Parrots, the perfect pets for vegans? As well as a few things to think about.

[Emberamazing]

When I had my Ember birdy this always fascinated me. Parrots may just be the perfect pets for Vegans!

-They're loyal and loving pets who are more than happy to spend time with you.

-Most parrots I am aware of don't generally eat animal products. Most vegan meals are actually just fine for them as far as I see. So it would not likely change up your grocery shopping. It is a common practice to feed them hard boiled egg every once in a while, but too much can be very bad for them. And as far as I know, is not necessary unless your bird is laying eggs of her own. Then it's a method to reclaim lost nutrients. (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here)

-Because parrots have such a long life span, they occasionally out live their owners. Or some people are just ill prepared for the work that goes into them. Meaning there are always a few birds needing to be re-homed if you don't want to buy a new pet from a breeder. Keep in mind you may have some foul language ahead however. Rescue birds may have a history, like any other animal.

-They're great companions. I've had both my own parrot and my aunt's parrot attempt to care for me when they thought I was unwell. (Ember thought I was bleeding at one point and refused to leave my shoulder until she cleaned me up. Halloween costume gone wrong lol.)

-Eager to learn. They enjoy being a part of your lives, and are eager to please. Making training a snap with the right know how.

ONE con I have experienced, is finding a vet. I found out the hard way that the title of "Avian vet" Can be exploited horridly. I do blame that vets incompetence for Embers fate. We could have caught her illness before it killed her. But it was my own fault as well for not spotting his bull sooner.

As well, they have delicate systems and need the proper environment. This is not a pet you have on a whim. Think it through. "Do I have time to take care of my pet?" "What kind of parrot do I want?" "Can I afford the vet bills?" And the big question you don't expect to ask. "Do I have room for this parrot?"

Even a budgie needs a large cage to stretch out and fly in. A small cage can lead to many health problems for your bird. Such as injury, and depression. Which will more than likely develop into hazardous behavior.

There are also a few things to think about before getting a bird. Things people DON'T warn you about.

-Puberty! Yes, it is a thing for birds. A bird reaching adulthood may also pluck pick and mutilate it's self.

-Parrots are prey animals. Meaning they will hide illnesses. It may be too late if they start showing signs. Regular vet check ups are a thing.

-Can I drive? Yes. That's an issue. You may have to take a road trip to the nearest avian vet.

-Non stick frying pans are toxic! This is a common warning but it's here any how.

-Lonesomeness. I've learned my lesson recently as we lost Embers companion bird a long while before moving and were not in a position to bring another into the home. Humans don't speak bird. Which means they do better with another bird around to bounce back and forth with. I honestly don't believe any pet should be the only pet in the house.

Well, that concludes my thoughts. I encourage adding your own comments as it may come to mind. A lot of this is just general parrot care, and there are many similar posts on this sight for you to look at. If you're considering a parrot and are already here, please have a look around first. There may be other bits that I've missed or did not feel confident to talk about. Like my thoughts on wing clipping. (I'm heavily against it but it is an option)

(Edit) I recommend reading SailBoat's comment here as well! There's some good info there!

 

[SailBoat]

Although Vegans can find happiness with a Companion Parrot, there are no assurances of a match. In the wild, Parrots are opportunists! If that Bug presents itself, the Parrot is just as likely to grab it as the dark green plant next to it.

Regarding taking care of your Forever Parrot, long before a change in your status. Many of the Laws in Europe and North America have continued to move toward supporting your Parrot (Pet) long after you departed. It is said in our family that the person who the Parrot 'chooses' gets the best deal support by our Will. Just offering the Parrot to someone without the 'monies' and documented Vet Care to support the Parrot's needs (verified yearly) may not assure the care of your Parrot! I find that Socializing is a critical part of assuring peace in your home today and long into the future!

Vet care has long been a problem with having a Forever Parrot! There are specific titles that one needs to verify before setting an appointment!
Certified Avian Vet (CAV), Avian Qualified Vet (AQV), Certified Avian Vet Tech (CAVT) and Avian Qualified Vet Tech (AQVT) are common terms used in North America! Before you consider having a Companion Parrot, one needs to determine if the proper care is near by or you have to be fully willing to travel the needed distance!

