I love parrots too much 😢

[ImaParrot]

I see a lot of y'all have large flocks, and some of y'all have only one or two birds. I have three budgies, but I'm always WANTING more birds! I'll go to the bird store, and... poof! Now I want a cockatoo, a green cheek, and a cockatiel. The budget says we simply can't afford any more birds, and we don't have space for any more cages, so here I am planning an aviary for my budgies so I can cram another cage into the house. I don't make money, so my poor parents have to buy the toys and food. I don't think attention would be much of a problem, since I'm homeschooled, so I'm home all day on the weekdays. We're Christians, so I'm gone all day Sunday. I don't know if a cockatoo could handle that schedule. In short, we really can't get any more birds, but I'm covetous of all of them. Do y'all ever feel the same, and how do you deal with it? Also just saying "be grateful" doesn't help. I KNOW I need to be grateful, but look at this guy! There are so many beautiful parrots out there! This was the moment my tiny brain decided it needed a cockatoo. So yes, a little bit of a rant, but I need help.

 

[LoveOfallAnimals]

I see a lot of y'all have large flocks, and some of y'all have only one or two birds. I have three budgies, but I'm always WANTING more birds! I'll go to the bird store, and... poof! Now I want a cockatoo, a green cheek, and a cockatiel. The budget says we simply can't afford any more birds, and we don't have space for any more cages, so here I am planning an aviary for my budgies so I can cram another cage into the house. I don't make money, so my poor parents have to buy the toys and food. I don't think attention would be much of a problem, since I'm homeschooled, so I'm home all day on the weekdays. We're Christians, so I'm gone all day Sunday. I don't know if a cockatoo could handle that schedule. In short, we really can't get any more birds, but I'm covetous of all of them. Do y'all ever feel the same, and how do you deal with it? Also just saying "be grateful" doesn't help. I KNOW I need to be grateful, but look at this guy! There are so many beautiful parrots out there! This was the moment my tiny brain decided it needed a cockatoo. So yes, a little bit of a rant, but I need help.

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Oh you have bird fever for me it is not really much different than baby fever and I manage it the same way. For me it comes down to quality of life for the parrot. Can I provide for it both financially and emotionally. Do I have the time to care for it properly. Cleaning cages and play stands everyday becomes more time consuming the more you have to clean. Yearly vet visits alone are not cheap and it goes from a few hundred when you have one to thousands when you have two or more. Toys are now triple the price for me as I have three.

I can honestly say the third bird child is my limit. As nothing breaks my heart more than seeing people who basically collect birds like you would coins. The poor birds have no quality of life. They seem to always end up spending most of their lives in a cramped cage with minimal human interaction and the cleanliness of it always seem to be in question.

I have and always love birds. I am an animal lover, but birds win hands down over all others. Will I walk into ABC and see one that melts my heart probably. But that is when I have to play with it for a minute and then give it back to them knowing that it is the right thing not just for that parrot but also for the ones that I have already made a lifetime commitment to.

You are young and a cockatoo may be in your future. Spend this time researching and learning more about them. Look hard at both the good and bad. Allow yourself time to see where you will be in another ten years and if that bird would still be able to work in your life. The cuddles and clinginess of a cockatoo might work for now, but would that still be the case in ten years. Set yourself up for success by having both the knowledge and finances that a bird like that will require. Human nature is that we don't want to wait for things(myself included) but just know most things in life work out better with a plan. Good things do come to those that wait!

 

[Greenhouseparrots]

This feeling is how I ended up with 8 birds! I am kind of regretting it now because I can't move out of my parents home easily, I'm the only one that looks after them since my parents don't like them, and they're only allowed in one room in the house and I think they need much more than what I can give them. They take up so much time since I also work full time and have a part time job to get some more money saved, and then I was studying too but it was too much with everything so I stopped. Without the birds I think it would have been doable though.

Since you're so young I would stick to the budgies for now and in a few years see if you still want more birds!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

This feeling is how I ended up with 8 birds! I am kind of regretting it now because I can't move out of my parents home easily, I'm the only one that looks after them since my parents don't like them, and they're only allowed in one room in the house and I think they need much more than what I can give them. They take up so much time since I also work full time and have a part time job to get some more money saved, and then I was studying too but it was too much with everything so I stopped. Without the birds I think it would have been doable though.

