Natural snacks for pet birds and fish

Pets like variety in what they eat, so why not give your birds or fish a treat by adding a few natural supplements to their diet. Many of the following suggestions are kitchen scraps or can be found growing wild.

Pet birds love a good nibble. Here are some snack options that will have them singing with thanks.

• Bake some leftover whole wheat bread to harden it. Wait until it cools and then clip it to the side of the cage for your birds to nibble on.
• Pick up a pine cone for your parrot or parakeet. They love pecking the seed-stuffed cones and it will keep their beaks trim.
• Chop up some fruit for variety. Fruit is generally good for birds, but avoid pits or seeds from apples, cherries, peaches and avocados.
• Offer your birds handfuls of thistles or seeding grasses you have collected, along with the soil-covered roots. However, don't give them lawn clippings because the grass may have been sprayed with insecticides or treated with fertilizers, both of which are highly toxic to birds.
• Attach fresh hay to the cage for birds to pick through.
• Wash all vegetables, fruit and grasses in case they have been sprayed with chemicals, or buy organic produce.

Pet fish benefit from a variety of edible options in their tank. Below are a few snacks that will have them swimming with joy.

• Add regular supplies of fresh aquatic plants to your fish tank or pond. Plants are a good additional food source for fish, while also offering a place to shelter and helping to oxygenate the water.
• Blanch a lettuce leaf or a slice of zucchini in boiling water and attach it to the glass of the fish tank using a suction cup with a clip. You can also try a slice of orange or lemon. Wash the fruit thoroughly first, in case there are some chemical residues on the skin.
• Give your aquarium fish a snack of mosquito larvae – they enjoy them, and live food is a welcome supplement to a constant diet of artificial or prepared food. If mosquitoes are multiplying in your garden pond, this is an excellent way of reducing their numbers.

We all love a little variety in our lives, and our pet birds and fish are no different. Offering them a variety of natural snacks may seem like a small thing, but they will certainly appreciate it.