Having more than one Parrot for the sole reason as to provide entertainment for your Parrot has no merit! It is just as likely that 'your' Parrot will or the other Parrot will deeply dislike the other. When it works, its a wonderful thing! But that wonderful thing can also reduce your part in the relationship! I find that Socializing is a critical part of assuring peace in your home today and long into the future!

Just a little more depth for a couple of the items above!

Enjoy!

 

[ToMang07]

I'm feeding my Cockatoo chicken tonight now.

 

[Aquila]

I'm feeding my Cockatoo chicken tonight now.

Mine all love chicken, and I often give them the bigger bones they crack open for the marrow.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Mine love hard boiled eggs.

 

[RisingSun]

Oh man, Matisse would not get along well on a vegan diet. He loves egg, cheese, all species of meat. I made the mistake of experimenting to see if he would like milk and he "liked it" liked it. He immediately starts climbing down his cage now when he sees me take it out. Unfortunately, just like his human, he likes things that aren't good for him and so he only gets teeny tiny amounts for very special occasions and very very good behavior.

 

[clark_conure]

I'm sure clark would do fine with a vegan diet, but I have to move too much and need the protein. Clark loves some meat as well, if I buy a sausage egg biscuit he inevitably goes for the sausage even when I try to get him to eat the egg and the bread. And don't worry I only take him through a drive thru about once a month if that if we wake up early on a sunday. Usually it's the pepperoni he's after on a pizza or the chicken wings, because he's stingy. In fact a bird might be perfect for a vegan....

 

[Emberamazing]

Though I posted this for vegans I myself, am NOT vegan. Also, really? Well I just wolfed down a three meet Pizza with extra cheese.
The reason I posted this is because I'm sick of people feeding dogs and cats unhealthy vegan foods. Especially when there are more appropriate choices out there.

 

[RisingSun]

I am sorry about your Ember. Yes, I agree that some vets are willing just to take any animal client in order to not lose out on business, and be able to charge more for an exotic. It is such a shame. Also, that does make sense about steering folks away from attempting to feed a vegan diet to carnivorous animals.

It's just so strange that and in talking with other parrot owners, a lot of them share the same experiences with their birds and animal products. I don't know if it has anything to do with the theory that birds evolved from/ share lineage with the baddest carnivores out there, the theropod dinosaurs (raptors and T. rex), even though we can all agree that too much protein is not a good for parrot species in general.

 

[Kiwibird]

Long time human vegan here- parrots are primarily fruit and nut eaters but are also opportunistic omnivores in nature. It's a fact that cannot be denied and unlike us, parrots do not possess the capabilities to make ethical choices for themselves. That said, they are one of the few pets who can thrive on a purely vegan diet if there human carer does so wish to feed them that way. It should also be noted parrots would do poorly on a meat and animal product heavy diet and should not be given a lot of animal products (some is ok, but much like seed, should make up a tiny portion of overall diet). Kiwi would be classed as a vegetarian as an individual, his choice. I do not deny my bird foods he wants to eat that will not negatively impact his health and since hubby is an omni, he gets offered a range, though I wouldn't go out of my way to make him animal based foods special if there was not an omnivore in the house too (just when hubby makes them for himself).

My parents birds are omnivores, those birds will crack open bones (like chicken bones, not human bones!) and eat the marrow and will eat small bits of meat. My moms older wild caught female amazon will also go after bugs that get in the house (despite attempts to curb or stop this behavior). Thankfully, Kiwi turns his beak up at meat when hubby has offered it, he picks around it if theres some on hubbies plate (that's my bird!) but he will eat eggs and dairy products like there's no tomorrow (obviously not allowed large amounts of either, but does get both occasionally, eggs more often than dairy though, cheese for him is a very rare treat). Interestingly, I've offered him a bit of Daiya (vegan) cheese before to see what he thought. He promptly rejected it. If the cheese loving bird rejects it, probably something wrong with the stuff, so I won't eat it either lol. Being a vegan myself, not typically eating cooked food until later in the day and avoiding processed foods in general allows me to share much of what I eat with Kiwi, something people on different diets do not have as much freedom to do. Works well for both of us

 

[Kiwibird]

The reason I posted this is because I'm sick of people feeding dogs and cats unhealthy vegan foods. Especially when there are more appropriate choices out there.

