{"id":29498,"date":"2020-07-29T17:13:29","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T22:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/?p=29498"},"modified":"2025-09-03T22:35:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T03:35:02","slug":"summer-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"African
photo by Lisa Bono, CPBC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Your plans are to go outside to enjoy the day, take in the sunshine and feel slight breeze on your skin. You want to take your parrot out with you to get vitamin D and some fresh air. After all, they were not meant to be kept in an indoor environment. Their health needs are much like ours \u2014 fresh air and sunshine included.<\/p>\n

Sadly, this time of year we see so many ads for lost parrots<\/a>. Some are escapees due to accidents, but others are caused by a lack of protection while being outside with owners. Many of these scenarios can be avoided by taking simple safety precautions and knowing your environment.<\/p>\n

Safe Options To Enjoy The Great Outdoors<\/h3>\n

There are several options available for pet owners to explore. I have found the safest option is to have a smaller cage if your plans include staying outside for a longer period of time. Some cages are designed to collapse down for storage purposes. If you are using a collapsible cage, please be aware of the connections and the materials they are made from.<\/p>\n

This storage feature also makes them more susceptible to falling apart when being lifted up or moving around. Be sure to check the security of the food dishes and doors. I suggest using small zip ties to attach the bottom plastic case to the cage itself. Use these also on the food doors in the event a cage is dropped for some reason, the cage parts will be held together. If you are using the cage option, make sure you place your bird in the cage while INSIDE your residence for safety. Do not open any cages outside for any reason.<\/p>\n

\"bird
Lisa Bono readies the flock for a walk. Photo by Lisa Bono, CPBC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another option is a backpack-type case designed for parrots. I happen to own a few of them, and they are fantastic for travel. However, not all are created equal.\u00a0 Make sure the product you invest in is made from materials that are, for the most part, chew-resistant. Some carriers are made with a plastic mesh. It can be seconds before your parrot realizes this and chews their way out quickly. Others are made with stainless steel mesh; this is the protection you want. With that said, always inspect the carrier before each use to make sure a curious beak did not find a crevice to work at and open up a hole.<\/p>\n

Lately, I am seeing more carriers being made of acrylic. While this is the best option for known destructive beaks, be aware that they can get very hot inside with the sun and heat. I urge you if you have this type of product to make sure enough ventilation gets in the carrier and keep it out of direct sun. Some acrylic carriers offer an optional wire door that can be purchased as an add-on. I highly suggest this option if you plan on using this type of carrier.<\/p>\n

Stretch Your Wings With A Harness<\/h3>\n
\"African
Sammy in her harness. Photo by Lisa Bono, CPBC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are several manufacturers of avian harnesses. Whichever one you choose, take the time to inspect the harness each time you put it on for any signs of weak spots due to a bird chewing while wearing it. Curious beaks can cause damage quickly. Purchase the correct size for your parrot according to weight. You want that product to perform correctly, and it can only do so with proper placement and monitoring. Do not use any products that are made for raptors or tie anything to a bird’s band. This is a common practice overseas and some countries. A raptor’s leg structure is much different than psittacines<\/a>. Raptor legs are stronger, with more muscle mass, and designed to carry prey. Using an incorrect tether can break or damage a parrot’s leg.<\/p>\n

Lost & Found<\/h3>\n

Do not be fooled with the false sense of security of clipping wings and thinking that will keep your bird safe outside. A bird with clipped wings can and will fly<\/em>. There are many different factors that can come into play that can help carry your bird away. All parrots still have all their wild, fight-or-flight instincts intact even though they live in our homes. If they are startled while outside, they will take flight. If they are caught in a wind stream or sitting up on higher ground than surrounding property, they will get some height as well as distance and can get into a tree.<\/p>\n

Being on social media I see several lost birds each day. A bird with clipped wings does not have the ability or agility to escape predators. It will not know where to find food or where to keep safe. It is our job as stewards to keep them safe, happy, and healthy.<\/p>\n

In my years I have personally assisted in retrieving several birds. I\u2019ve been bitten by a dog and dredged through pricker bush swampland. The time out trying to locate them or watching them while they flew from tree to tree was heartbreaking. I have a 50\/50 recovery rate, and I still think of the ones that did not make it home.<\/p>\n

