Bird guardians need to be aware that the kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house for these special pets. Birds are highly sensitive to a variety of fumes, including aerosol sprays, smoke and cooking gas. Even heated cookware—all kinds, coated and non-stick—can emit toxins that are harmless and undetectable to us, but can kill a pet bird within minutes.
“Birds are more sensitive to respiratory irritants than other animals because of differences in their respiratory systems,” explains Dr. Camille DeClementi of the ASPCA. “The use of non-stick pans around birds is particularly dangerous, because when these pans are exposed to excessive heat they release toxic fumes. To keep birds safe, pet parents should always remove them from the kitchen while cooking and should be very careful to avoid overheating non-stick pans.”
Here are a few useful tips:
1 Always keep your pet bird out of the kitchen while cooking.
Many veterinarians urge pet owners to keep their birds in a room other than the kitchen.
2. Never pre-heat your cookware on high heat.
The fact is,any type of cookware pre-heated with cooking oils, fats, margarine or butter can harm your bird.
3. Never leave your bird and heated cookware unattended.
Sadly, fatalities can result when birds and cooking pots or pans are left together in the kitchen unattended—even for just a few minutes. Cooking fumes from any type of overheated cookware―not just non-stick―can damage a bird’s lungs with alarming speed. And if your bird is out of his cage, he might come too close to the hot burner.
4. Always turn the exhaust fan on or open a window before cooking.
It is important to make sure that your kitchen is properly ventilated. In addition to cooking fumes, birds are highly sensitive to a variety of other fumes, such as aerosol sprays, non-stick sprays, spray starch, perfumes, smoke, self-cleaning ovens and cooking gas.
5. Store toxic items out of your bird’s reach.
These include all cleaners, pesticides, mothballs and both prescription and over-the-counter medications. Some cleaning agents may cause mild stomach upset, but others can cause severe burns to a bird’s tongue, mouth and crop.
6. Keep your bird away from food and beverage items that could be dangerous. These items include:
7. Keep your bird away from kitchen appliances.
8. Keep your bird away from potentially toxic kitchen plants
Source: ASPCA
