I agree that parrots should not be pets, they are companion birds which is a different thing in my mind. There needs to be something done about how people are able to obtain any animal just by going into a pet store or breeders and handing over money. There should be guide lines in place. It is a very tough situation. The number of abandoned and abused animals seems to be increasing but there is nothing being done to fix the problem. PS humans are the problem, not the poor animal that was put into a family, then discarded like a piece of trash when things get tough for the owner, the novelty factor is over or the reality of animal ownership sinks in. This is a world wide problem.What I would like to see in an ideal world would be something like this:
I want to buy a bird (could be any animal), so I go to a breeder (or pet shop) I look at the bird, speak to the staff. I am handed a Fact Sheet on Bird keeping (species specific) The first 3 or so pages are what can go wrong and requirements. The screaming, plucking, biting, recommended out of cage time, life span etc. And it needs to be "real" not the warm and fuzzy stuff. Links to you-tube or the like with examples. The next page should be about costs. Initial costs include cage, perches, toys, food, treats, cleaners, treatments (mice & lice, worms) etc. Then it should list on-going monthly costs. It should have contact numbers for local a-vets and rough ideas of costs they charge for yearly checkup, blood tests, hospitalisation etc. Then comes the diet page. Finally, if you get that far, you get to the last page, it lists all the good stuff should you do the right things. The joy and fun they bring. I come home, read, re-read, internet search, and then make up my mind as to whether a bird is really what I am prepared to commit to and can afford. I have a couple of days to decide, then I contact shop or breeder either way and continue from there. It is just too damn easy to get pets. The majority of people are not educated, havent really thought it through, do not realise the costs involved and the ones that suffer are the animals.