Is a parrot a good pet for kids??

[bacemt]

Hi all,

I own a parrotlet currently and enjoy him a lot!

Well anywho, my 7 year old niece and 4 year old niece have both interacted with him and my previous parrotlet, and they really want a bird! They are bird crazy, and my neices are smart they already realize how awsome they are!

I do plan on taking both of them to the pet store that I use so that they can interact with various birds and the reality that its not all cuddles, sometimes its beaks and bleeding! I want to make sure they really know what it is like to at least interact with a parrot, becuase I think they have the idealization that its all roses all the time.

If they are still wanting one, I may go for it. I LOVE birds and know that if it doesnt work in thier hoome, I would take on the bird myself and take responsibility for him or her.

Any ideas on a good bird for kids of thier age, obvously thier parents and myself would have the primary responsibility of taking care of it. I am not interested in parakeets. I would love to hear from anyone who owns a parrotlet with younger kids, I do worry that because of the size it would be more prone to accidents with them. What about a green cheek conure? I know they can be nippy, but I just love their personalities! Or a Quaker?

I know every bird is going to differ and the bird picks the human, not the other way around! Any suggestions would be great! Thank you!

Beth

 

[MonicaMc]

What about bourke parakeets or cockatiels? Both birds tend to be more passive creatures.

A lovebird *might* be a good idea if hand raised and tame/not bitey. To me, parrotlets and lovebirds have always seemed similar (I've never owned a parrotlet, though). Big personalities, little birds. Both can be nippy, but both can made good pets.


I've heard that linnies are also good birds, albeit quirky.

 

[OOwl]

My nieces and nephew really liked my birds, too, so after a lot of books and counseling with their mom (my sis), I ended up getting them a hand-fed male English budgie. It worked out well and they adore the bird. How many budgies have introduced kids into a lifetime with parrots? For good reason. They're sweet, good-natured, intelligent, awesome little birds. I just wish they lived longer.

 

[NWQuakers]

All the parrotlets I've met have been gregarious and entertaining little birdies. That's my vote.

 

[Blue]

my 22 month old daughter loves the birds... she had held our Grey and Eclectus (with me holding up her arm.) I really think if you find the right bird it would be ok. A child that gets bit is just going to react, pull away or swat at the bird and possibly hurt the bird, so you want to find the least bitey bird and constant supervision when they are handling it

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I thought of the budgies and tiels soo, because they are both such pleasant birds. I don't know any parrotlets though, and have 'heard' they can be nippy but i'm sure that varies from bird to bird.
I think as long as the kids are taught how to handle the birds and as long as there is an adult responsible, it can be a nice addition to the family. My nieces and nephews didn't personally have birds but grew up around my birds, held them when they were little, etc.

 

[Sunny_the_tiel]

I'd go with a tiel. I have a little sister who is 9 and our tiel who we've o ly have for just short of a week has bonded with her. Make sure to find a hand fed one! We were skeptical of getting one because of the taming process, but we found a lady selling babies for $20 that were hand fed. Sunny is currently sitting with us while we watch tv practicing his wolf whistle.

 

[bacemt]

Hi all,

Thank you for all your suggestions! Keep them coming, as I only have experience with my P'lets.

How loud are 'tiels, do they tend to sleep for 12 hours like my P'let (My P'let tends to go to bed when I do and wake up when I do, he doesn't mkae a peep until he hears me) or are they up at the crack of dawn telling thier "mom" or 'dad" to wake up?

I would really love to get them a P'let, but like most kids they can get rambunctious and I would be very very afraid of the bird getting injured. I would like maybe somthing a bit bigger that will fit in nice with a family. They have a hamster now and are VERY good at helping to care for her and giving her attention and being gentle!

The house can be a bit noisy, although I think most birds are ok with that once you form a bond. I know if I take them to the pet shop a bird will pick them, but I want to make a wise decision on wether or not to follow through depending on the species. I found a VERY friendly bird the other day at the shop, he or she was just so sweet. I do not know the species as no one was present in the room. The bird had a gray head, gray eyes, and yellow streaks on its belly. Not sure if that helps.

Thanks again!

 

[bacemt]

I just did some research, I believe it was a Senegal.. Will double check!

How are they?

 

[BeakersBro]

No, not for kids. They are not responsible and can squeeze too hard. They also will neglect them when they lose interest. And could become frustrated or angry if bitten (they will be bitten many times) and hit back.

