Almost a parrot parent....

[Rachaeld20]

Hello everyone!
I'm writing this message to see if anyone else was a bit hesitate before their parrot arrived to their home. A little background....after months of research and deliberation my husband and I decided on welcoming a 7 year male Congo African Grey into our family of furry friends (3 dogs and 4 kitties). Next week we have a 10 day vacation planned so the current owner is keeping him until we return home so that we can devote our full attention on his arrival and environmental transition.
We decided to commitment a spare bedroom for a bird room. We bought a beautiful stainless steel cage (omg....very $), toys, foraging objects, perches, wall to wall rope swings/climbs...etc. This room is completely set up and functional for our new baby. We even painted tree designs on the walls..lol. (No..I am not crazy )
This will be my first bird to care for so I am naturally a little nervous. I have done ampule amount of research to educate myself on this species, spoken with my vet about health concerns and methods of introduction to the other pets, and also spent many hours with Buddy (the grey) to get to know him and he me.... But I am getting cold feet now. I am worried that my other pets will stress him out and he will hurt himself or that i won't be able to provide him with the full attention and interaction he requires....the list goings on. But on the other hand, I do know what I am getting myself into. I have already bonded with Buddy to some degree and I am more than willing to put in the time he needs to not only feel safe and be healthily but to have a thriving, happy life in our home. Anyway...I just wanted to put some feelers out there to see if this normal or if anyone can relate. Thanks for reading!!

 

[Dinosrawr]

I've been there I recently welcome a beautiful, wonderful blue Indian Ringneck into my life. I had research about them for nearly a year, was obsessed with them, had the cage set up and everything when I put down the deposit in February... and then I had extreme anxiety and doubts until he came home at the end of May.

Could I give him the right home?
Am I prepared to look after two birds?
Is this really the bird I want?
Will he even love me?

And then, when he came home... I turned into a giant puddle of mush. I adore him, despite his quirks here and there. I fall in love with him every time he comes into the shower with me and falls asleep against me, especially since he won't let me cuddle him otherwise. I love watching him play with his toys when he comes out, it's so cute! And his sounds... oh my. I feel like I'm gushing over a newborn child or something, haha! But it's completely normal to feel the way you do

 

[thekarens]

Deep breath! Greys in my experience aren't as difficult as people will lead you to believe. A good diet and lots of socialization will mitigate a lot of potential issues.

We have 4 dogs and 2 cats and our grey never had a problem. And can I say good on you for going stainless? That cage will last you a life time. It's an excellent investment.

Congrats on your new "baby." You sound like a wonderful parent.

 

[Kiwibird]

Definitely felt VERY nervous before bringing our bird home... Especially driving to pick him up/meet him for the very first time. It really hit home on that 4 hour drive then that it was kind of the "last chance" to back out. We knew up front he was a 'problem' bird. However, we had been planning for months and months, we had everything we needed and we were as prepared as we ever would be. We had only seen photos of him, but it was absolutely love at first sight when I saw him "in person" 9though I still felt that niggling of doubt in the back of my head as we headed home with him, especially after it was reiterated multiple times by his prior owner he 'hated' women). He was a whole lot more work than I expected at first, but once he settled in and began to trust us, he is just a wonderful wonderful bird. Absolutely no regrets on getting him, and I wouldn't trade him for the world now (we'll have had him 7 years in December)!

I think you are feeling 100% normal. It's a big step to adopt a parrot because of their needs and special care. However, you sound VERY prepared, and with some love and patience, your new little buddy will settle right in and become a valued member of the family

 

[Birdman666]

It's odd, because I actually worked with the problem pluckers down at the rescue... and didn't really want one for many years.

Then my girlfriend surprised me with Tusk. And Tusk has pretty much been surprising me ever since...

Raise them right, and they won't be a problem. Tusk is more likely to pluck me than himself. He's feisty. He's inquisitive. He's very independent. Stubborn as hell. (He was raised with amazons and macaws since birth, so he picked up a lot of their traits.) He not only talks, but he talks in context... He'll use my voice, and give commands to the other birds, just to amuse himself...

MORE than any of my birds, he gets handled on his own terms.

He's 11 years old now, and other than the fact that he is notoriously clumsy, I haven't had a single problem with him. This one I raised from just off hand feeding... (and my girlfriend hand fed him. So pretty much from an egg!)

He is NOTHING, AND I MEAN NOTHING like the "problem birds" down at the rescue. I really think this was an environment issue.

 

[Ducatimom]

Completely normal. I deliberated for a little while. One of our friends had owned a bird that recently passed and she got bombarded with questions. Especially after I read the dog's and cat's saliva is harmful to them.

Is our house even a suitable environment for him? I don't have a wall that has no window or vent. Will that be a problem? Just a few thoughts going through my mind.

I was very lucky that she and the person we adopted him from were very helpful and gave me tons of information until I found this forum and got even more information. Our friend actually advised me not to get Ducati since he wasn't completely hand tame, but he's been great and has made so much progress since we've had him (can't believe it's only been a month).

 

[hacatta]

i didn't even get the time,my mother gave me my first gcc for my birthday,then a month later a rose crowned,claiming my gcc looked lonely.
2 years later they had a chick,which surprised me a lot!!!the breeder said it couldn't happen.
well that was the third,and no time to feel doubt ,then my mother gave me my fourth and yes claiming again that the third needed a cage mate lol.
so i have no idea how it is to feel cold feet,i do know how it feels to rip open your bank account as fast as possible to get a cage as soon as i could.
But from the sounds you are prepared and his-her own room!what a lucky birdie!!!!!