# Advice for tiels with a newborn (human) baby



## Tor (Jul 26, 2012)

I'm going to be moving in with my sister and her husband for a few months. I have two cockatiels.

My concern is that they will be having a baby in a few weeks. I'll only be with them for a short(ish) period, but I still want to take the precautions necessary. Since its just a short time, I'll probably relegate the birds to my room for the duration, but with a large cage and two other play structures with rope and perches, I'm not too worried about them. Its the new baby I want to do right by.

I have two concerns:

1. Tiels are dusty. I'm interested in getting a portable air filter for the room to do extra air purification that is easy to clean and maintain. I've heard that not all are bird friendly, so I'm looking for suggestions.


2. Are there any other health risks (aside from dusty air) that I should be aware of? They will not be around the baby any time soon (I'll probably be moved out by then), but I want to make sure I cover my bases.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

True-HEPA air purifiers are the best and are bird-safe. You'll need to vacuum the tiel dust off the pre-filter occasionally. HEPA-type is OK too, it doesn't suck as much crud out of the air but that's only an issue if you're buying it to help with allergies. Avoid ionizers and ozone-producing air purifiers, those are the unsafe ones. 

Keep plenty of distance between the bird and the baby for the safety of both of them. Babies have very delicate skin, and if the bird flew over and landed on the baby, the bird's claws could scratch the baby. Birds have biting capability too of course and you don't want him to use it. You also don't want the baby to wave an arm and accidentally mash the bird.


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