Not to be offensive to the wonderful parents that come on this website, but just something to keep in mind: Nearly every parent thinks their kid is soooo good. But more than half of those kids are doing drugs and having sex behind their parent's back. That's just statistics. So literally half (or more) of parents are falsely deluded into thinking their kids are so great. Bottom line: don't trust kids.

 

[happycat]

No, not for kids. They are not responsible and can squeeze too hard. They also will neglect them when they lose interest. And could become frustrated or angry if bitten (they will be bitten many times) and hit back.

Not to be offensive to the wonderful parents that come on this website, but just something to keep in mind: Nearly every parent thinks their kid is soooo good. But more than half of those kids are doing drugs and having sex behind their parent's back. That's just statistics. So literally half (or more) of parents are falsely deluded into thinking their kids are so great. Bottom line: don't trust kids.

*I'm on a phone so there might be some auto corrects*

That's just because the average kid has not-so-great parents if they do that junk. Everyone's seven at one point.
I think as long as you get a sweet, good natured bird and teach them how they wont always want constant attention and can bite, it should be good. But they probably know tha if they have a hamster. I've had cats and other animals since I was born and I've always learned to leave an animal alone when they bite, even as a toddler I'd never hurt sthem when they scratch/bite, just make sure that you or their parents clean the cage because they might not.

 

[BeakersBro]

Nope still dont trust em

 

[Karigan]

Oh, I would never get a sennie for a child! They (and mind) are very tempermental and are usually one person birds. Meyers would be a better option if you want a poi, but Pionus' are a good family to look into as well.

 

[mtdoramike]

I say they would make a good pet for a child as long as the child realizes that they WILL GET A NIP OR BITE every now and then because no matter how much we love our birds, they are still wild animals and not as domesticated as dogs or cats.

I would consider a Cockatiel or Love bird.

 

[Sunny_the_tiel]

My tiel sleeps through the night, and doesn't start his noise making until I uncover his cage in the morning. They can get pretty loud, but from my experience it's never in the middle of the night. But they are a joy t be around. I have only had Sunny for a week and he's already learning the wolf whistle. And so far his bites don't really hurt. But he was hand fed so biting isn't a big issue with him.

 

[HumanWings]

Weather or not a bird is good for a kid depends on the parent. If the parent takes care of most of the responsibility and uses the bird as a way to teach the kid good qualities WITHOUT having the kids do everything for the bird then yes it can be a good pet. That being said if no one else takes responsibility for the bird a bird would be THE WORST pet for a kid.

 

[momto3]

I have three children, ages 13, 10 and 7. Each of the kids has their own bird (and guinea pig) and I have a Blue Crowned Conure. They are very responsible with their pets, but I do the bulk of taking care of them. My son is afraid of his American parakeet which is actually ok because she prefers to stay in her cage. He does take care of her and he pets her tail pretty much daily. He had wanted a bird to handle, but turns out he was too afraid of being bitten, so it is actually a good fit.

My daughter has a hand-reared English budgie and he is the sweetest bird ever. I love English budgies and they make great pets for kids. They can be quite large and they are calm and affectionate. They are hard to find (we had our shipped to us) but well worth it. She can easily play with the bird but he is also content to play with his toys. In my opinion, they are perfect pets for young children because they are ok spending time in their cages on those days when the kids don't feel like handling them.

My 13-year-old has a Quaker parrot. She is a very sweet bird and loves the family. However, I am mostly responsible for her daily care because it is a fight to get him to do it...typical teen.

As you can see, different birds and different needs/personalities. I suggest a bird that is least likely to bite. My daughter started out with a hand-reared English budgie that didn't like the kids or me for that matter. It was a disaster. My daughter became afraid of him during the week that we had him and I ended up having to return him to the breeder--2 hours away--AND pay to have him disease tested before he went home. She cried endlessly about the bird not liking her and it was heartbreaking. SOOOO glad I did it, however, because she never would have interacted with the bird.

Long story short...be very careful about purchasing a bird for your niece and nephew. Birds bite and kids become afraid--even though they say they won't. Are the kids into sports? As they get older, they will be home less and less and after school activities increase. If they start to play soccer, for example, they will be gone most nights and on the weekends. The bird will sit in the cage more and more unless the parents are on board and take on responsibility.

