Abu Dhabi: While all pets have their own benefits in your life, birds are soothing, calming, and a joy to be around.
Saudis love their pets, they are therapeutic, and a companion that has become a part of the Saudi lifestyle. Although birds aren’t as much as dogs and cats, they occupy a special place in the hearts of their owners.
Thus, taming and hoteling pet birds has become a thriving business in Saudi Arabia, where the bird business market is wide open for people with a burning passion that want a career in taming and breeding birds.
Saudi tamers build a close relationship with the birds and match them, until they give up their wild qualities, and teach them a number of skills.
They charge up to 500 riyals for a dressage period of up to 30 days.
A hotel service provider said most birds are classified as wild and not eligible to be owned as a pet without the proper license or approval from the right animal body.
“Despite the number of birds in the world, only a small majority can be tamed, and only a handful are accepted as pets in Saudi Arabia. Some common pet birds are doves, lovebirds, finches, cockatiels, parrots and budgerigars,” he said.
He added the charges for taming of large birds in the first months, such as Amazonian, Macaw, and Casco parrots, start from 150 riyals, and charges for taming birds aged above a year reach 350 riyals, during a maximum period of two weeks.
“The bird hotel offers many services such as cutting the wings and nails, cool the beak, and bathing,” he said, indicating that it is not correct to use the policy of starvation, beatings, intimidation, anesthesia, and to follow easy and comfortable methods of taming even if it takes a long time,” the tamer said.
Abdulrahman Al Mansour, a bird breeder, said, “Taming, tuning and calming parrots takes a long breath, and is not done in a hurry, as sometimes the period of dressage reaches 30 days, and it can increase according to the response of the bird during the first days.
Al Mansour pointed out that the payment of dressage fees is based on the extent According to the response of the bird and its combination, and it ranges between 100 and 500 riyals.
Al Mansour considered the young birds, especially the wild Dura parrot, the most difficult in terms of taming and responding, as a tamer must first remove fear of the bird and calm it down, then reduce its offensive or savage qualities until it ends, and reduce biting in innovative ways and methods, in addition to wiping the back and head outside the cage.
He said the cost of taming the birds varies between SR70 and SR300, and hotels charge between 5 and 10 riyals per day.
Al Mansour said: “Many bird tamers do not prefer the Indian Dura parrot because of its brutality, stubbornness and ferocity, and its barrenness.
“Every tamer has a certain way of dressage, the most important of which is avoiding harming the bird, starving it, intimidating or torturing it for the purpose of taming,” he said.
Al Mansour said just like dogs, birds are the second category of pets that are easily humanised. Bird parents have a strong relationship with their pet bird and most people love them because of their intelligence and ability to learn.
He added they are also good company, have you ever watched a bird react when its cage is cleaned, they are so happy it just puts a smile on your face.
“Pet birds are the best pets for a family with small children, depending on the bird type, it is clean fun and entertainment that will keep you busy and filled with positive energy all day long,” he said.
Al Mansour added birds are cheaper than dogs and cats or even fishes, very easy to care for and it doesn’t take too much of your time.
“It is fun to own a pet bird, but even more engaging having a business that provides such beauty to bird lovers,” Al Mansour concluded.
