Hi everyone!
I'm sure this is an extremely common topic, but I would like to ask for specific advice pertaining to my life and picking a bird that is perfect for me. BACKGROUND BLAH BLAH: I'm 19 years old, and I commute to college from my parents house. In the future I plan on moving into my own apartment in or around a city. My family has owned many pets over the years (horses, dogs, and before I was born Cockatiels), but I'm looking to get a pet of my own to have while I transition into living on my own. I wasn't entirely exited about owning another dog or getting a cat, so I've been researching into owning a bird.
In the research I've done, I narrowed down my search to picking between a Poicephalus or a Conure. And more specifically, a Senegal or a Green-Cheeked/Maroon-Bellied. I am still very open to other suggestions from others, but I have made a list of specifications for why I picked these species. The primary reason I'm making this post is to hear from people more experienced than me that my reasoning for these selections are sound.
NOTE: I have a bad habit of going overboard in writing too much information. Great for when I need to write essays, bad when I'm sharing "brief" information with strangers online. Sorry ahead of time for the really long post, and thank you if you do stick around to help.
THINGS THAT MATTER THE MOST:
1.) I want a bird that will be a social pet
This is personally the most important thing to me. I plan on living alone for quite a while, and am not really looking to live with other people (spouse, kids, roommates, etc.). Thus, I want a bird that will actually keep me company, though I don't particularly care if it likes ONLY me (I understand some birds have problems with strangers or other animals). Though it may sound counter intuitive, one of the main reasons I shied away from cats and dogs is because of this. While I know some dogs and cats are very social and friendly, my family's dog and many of my friends' dogs are lazy pets who would rather sleep in the other room than spend time with others. I understand that birds probably have a similar range and personality is not entirely dependent on the species, but the individual. Regardless, this is the primary reason I first considered a Conure as a possible candidate, and why I'm not interested in Canary's, Finches, Lovebirds, and certain Poicephalus (Poicephali?).
2.) I don't mind a chatty bird, but I can't have a loud bird
I've never minded the idea of living close to other people (noise doesn't bother me), but I do plan on living alone. The result of this is that I would like a bird that won't shy away from constant interaction, but won't annoy other neighbors while doing so. Yet another reason I'm not interested in a dog, this is really the only element that is unfortunately mandatory with no exceptions. This almost entirely turned me away from Conures, until I learned about GCCs and MBCs.
3.) Other species-specific requirements
I have many relatives who own or have owned lower maintenance birds (including my parents) and am already doing extensive research to ensure this goes as smoothly as possible. Though one thing I am concerned about is if there are things I do or can't do that may hurt the bird. This comes out to be two things. First, I don't want multiple birds or other pets. To my understanding, some birds enjoy or even need another companion, which I cannot do. Second, while I won't do it often, I would like a bird that can travel and be around others. I'm not personally a fan of taking long distance traveling vacations, though I would like to be able to visit family on occasion, and thus would need to bring my bird along. It doesn't need to be social, but be OK with being away from home and/or around others. I would still pack its normal cage, but I would need to keep it in a travel cage for a long drive (potentially 5-7 hours). This in particular has made me concerned about getting a Red Bellied Poicephalus among others, as I don't want a bird that's afraid of new things.
THINGS THAT I'M FLEXIBLE ON
1.) Habitat
As I have stated, I will likely be in a small apartment, but I will give priority placement/size of any cage regardless of where I move. I will leave the cage open as often as possible while I am home, and be as social as my pet needs me to be.
2.) Species-specific abilities
Mostly what I mean by this is I don't care if I have a talented pet. Speaking ability or ability to do tricks is low on my list of cares. So long as my bird loves me it can be as dumb as a brick and I will still love it.
3.) Pet difficulty
One of the things I see the most on any pet advice website/forum is people rating pets on a "difficulty" chart. While I'm not one to ignore such advice, I am very willing to put up with training and caring for a high maintenance pet. This does not mean I am dumb enough to torture both myself and my poor pet due to my lack of experience, but I am willing to put up with a sassy or mischievous Conure, or any other species normally not intended for first time owners. This is primarily my self-instated rule to ensure I don't bite of more than I can chew, so no Cockatoos or Macaws.
Still here? TLDR, I want a personal companion who I can spend all of my time at home with, but is respectful of other people.
From what I have seen on this forum and other websites, I am to the point of deciding between a few possibilities. Once again, I apologies for making the selfishly long post but I greatly appreciate any feedback/advice anyone can give on the subject. Thanks!
