Can Your Parrot Get The Corona Virus?

Ok, so you are ‘social distancing,’ which means you are staying home with your parrot. The last pandemic was, as I understand, about 100 years ago with the Spanish flu, but they didn’t have microscopes, hand sanitize or the awareness of how disease is spread the way we do.

Still, what about your parrot? I’ve seen a lot of people online say that they are also parrot-distancing!

But, To Hold Or Not To Hold Your Parrot, That Is The Question!

The official word from medicine: Dr Clubb (my avian veterinarian) says no, “Mammals like us (and bats, civets and camels) get mostly alpha and beta coronaviruses. SARS, MERS and COVID-19 are beta coronaviruses. ” (source: https://www.facebook.com/pg/rainforestclinic/posts/?ref=page_internal)

This means that is highly unlikely that you have to worry about you and your parrot infecting each other. Instead, your parrot may provide the social hole that has been created! It is a well-known fact that petting a pet and spending time with them has positive affects on your health, your well being and even your longevity. If anything, you should spend more time with your parrot because that is likely to make you both healthier and happier in these Corona times-

Be Sure You Have What You Need For Your Parrot

In case things get crazier, you may want to make sure you have plenty of supplies for your parrots. I’ve been trying to make sure I have pellets, parakeet mix and paper for their cages. I’m also thinking about getting toys for them – which mostly come from China and aren’t being shipped now (I don’t think). If you don’t have toys and if they get in short supply, it may be time to start to do training and create some DIY toys!

Train Good Behavior In You Both

This is a great time to start or increase your training. You and your parrot will benefit from adding structured training activities to the day. It will keep your parrot or parrots happier and more in-tune with you and it will entertain them. If you have a yard with parrot-safe flowers or branches, this will be a good time to garden and bring these in for your parrot. Natural foliage helps maintain their beaks and it de-stresses larger parrots – I suspect smaller ones too. Keeps them balanced physically and emotionally.

The huge advantage to increasing your training at this time is that it will benefit you both. When people have a routine, they tend to do better. If you are suddenly working from home it may be lonely; you may miss the social interaction. Creating a daily plan and schedule can shift this for you. Parrot-training sessions should only be 5 to 7 minutes (roughly speaking). this means you can schedule breaks for yourself during the day that provide you with a ‘social’ time (with your parrot) and provide your parrot with engagement.