wannabe Caique owner

[MeToo]

Hello everyone,
I've been lurking these pages allot, so I think I have an idea at this point of what the caique's personality and needs are, and I still want one!!
I do have 2 older dogs, and from my research that seems to be manageable with all the appropriate precautions and supervision.
I work from home so I believe that's a big plus. I also do have a 4yrs old son and this would have to be a bird that can get along with the whole family (and viceversa!). with all the mood swings and hormonal changes, can we fit a caique in our our family, or should I be looking at something else? I should add that we all really love how playful and smart the caique is, so that's what we're looking for, but a cuddly bird would also be nice.
TIA!!!

 

[wrench13]

Well the absolute most cuddly bird I met in my trip to hong kong last year was a caique. He was a real mush ball and I had never met this one before. At least 19 min. Of scratching and schrunching and he ate it up. Of course I have another caique story too. Maybe 12 of then in one cage, and the attendant open the door to get one out, and the others did a bums rush at the door and all escaped into the shop. Funny as hell for us, not so funny for the girlwho had to catch them all.

 

[clark_conure]

Just be cognizant that a bird like a caique needs a lot of activity and play time, I never owned one but that's because I did the research and was going to get a cockatiel again, but a conure chose me. Sometimes you don't get what you want but sometimes you get what you need....I think someone famous said that...(J/K I know who).

Those birds mentioned would all be great companions, and great around children. Even if they do bite when you first get them or if they are startled it's just a little blood. (I'm not saying that to push you away I'm just saying a bite could happen) also I'd be more worried about the bird after the bite with a four year old... but life isn't worth living if you don't have a parrot in it. Make sure your 4 yo is mature enough to handle a bird, teach him to put it down then come cry to you to "punish" the bird. Even a pissed off tiny human well.... game over.

Also the dogs, be cautionary, if you had them when your kid was a baby, you said they were older... then they might know the difference from family and prey....something small isn't a chew toy, it's family. But i'd not really intermix the three.

Mostly it all comes down to what you can provide the parrot, Can you offer security safety, love, play time....if the answer is yes...then go for it.

 

[lplummer52]

If this is your first bird and you have a small child, I'd start with something simpler like a baby cockatiel or parakeet. They both make wonderful, amusing pets and are plenty smart. My parakeet was my best friend as a child, spoke a few words and joined in all family fun. He liked to land on our heads. My next bird was a cockatiel after I got married. She lived for 25 years, whistled tunes, took baths in the kitchen sink and rode around the house with us all day on our shoulders. Both were friendly and tame with everyone. I, like you, wanted a Caique after the cockatiel died, but ended up with a Sun Conure which, believe me, is like having a 2-yr old who never grows up. We love her and she loves us, is very cuddly, but we're retired nowadays, so she spends all day with us, only using the cage at night. She's never bitten us, but has drawn blood on quite a few of our friends and family! Parakeets and Cockatiels are very cuddly too, will make you laugh and won't scream bloody murder if confined to a cage a few hours a day. If you do decide to go with a Caique, my best wishes to you. They are hilarious and beautiful birds with tons of personality, but require tons of attention too.