Should I Get a Bird?

[Kloww33]

Hi, I am new to the forum. I was thinking of getting a parrot as I love their intelligence and that they tend to bond to humans in a different way than cats or dogs. The thing is I work full-time. I work three days in the office and then two days at home. When I am in the office I am gone from 7am to 6pm.

I live with my husband who works as a college professor so he is home quite a bit and my two children, a son aged 6 and a special needs daughter aged 8. We have a beagle currently but he is getting old and not sure how much longer he will be with us. My husband at this point in time is none to keen on getting a bird so he would probably not let the bird out of the cage when I am not home. When I am home I spend my time taking care of my daughter and playing with my son but there is on reason a bird couldn't be out and around as well as my daughter is not mobile so we don't move around a lot.

Would this be an adequate situation or should I think about a different pet? Please be kind in your responses I am new and don't know if some of the things I have said are huge problems. If I was to get a bird what species would you think would be best?

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed. Parrots are 100% not like a dog or cat. They are essentially wild creatures that we invite to live in our livingrooms. THey can live a LONG time, with large parrots living up to 80 yrs and small ones like Budgies and Cockatiels living anywhere from 10-15ish. They are very much like living with a small child, that never grows up. They are messy, needing daily (or more) clean ups of their areas. For good health, they need a diet that includes a big % of veggies, a small amount of size appropriate pellets and a tiny amount of seeds. Parrots and small children need to be supervised for both sakes. Your special needs daughter may present issues, if she is especially sensitive to loud noise, because parrots are noisy, even the supposed "quiet" ones can get loud.

Please read , a lot, of the posted stickies at the top of each subforum, on different species, diet and nutrition, behavior etc. to get a better idea of what is entailed with owning a parrot.

Worth it? Hells yes, the bond you can have with a parrot is totally unique and special. Can have, not will have. That depends a lot on you and your family.

 

[chris-md]

To build on above, a word of caution: a bird is OBTRUSTIVE.

So obtrusive, in fact, that you really should have 100% buy-in from 100% of the family. If someone's already not keen on owning a bird, and this loud messy things enters their space, it WILL engender resentment and cause conflict in the family. Work the husband over, get him to rescues if possible to start interacting with birds. Try to get him on your side.

I did this, kind of forced a bird on my partner who was adamantly against it. Hes 80% come around, enjoys interacting wiht him. But still has low tolerance forthe noise. He appreciates the bird, but would never say "I Love You" to him. Probably woldn't let me get another one after Parker, but hes enjoying what he has now for the most part.

So get buy in. If you don't get it, consider a smaller bird like a parakeet or parrotlet that are less obtrusive.

Other than that, yes, your situation should be fine for a bird. Most of us work full time jobs. So long as the bird gets quality time with the family at night and plenty in the cage to keep it occupied when you're out, its all good.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I agree with Al (Wrench). I have had one of my Parrots (Amy) for 31 years now. He was 4 months old when he came home with me. You get out what you put into it. You CAN'T just leave them in a cage and expect them to be happy. They are social creatures and need to be interacted with. Being "flock" critters,in the wild they are always hanging out with their buddies,playing,eating,bathing,calling to each other etc. They need stimulus..toys to challenge their minds ( parrots are VERY intelligent!)
If they get bored a slue of health issues can arise..from screaming not stop to feather plucking and self mutilation. They can,and do,bond tightly to their chosen one and it may not be YOU! Could be your partner or a child,or a friend,there is no gaurantee. They need yearly vet check ups which can be pricey,with a Certified Avian Vet..one who knows birds intimately and not someone who will "see" a bird. They hide their illness very well,after all,in the wild if they are ill they make easy prey and if your bird should become ill most times if you notice something is wrong with the bird it means he/she is very ill and can't hide it any longer,which will mean a trip to the CAV asap..not "in a week or two" or "when I get around to it" by then its a good chance you'll be burying it in the back yard.
Then there is diet..toy's..what happens when you take vacation? After a bird bonds with his/her chosen one seperation can cause a huge amount of stress.
One of my birds loves to travel with me "go for a ride,in the car?" he'll say to me. When I drove big rigs he'd take day trips with me,now that I'm retired we go on "adventures" in the car. His favorite adventure is when we go visit Al and Salty about 3 hours away.
There is alot of stuff to think about when considering getting a parrot of any size.


Jim

 

[wrench13]

Yeah , that buy-in is crucial! Such good advice above!

 

[Ira7]

Does your daughter have an ASD? If so, it can be a wonderful experience or a difficult one. If a different disability, no one here can of course offer any advice.

Many people “lean” towards a certain species based on looks, what they see on media, etc., and that’s FINE. No crime there, and I’ll date myself:

Tens of thousands of Cockatoos were sold in the 70s because of Fred and the TV show “Baretta.” The crime HERE is that no one knew a damn thing about the various species of Cockatoos, and didn’t do a damn bit of research beforehand.