Since you're so young I would stick to the budgies for now and in a few years see if you still want more birds!

When you find yourself longing for another bird, especially a large, very long lived, emotionally complex bird such as a cockatoo, go to that special place (a bird store or a rescue) where you can play with one, and then put it back and go home to your budgies! This lets you enjoy the good things about parrots without having to deal with the bad things, and trust me, there a plenty of those! According to my own parents, this is what makes being a grandparent SO much more fun than being a parent! If you still find yourself longing for a permanent connection with a "wonderful" cockatoo, read through some old PF threads by people who were at their wits end by their precious babies' undesirable behaviors until you get it out of your system at least temporarily. I would keep up this routine until you are finished with your education goals, including any college and graduate school plans, and, if at that point, you STILL want to make a bird like a cockatoo part of your life, GO FOR IT!

 

[Dancake]

Oh my, I too deal with bird fever haha! Please do keep in mind there's a good chance a larger bird would get aggressive towards your budgies, making you have to have them out at separate times, making them jealous. That's my case when I adopted a smaller bird after having a larger bird for years.

Also, not to hate on cockatoos too much, but I *really* wouldn't recommend a cockatoo for a younger person. It takes a very special person to take good care of a cockatoo. I'm not saying you couldn't have one in the future, but I'd say think about it for many years before even trying to get one.

I made the decision to live with my amazon at an age that now I'd consider too young, and now I have to make my life plans around him, because I refuse to rehome my baby. You don't need to live out the same fate as me!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Oh my, I too deal with bird fever haha! Please do keep in mind there's a good chance a larger bird would get aggressive towards your budgies, making you have to have them out at separate times, making them jealous. That's my case when I adopted a smaller bird after having a larger bird for years.

Also, not to hate on cockatoos too much, but I *really* wouldn't recommend a cockatoo for a younger person. It takes a very special person to take good care of a cockatoo. I'm not saying you couldn't have one in the future, but I'd say think about it for many years before even trying to get one.

I made the decision to live with my amazon at an age that now I'd consider too young, and now I have to make my life plans around him, because I refuse to rehome my baby. You don't need to live out the same fate as me!

Me too. I got a baby Goffin's Cockatoo, Casper, many years ago and she proved to be way too much for me to handle. She was very needy and refused to even sit on a t-stand! I took her to a (male) parrot psychologist/trainer but Casper was afraid of men and wouldn't work with him. After five years I finally gave her to an experienced friend but she ended up plucking herself. Very sad and I deeply regret the whole experience.

 

[ImaParrot]

Oh my, I too deal with bird fever haha! Please do keep in mind there's a good chance a larger bird would get aggressive towards your budgies, making you have to have them out at separate times, making them jealous. That's my case when I adopted a smaller bird after having a larger bird for years.

Also, not to hate on cockatoos too much, but I *really* wouldn't recommend a cockatoo for a younger person. It takes a very special person to take good care of a cockatoo. I'm not saying you couldn't have one in the future, but I'd say think about it for many years before even trying to get one.

I made the decision to live with my amazon at an age that now I'd consider too young, and now I have to make my life plans around him, because I refuse to rehome my baby. You don't need to live out the same fate as me!

I've done cockatoo research and I am absolutely 100% sure I can't have one, at least until I move out. The cuddles, though! Hopefully the people at ABC Birds won't get tired of me visiting them and their Moloccan!

 

[ImaParrot]

When you find yourself longing for another bird, especially a large, very long lived, emotionally complex bird such as a cockatoo, go to that special place (a bird store or a rescue) where you can play with one, and then put it back and go home to your budgies! This lets you enjoy the good things about parrots without having to deal with the bad things, and trust me, there a plenty of those! According to my own parents, this is what makes being a grandparent SO much more fun than being a parent! If you still find yourself longing for a permanent connection with a "wonderful" cockatoo, read through some old PF threads by people who were at their wits end by their precious babies' undesirable behaviors until you get it out of your system at least temporarily. I would keep up this routine until you are finished with your education goals, including any college and graduate school plans, and, if at that point, you STILL want to make a bird like a cockatoo part of your life, GO FOR IT!

I love that idea! I need to hunt down some cockatoo friends!

