General bird advice unrelated to food:
Make sure that you have a solid light/dark/ sleep schedule w/ at least 12 hours a night. A cover is very helpful but make sure it is breathable and that you don't wash it in a scented detergent that will stink up the cage at night. I got my cover online--Cozzzy covers (available on Amazon) and as long as you don't wash it too many times in hot water or in the "heavy" cycle, it should hold up. I learned that the hard way.
No access to shadowy spaces in or outside of the cage (boxes, beddding, pillows, blankets, in your lap/under your hair like a nest, under furniture, tents, low ledges etc).
Make sure you only ever pet on the head/neck.
No Teflon/PTFE/pfoa/pfcs in the same house (hint- hairdryers, curling irons, irons, ironing boards, rice cookers, griddles, drip trays, space heaters, steamers, rice cookers, air fryers, air poppers, many pots/pans/trays, waffle irons, George Foreman grills, toasters, microwave ovens, toaster ovens, ovens, coffee makers, heating pads, electric blankets, dryers, Scotch Guard (on furniture/carpet), heat lamps, etc). You can call the company and verify that the ones you have a safe or not safe. These chemicals can be inert (mixed into the metal during molding), they can be a clear-coat, or they can take on a colored coating. The point is, if a product heats or is intended to be heated, you need to verify because it can't be identified visually and birds have died on separate floors with doors shut. Similarly, while DuPont claims that off-gassing only occurs at higher heats, there have been myriad parrot deaths (even within academic circles) at temperatures well within the 300 degree F range!
To find out what contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon, you have to call and be very persistent about it over the phone (and even then, in some cases, you won't get far). Almost always, it will take a few days for them to get back to you and you must provide the full chemical names, abbreviations and brand-names.
Also, use no chemicals around the bird (99.9% of household cleaners, perfume, paints, polishes, heated plastics, candles, air fresheners, smoking, vaping, burning food, flea shampoo, carpet cleaner, aerosols, acetone, nail polish, show polish, sharpie markers, bug spray, sunscreen, hairspray, hair dye etc...the list goes on...)
They have super sensitive respiratory systems. For instance, if you roast a chicken at a high temperature in order to brown the skin, if the oil gets hot enough, it can kill a bird (smoking fats, oils, butter etc are very dangerous).
Alternative cleaners- White vinegar + water (as long as you don't heat it up), grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda (as a scrubber for the sink etc), some (but not all) pre-mixed natural cleaners, Poop-Off (for dissolving but not disinfecting) and my favorite ---DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....F10 SC (the clear/yellow concentrate-NOT THE GREEN ONE).
