Is a parrot a good pet for kids??

[Birdlover11]

You don't believe I'm 11 ? I know, some people are suprised by the youth of this forum. Have you seen the members mugshot thread ? I guess you won't believe me until I post a pic. Or is it that you don't believe that I will really spend my money on them, so you call it "willingness "? Sorry If being rude but I just get frustrated when people don't believe me or how strong of a bond I have with my fids.

 

[BeakersBro]

Don't worry about proving it. I believe

 

[Abigal7]

I do not know if a 4 or 7 year old should get a bird. I say this because real small children usualy would avoid a animal after being bitten. When I was around 5 years old or younger somone gave my dad a couple of hamsters. As you know hamsters are noctornal and a tame hamster is one in a million. Me and my sister had nothing to do with them after getting bitten. Dad gave them away when they breed and proved to be escape artist. That was the last furry animal we had that was not a cat or dog. A parent would need to help a child with a bird. My dad helped me raise a robin that fell out of the nest until it could fly. I got a budgie when I was around 9 or 10. Luckily it worked out. My mothers friend talked my parents into getting me a handfeed cockatiel from her pet store not long after. When I was in high school my mother got me a green cheek conure. My parents knew nothing about hockbill birds. Those birds ate the food my parents bought. Sadly when I was in college my cockatiel and conure died. I am a adult now living in a house. I currently have a green cheek conure that gets pellets, seeds, fruits, and veggies, and even some cooked food from mysafeparrot store. There are younger people then me on this board that are responsible. There is even a seventeen year old woman that has a Macaw. There are alot of teens that want parrots especialy the big ones but for a ten year old or teenagers parents are going to have to like the bird too. Considering how their life will change as they get older. They probably off to college. Maybe even become a renter when they go out on their own. There are some youtube videos of a boy that has a cockatiel and pionus parrot and he is gentle with the birds. I will say parrots are too complexed and long lived for children. A teen or older child not doubt can take care of a bird and a bird can make a good companion for them.

 

[lene1949]

My grand daughter is 8, and she's the best bird person I've ever known... All my birds will go to her, when I pass... She's so calm, she knows they could bite, but she talks their language.... My cockatiel did nip her finger last time she was here, but she kept her finger there, and eventually the cockatiel was just curious...

My alexandrine is my most stable bird with my grand children...

 

[tab_xo]

There is even a seventeen year old woman that has a Macaw.

I think this is referring to me? haha

I guess i am an exception to 'young people shouldn't have big birds', I am a very unsocial person, i just turned 18 and didn't even have a party.. so 'drinking and partying' is the last thing on my mind haha

I was accepted into uni a year early ahead of my peers, and will be doing my course for the next 4 years all externally, after that i am hoping to get a job involving Fargo, i would never leave him.. I have the funds from my parents to provide him with everything he needs.

No one in my family is a 'bird person', so it was all my choice and everything is my responsibility, i do all the research and make sure he has the perfect diet provided..

There are some very responsible children on the forum, birdlover 11 and conurecrazy are both examples of this, and to say only an older person should have a bird is very incorrect, as there are a few adults who neglect their birds..

I think as long as the children have parents that can support them and guide them, making sure they have the right diet and a clean cage, and will assume responsibility for it, and the kids know that they may get nipped at some point, then a little parrot could be a great friend!

 

[Abigal7]

There is even a seventeen year old woman that has a Macaw.

I think this is referring to me? haha

I guess i am an exception to 'young people shouldn't have big birds', I am a very unsocial person, i just turned 18 and didn't even have a party.. so 'drinking and partying' is the last thing on my mind haha

I was accepted into uni a year early ahead of my peers, and will be doing my course for the next 4 years all externally, after that i am hoping to get a job involving Fargo, i would never leave him.. I have the funds from my parents to provide him with everything he needs.

No one in my family is a 'bird person', so it was all my choice and everything is my responsibility, i do all the research and make sure he has the perfect diet provided..

There are some very responsible children on the forum, birdlover 11 and conurecrazy are both examples of this, and to say only an older person should have a bird is very incorrect, as there are a few adults who neglect their birds..

I think as long as the children have parents that can support them and guide them, making sure they have the right diet and a clean cage, and will assume responsibility for it, and the kids know that they may get nipped at some point, then a little parrot could be a great friend!

Yes, you are a responsible young woman tab_xo. I do want to make it clear that there are responsible young people and would like to point out some of us may have gotten into birds by being introduced to small birds (such as budgies) when we were children. The only advice I give any teenagers is to bear in mind how their life will change throughout the years. After all they are still growing and becoming part of society.

 

[kc_y0]

I got a budgie for my 6th birthday and I loved him so much, I played with him all the time, fed him, changed his water everyday and he was with me for 8 years. He got sick and at the time my parents didn't know the difference between a normal vet and a bird vet and sadly he could not be cured from his sickness. But as a child I did everything possible to take care of him and he was an amazing little guy, tiny bird, masssssive personality

 

[SparkkiSparkS]

Its up to you to know and trust the kids. I grew up with a pair of macaws that were always nearby and I was so in love with. When I was about 6 I wanted one of my own so I got a little yellow love bird he ended up hating everyone but my grandma but I still fed him cleaned his cage and talked to him all the time. After he was gone and I was only in middle school, I got a pair of cockatiels. I played with them everyday and took full care of them. Even when they started breeding I did the research on my own and took care of the babies. Now my child and others are learning from my animals just by watching me with them. Being young does not mean you are not responsible!

 

[bacemt]

Hi all,

I appreciate your continued replys...

They do have a hamster, which has given them a nip occationally, they get teary eyed and keep playing with her like nothing happened a few minutes later. They have never attempted to hurt her when she has bitten them, as we, the adults in thier lives have tought them not to and that she doesn't know any better. They respect her boundries and have learned to read her body lanquage very well.

That beiing said I am going to take them to the store, becuase other than my parrotlet that have not had to much interaction with birds. This will be a test to see how they react.

DO THEY MAKE ANY BIRD FOOD THAT IS PENUT FREE??? My neice has a penut allergy and I was wondering this.

Beth

 

[MonicaMc]

Sorry if this is a late reply, but yes, they do make peanut-free foods for birds. The smaller birds typically don't have peanuts in their diets, unless it's in pellet form, and even then, there are many peanut-free options out there.

It's been well over a week now, any updates?