Handling Your Lovebird Safely

Video Transcript

"Hi! I’m Sarah and I’m here at Extra Care Animal Hospital today, and I’m going to tell you a little bit about owning a lovebird. Holding your bird and being able to look at your bird’s feet and tail and wings and things like that is something that you should be comfortable with. Generally, when I’m holding a bird, I’m kind of making a little okay sign just around their neck. As you can see, this is where her chest is and I’m not putting any pressure here, I’m not holding on to her chest at all. This allows her to fully expand her lungs and air sacks so she can breathe properly. You never want to squeeze hard, as that can inhibit their ability to breathe and eventually kill them. In the event of an emergency, you always want to be able to handle your bird, so this is something you should get your bird used to. It’s just being handled with a small towel. Handling them with towels also gets them used to going to the vet’s office, because very often they’ll get handled with towels at the vet’s office. Doing this frequently will help de-sensitize them to it and they won’t be as stressed out. Once you have done your little sessions when you’re first getting your bird used to you, just of holding, after a minute of two you can put your bird back in the cage. Eventually though, you should be able to get your bird up to the point of where he or she will sit on your hand."