People say to me time and time again that \u201cmy bird has been coming outside free for years,\u201d \u201chis wings are clipped,\u201d \u201che\u2019s never flown\u201d or \u201che loves me too much to fly off.\u201d Please do not think this. Your bird depends on you to know better and provide safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many companion parrots enjoy spending time outdoors when the weather is nice as much as we do. What’s more, exposure to natural sunlight can be great for your pet bird\u2019s mental and physical health. However, before bringing your feathered friend outside, some important safety precautions are in order. Follow these recommendations to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the Great Outdoors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8024,"featured_media":29504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[171,95,170,169],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-everyday","category-health","category-housing","category-new"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSummer Safety – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before bringing your feathered friend outside, follow these summer safety precautions to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the great outdoors.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Summer Safety – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before bringing your feathered friend outside, follow these summer safety precautions to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the great outdoors.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lafeber\u00ae Pet Birds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-29T22:13:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-04T03:35:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"756\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lisa Bono, CPBC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Bono, CPBC\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lisa Bono, CPBC\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/36aa5b9ebc93c944f36e25f3e61e13cd\"},\"headline\":\"Summer Safety\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-07-29T22:13:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-04T03:35:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":955,\"commentCount\":5,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Everyday\",\"Health\",\"Housing\",\"New\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/\",\"name\":\"Summer Safety – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-07-29T22:13:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-04T03:35:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/36aa5b9ebc93c944f36e25f3e61e13cd\"},\"description\":\"Before bringing your feathered friend outside, follow these summer safety precautions to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the great outdoors.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg\",\"width\":720,\"height\":756,\"caption\":\"Sammy in her harness.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/summer-safety\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Summer Safety\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/\",\"name\":\"Lafeber\u00ae Pet Birds\",\"description\":\"Two Generations of Veterinarians Caring & Working for the Health of Animals\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/36aa5b9ebc93c944f36e25f3e61e13cd\",\"name\":\"Lisa Bono, CPBC\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/LisaBono-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/LisaBono-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/LisaBono-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Lisa Bono, CPBC\"},\"description\":\"Lisa A. Bono is owner and operator of The Platinum Parrot in\u00a0Barnegat Township, New Jersey, a specialty store devoted specifically to parrots and the needs of their owners. This storefront is the stage for ongoing educational seminars, roundtables, and fundraising events. She believes The Platinum Parrot is the first of its kind in the state of New Jersey offering only supplies, while pairing with rescues to help unwanted birds find new homes. Visit The Platinum Parrot Facebook page for more information. Bono joined the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants \u2014 Parrot Division in 2009. She is an associate certified parrot behavior consultant, specializing in the African grey parrots. Bono also joined the Association of Avian Veterinarians as an allied professional member in order to continue her education at a whole new level.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/lisa-bono\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/author\\\/lisab\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Summer Safety – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.","description":"Before bringing your feathered friend outside, follow these summer safety precautions to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the great outdoors.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Summer Safety – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.","og_description":"Before bringing your feathered friend outside, follow these summer safety precautions to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the great outdoors.","og_url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/","og_site_name":"Lafeber\u00ae Pet Birds","article_published_time":"2020-07-29T22:13:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-04T03:35:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":720,"height":756,"url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lisa Bono, CPBC","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lisa Bono, CPBC","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/"},"author":{"name":"Lisa Bono, CPBC","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#\/schema\/person\/36aa5b9ebc93c944f36e25f3e61e13cd"},"headline":"Summer Safety","datePublished":"2020-07-29T22:13:29+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-04T03:35:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/"},"wordCount":955,"commentCount":5,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg","articleSection":["Everyday","Health","Housing","New"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/","url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/","name":"Summer Safety – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg","datePublished":"2020-07-29T22:13:29+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-04T03:35:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#\/schema\/person\/36aa5b9ebc93c944f36e25f3e61e13cd"},"description":"Before bringing your feathered friend outside, follow these summer safety precautions to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the great outdoors.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/sammyoutside-e1596058135984.jpg","width":720,"height":756,"caption":"Sammy in her harness."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/summer-safety\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Summer Safety"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#website","url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/","name":"Lafeber\u00ae Pet Birds","description":"Two Generations of Veterinarians Caring & Working for the Health of Animals","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#\/schema\/person\/36aa5b9ebc93c944f36e25f3e61e13cd","name":"Lisa Bono, CPBC","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/LisaBono-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/LisaBono-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/LisaBono-96x96.jpg","caption":"Lisa Bono, CPBC"},"description":"Lisa A. Bono is owner and operator of The Platinum Parrot in\u00a0Barnegat Township, New Jersey, a specialty store devoted specifically to parrots and the needs of their owners. This storefront is the stage for ongoing educational seminars, roundtables, and fundraising events. She believes The Platinum Parrot is the first of its kind in the state of New Jersey offering only supplies, while pairing with rescues to help unwanted birds find new homes. Visit The Platinum Parrot Facebook page for more information. Bono joined the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants \u2014 Parrot Division in 2009. She is an associate certified parrot behavior consultant, specializing in the African grey parrots. Bono also joined the Association of Avian Veterinarians as an allied professional member in order to continue her education at a whole new level.","sameAs":["http:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/lisa-bono\/"],"url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/author\/lisab\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29498"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45079,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29498\/revisions\/45079"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}