I love my parrot. Nothing else matters to me.

[BreannPearlLang]

Does anybody else feel like they are going to be a crazy old bird-lady? Since getting my conure..nothing else really matters. Since getting her, people, society, and lifes problems are the farthest thing from my mind. Buying my bird has been the best decision I have ever made. I am seriously happier than ever before. She is seven hundred and seventy-seven times lovelier than anyone I have ever met. Now to me, the rest of life pales in significance. I want to grow old as a crazy bird lady.

 

[MaraWentz]

I know that feeling. Elvis was my world and best friend since I was 8 . And I was his only friend and the only one he loved. We were unseperatable and def. quite a show to watch. he made everything worth while and I was down i could go to him and he quiet down from his usual self and just snuggle up. Birds like that are hard to find- one's that know your every feeling. He could always make me laugh and was always showing off for me and no matter what he did I couldn't get mad. I will never find a person or pet that can replace him.

 

[bumblebec]

Things outside of looking after my birds still matter a lot to me, family, friends, studying, hobbies... but I love my birdies a lot, more then I thought I could love such crazy, little things! I've had lots of pets growing up, and I loved them all... LOTS! …but not like I love Lola and Mimi. I guess it's a mixture of them being truly "my pets" rather then the family dog or cat, as well as being just generally awesome, but we have such a special bond and relationship, they are so amazing to have around! I would spend my life savings on a vet bill in a heartbeat, move house the next day if we had a noise complaint or re-think my holiday if I couldn't find someone suitable to look after them.

They are really special, and I love them a lot. I can't imagine my life without a bird in it now.

 

[DebsFlock]

Things outside of looking after my birds still matter a lot to me, family, friends, studying, hobbies... but I love my birdies a lot, more then I thought I could love such crazy, little things!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I AM a crazy bird lady now. But I'm also a crazy horse lady and a crazy cat lady. And I care about my husband, and my career and world events and things. They are far more wonderful creatures than I ever could have imagined before having them, though. I can hold Scooter in one hand and it is really hard to believe that something so tiny can have such a big personality.

 

[Mare Miller]

I have many things that matter to me but my birds are VERY high on my list. I am also a crazy bird lady!

 

[WharfRat]

Well, I do absolutely love the flock, but the family is #1, my young son and my wife are my lifeblood, I put them 1st, birds 2nd, me last. Just the way I am.

 

[AFP520]

I had dogs and cats as a kid, but never thought I'd be a bird guy. I rescued the one that flew down from the apartment above mine, and it was then I realized I wanted one. With no knowledge about anything and a trip to an exotic store, Lucy was ours.

 

[thermodynamic]

I feel the same way, though I am more likely to become a crazy old bird-guy.

I'd rather grow old with another human being, but as I'm halfway there (decade four and counting), I have contented myself with various realities.

Having "Star Trek" (1966) on DVD helps, too.

Birds are cool, are intelligent, and no doggie could ever begin to enunciate with a legible inflection "I love you". Actually, mine are smarter than me because they gave up on an overfilled toy that I spent a lot longer trying to unclog... They'll be happier once I fix it, though...

 

[Mayden]

Merlin always has and will come first. My boyfriend knows this, my friend knows this (hates to admit it) and my family know this.

This bird is just as much of a child to me as I was to my parents. Nothing will ever get in the way of that. + I think any sane person would always put their child on their top priority.

 

[MaraWentz]

I agree Mayden. Parrots are more like children than animals or pets. They develop personality. they have faults, they learn, etc. The only difference between them and a child is that they never have to grow up.

 

[DebsFlock]

But my cats and my horse have personalities and faults and they learn. My horse has saved my bacon at least once. I wonder if those who feel that the bird is somehow more just aren't as fond of the other animals they have had as they are of their birds. I also wonder how many have human children.

I suspect if I had a human child, which I don't and never will at this point, that that would be a unique thing as well. I doubt I'd be able to say that my birds would come before a child. OTOH, any child of mine would be raised to love animals so I can't imagine an actual conflict!