One of the reasons I no longer frequent vegan forums is this right here. It is a form of cruelty IMO to force an animal in your care who is unable to make decisions for itself a diet not suitable to it's species. Such a hypocritical stance to deny another sentient being it's right to good health under your care over your personal beliefs and our species biological, intellectual and technological abilities. Just because it can be a healthy choice in this day and age for a human to eat a plant based diet doesn't mean it can be healthy for every other animal. It is a very arrogant stance to take and yet so many vegans opt to deny reality. Some creatures are in fact carnivores, plants cannot fulfill their nutritional needs. I am practically an out of town for feeling this way. Then again, I don't get along with other vegans for many reasons

 

[Billdore]

Someone posted a great video awhile back showing flocks of African Greys going to these clay marshy areas to eat the clay so it will absorb the toxins of stuff they ate that they shouldn't have. Cause you gotta do what you gotta to do to survive in Africa.

 

[Emberamazing]

Yeah. Way I see it, you are a REAL vegan. Someone who understands that it's for the well being of the animals. (At least for all I know) I'm so tired of vegans trying to argue that animal abuse is not animal abuse.

 

[Emberamazing]

Thank you. I just believe animals deserve the vest care you can give them. Otherwise you should not have that pet.

 

[Scott]

Long time human vegan here- parrots are primarily fruit and nut eaters but are also opportunistic omnivores in nature. It's a fact that cannot be denied and unlike us, parrots do not possess the capabilities to make ethical choices for themselves. That said, they are one of the few pets who can thrive on a purely vegan diet if there human carer does so wish to feed them that way. It should also be noted parrots would do poorly on a meat and animal product heavy diet and should not be given a lot of animal products (some is ok, but much like seed, should make up a tiny portion of overall diet). Kiwi would be classed as a vegetarian as an individual, his choice. I do not deny my bird foods he wants to eat that will not negatively impact his health and since hubby is an omni, he gets offered a range, though I wouldn't go out of my way to make him animal based foods special if there was not an omnivore in the house too (just when hubby makes them for himself).

My parents birds are omnivores, those birds will crack open bones (like chicken bones, not human bones!) and eat the marrow and will eat small bits of meat. My moms older wild caught female amazon will also go after bugs that get in the house (despite attempts to curb or stop this behavior). Thankfully, Kiwi turns his beak up at meat when hubby has offered it, he picks around it if theres some on hubbies plate (that's my bird!) but he will eat eggs and dairy products like there's no tomorrow (obviously not allowed large amounts of either, but does get both occasionally, eggs more often than dairy though, cheese for him is a very rare treat). Interestingly, I've offered him a bit of Daiya (vegan) cheese before to see what he thought. He promptly rejected it. If the cheese loving bird rejects it, probably something wrong with the stuff, so I won't eat it either lol. Being a vegan myself, not typically eating cooked food until later in the day and avoiding processed foods in general allows me to share much of what I eat with Kiwi, something people on different diets do not have as much freedom to do. Works well for both of us

The reason I posted this is because I'm sick of people feeding dogs and cats unhealthy vegan foods. Especially when there are more appropriate choices out there.

One of the reasons I no longer frequent vegan forums is this right here. It is a form of cruelty IMO to force an animal in your care who is unable to make decisions for itself a diet not suitable to it's species. Such a hypocritical stance to deny another sentient being it's right to good health under your care over your personal beliefs and our species biological, intellectual and technological abilities. Just because it can be a healthy choice in this day and age for a human to eat a plant based diet doesn't mean it can be healthy for every other animal. It is a very arrogant stance to take and yet so many vegans opt to deny reality. Some creatures are in fact carnivores, plants cannot fulfill their nutritional needs. I am practically an out of town for feeling this way. Then again, I don't get along with other vegans for many reasons

You are awesome, April! True to your convictions but not a mindless proselytizer to captive species.

I haven't eaten flesh from legged animals for decades - but do consume some fish. None of my birds crave meat, but they sure love cheese in tiny amounts weekly. As for my dogs.... they eat Costco Lamb & Rice.