t want to ban him from me, but when he sits and stares at the bird, I squirt water on him from my trusty spray bottle. I don’t want Jaggar to get the idea in his head that Dolcinea might be breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The bird is eating early this morning. She is a good eater, enjoying her pellets often, and often chowing down on the various fruits and vegetables that we put in a bowl for her fresh daily. Our bird will watch her first Super Bowl, today. She will join us in the living room for the game. I do not know who she will root for.

Kobain, my grey long haired cat just made one of his very rare forays into my office as I was practicing guitar. He took one look up at the bird and left the room: my kind of cat!

The bird is fascinated with her toys, this morning. She has a set of metal bells that she is chewing on, ringing them ever so slightly. She also has a homemade toy that Joan made that she has been spending a lot of time with this morning.

Supposedly, you are supposed to keep the bird supplied with new toys so that she does not get bored. I am impressed that Joan is making her own toys for the bird. It shows her creative instinct, and her ability to save a dollar, which is truly needed around here!

Dolcinea watched The Super Bowl with us, last night, sitting on the couch, on a towel, between us. She chewed on snacks: unsalted peanuts, celery, carrots, and strawberries. The dogs and cats are getting used to her being in their presence. They are, thankfully, not exhibiting the excitedness and inquisitiveness that they were when Dolcinea first arrived upon our scene.

Out frog, and our turtle, unsurprisingly, have shown no interest at all in the bird. The frog rarely surfaces from the dirt that coats the bottom of his box, and the turtle is in her own little world in her aquarium in the kitchen.

To coin a phrase from the rock band, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, “Our house is a very, very fine house.”

That's not bird turd in your coffee…

For a brief second, I thought that Dolcinea had crapped in my coffee. Thankfully, I was wrong; it was a reflection of light from off of the side of the coffee cup.

The bird is pretty quiet, so far, this morning. She was licking her feathers, a minute ago, and now she is licking one of her paws. I sprayed her down, yesterday, so I’m thinking that she is not real dirty, but is mainly preening. She is making the cutest little sounds, this morning. Soon,

she will be talking to us. We are trying to say, “I’m a writer,” to her often, and “ I love Joan,” and “I love Mikel,”K, as these are the things that we would like to here her say.

We are trying to not say Fuck, or bitch, or shit; words like that around her, as we do not want her to cuss like a sailor.

I often leave the radio on for her, when we are gone, so it would be no surprise if the words she uttered were, “Welcome to the jungle,” or “I can’t get no satisfaction.” If she sings Led Zeppelin, or U2, I’ll put her up for sale on Craig’s List(over Joan’s dead body!)

I just put my hand in the bird’s cage, and extended my finger to see if she would bow her head in submission to allow me to pet it. She tried to bite me. Dolcinea is not much of a morning bird. She doesn’t start eating until almost noon, and she is not very approachable by our human hands until this time, also.

Today is turtle feeding day. I cannot neglect my other pets for love of this bird.

Dolcinea loves peanuts. She will try to crack open her own, if you give her one with shell, but she really likes it when you bust that peanut out for her and let her grab it by her beak. She immediately puts in her her claw and starts to chow down. We have bought unsalted roasted peanuts for her figuring that if too much salt is bad for humans, it can’t be good for our bird.

My caged bird doesn’t sing, but she will one day, and I wonder what she will sing first? Will it be rock and roll from the radio? Will she sing something from a tv commercial, or tv show? Will she sing something that we have been humming as we feed her? Will she bark like a dog, meow like a cat? What sounds will penetrate her

intelligent mind and be regurgitated to us? Will we revel in her singing, or will her song turn us off?

Dolcinea just bit me hard on the finger as I was trying to get her to, “Step up.” She wasn’t about no stepping anywhere. As nice as I am to her, she does something like that. Maybe I’ll quit busting open peanuts and feeding them to her. Maybe I won’t fill her snack tray. Maybe I won’t get her some fresh water. After all she has just bitten, viciously, the hand that feeds her. I’m glad she’s not a snake.

The bird likes The Ramones. She has stopped playing with her bells, and is listening attentively to Joey and the boys.

I fed her peanuts, this morning. I just finished giving her celery that I had cut into long thin pieces for her, the kind that she could also hold in her foot. One time, when I looked up from trying to see if the celery that she kept on the ground was landing in her own poop, I found her munching on one of the strawberry slices that I had specially made for her in the morning and placed in one of her yellow snack trays. Through the bars, she looked like a happy kid eating ice cream. I thought about trying to get her to Step Up, but the thought of getting viciously bit did not appeal to me. Let her stay where she was. We were both happy. Why mess with that?

The Bird just fell off her perch. There was quite a racket involved in the fall, a lot of flapping of wings and squawking. I’m not sure how she misstepped, but she is fine, now, and is back on her hoop. I was going to see if she wanted to come out of her cage via my hand, but my hand still remembers the intense bite that she gave it yesterday, and is not in the mood, here, first thing in the morning to, maybe, get bit again. Dolcinea becomes more receptive to touch the more the day wears on, so I will try to get her to come to me later on today. If for nothing else, it is good to get her out of the cage so that she can exercise by flapping her wings.

