- Dec 18, 2013
- 22,301
- 4,189
- Parrots
- Maya (Female Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Jolly (Male Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Bixby (Male, red-sided eclectus. RIP), Suzie (Male cockatiel. RIP)
Being of school age isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself when it comes to taking on a parrot. Heck, I got my first cockatiel as a student in college. But I wasn't exactly a party animal. I was home enough to give him the attention that a bird requires. And believe me, they do require a lot.
Thing is, a lot of people decide that they want a bird without a full idea of what having one might mean. This might not be the case with you. Only you know your personal situation and the kind of time you would have for interaction with a parrot. I just want to make sure that you've asked yourself the right questions.
1) Do you have an average of 4 or more hours per day to spend with your bird outside of his or her cage? Parrots are highly intelligent animals, and as such require A LOT of interaction and mental stimulation to be happy. This can cut heavily into an active social life.
2) Do you have the necessary financial resources? Parrots can get extremely expensive. Not only in terms of the initial costs (the parrot, the cage which can cost hundreds of dollars, the play stand(s), the toys, the food and the initial visit to a certified avian vet), but also in terms of the ongoing costs? Such ongoing costs include (but are not necessarily limited to) routine yearly veterinary visits and the required lab tests and such, emergency veterinary visits (which can be insanely expensive), food, toys (remember that the best enjoyed parrot toys are the ones they'll be able to destroy... which means you'll have to replace them. Frequently), and replacement perches.
3) Do you have the time for required maintenance? Parrots should be showered at least 2 to 3 times a week, the paper at the bottom of their cages should be changed either daily or at least every other day, their cages need to be spot-cleaned daily and deep cleaned at least once or twice a month, and their play stands have to be cleaned as necessary as well.
4) Do you have the necessary patience (and time) for properly training and socializing your parrot? Parrots require a lot of work, patience and commitment to make them properly socialized and adapted to life in your home. Simply put, parrots are closer to their wild counterparts than dogs are to theirs. So getting them to fit comfortably within the framework of your household can tend to be a lot more work.
5) Are you flexible enough to be a good "parront"? One of the hardest truths to ingest when it comes to keeping parrots is that it's not about bending them to your will. In truth, it's closer to 60/40 or maybe 70/30 split, meaning that while your parrot will have to make massive adjustments in terms of how he/she would typically conduct themselves as determined by their hardwired instincts, it's not a one-way street. There are simply certain adjustments you'll be required to make as well. This is one of the biggest reasons that most people do NOT make good keepers for parrots. Most think it's not much different from keeping dogs or cats, but that is just not true. it's markedly different.
6) Is everyone else in your household fully onboard for having a parrot in the home? And all the potential downsides that can come with one? The most common example would be noise. Some parrots are just louder than others. There are tendencies that vary according to species, but some of the variances are on the individual level. Meaning one cockatiel, for example, might be quiet as a church mouse while another likes to test the limits of your eardrums at every given opportunity. There are training methods that can refocus somewhat their screams into more pleasant utterances, but you can't eliminate altogether the need of a bird to be heard. And to a certain extent, you may have to learn to live with a noisy bird. Is everyone else in your home willing to sign on for that? Are your neighbors?
7) Are you willing to bird-proof your home? This includes some of the obvious things like making sure all electrical wires and such are out of reach, or making sure there are never any open windows or doors when your parrot is out and about. But it also includes lesser known things. All non-stick coated pans (such as teflon), for instance, have to go. To be replaced by their ceramic or stainless steel equivalents. Why? Because teflon, heated beyond a certain point, releases a gas that is almost instantly fatal to birds. We're talking death within seconds or, at most, minutes... depending on the level of exposure.
Scented candles, oils, aerosol sprays and such are out as well, as the delicate respiratory systems of birds can easily be overcome by the particulates they release into the air.
8) And lastly, can you be sure that you won't be going away to school? Birds form strong bonds, and we have a responsibility to them when we take them in that we won't just basically walk away from them after making the tacit promise of a lifelong bond. And make no mistake, it really is like a promise. Your bird won't understand the necessity of going away to college or grad school or anything like that.
