Simple tips to keep your pet bird happy

If you're a pet owner, your creature's comfort should be a top priority. That's true for all pets, from furry felines to goldfish. These quick tips will help you create a happy home for your pet bird.

• Cover the birdcage with an attractive tablecloth, pillowcase or scarf. It'll work as a nighttime cover for your bird and help them relax.
• Clip a small tree branch for your cockatiel's cage. Your pet will climb and re-climb the branch and will also peck it to sharpen their beak.
• Use a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water to turn a birdcage into a sparkling clean home. You can also use it to clean plastic bird toys. After wiping on the mixture, rinse with fresh tap water, then dry the cage with a clean cloth.
• Make a hanging toy for your bird's cage by stringing wooden spools on a leather cord and tying it diagonally near the top of the cage. Your bird will enjoy pecking at it and making the spools sway back and forth.

It's easy to keep a bird occupied. While pet stores sell all sorts of toys, you can easily entertain your pet with items you have around the house. Juice jugs, mop heads and whisk brooms are good toys for birds that like to pluck feathers. Here are some items you can use that may already have.

• Plastic bottle caps
• Plastic juice jugs with the top cut off and the edges frayed with scissors
• Wads of newspaper
• Shredded printer paper
• A natural-bristle whisk broom
• Wireless clothespins
• Small wooden balls

You can also try repurposing the following items for hours of entertainment for your bird.

• Plastic bottles: Add a new dimension to a clear plastic beverage bottle by putting beads, plastic clothespins or other brightly coloured objects inside and placing the cap back on the bottle. Your bird will spend hours on end trying to figure out how to get to the objects inside.
• Old jewellery: Make use of old jewellery to occupy your pet bird. Suspend an old bracelet, necklace, or ring from the top of the cage — Patty the parakeet doesn't give a hoot what's in fashion as long as she has something shiny to play with. Just be sure not to use anything with gems or parts that your bird could pry off and swallow. For safety's sake, place the item on the outside of the cage so your bird can peck at it but can't pull it into the cage.

Whether your flying pet is Ben the budgerigar or Penny the parrot, keeping them comfortable is easy to do. Give their birdcage a regular cleaning and outfit it with homemade toys and objects from around the house.