# Giving a 'tiel kisses?



## corgie (Jun 24, 2013)

Hey, I was wondering if you were giving a cockatiel kisses would it be okay, and would it be okay if you had recently licked your lips? I know human saliva is bad for birds but I was wondering if this would be okay?

Thanks for any help!


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

I always give Skiddles kisses and to be honest I have never really thought about if I had just licked my lips. I am sure it would be ok though. Its not like they are getting food from your mouth or anything. Thats just my opinion.


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## ccollin13 (May 24, 2013)

Just keep your mouth closed and don't slobber! And you should be fine. Ziggy gives me tiny nibbles on the lip.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Jaid loves kisses. But I have to make it brief since he likes to bite the dry skin on my lips. Ouch!


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## corgie (Jun 24, 2013)

Okay thank you! 

I didn't think it would do anything but I wanted to double check lol


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## ccollin13 (May 24, 2013)

Always good to double check! Don't EVER let your bird inside your mouth, though. I see pictures online sometimes of people who let their small birds stick their heads in the human's mouth, now THAT is guaranteed to get your bird sick. But quick kisses should be okay


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey isn't into kisses just yet, but I give my mom's little guy smooches all the time. He almost demands them as a greeting, silly boy. It is always closed lip kisses. Before I found out it was dangerous for birds to get in contact with human saliva, my thought was where his beak had been, preening.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

My vet advises not to give kisses on the tiel's beak. He said kisses on the head are okay but he says with beak kisses you risk passing bacteria to your bird. And don't share food with you tiel that you've taken bites from, etc.


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## Peetenomax (Nov 23, 2013)

CaliTiels said:


> Jaid loves kisses. But I have to make it brief since he likes to bite the dry skin on my lips. Ouch!


I let Dexter take care of my chapped lips (they get dry. even in the winter I ride a bike to/from work). He's good at removing dry flakes & he's quite gentle while doing it


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2014)

I always kiss my cockatiel but NEVER French kiss him LOL. It's fine so long as you don't get saliva all over your bird, gross.

My cockatiel kisses me back... he starts chuckling and doing this weird thing where he imitates me kissing his beak... hard to explain in words.... but it's beyond cute!!! 

I am totally addicted to kissing my tiel and smelling him constantly. Can't help it. That really doesn't sound right!


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## SoCalTiels (Oct 8, 2013)

Don't worry, there was a bird sniffing thread awhile back. You are not alone, lol. If my birds are sitting on my shoulder and kinda of chirping softly at my face or mimicking my whistles (I suck), then I sometimes give them a kiss on the head or the top of the beak. Not really close to their mouths. As long as you're careful with it, it hasn't seemed to ever cause problems with mine. It's a greeting from Bird too, even when he didn't like me for awhile after I left for college, thats always been our thing. Too much fun.


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## TJSueBee (Mar 19, 2013)

TJ likes to snuggle into our necks while getting top of the head / tiel kisses. 

Sue


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

And then, just like that... today Joey started giving kisses.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2014)

Every single time my tiel stretches (he does 3 different stretches)... that's when I take the perfect opportunity to bury my nose in his chest and take big sniffs and then kiss is beak LOL

Someone I know (isn't a bird person) who sees me smelling my bird all the time is convinced I need help.


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## krismiss71 (Mar 10, 2014)

My bird Mr. T eats out of my mouth all the time and he's not been sick once. Unless I'm sick, I'll let him eat what I'm eating anytime, It seems to be the only way he will eat anything other than seeds and millet.


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## sarah (Jul 11, 2011)

i give kisses to my birds all the time and they love it. especially their head and chest and if i'm lucky the orange spot in their cheek

and also my tiel has got the habit of flying to us and nibbling food from the mouth. i dont do it but my hubby indulges him and he's never seen sick once. guess his immune systems build up


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