 

[onamom]

Yes I can very much relate to this. Ona is my soulmate but I still love other birds too! I want them all!!! I so wish I had a rescue near me. I would absolutely love to volunteer at a place like that. Volunteering is how I manage this problem with dogs. But I don’t have any bird opportunities

 

[ImaParrot]

Yes I can very much relate to this. Ona is my soulmate but I still love other birds too! I want them all!!! I so wish I had a rescue near me. I would absolutely love to volunteer at a place like that. Volunteering is how I manage this problem with dogs. But I don’t have any bird opportunities

As soon as I learn to drive I'm going to try to get a job at a bird store! I don't care that they're not hiring.

 

[Keet_Krazy]

See the thing is you're only seeing the fun side of large flocks...
I have 7 parrots, as well as a bunch of other animals. Just the other week I bought pellets and that alone was like $70! Not including seeds, veggies, treats, etc. That's a minor part of the expenses for keeping so many birds!
The emotional side is also extremely exhausting. I have two unwell budgies right now, and I still have to make time for my young cockatoo and working with my skittish aviary bird.
I am not against young people owning parrots (even large long lived ones), but I also don't recommend owning a parrot (or lots of parrots) if you don't earn you own money and can drive (that's coming from experience!).
If you want a cockatoo just be patient, the last thing you want is to rush in and end up with a bird you can't handle. I also thought I'd end up with some kind of cockatoo at some point, never thought now though! Q just happened. Now I'm mentally preparing for when he hits maturity!
So my advice for dealing with MBS (Multiple Bird Syndrome, which I have btw ) is to talk reality to yourself.

 

[onamom]

See the thing is you're only seeing the fun side of large flocks...
I have 7 parrots, as well as a bunch of other animals. Just the other week I bought pellets and that alone was like $70! Not including seeds, veggies, treats, etc. That's a minor part of the expenses for keeping so many birds!
The emotional side is also extremely exhausting. I have two unwell budgies right now, and I still have to make time for my young cockatoo and working with my skittish aviary bird.
I am not against young people owning parrots (even large long lived ones), but I also don't recommend owning a parrot (or lots of parrots) if you don't earn you own money and can drive (that's coming from experience!).
If you want a cockatoo just be patient, the last thing you want is to rush in and end up with a bird you can't handle. I also thought I'd end up with some kind of cockatoo at some point, never thought now though! Q just happened. Now I'm mentally preparing for when he hits maturity!
So my advice for dealing with MBS (Multiple Bird Syndrome, which I have btw ) is to talk reality to yourself.

I agree with this. As much as I love Ona I will admit that some days it's just exhausting taking care of three dogs + her. It can take a lot out of you at times.

 

[smallgreenfury]

I see a lot of y'all have large flocks, and some of y'all have only one or two birds. I have three budgies, but I'm always WANTING more birds! I'll go to the bird store, and... poof! Now I want a cockatoo, a green cheek, and a cockatiel. The budget says we simply can't afford any more birds, and we don't have space for any more cages, so here I am planning an aviary for my budgies so I can cram another cage into the house. I don't make money, so my poor parents have to buy the toys and food. I don't think attention would be much of a problem, since I'm homeschooled, so I'm home all day on the weekdays. We're Christians, so I'm gone all day Sunday. I don't know if a cockatoo could handle that schedule. In short, we really can't get any more birds, but I'm covetous of all of them. Do y'all ever feel the same, and how do you deal with it? Also just saying "be grateful" doesn't help. I KNOW I need to be grateful, but look at this guy! There are so many beautiful parrots out there! This was the moment my tiny brain decided it needed a cockatoo. So yes, a little bit of a rant, but I need help.

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I understand! I got my first bird when I was a teenager. And then another, and another...
Just know that you may be in a different situation years from now. You have lots of time now because you're younger and living at home. But you may not be home as much when working a full time job or at college. That was difficult for me because I then had to leave my birds with my family for extended periods while I was away. You can't have a bird in a dorm, or living with roommates that don't like screeching. It was also difficult for me taking care of them when I was barely making enough money to take care of myself. These birds live a long time so the best time to get them is when you are in a stable place (in terms of living situation, finances, job) that you know you will be in for years to come.

The good part is that you can spend these years dreaming and planning the ideal living situation for your future birdies. You can never plan enough.