Parrots are great pets to own, but they can be noisy, aggressive, destructive, and even pull out all their own feathers. These are just some attributes people do not know, or think about, when purchasing a parrot as a pet. You can help by being a parrot behavior consultant. You can even offer other services along with this, such as nail and wing trimming, cage makeovers, and pet sitting. You can charge $30 an hour for consulting, and $50 for pet sitting. You should have a parrot of your own and some training.
Having a pet is a great pastime, especially for those who are animal lovers and love the company. Pets come in many shapes like; dogs, cats, fish, and birds. Of the birds, most people opt to have a parrot as a pet. They are great birds to have as pets and companions because they can talk and keep you company when at home.
However, at times, these parrots can be noisy, aggressive, destructive, and even have a tendency of pulling out their feathers. These are facts about parrots that people seldom take into consideration when they buy a parrot. So to help such parrot owners, you could consider starting a parrot behavior training service. As long as you have some knowledge about the behavior of parrots, you can consult parrot owners on the right way of looking after their birds, so that they do not tend to be destructive and aggressive. Of course, you will not offer this service free; so you can charge something like $30 an hour for consulting.
Other than just parrot consulting services, you could also offer services like nail and wing trimming, since parrot owners can find it rather difficult to keep the parrot down long enough to trim their nails and flight feathers. Parrots tend to become irritable and may not cooperate with getting their trimmings. Parrot owners are also always on the lookout for people who can offer the perfect cage makeovers for their cages. This is so that the cage becomes much more attractive and comfortable for the parrots to live in. These jobs too have a charge, the rates which you feel are most appropriate for your skills and the time involved.
Sometimes parrot owners have to leave their pet parrots at home alone for some reason or the other; perhaps while on a business trip or a vacation. You could then offer a parrot sitting services for such people. They will happily use your services as they can then leave on their trip without any worry about their parrot. Charging a reasonable fee of about $50 for parrot sitting is okay, depending on how long they are gone. All you have to do is visit the parrot, clean and fill its' food and water receptacles, and make sure the cage is clean, while they are away on the trip. If you have the facilities you might also take the birds in to your own home or place of business and care from them there.
You do not need much of an investment for this business; let alone knowledge on handling parrots, have a love for animals, and perhaps a parrot of your own. You will get more customers if you have a certificate, or references, vouching for your expertise in looking after parrots. There are courses available through the Internet, which on completion; you are awarded a certificate proving your expertise in parrot training and care.
It is a good idea to invest in some advertising and marketing about your parrot training services. All you have to do is to design pamphlets for distribution at your local pet stores, and perhaps your local veterinarian offices. Even placing some in shopping centers and parks where pet owners may frequent will bring in more publicity for your job. Creating a website also is a good idea because there are many people who look for parrot sitting services through the Internet. Once you accomplish this it will not be long before people come looking for your parrot training and sitting services!
Resources:
http://pijac.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
http://www.parrotnanny.com/
http://www.positivelyparrots.com/
May 4, 2009
