Keep Feathered Friends Safe
Safety Tips by Karen Rosenthal, DVM, MS
While the kitchen may be the heart of the home, it’s not necessarily the best place for your feathered friends to live. Miniscule particles produced by cooking fumes, smoke, and kitchen cleaning products (that have little-to-no effect on people) can quickly sicken and even kill some birds—and it can happen in seconds.
Unattended cookware that overheats—or cookware that’s heated up without anything added to the pan—can release fumes that are toxic to birds. Even fumes released when using the self-cleaning feature of an oven can cause respiratory distress in our avian friends. To keep them safe:
- Keep them out of the kitchen when you’re cooking.
- Don’t leave heated cookware unattended.
- Don’t preheat cookware on high heat settings.
- Always open a window or turn on the exhaust fan for ventilation when you’re cooking.
Many bird owners find it a great social event to share mealtime with their avian friend. Eating meals together can add great enrichment to your bird’s life. To do this safely, please remember to bring them into the dining area once the cooking is done and the fun of eating begins.
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