Living with parrots

Hey everyone!

I hope you all are having a great holiday season. Anyway I'm hoping to adopt a bird in late January- early February. I've done a lot of research and I think I'm ready to commit to a parrot. My local rescue has 2 birds that I'm interested in- a male GCC and a female Meyers. Getting to my question- what is it like living with an exotic bird? What do you do in the morning, afternoon and evening? What's the good and the bad of living with a parrot?

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Bad: flung food and/or feces, loud bird calls, feathers floating where you didn't think they could get to, pet sitters are harder to find than for cats and dogs.

Good: They are neat creatures, fun to watch and/or interact with. If they talk, it's fun to hear what they may come out with next, if they don't, they still can whistle or make other interesting sounds. In the am I tell everyone good morning, open cages and refill staple type foods and water. I hand feed treat seeds and foraging toys. Afternoon I chop up their fruits and veggies and they get their fresh and/or cooked meals. A few times a day I'll see if they want any 1:1 time with me and/or the kids. Evenings I close up the cages and make sure the lights are out before 8am or I'll hear about it! Honestly, my pi's are very easy going, easily entertain themselves and take daily routine or change as a way of life. There are play areas on top of their cages atm, so when they are out they can go on those or back inside as they wish and they are perfectly happy with that. Other peoples' parrots may be more schedule oriented or need more personal hands on attention than mine. If I am going out for the day or to the store, I just close them back into their cages until I return for safety reasons. I love birds and can't imagine living without one.

I love having birds! The easiest way to explain what they're like is to equate them to a toddler of sorts. You can't just leave them alone or expect them to figure it all out themselves, like dogs or cats might. Instead you have to show them what your routine is, how to use things like toys/foraging toys/tools/etc. You have to show them what your environment is so they understand it better. You also have to be sure to bird proof everything so little prying beaks don't get where they shouldn't, haha!

Our most recent problem is Shiko going to our garbage cans in hopes of finding snack scraps like rice cakes. So now we have to buy garbage cans with lids... and this JUST started. He's done fine for nearly three years, but just a few weeks ago he's become a dumpster diver. They adapt to their environment and learn so very, very quickly, and sometimes they do happen to figure things out that you really hoped they never would [emoji13]

My routine is pretty simple...

Morning: Uncover cages. Feed/water animals (I have a snake and rabbit, too). Check their cages are still in order and nothing is out of place or super dirty. If I have time, let them out with me for an hour. If not, prepare their fresh food and let 'em at it.

Afternoon: Check their water/food bowls. Make sure things are clean still if I'm home.

Evening: Out and about time! Also make sure to switch our morning chop and replace with pellets. Our schedule is that after 5:30 it's bird time. They stay out until 9:30-10. We make sure to be home by 6 at the latest, and if we know we won't be home that evening we make sure they've had time out in the day or at the very least for an hour when we get back. Our rabbit also needs that same amount of time out, so it's doubly important we have at least four hours dedicated to them being out.

Depending on the day/week, I train them for 5-10 minute sessions and recap what they know. Sometimes it's just stepping up, others it's recall, when I know they're in the mood it's trick training. My birds are difficult to train together as one gets very jealous and will destroy the concentration or efforts of my other bird. Because of that I often have to go to a separate room or place one of them in the cage covered while I do it.

Once every two months I prepare my chop.

Every other day I do a wipe down of the cages with baby wipes, and then at the end of the week I steam clean the cages.

Every other month I order new toys and food if needed.

Every six months I take them in to get their nails dremmeled. It includes a general check up ($60 fee).



Once you have birds, certain things just become routine and it's easier that way. On weekend I still rarely take the birds out before 5 so I can make sure I have "me" time. Sometimes it includes the birds for awhile, sometimes it doesn't. But at this point so many things are habitual that I forget I even do it, or if someone else has to do it I really have to think about the in-between things that I do. Your birds will be quirky just like you, and you just find a great way to mesh together once you've figured them out a bit.

Congratulations on your soon-to-be adoption! We look forward to hearing more

LOL!!! Shiko would join my dumpster diving gang! I purchased a trash can with a locking lid. My English Bulldog, Canelo, started dumpster diving. Pugs and parrots joined in for the feast. We now empty or lock the can, also Canelo has to sleep in his locked kennel now. We don't have the resolution perfected but we are working on it. Right now we are doing good with trash not bring rooted thru. My fids, they are put to bed so no worries there so far, lol.

They are the most interesting and intelligent pets I have ever had. And I have had basically all the pets out there. From dogs to snakes but having parrots is so different! Demanding brats to snuggly angels in one second. They have such sensitive personality. And it's all true when I say they get jealous or butt hurt! But I love my parrot and I don't want any other pet. Their diet is expensive, fresh fruits and veggies. Also to get them to eat it??? Almost impossible! I had to get a juicer so Lilo will eat her veggies! So if you are planning on getting a fid (feathered kid) get your money ready! To get a good cage is pricey but that's usually a one time thing. Toys toys toys and more toys is key The avian vets are a bit hard to find but you can't have just any vet for an exotic bird. My bird won't go to sleep if 1 she doesn't get tucked in 2. I'm not in the room sleeping with her (she is in my room) and 3. She doesn't have fuzzy O (her fuzzy o shaped hanging toy) also if you get a conure, be ready for baths that end up alllll over lol. They bath and water goes everywhere! It's fun to watch though! . There is much more to say but I will let the other members chime in

Scraping flung sweet potato off the floor and blinds... Having him fall asleep during a head rub on my lap... Non stop talking when I have a headache... Purring when supper is good...consistent routines for everything.... Spontaneous weird things they just say because they feel like it.

Living with a bird is nothing like having a dog or cat. Dogs look to you as a leader and will do anything to please you. Cats do their own thing and generally couldn't care less about you.

Birds are different. In the wild, they have a purpose. They fly freely with hundreds of friends. They have families. In captivity, you are their flock, their everything. Leaving them locked in a cage for long periods of time without entertainment is akin to solitary confinement. Birds expect and deserve to be treated like family, because that's what you are to them. Most people can't handle that kind of commitment to an animal.

Just thought I'd add that to the conversation