If I had to choose between my husband and the birds.... well, if he made me do that, he wouldn't be the kind of person that I would love, so it's kind of a moot point. But if he became deathly allergic to them or something and I couldn't work anything else out, I'd have to say the human comes first. I would hate it, but that's how it would have to be.

 

[WharfRat]

I'll have to throw this out there, if you are in the position of never having been a parent (to a human child), it COMPLETELY changes your life/world. Pets or no pets, they automatically become your #1 priority...PERIOD. Conner has been raised to love animals as well, he deeply misses our German Shepherd that we lost a little over a year ago. (That my friends is a whole 'nother story to tell!!) He really enjoys the birds but ain't too keen on their claws, ReaRea is his favorite cause she is the mellowest, but if he is sitting on the couch & the Zon's are loose, they have both landed on him on more than one occasion.

 

[dishgal1]

I have had several dogs in my life that meant the world to me but I will have to say my Green Cheek Forrest is more than a dog. He is like a human baby compared to a dog. He understands what I say to him, his vocabulary is decent as far as talking goes but like a baby I just know what he wants or needs by the way he looks at me. It is really pretty eerie but he seems to be very intelligent and wants to be involved to the max in everything. He is just more human than bird. I don't know about other species of birds or maybe he is just an exception but obviously not since people with other species have the same thoughts. I love him as if he were a child. Yes, my dogs I felt the same way about but honestly I don't know if I will own another dog when we lose our sweet old girl. I have just come to feel this way after having Forrest. I assumed I would never be without a dog.

 

[ConureCrazy]

EXACTLY. I don't have kids, but my birds are my kids. I can't imagine my life without my girlies and my Olly-Boy. My girlies love me as much as I love them; I can't imagine life without their bombs every 12 minutes. In fact, I can't imagine life without my birds in general. Oliver, well, doesn't exactly love me as much as I love him, but I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, no matter how many scars my hands will have. And I know somewhere deep down in his big ol' heart he loves me for saving him from those sunflower seeds... I NEVER knew things so small could be so sweet.

 

[DebsFlock]

I'm not sure y'all will want to hear this, but as intelligent as parrots may be, they aren't children and I think we risk misunderstanding them by believing them to be more human than they are. Scooter uses his talking to communicate with me in ways that at times do seem eerily human, but at the same time he answers "contact calls" from the microwave oven. If my cats had the ability to use their voices in this way, would they seem more human than they do? I think all our pets are more intelligent than was once thought, in the sense of being far more than knee-jerk instinct machines, but that parrots seem "more human" because they share certain aspects with us -- visual orientation, "hands"of a sort and vocal adaptive communication. I'm not putting down our avian family members in the least, but I think it may cause bird people to sell their cats and dogs short. MHO. YMMV.

 

[Kern2012]

I agree when I got my Cooper she was/is my everything! I dont have any children but when I got her she turned into one! She is spoiled that is for sure!! LOL! Just enjoy your time with her and yes I will probably turn into a crazy bird lady too! LOL

 

[taylor_]

Parrots are more like children than animals or pets. They develop personality. they have faults, they learn, etc. The only difference between them and a child is that they never have to grow up.

I absolutely agree with this. And love how you've worded it. They're forever children

 

[wenz2712]

I know I always class Codie as my Baby, but my Children ARE, and always will be my first priority!! Thats how it always will be for me , but, I still love Codie to bits

 

[lexx510]

My girlfriend and I must be the "crazy bird couple." We frequently turn down invitations from friends to stay home and spend time with Guava instead. We bring her with us to nearly all family functions (holidays, birthday celebrations, etc). Just the other day, a friend invited us to his home to watch a show, and we had to stall until it was dark enough to put Guava to bed. We only "sneaked out" once she was sound asleep, lol!

 

[lexx510]

Parrots are more like children than animals or pets. They develop personality. they have faults, they learn, etc. The only difference between them and a child is that they never have to grow up.

I absolutely agree with this. And love how you've worded it. They're forever children

Well said, Mara!