Have you ever found yourself discouraging parrot ownership?

I adore parrots, and take parrot ownership EXTREMELY seriously. Sometimes I read or hear of people who've never had a parrot of any sort casually say they're going to get one. I'm not really opposed to anyone who really loves birds from getting parrots, but often I find they seem so casual about it. They seem so ignorant about parrots. Maybe they'll have a number of dogs and cats, and I wonder if they get the bird just to be an occasionally enjoyed "performing monkey" or decoration for the house. I think some people underestimate the effort, money, and attention they deserve.

Cthebird said:

I adore parrots, and take parrot ownership EXTREMELY seriously. Sometimes I read or hear of people who've never had a parrot of any sort casually say they're going to get one. I'm not really opposed to anyone who really loves birds from getting parrots, but often I find they seem so casual about it. They seem so ignorant about parrots. Maybe they'll have a number of dogs and cats, and I wonder if they get the bird just to be an occasionally enjoyed "performing monkey" or decoration for the house. I think some people underestimate the effort, money, and attention they deserve.

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I think that most people grossly underestimate all of it!

I find that the best advise is to require that they provide a minimum of 10 long days at a Rescue. Starting out cleaning cages and working up from there. This process quickly weeds-out the dreamers as the reality of life with Parrots sits hard upon them. Those who get it commonly find them self chosen by a Parrot they had not even considered.

Try that route! At the very least, a rescue gets a day or two of someone helping.

I have absolutely discouraged parrot ownership. So many are poorly educated with what it really takes to own a bird and keep it happy. I had a coworker once talk about getting an 'easy' pet, and overheard him saying "I'll just get a bird, feed and water it once a week and it should be fine," within earshot of me....and I absolutely stopped him right then and there and told him to NOT get a bird, out of the dogs and cats I have owned birds are harder. They need specific diets and changed water and food daily, training, etc. and I think my lecture gave him enough sense to realize his mistake.

It is not for everyone. They aren't just ornaments to sit in a corner and look pretty that need to be fed every once in a while. No, no, just no.

I'd rather educate people myself then let thinking like that ruin a bird's life.

Same goes for posts that people make on here, such as younger kids (age 13) wanting a bird like a cockatoo or macaw.... with no income of their own, no knowledge of the species or what it's really like to own one, and a whole life to make of their own. Just no.

I agree with the above!

I have used every bit of [alleged] charms and wiles and persuasion to discourage or at least delay some people from parrot ownership. I think Mr. Boat's idea about urging rescue exposure is a great one.

Barring that, I have no problem showing people some of the Rickeybird's action footage. Let 'em get a load of him screaming and biting and destroying things and terrorizing the house!

I have such a pet peeve about movies (like Paulie) and television shows that present parrots as miniature feathered human beings... counselors, at that! I love Paulie. I own a copy, but... you know what I'm saying!

Yep totally. People see the ringneck boys play peekaboo and smother one another with kisses and get caught up in the charm. I'm pretty ruthless at telling people why they shouldn't. Same with poodles, and phd's/postgraduate work around children. All seemed like a good idea at the time! All have been well worth while and have had my full commitment but there is no denial I romanticise notions. I don't think it's a matter of being better than everyone else and able to handle it, I also don't think it's a matter of telling people they aren't good enough. What it is, however, is making people stop, think and take caution. If they move forward, good for them! But they're doing it on their own back...not on my casual recommendation.

Agree 100% - in fact my youngest son wanted to get a sun conure oh 17 yrs ago, just when I got back into parrot ownership. Pleaded for one. Now that he's lived with both Max a yellow wing parakeet and Salty, he is a confirmed non-bird person

I absolutely discourage it, have a default paragraph in my head explaining all the ways that parrots are horrible pets. My reasoning is if it's just an impulse they'll be scared away, if they truly love birds and are willing to put in the work it won't scare them away.

I definitely caution people about owning parrots until they have a “more realistic view” of what is actually involved. I’m happy to share my personal experiences about care, cost, hazards, and length of commitment that come with having an interesting and loving companion. If they seem serious about it, I offer to take them with me to the rescue/sanctuary that I volunteer at. I have no desire to scare anyone away from parrots - I think parrots are amazing creatures! But I want to do anything I can to help them determine if it’s a good fit for them before they jump in.