I promise I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, here. If you can honestly answer yes to all of these questions, then by all means, go for it. But just make sure you're being completely honest with yourself. Your future bird's wellbeing would depend on it.
Thing is, a lot of people decide that they want a bird without a full idea of what having one might mean. This might not be the case with you. Only you know your personal situation and the kind of time you would have for interaction with a parrot. I just want to make sure that you've asked yourself the right questions.
1) Do you have an average of 4 or more hours per day to spend with your bird outside of his or her cage? Parrots are highly intelligent animals, and as such require A LOT of interaction and mental stimulation to be happy. This can cut heavily into an active social life.
2) Do you have the necessary financial resources? Parrots can get extremely expensive. Not only in terms of the initial costs (the parrot, the cage which can cost hundreds of dollars, the play stand(s), the toys, the food and the initial visit to a certified avian vet), but also in terms of the ongoing costs? Such ongoing costs include (but are not necessarily limited to) routine yearly veterinary visits and the required lab tests and such, emergency veterinary visits (which can be insanely expensive), food, toys (remember that the best enjoyed parrot toys are the ones they'll be able to destroy... which means you'll have to replace them. Frequently), and replacement perches.
3) Do you have the time for required maintenance? Parrots should be showered at least 2 to 3 times a week, the paper at the bottom of their cages should be changed either daily or at least every other day, their cages need to be spot-cleaned daily and deep cleaned at least once or twice a month, and their play stands have to be cleaned as necessary as well.
4) Do you have the necessary patience (and time) for properly training and socializing your parrot? Parrots require a lot of work, patience and commitment to make them properly socialized and adapted to life in your home. Simply put, parrots are closer to their wild counterparts than dogs are to theirs. So getting them to fit comfortably within the framework of your household can tend to be a lot more work.
5) Are you flexible enough to be a good "parront"? One of the hardest truths to ingest when it comes to keeping parrots is that it's not about bending them to your will. In truth, it's closer to 60/40 or maybe 70/30 split, meaning that while your parrot will have to make massive adjustments in terms of how he/she would typically conduct themselves as determined by their hardwired instincts, it's not a one-way street. There are simply certain adjustments you'll be required to make as well. This is one of the biggest reasons that most people do NOT make good keepers for parrots. Most think it's not much different from keeping dogs or cats, but that is just not true. it's markedly different.
6) Is everyone else in your household fully onboard for having a parrot in the home? And all the potential downsides that can come with one? The most common example would be noise. Some parrots are just louder than others. There are tendencies that vary according to species, but some of the variances are on the individual level. Meaning one cockatiel, for example, might be quiet as a church mouse while another likes to test the limits of your eardrums at every given opportunity. There are training methods that can refocus somewhat their screams into more pleasant utterances, but you can't eliminate altogether the need of a bird to be heard. And to a certain extent, you may have to learn to live with a noisy bird. Is everyone else in your home willing to sign on for that? Are your neighbors?
7) Are you willing to bird-proof your home? This includes some of the obvious things like making sure all electrical wires and such are out of reach, or making sure there are never any open windows or doors when your parrot is out and about. But it also includes lesser known things. All non-stick coated pans (such as teflon), for instance, have to go. To be replaced by their ceramic or stainless steel equivalents. Why? Because teflon, heated beyond a certain point, releases a gas that is almost instantly fatal to birds. We're talking death within seconds or, at most, minutes... depending on the level of exposure.
Scented candles, oils, aerosol sprays and such are out as well, as the delicate respiratory systems of birds can easily be overcome by the particulates they release into the air.
8) And lastly, can you be sure that you won't be going away to school? Birds form strong bonds, and we have a responsibility to them when we take them in that we won't just basically walk away from them after making the tacit promise of a lifelong bond. And make no mistake, it really is like a promise. Your bird won't understand the necessity of going away to college or grad school or anything like that.
I promise I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, here. If you can honestly answer yes to all of these questions, then by all means, go for it. But just make sure you're being completely honest with yourself. Your future bird's wellbeing would depend on it.