“We all know that birds can be messy -- sometimes to the point that it seems impossible to keep up with them.”

—About.com

Keeping up with such a little bird is somewhat of a big job. There is pooped on paper to change out regularly; water and food pellets to constantly replenish; treats to be cut up and put in her treats’ containers. She is constantly flinging bits of carrots, celery, and strawberry, her treats, out of the cage and onto my desk, my floor, my walls. She must think that I am her maid, and indeed I am. She has it made!

Dolcinea just came out for a beautiful half hour visit with me. I have learned that when she is on her hoop, that she is not approachable, and will most likely try to bite me, but when she is on one of her wooden perches, she is more likely to climb on my hand and come on out of her cage for a visit.

Morrison, and Dylan, the dogs, and Jaggar, the cat, all gathered at first at my feet for the event, but soon lost interest, leaving me to whisper in the bird’s ear sweet nothings.  She flapped her wings happily for awhile, at the beginning of our visit, getting that exercise that she needs.

I am getting good at this bird thing. I had a towel draped over my chest and and lap to catch her birdie poops. It is nice when it all comes together and you get to hang out with your bird.

Dolcinea would let me pet her beak, on this visit, but would not let me pet her feathers, pecking at me when I tried to.

When the visit was over, I put the bird on the table that holds her cage, and within seconds she had climbed back into her cage and was back in her hoop.

The bird and I are having some afternoon peanuts. She came to my hand willingly and, after a tour of the house, with her wildly beating her wings I set her down on top of her cage. She likes to climb about there. She likes peanuts. Her success rate, this afternoon, with peanuts is only about one in three with two peanuts falling from her beak onto the poop stained newspaper that lines the floor of her cage. It is still amazing to me to watch her use her paw like a hand to hold things. This morning she munched on a bunch of celery that I had cut into small pieces for her. There are quite a few pieces of celery on the floor of her cage, also.

Uncharacteristically, Dolcinea, the non-morning bird came out of her cage via Joan’s hand this morning, hung out for a while, and then went back into her cage via my hand without biting either hand that feeds her. I have all along hoped that the more she gets to know us, the less prone she will be to sink her beak into our hands when we try to get her to “Step up.”

Dolcinea just drew my blood for the first time, biting down hard on my finger, as I stupidly stuck it in her cage, hoping to pet her on the head, figuring that since she had just been so nice about coming out of her cage that she wouldn’t mind a head rub. She was on her hoop, and I know that she is, basically, unapproachable when she is on that hoop, so why did I stick my finger in there? Live and learn is all that I can say. Bird: quit biting me!!

I put the question, “Do African Greys bite,” into Google. These are two of the best responses:

All birds have the potential to bite, whether they were hand raised or not. Birds have only 2 ways to protect themselves - flying away and biting. A bird would rather fly away from conflict than fight, but since this is not always an option for the bird, a bite is the only remaining choice the bird has.

Most bites can be avoided by getting to know the bird's body language. A bird will always give a warning before biting, however subtle this warning may be.

Greys are no different. I have an almost 3 year Congo African grey who was hand raised and weaned by a quality breeder, and I have gotten some painful bites that have bled over the years. It has always been my own fault when she has bitten, because either I didn't pick up on her body language or chose to ignore it (like when trimming her nails)..

Broody birds can bite. A hormonal bird often becomes possessive and protective of its cage (nest), and will tend to bite more than when the bird was not hormonal.

If you own a bird, you are going to get bitten at some stage. It's just one of the occupational hazards of being a bird owner.

--Unnamed Source from a Yahoo stream

If the bird is afraid or needs to protect his "home" he will bite. Also, if a bird has been mistreated it can be friendly, but when you do certain things he will bite. Just be patient and work with the bird.

African Grey's are very loving and smart birds. Remember it is not a bad thing if the bird does not like to have his head scratched; you may find he likes his wings or under the wings or back scratch, instead. Let the bird come to you. Don't give up; the bird will come to trust you completely in time: the magic being time.

--Echo’s Mom

Sometimes, I stick my finger through the cage trying to pet the bird. Joan just stuck her finger in my face and said, “How do you like it.” I didn’t, so I will quit sticking my finger in the bird’s face. Funny the stupid things we do without realizing that they are stupid.

The bottom of Dolcinea’s cage needs to be cleaned and I was wondering if I could use a vingegar/water mixture to clean the poop up. I often Google before I make a move regarding the bird with something that I am not sure about, and sure enough this is what I found:

“Wet Vinegar is not good for feather's and if smelled directly is harmful as would be if vinegar got into the eyes.”—Yahoo

I ran across a lemon/baking soda homemade solution the other day. I will have to search for it again, and get some lemon juice. I want to keep my bird’s cage clean.

There are birds outside my window singing. I wonder if they have come to see and serenade Dolcinea?