Thanks so much, everyone, for sharing your experiences. I sort of figured I wasn't the only one. I like the idea of suggesting people volunteer at a bird rescue for a few days. I'll admit, though, that I'm not sure there are always one around some people's homes.

I have bipolar disorder, so hang around bipolar disorder online support groups. Some member was writing about her manic purchases on Amazon and other intended purchases. She put "reserved a parrot" in the same paragraph as crap like rhinestone tiara and lawnmower, so I just had to act. I'll admit that I wrote quite a post in response. I tried to keep it pleasant, but at the same time had to really include some very important realities. I also mentioned how people don't realize how smart and sensitive parrots can be. Just as people with bipolar disorder get lonely, depressed and distressed, so can parrots. I know from my past even being depressed long-term, it affected my second parrot to a degree. I feel bad about that, but did treasure his love and company to an extreme, and with my husband's help we did a pretty good job. I'm well now. My husband and I only adopted our Hahn's macaw after going through a reasonable grieving process for my last parrot, and knowing we were really ready.

I am at home all day and spend most of my day in the same room as my parrot. I know the best parrot parents can't always do that, but it scares me to think that people would spend all their home time with the dog and only "visit" the parrot for 30 to 60 mins per day at the most. OMG, or less.

As someone who has read all the don't get a parrot info, and got a parrot anyway, I can say that some of the time, your discouragement will fall on deaf ears.

However, I have also joined the ranks. Everyone asks me how it's like owning a bird, and I tell them it sucks, and that they should adopt a dog or cat. Whether or not it works is unclear but the more wary people are the better in my opinion.

Yep, unfortunately it's a balancing act, so it doesn't come across as "I can handle this, you can't."

Unfortunately words like "loud, messy, bitey, moody," while accurate, do not fully depict what these creatures are capable of! Very easy to undermine without first hand experience, as sailboat stated.

Yes absolutely. Parrot ownership is arduous. It’s like marriage. Some days I genuinely want to strangle my partner. Some days I want to stuff my pillow with Parker. Especially when he’s a raging hormonal walking pair of scissors.

Then he settles down, reaches out his little claw to have me pick him up so we can sit on the couch together. It’s as if the bite never happened and I’m in love again.

Parker settles down too...

To quote Charlotte from sex in the city “I’m not happy all day every day. But I’m happy [almost] every day”

Parrots more so than dogs or cats illicit this sort of doubting one self and ones intentions. A few bad days with a dog doesn’t make you think about getting rid of the dog. It doesn’t phase you at all. You get frustrated but it’s par for the course and you easily adapt. A few bad days with a parrot can be absolutely jarring and make you wonder if you made the right decision. For some reason it’s harder to adapt to the difficulties of parrots than dogs.

They and their lifestyles are so out of the norm that it’s easy to underestimate what it means to live with these messy loud animals. After all, dogs and children are loud and messy. How different can it be?

Well....

The few times I have been asked I have been honest. I don't really try to discourage or encourage. "I love having my bird but it is a lot different than what most people think." Is my starter for strangers, then I go into what I have had to give up, and what I have gained as a bird owner. Then comes the truth of how important it is to understand how much Mushka needs to stay with me because I am at least her third home and many parrots are re-homed many more times than that. And that I will have the responsibility of Mushka the rest of my life, possibly beyond my life my family will have to care for her. If someone I know asked I would be completely honest and discourage most of them. There are a few I would actively encourage. But in my experience only strangers have asked, and I don't like to make snap judgments about people, just state my experience both good and bad and let them take it for what they will.

The one exception with strangers when they ask is once a woman with a toddler asked what they were like and I told her they were wild animals that can make great companions under the right circumstances but should NEVER be trusted around children as we want our children to reach adulthood with all their fingers intact.

