I live in a very old home that was built in 1900. While removing some old flooring to put in something new, I found a newspaper between levels of linoleum that was dated May, 1931. This got me to thinking how pet bird care has changed over the years.

I wasn't around in 1931 but my memories do go back for a few decades.

The only pet birds readily available were canaries and budgies although not in the variety of colours that they now come in. They were generally kept in too small cages and bird toys were virtually unheard of. Dry birdseed was available and some people also provided fruits and vegetables to their birds.

Very few people had any of the larger parrots and any that were around had been captured in the wild. The diets for these birds ranged from very poor – peanuts and dry seeds; to quite acceptable – whatever the family was eating along with fruits and vegetables. Usually these birds were kept in cages that were much too small and they did not have toys to play with.

Many birds are unfortunately still kept in less than desirable cages without toys and fed very poor diets. Slowly, many of these people are being educated and are making positive changes to the way they keep their birds.

Many people have learned that they can purchase a bird directly from the breeder instead of a pet store. This has resulted in the people being instructed by the breeder to give proper care to the bird. Unfortunately, a pet store will still sell a bird and a tiny cage to anyone who walks in the door with the money to make the purchase.

Now, we know that birds need a large cage – as large as you can afford and have the room for. We also know that birds need a varied diet consisting of a combination of at least several of the following - vegetables, fruits, beans, pasta, pellets, dry seeds, soaked or sprouted seeds, baked items (ie - birdy bread, muffins, etc), eggs, nuts. We also know that birds need a variety of toys to play with to keep active and these toys should be changed to keep the interest – toys that can be destroyed are loved by many birds. We also know that birds need your time and attention.

As more is learned about the care required, we must keep up to date to ensure that each and every pet bird receives the best care possible. We have learned a lot over the years, but we are still learning.