Dolcinea just did the funniest thing. She came out on my hand willingly, not knowing that she was about to take a shower. I sprayed her lightly with a squirt bottle. It is supposed to be a good thing for her to get her feathers wet. She didn’t think so, but instead of biting me, she tried to take a chunk out the water bottle. You have got to love the spirit of that bird.

I put three quarters of a dozen, or so, blueberries in the bird’s snack dish, this morning, and she is happily munching on the berries, now,  dropping most of them to the floor of her cage after a few bites. She was out of her cage, earlier this morning, touring the house on Joan’s  hand. I woke to hear Joan saying, in the dark of our bedroom, “Look who it is. Look who it is. I love Mikel K.” What a nice way to start your day: waking to the woman and the bird you love.

Owning a pet bird can be very rewarding. Birds are very intelligent creatures and many species enjoy interacting with their owners. It is very important to provide your avian friend with a safe and healthy environment. Your bird's cage is his home, the place where he spends most of his time. It is critical to ensure that his living quarters are not only stimulating, with a variety of safe toys and perches, but also are scrupulously clean.

There are several methods used to clean a bird cage as well as various cleaning products that are effective. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing cleaning products is that the cleaner you choose must be bird safe. Birds have very delicate respiratory systems and you need to be highly vigilant to protect your pet from harmful fumes and toxins.

Several companies make bird-safe cage cleaning products that work well, but you can also make your own cleaner out of common household ingredients. A recipe for a natural, bird-safe, and effective cage cleaner combines just three ingredients. The ingredients are hot water, baking soda and lemon juice.

To make this natural cleaner, first start with a clean spray bottle, one that did not previously contain any toxic substances. It is wiser to purchase a new spray bottle then to recycle one by cleaning it. Mix together 3 cups hot water, 3 tablespoons baking soda and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. The lemon juice contains enzymes that will break down the food and droppings on the bird cage while also acting as a natural disinfectant that is safe for your bird.

The most effective way to clean a bird cage is to make sure that you make it a priority everyday to remove the food deposits and bird droppings on the cage. It is advisable to remove your bird from the cage, especially if you are spraying any cleaner. Once you have removed your bird to a safe place, which can include a bird stand or play area, spray the dried on food and droppings, allowing the cleaner to sit a couple of minutes to break down the organic matter. This will make it much easier to wipe off.

For stubborn dried poop or food, you can use a sturdy brush to scrub the surface. Be sure to clean your bird's perches as well. It is also important to clean any toys and bowls. Food and water bowls should be thoroughly cleaned daily, with hot soapy water, and rinsed well. The water bowl will need more attention, especially if your bird bathes in his water bowl or poops in it.

The most widely recommended lining for the floor of a bird cage is newspaper. It is imperative that you change the newspaper daily when you clean the cage. It is also recommended that you use black and white newsprint instead of colorful pages to prevent any harm to your bird from the ink, if your bird tends to shred or otherwise play with the paper lining.

Lisa Hernandez, Bird Expert

When you clean a bird cage, remember to wipe down any attachments, such as seed guards as well. A small handheld vacuum also comes in handy to quickly remove seeds or food that has exited the cage and landed on the floor or other nearby surfaces.

You are also encouraged do a deep cleaning of the cage at least once a month. If you are able to take the cage outside, you can hose it down or use a pressure washer to thoroughly clean the cage. Many bird owners use a steam cleaner to effectively clean a bird cage. Make sure that the cage is completely dry before allowing your bird to return to his home.

Maintaining a clean bird cage is one of the most important ways to keep your pet healthy and happy. If you develop a routine to clean the cage daily, it will not become an overwhelming chore. A daily cage cleaning session can be accomplished quickly and efficiently, so that you have plenty of time to spend interacting with your pet bird.

I'm going to have to clean the bottom of Dolcinea’s cage, again today, as I did yesterday. She is a messy little Queen: poop and snacks that she has dropped adorn the floor of her cage. I am going to make Sundays the big clean up day where I take her cage outside and spray it down with the hose. Each day I will inspect her newspaper, and if it is yucky, I will replace it. I will scrape off the bits of poop that she has dropped onto the cage floor on a daily basis. I want my baby to have a clean home.

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I have an Indian Ringneck named Blue. I line the bottom tray of his cage with layers of newspaper. Daily - Each night I tuck Blue in at bedtime and say our good nights. During this routine, I use a damp paper towel to wipe visible messes off the cage bars and skirt. They drop into the tray and I simply fold up and toss the top layer of newspaper. His food and water dishes get washed and water refilled. This takes about 3 minutes. Weekly - I mist the cage with warm water. Blue enjoys this because I mist him along with it. I let the water sit and dissolve hardened messes. I remove the toys and take them to the sink to be washed. Then I use a bucket of warm water and lemon juice and a sponge to wipe down the cage. Blue likes to be in his cage to supervise this job. When I'm finished, I rotate toy locations and place his dish of foot toys back in the bottom of his cage. This takes about 30 minutes. Simple and easy. I do the same on the budgies cage. :)—Guest Paulette