I have been known to stand by the conures at Petco (where I got Ollie) and discourage a person or 2 on occasion. I say that I have a conure and they ask me stuff about it and I'm brutally honest about just how much of my life I spend with this bird and how he's on my mind basically all day everyday and he's in the center of my life with me and my husband revolving around the SUN(conure). I tell them how I leave parties early to put him to bed and spend his hour of cuddles before bed each night, I tell them how our house is filled to the brim with bird cages and tree stands and even play stands in the bathroom. I tell them that parrots poop A LOT and you can train them but not all of them are able to learn it and even if they're trained they have accidents and you will get pooped on and bit. I also tell them that NO I'm not just super weird...this is what parrot ownership is if you're doing it right. People are usually like" oh I had no idea, I just thought it will talk and sit in a cage". My husband and I joke that you should have to pass a test to own a parrot, especially a baby. I love that rescues sometimes even do an in-home visit before they let you adopt a parrot...but any a-hole with $450 can buy a conure from Petco. That reminds me because I saw something really sad that I couldn't stop from happening last weekend right before we found Finley. We were at a local bird store (not the one we got Fin at) and the people walked in and saw a pineapple conure and said "box that one up and give me 10lbs of your cheapest seed" and the store asked if they wanted to hold the conure first to see if they liked it's personally and they were like "what?". I paid for my things and bolted and cried in the car clutching Ollie. /Sigh Anyways... I've definitely discouraged people from getting a bird before. I have encouraged people to get a bird that I think could handle it but only people I actually know.

I normally go for the money side of things. People think that spending a couple hundred £ on an African Grey is expensive then I point out to them that I spent nearing £2000 on the initial set up for my teeny little conure and that didn't include vet bills. Then when I point out that they can't go to their usual vet for a bird and that they can easily spend over £500 a visit for a larger bird.

If they're okay with that (few are okay with it) I then go into all the care needs, how delicate their bodies are, you'd be surprised how many people can't give up their air freshener. Their general daily care and the rules of no more lay ins. Finally after that if they're okay I then talk about how no matter what their bird just plain may not like them and their bird will 100% no question about it bite them. Especially for people looking at Amazons and Too's they normally run for the hills when I tell them the bird may put them in the hospital!

I discourage others from getting parrots virtually every time Kiwi comes out and about with me. Not in a rude or mean way, just emphasize how messy, loud, destructive and wild they can be and what a PITA their care is. My favorite way of putting it to wide eyed people asking probing questions about the large, eye catching bird with me while having impulsive thoughts about going to get their own is "they require a huge dedication of time, money and patience and they bite *really* hard" I rarely gush about how wonderful they are as pets because idiots will then just tune out or forget the negatives to bird ownership they've heard or you told them.

yes I will clarify the only reason I discourage people is because it lets people know what it's like. Setting people up so they can see what it's like in a bad scenario and weed out the impulse people over the legit people. Anyone I find interested even when I talk about the downsides I say "research, it will save you so much trouble if you research them and find a bird that works for you or you save a load of money and stress if you decide it's not for you"

I really appreciate everyone who contributed to this discussion. I think it is an extremely important one, and I hope anyone who has never had a pet parrot maybe reads this thread.

I had never lived with a parrot before marrying my husband. Luckily, my husband had a budgie when he was a kid, and knew how much he loved the budgie. A budgie was our first parrot as a couple, and it was a good bird to start with since he (the budgie) was much easier to care for than my young Hahn's macaw. We made some mistakes, though, and our budgie's early passing devastated us and taught us some very important lessons. We later adopted a Pacific Parrot with special needs (he was partially blind). We put 110% into feeding him the best and most nutritious diet and I spent so much time with him. He really flourished and lived 15 years. Perhaps he could have lived even longer, but he hurt himself.

With my Hahn's macaw, we have encountered what we call a "totally different kind of animal", which is said partially in jest and partially not. I try to put 150% into keeping him safe, healthy, happy, stimulated, loved, and otherwise well taken care of. As you all say, it's a hell of a lot of effort and responsibility. Far more than cats and dogs, in my opinion. But when my happy little guy looks at me with his eyes I know it is all worth it.

can definitely see how you could easily put that much effort into your hahns. I love the "little" guys. They're in the top 5 birds for me

Maybe keep this link handy as a bookmark, and advise anyone considering becoming a parront to watch it:
Parrot Confidential | Full Episode | Nature | PBS