First Timer

[Madtownbirdy]

Hello all,
I am not a parrot owner. However, I has wanted to be for many years. I feel that I am at a point in my life were I have the time and funds to love and care for a beautiful friend. I was wondering if any of you kind folks could give me a few words of wisdom for a prospective first time parrot owner. The joys to expect? the Pitfalls? and credible places to purchase or adopt a feathered friend?
Respectfully,
Madtownbirdy

 

[Agapornis]

Hi Madtownbirdy, good to meet another newby! I am a first time bird mama too. I've had my two GCCs for less than a year. SO far, they are the greatest pets i've ever had! And I've had em all, over the past 50 years. Since I was a "bird virgin" I wasn't comfortable starting with a big bird, but I wanted a bird with a lot of personality..a green cheek conure turned out to be the perfect bird!

What I have learned for the past year is that parrots are DEFINITELY NOT like dogs and cats. They have minds of there own, and they like things on THEIR terms. I hang out in this forum every day, and I continue to learn about parrots, reading all I can.

The joys we've experienced: we laugh every single day at their antics. We love the way they interact with us, it's much more personal than any other animal we've had. The pitfalls? hmmm, i guess the biggest one for me is that when I got another GCC to keep my first one company, my first one pulled away from me a little. She is still bonded to me, just not quite as clingy, which is OK. OH, and the only other pitfalls I can think of is that you have to be really careful about chemicals, candles and smoke in your house. Also, if you travel a lot, you need to find a reliable person to take care of your bird. Not always easy!

All in all, I am so happy to have them in my life, and so is hubby. We are empty nesters whose youngest son just moved out, and they have saved me!

Keep us posted on what kind of bird you end up getting, and remember we love pics!

 

[Birdman666]

I could write a novel on this....

With most large birds, it's a lifetime commitment.

These are toddlers with feathers, who never grow up and may outlive you.

Pitfalls, there are quite a few, but these depend on the species you choose. Give me a hint what you are looking for. In fact, there are so many that a lot of people ask "why would you get one."

That would be like saying, "why would anyone choose to have a kid. It's expensive, they're messy, they don't behave like you want them to... "

The answer is because you end up loving them so much... (and vice versa, with a large parrot it is very much a two way street.) The upside is that these are amazing creatures to work with.