• Place open container in cage away from where their droppings may land.

• Use an open container with no hoods or covers.

• Change and wash daily.

• If you use a glass bottle, use one without a rubber flange.

Food:

• Seed mixes (daily): A grass seed mixture, such as small hookbill or cockatiel mix (Oats, Hemp, Millet, Wheat, Canary Grass or AKA White Seed)

• Fruits (daily): Apples, bananas, apricots, cherries, grapes, berries, pineapple, oranges and more

• Greens and Vegetables (daily): spinach, chard, lettuce, eggplant, peas, corn, carrots, celery, tomato, zucchini, broccoli, and more. Parrotlet eat more veggies than fruit.

• Carbohydrates (several x a week):, whole grain breads, potatoes, rice, pizza crust, popcorn, muffins, and pasta (uncooked) - but note, as long as this food has little or no fat in it.

• Animal Proteins (several x a week): Eggs and mealworms.

!!Dangerous Food!!: Do not feed the KERNELS (seeds) from the following fruits: Apricot, Peach, Nectarine, Plum and Cherry - the fruits themselves are fine. Also no avocados, alcohol, or chocolate.

NOTE: Breeding pairs in the wild were found to feed their chicks greens and seeds. When they start to hatch chicks they will consume about 10 times as much greens as normal. Chard, Romaine, and Spinach are their favorites.

Feeding: Water and food containers should NOT be placed under perching areas or other places where the bird's droppings might contaminate them. Make sure the containers are open and wide enough for them to drink or eat from, as they will not stick their heads into covered or hooded containers.

• Food Containers: Always blow or dump out empty hulls before adding new seed. Wash containers daily to keep contamination down from spoiling food particles, e.g., from muffins, bananas, etc.

• Minerals: A cuttlebone should be provided at all times (these are best). Or if none are available, use a mineral block, until a cuttle bone can be obtained.

Each bird is different as to how they like their baths. Some use the water bowl to bathe in and will splash out all of the water, so you need to keep an eye on that, because they will get dehydrated if they do not have enough water to drink.

You can also offer them a canary-sized bath, which they will find most entertaining as they will play in it until they are soaked.

Another option is to offer them wet spinach or lettuce leaves and they will roll around in them until they are completely wet.

Some parrotlets even prefer to be gently squirted from a tepid plant mister bottle.

We strongly encourage you to have two birds in a cage. These birds live in flocks and are much happier with a buddy bird.

Parrotlets tend to be territorial, so sometimes, it is not a good idea to introduce an unknown bird into their cage. If you want to have more than one and are acquiring them at different times, sometimes it is best to introduce them by first having a cage for each one.

Always have adult supervision at all times with other pets and children.

Handling: Make sure you hold your parrotlet gently, do not squeeze or poke. Let them climb on you and sit on your head if they like.

When taking them from their cage, be sure to hold them firmly around their bodies and and make sure you don't bump their heads or beaks. Stroke them gently with the direction of their feathers and even scratch them gingerly around their body.

If you want your bird to stay tame, you need to handle them at least once a day.

General Safety Tips: Your curious and precocious parrotlets will like to investigate, so make sure you:

• Close the lid to your toilet bowls

• Do not leave any standing water or leave sinks full of water

• Make sure your houseplant are nontoxic or keep them away from them if you do not know for sure

• Do not use fans around the birds as they can cause all sorts of injuries

• Putting an empty teflon/non-stick pan on the stove and heating it can release toxic fumes that can KILL your birds, always make sure you have food or liquids in your teflon/non-stick pans BEFORE heating them

• When outside, always keep the bird in a cage, as raptors or other predators can easily harm or kill them

• Another reason to keep them in a cage is that they are territorial and will harass or attempt to engage in battle with birds larger then themselves

• Chew Toys: Natural products such as, fiber ropes, leather and soft woods (no bells, as the clappers can be dangerous) and also, NO PLASTIC Products.

• Perches: Hanging and swinging toys or perches are preferred, as they like the motion.

• More is better: Variety is the key to a Parrotlet's happiness, so give them more than one of the above mentioned items at a time in their cage. Also, to avoid boredom, it is best to switch toys on an occasional basis because it helps keep them stimulated.

Cages: Wire cages with a grate at the bottom. This keeps as many of their droppings away from them. For a single bird the minimum recommended size for the cage is: H: 24", W: 18", D: 18 ".

• For a pair the minimum requirements are: H: 36", W: 18", D: 18" (the bigger the better)

• Maximum bar width: 1/2" (one half of an inch)

Perches: Use natural branches for perching, but not dowels because they don't give enough grip support and comfort to them. DO NOT USE branches from the following trees as they contain cyanide and are poisonous: apricot, peach, nectarine, plum and cherry.

Environment: Keep them away from drafts and extreme cold, if they are not used to the climate you are in it is best to keep them indoors until your weather is more stable for them.

Nail trimming: If you have never done this before, take your bird to a Vet and have them show you how to do it or just have your Vet do it on a regular basis.