This resulted in untold numbers of “damaged” birds...emotionally, socially and physically...who were then abandoned and passed onto home after home, living miserable lives, and short lives. People just wanted Fred, although Cockatoos can be VERY difficult birds to acclimate to domesticated life.

So try to come up with a few acceptable size species, AND ASK ABOUT THAT SPECIES HERE!!!

For example, Amazons can be noisy bundles of high energy madness...which is what I love about them. But the Mealy Amazons, the LARGEST Amazon species, isn’t at all! They’re mostly known as mellow, cool, perch potatoes. There are two or three other Amazon species that fit this characterization as well. (But individual personalities can of course vary.) But Mealy’s aren’t great talkers, and although you now might think that’s important, it might not be down the road. I would rather have a poor talking bird with a sweet personality than an SOB with a huge vocabulary.

So take your time and research the species you’re favoring. And where do you live? It’s not always easy finding the species you want in your area WHEN you want it. Of course, if there are any rescues near you, check those too. And be very wary of Craig’s List, unless it’s someone selling recently weaned or soon to be weaned chicks from birds they bred themselves.

Good luck! The right bird adds an incredible joy to the household.

 

[Laurasea]

Hi,
We are all passionate about our parrots, and most of us view them as feathered kids. Science is now saying they are on par with primates, more intelligent in some ways sbd less in others. Consider to have the intelligence of a 2-5 yr old child. But it is a different kind if intelligence and they have some things that are hard wired into them .

Unlike dogs and cats who nap most of the day , parrots are active most of the day. And they are all messy. The have to eat little buts all day, they have a simple digestive system. So the poop a lot, like every 15 min or so, definitely at least once an hour. They are natures disperses, so they like to take a bite if something and fling the rest. Part of the diet is usually seeds and those hulls float everywhere. And they shed little down feathers that float everywhere, and tge rest of feathers twice a year.. Those beaks are always growing so they need to chew and destroy stuff. Plus they get a lot if personal satisfaction from that. They like and need to be busy, foraging, socializing, chewing on stuff, eating, communicating, making noise.
Even tho they need to spend many hours out of the cage a day, they also need large cages. And if you are like most people who start out and go by what you see sr pet stores, you don't realize how large the Cage needs to be. And they do and can bite, when they get frustrated and misunderstood by us, or fear, or cage protective . If you learn body language, teach bite pressure, have good trust, then bites are few, or more of a spar . I had one sweetie that never bit.

So they can be difficult pets. But they are amazing, and fascinating , and can be full of love and charm and humor.

They go through a hormonal season twice a year usually. Some birds you don't notice, or some years they are more difficult. Some birds are very loud, moody, and aggressive during this time. Last year seemed to be avery difficult hormonal year fir all if us around the globe , for some reason. My Neptune was very screaming and territorial. I admit it was hard on the nerves....some o think usually the boys will try and relieve the sexual tension by rubbing on us, tho frankly 8
Im trying hard to not be used like that!


Also birds are incredibly delicate to toxic fumes. Off gasses from instipots, air fryers, non stick cookware, some room heaters, that contain that chemical ( forget the name ) it will kill your bird, even behind a door on a different floor of the house. So we use cast iron, stainless steel, and glass to cook with. You have to make a lot of accommodations. And research products.

We all are making it work, and enjoy our parrots. We have a new mom with a baby and an Amazon parrot making it work. Its just stuff go think about. Parrots van be incredible enrichment to our lives. Its what you want verse what yiu are willing to give up.

 

[CyrusLUVSGemma]

Consider birds on CL that people cant take care of anymore. A baby bird is glorious but there are alot of great birds that need a home. you might even find a young bird on there, most are low priced or free.

 

[noodles123]

Welcome!

Birds are SO MUCH work and they often prefer certain family members and can become quite jealous and aggressive towards others. I would be wary about mixing kids with parrots (depending on the kids) because they DO bite and the damage can be serious-- especially adult birds (as most babies are super sweet---it's not until sexual maturity that you see their "true colors"). The thing is, buying a baby doesn't mean you will have a sweet adult---even the most well-socialized baby is going to grow up to have strong preferences. Don't get me wrong, socialization matters, but when the parrot matures, don't bank on everyone in your family being able to handle the parrot at all times (even if they are home all day). Sometimes, the person who wants the bird ends up being hated by the bird (despite doing everything right). So you are basically adopting a child who you will stick with for better or for worse. I am not saying adults are bad either-- frankly, they are the "real deal" compared to babies....and they live forever, so I'd adopt if you do go this route because while babies SEEM so perfect and sweet, they don't stay that way forever. Adult parrots can be sweet and gentle etc, but it SO depends on who you are etc.