While I applaud your efforts to share your love of birds with your niece and nephew, I think you could be sorry in the long run. I would suggest an English budgie--if the kids are calm and won't crush it--if you continue down this path. I don't mean to be a wet blanket--just trying to share my experience so that this works out well for you.

 

[Birdlover11]

No, not for kids. They are not responsible and can squeeze too hard. They also will neglect them when they lose interest. And could become frustrated or angry if bitten (they will be bitten many times) and hit back.

Not to be offensive to the wonderful parents that come on this website, but just something to keep in mind: Nearly every parent thinks their kid is soooo good. But more than half of those kids are doing drugs and having sex behind their parent's back. That's just statistics. So literally half (or more) of parents are falsely deluded into thinking their kids are so great. Bottom line: don't trust kids.

By what age do you mean ? I'm only 11 and I take good care of birds. Heck, I spend my 60 dollars on them for check ups , new toys, saving up for a mansion of a cage... If your kids are under 8 they can interact with them but can't fully care for them. If you are a housewife or work from home and have some extra time maybe a GCC ? Other then that I think a cockatiel would be nice. You could teach them different tunes to whistle and thier crest makes them adorable . Not that nippy by species standards . A great starter bird

 

[MonicaMc]

By what age do you mean ? I'm only 11 and I take good care of birds. Heck, I spend my 60 dollars on them for check ups , new toys, saving up for a mansion of a cage... If your kids are under 8 they can interact with them but can't fully care for them. If you are a housewife or work from home and have some extra time maybe a GCC ? Other then that I think a cockatiel would be nice. You could teach them different tunes to whistle and thier crest makes them adorable . Not that nippy by species standards . A great starter bird

You are an exception to the rule.


I've had birds since I was 12 years old, but I've *ALWAYS* been interested in creatures that could fly! When I was a toddler, I used to pick up bees, roll them between my fingers and stick them in my mouth! This would then be followed by me screaming/crying - while keeping my mouth shut. Someone would then have to run over and tell me to open my mouth. I'd refuse at first, but eventually, I'd open my mouth and the bee would fly out. It didn't help any that my mother is allergic to bee stings....

Ya, I was that awkward child! I also loved butterflies, moths, dragonflies, damselflies and almost anything else that could fly! (flies, gnats and mosquitoes being an exception)


I, too, am an exception. I still have Casey, my very first cockatiel, whom I've had since I was 13. The second longest bird I've had since is my bourke parakeet, that I got two months later. It's been 11 years this month.

My first birds were budgies. The very first, White Waters, was a dilute sky blue budgie. The second was a Yellowface Type 1/Goldenface Cobalt. Unfortunately, she died the very next day, so was "replaced" with a normal blue girl that I had named Storm Cloud.



Back then, I had *no one* to look up to. I had *no one* to help care for my birds. Ya, sure, my mother paid for toys and food, but beyond that, all care and cleaning was up to me. I would have loved to have had a parent, or even an aunt/uncle who could have helped guided me in the proper care of my birds, but I didn't have that... I had the internet. And back then, what information was available was severely limited, especially compared to today.



Beth has already stated that should care lack, she can take care of the bird.

If they are still wanting one, I may go for it. I LOVE birds and know that if it doesnt work in thier hoome, I would take on the bird myself and take responsibility for him or her.

Any ideas on a good bird for kids of thier age, obvously thier parents and myself would have the primary responsibility of taking care of it. I am not interested in parakeets. I would love to hear from anyone who owns a parrotlet with younger kids, I do worry that because of the size it would be more prone to accidents with them. What about a green cheek conure? I know they can be nippy, but I just love their personalities! Or a Quaker?

Not only is Beth trying to decide on the proper bird for her nieces, she must also think of a bird species that would be right for her, in the unlikely event that she'll need to become the birds permanent caregiver.

 

[BeakersBro]

By what age do you mean ? I'm only 11 and I take good care of birds. Heck, I spend my 60 dollars on them for check ups , new toys, saving up for a mansion of a cage...

First of all, let me just disclaim that I don't necessarily believe you. HOWEVER, I think the the willingness to spend all your money on the bird is a good indication of level of responsibility and commitment towards it.

I know many adults (most actually) that don't care about or respect other people's things. If their own money is not invested, the majority of people simply do not care about it. This applies to anything -- pets, borrowing cars, using up ALL the paper towels that you nicely bought for everyone's use!