DRAFTS
What he will need from you is a nice place for his cage away from drafts. I have found that central air conditioning also provides these drafts. You know your canary is cold because he
"puffs" up at times other than nighttime sleep (nighttime sleep puffiness is perfectly normal). This means he is cold. Canaries are fragile in this way most of all. They are the oldest
domesticated bird in the world (since the 1500s), so are quite hardy and do not usually die from diseases but from drafts. Another way to tell your canary is not feeling very good is he will be easy to catch with your hand (their beaks do not hurt just hang on firm but not too tight. They can be a bit difficult to catch if they get away J). They should be a lot quicker than a human!
WHAT IF HE ESCAPES HIS CAGE?
Speaking of catching your bird, what do you do if he gets away? We use a small butterfly catching net here, but actually a towel will do. He will tire out after a couple of minutes of you trying to catch him and will land on the floor. You can then throw the towel over him, speak to him softly and reassuringly, and put him back in his cage.
CLEANING THE CAGE
Speaking of his cage, what is the best way to clean the cage? There is a pullout tray to clean the paper daily, and I just use good old newspaper. It is usually in every household anyhow and some studies have suggested the ink on the paper helps kill bacteria. If you feel the cage needs a better scrubbing, the best way to do that is to first make sure all windows and doors are closed, lay some newspaper onto your floor or a table, place his cage next to the newspaper, push in the bottom of the cage so that it separates from the base and slowly lift the metal part of the cage up and set it on top of the newspaper. Your bird will instinctively fly to the top of the cage and should not escape, but if he does, see the paragraph above about catching him.
CONTACTS
Most importantly, I am here for you to ask any questions if you need to. You can reach me at (616) 874-8806 or email me at mbkromer@attbi.com. You can also visit our web site at www.hgbirds.com
Thank you again and please do not hesitate to call me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mary Kromer
Home Grown Birds