They do not understand that you have a life outside of them when you are home in many cases...It's like a toddler that has special needs, can die from standard household cleaners/cookware etc, flies, has a beak that can crack a nut and a mega-phone. They are terribly expensive in terms of upkeep and they also need a bedtime etc. They are all of the things you said, but they are SUPER complicated in terms of hormones etc... SO, please make sure you think this through very carefully. Re-homing them does leave a lasting mark when people decide that things just aren't working out.

Please read my reply to the following post in detail-- it covers a lot of the health aspects of bringing a bird into your home and it is SUPER important that everyone be on board (in terms of both health and behavior) http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/88384-new-bird-owner.html
My response to the thread is above^^


Also, here is a thread that contains a good reply from EllenD on the 2nd page-- I know you aren't a kid, but she explains some things to consider on the second page of the threadr: http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/76785-how-convince-my-parents-let-me-get-bird-2.html (2nd page of thread, few replied down)


The behaviors etc that they can have when their needs aren't being met, or when they mistake a bond for sexual are barely touched upon here, but there are entire threads to read up on behaviors as well.



Do you have an avian certified vet near you? That is a huge consideration when getting a parrot because a lot of times, exotics vets or standard vets do not have nearly enough knowledge to see parrots, even though they do...SO, call around ahead of time to see what is in your area. Just because a vet takes birds does not mean they know what they are doing.

 

[Ira7]

Consider birds on CL that people cant take care of anymore. A baby bird is glorious but there are alot of great birds that need a home. you might even find a young bird on there, most are low priced or free.

99% of CL birds are problem birds, and a scam. They just want to make some money off a problem bird.

 

[Kloww33]

Well all that was pretty discouraging. I have been doing my research on various species. I don’t want a big bird but want one who likes to interact and be handled. I was thinking lovebirds but I know they can be pretty aggressive.

 

[Laurasea]

I don't agree. Sure there are problem burds, that still need a great home and might be completely different in a good home.

But there are lots of reasons people give up birds that are great too. Near me is a guy going to a nursing home trying to find a home fir his burds. And he is being very careful to find a good home and clearly loves his birds.
There are few parrot rescues.
I found my breeder listed in Craigslist, abd asked lots if questions, and pictures, and git a great baby that was raised right, weaned right, and well socialized.
So common sense,
I wish I could take them all, cuz its just a lot idiots over there heads with a parrot and, didn't research ahead of time...

 

[Laurasea]

Well all that was pretty discouraging. I have been doing my research on various species. I don’t want a big bird but want one who likes to interact and be handled. I was thinking lovebirds but I know they can be pretty aggressive.

sorry, parrots are fantastic, abd difficult, but each is different

A English Budgie parent assit raised can be really great...already socialized I think.. they are much larger than regular Budgies, and more laid back , Budgies have a lot of personality, and even if they bite its no big deal, they aren't destructive to anything with that tiny beak.

It's a lot to think about. Dont know anything on love burds.

 

[clark_conure]

What you should decade is how much you can provide the bird and research that. How many hours can you literally have the bird on you shoulder. Some are fine in cage, some need hours of outdoors time and socialization time to thrive.

 

[noodles123]

It's a gamble in some ways (whether a bird will like to be handled). Many do, but it often depends on who you are to them, and even then, we do have a few members who have had their birds for many years and they get all of the attention/love they need and still just prefer no to be touched a lot. That doesn't mean they stay locked up either though.

Smaller parrots arevery smart (on par with larger in terms of intelligence) but they are less capable of severe damage and their noises are not quite as loud, although, make no mistake, you could hear our budgie outside the house sometimes, so they still can scream/squawk very loudly-- just not as loud as some larger parrots. If quiet is important in general, I wouldn't get a parrot (large or small), but do know that "loud" is not as bad as "LOUD" (as long as you know that "loud" can still be quite loud lol)

The lifestyle changes still apply in terms of sleep, chemical/cooking issues etc, but it is FAR less frightening to be bitten by a budgie than, say, an Amazon or something..but the commitment is still large compared to a dog/cat etc because their environment in a home is so much less natural.

If you get a smaller parrot- do make sure that you get a flight cage for it and watch bar spacing.


Whatever you do, pay attention to the lifestyle changes before getting a parrot and research the vets in your area because if I could go back and change things, I would have done that myself before adopting. Having a bird can be challenging/confusing and a vet that is trained to care for birds specifically will save you a lot of stress and potential heartache in the event of illness etc. There is nothing worse than KNOWING your bird needs help, and knowing that the only place that can "help" knows very little other than what they learned in a few semesters of classes in a general veterinary program. I have had vets tell me the wrong thing just because they genuinely didn't know enough about parrots (even though they accepted them as patients).

 

[Flboy]

Hello and welcome! Not really discouraging, I would say, terrifying! But, if you move forward, let the bird select you!

 

[Kloww33]

Hello and welcome! Not really discouraging, I would say, terrifying! But, if you move forward, let the bird select you!

I agree it is terrifying. I don't have a rescue near me and with COVID lockdown I can't go to one even if there was. This at least forces me to do my research.