I'm sure this is an extremely common topic, but I would like to ask for specific advice pertaining to my life and picking a bird that is perfect for me. BACKGROUND BLAH BLAH: I'm 19 years old, and I commute to college from my parents house. In the future I plan on moving into my own apartment in or around a city. My family has owned many pets over the years (horses, dogs, and before I was born Cockatiels), but I'm looking to get a pet of my own to have while I transition into living on my own. I wasn't entirely exited about owning another dog or getting a cat, so I've been researching into owning a bird.
In the research I've done, I narrowed down my search to picking between a Poicephalus or a Conure. And more specifically, a Senegal or a Green-Cheeked/Maroon-Bellied. I am still very open to other suggestions from others, but I have made a list of specifications for why I picked these species. The primary reason I'm making this post is to hear from people more experienced than me that my reasoning for these selections are sound.
NOTE: I have a bad habit of going overboard in writing too much information. Great for when I need to write essays, bad when I'm sharing "brief" information with strangers online. Sorry ahead of time for the really long post, and thank you if you do stick around to help.
THINGS THAT MATTER THE MOST:
1.) I want a bird that will be a social pet
This is personally the most important thing to me. I plan on living alone for quite a while, and am not really looking to live with other people (spouse, kids, roommates, etc.). Thus, I want a bird that will actually keep me company, though I don't particularly care if it likes ONLY me (I understand some birds have problems with strangers or other animals). Though it may sound counter intuitive, one of the main reasons I shied away from cats and dogs is because of this. While I know some dogs and cats are very social and friendly, my family's dog and many of my friends' dogs are lazy pets who would rather sleep in the other room than spend time with others. I understand that birds probably have a similar range and personality is not entirely dependent on the species, but the individual. Regardless, this is the primary reason I first considered a Conure as a possible candidate, and why I'm not interested in Canary's, Finches, Lovebirds, and certain Poicephalus (Poicephali?).
2.) I don't mind a chatty bird, but I can't have a loud bird
I've never minded the idea of living close to other people (noise doesn't bother me), but I do plan on living alone. The result of this is that I would like a bird that won't shy away from constant interaction, but won't annoy other neighbors while doing so. Yet another reason I'm not interested in a dog, this is really the only element that is unfortunately mandatory with no exceptions. This almost entirely turned me away from Conures, until I learned about GCCs and MBCs.
3.) Other species-specific requirements
I have many relatives who own or have owned lower maintenance birds (including my parents) and am already doing extensive research to ensure this goes as smoothly as possible. Though one thing I am concerned about is if there are things I do or can't do that may hurt the bird. This comes out to be two things. First, I don't want multiple birds or other pets. To my understanding, some birds enjoy or even need another companion, which I cannot do. Second, while I won't do it often, I would like a bird that can travel and be around others. I'm not personally a fan of taking long distance traveling vacations, though I would like to be able to visit family on occasion, and thus would need to bring my bird along. It doesn't need to be social, but be OK with being away from home and/or around others. I would still pack its normal cage, but I would need to keep it in a travel cage for a long drive (potentially 5-7 hours). This in particular has made me concerned about getting a Red Bellied Poicephalus among others, as I don't want a bird that's afraid of new things.
THINGS THAT I'M FLEXIBLE ON
1.) Habitat
As I have stated, I will likely be in a small apartment, but I will give priority placement/size of any cage regardless of where I move. I will leave the cage open as often as possible while I am home, and be as social as my pet needs me to be.
2.) Species-specific abilities
Mostly what I mean by this is I don't care if I have a talented pet. Speaking ability or ability to do tricks is low on my list of cares. So long as my bird loves me it can be as dumb as a brick and I will still love it.
3.) Pet difficulty
One of the things I see the most on any pet advice website/forum is people rating pets on a "difficulty" chart. While I'm not one to ignore such advice, I am very willing to put up with training and caring for a high maintenance pet. This does not mean I am dumb enough to torture both myself and my poor pet due to my lack of experience, but I am willing to put up with a sassy or mischievous Conure, or any other species normally not intended for first time owners. This is primarily my self-instated rule to ensure I don't bite of more than I can chew, so no Cockatoos or Macaws.
Still here? TLDR, I want a personal companion who I can spend all of my time at home with, but is respectful of other people.
From what I have seen on this forum and other websites, I am to the point of deciding between a few possibilities. Once again, I apologies for making the selfishly long post but I greatly appreciate any feedback/advice anyone can give on the subject. Thanks!
