Wanting a feathered companion

[glutes]

I'm new to the forum and have joined because, of course, I want a bird! I am a 16 yr old girl and have always had a fascination for animals of all types. My main interests include reptiles and amphibians, but more recently I've developed quite a passion for birds and have been reading about them nearly all the time! I currently own 7 whites tree frogs whom I plan to breed this year, 1 African dwarf frog(his buddy has just passed, he will get a new friend shortly!), 1 ball python, 1 Nigerian uromastyx, and 1 veiled chameleon. I have also had exposure to sugar gliders. I am very dedicated to my pets and will be as well for my future bird. What I am having trouble with is choosing a pet bird. I absolutely love parrots. They are so incredible. I will be able to spend at least 2 hours a day of playtime with my bird, but due to my rather hectic schedule some days I may have much more time. I go camping in the summer often with my family and hope to bring my bird along with me. We always camp in the same spot so it would quickly become a second home. Of course all parrots make noise, but I'd prefer a species who is not prone to screaming. I also want to be able to cuddle and pet my bird, so a more affectionate species is a definite. I have looked into budgies, but while they are fabulous little birds, they don't seem to be too into cuddling. I've been reading about cockatiels and think they could be a good fit for me, but I worry that a cockatiel won't be able to entertain itself if I'm gone for too long. I wouldn't want the bird to endure misery and loneliness. I would love to hear what you think is a good fit for me in regards to parrot species.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you. Some of those herps can be quite demanding in their needs, I admire your skill!

 

[cmmoor]

Parrots can live for a very long time, even cockatiels can live to be in their 20's. Think about where you will be in 5 years. Will you be off at college? Will you get married? Will you have children? Your pet bird may still be around for all those things and you might find that a bird won't fit into those situations. They can be great companions, but also take a lot of training time and money.

 

[glutes]

Parrots can live for a very long time, even cockatiels can live to be in their 20's. Think about where you will be in 5 years. Will you be off at college? Will you get married? Will you have children? Your pet bird may still be around for all those things and you might find that a bird won't fit into those situations. They can be great companions, but also take a lot of training time and money.

I'm well aware of the kind of commitment I will be making. I do not want to go to college nor do I want to have children. I do plan to get married, but whoever I marry will have to be accepting of my animals. I know parrots of all kinds are not an easy pet. I like the challenge that comes with owning one and also the reward of having such an intelligent pet. Animals have always been my greatest joy and I won't allow any pet to suffer in my care. I don't ever give up on my pets either. I am not one to buy a pet on impulse and then "forget" about it. I can honestly say that when I buy a new pet, the "new" excitement never goes away. How anyone can ever neglect or get bored with a pet is beyond me, they are still the same amazing animal they were on the very first day home.

 

[Weezerj]

My suggestion is to research green cheek conures and, if you can, visit some in a parrot shop....

 

[glutes]

My suggestion is to research green cheek conures and, if you can, visit some in a parrot shop....

Thanks for the suggestion. I love green cheek conures and quite frequently visit them at petstores! I've always steered away from them though as I don't feel I can provide enough attention for one. What are their needs like compared to a cockatiel; more or less work? I will definitely research them more now

 

[savannah78754]

Welcome to the forum!
I was much like you when I started, and had a few reptiles myself, then figured out how awesome birds are and now I am a parrot slave!
Birds cannot work around your schedule, you need to work your schedule around the bird.. YOU are their flock and if you decide you just want to go out and hang with friends instead of coming home after school... your bird will not be happy and it could lead to behavioral problems. 2 hours on a busy day is good, but honestly on normal days i would suggest having your bird out for 5+ hours ( You can of course take them out for 1 hour in the morning, and then 2 in the afternoon, 3 at night etc. ) a day, even more if you are home like a weekend! Investing in a rolling play pen is an amazing thing because you can have your bird with you, but on it near you so you can do your homework without your bird destroying it XD
A parrot that isn't loud is non-existent.. I know what you mean by you want one quieter, but even budgies can be too loud for an apartment building, so if you have a dream where your bird is not going to be that loud... just throw it out the window lol.. My lovie was very quiet when I got him and for the honeymoon faze he was AMAZING and the best bird ever, but we got over the honeymoon and now he wakes me up by screaming at 6 AM and I have to get him out and wake up because I signed up for it and he deserves it.. Luckily, your bird will really only scream if he wants something, so if you keep him happy, I have learned, he will be quieter ( Not quiet, but quieter ).
Any bird can be cuddly to an extent. By nature, lovebirds are typically not very cuddly just because of their "Macaw-like" attitude, but my baby will cuddle all day with me! It depends how they were raised and how much they trust you. I would be honestly surprised if your bird will cuddle with you any time before the 2 month mark with him.. They just have to warm up to trust you. Cockatiels are very cuddly birds by nature, and parrotlets as well, so definately look into those.
I know you've said that you are ready and know the commitment they are... but just make 100% sure this is not just a "Ohhh pretty! Look how cuddly that one is to its human... I want one!"
They are living animals with the intelligence of 3 year olds and need to be treated as such. If you are willing to give the time of 2-5+ hours a day ( More is better ), invest in a large cage ( $200-$400 ), save up for expensive vet bills ( Avian vets are few and far between and when you do find one it will be very expensive even for a check up ), and provide your bird with the proper diet and veggies, then I say go for it! Try to rescue instead of going to a petstore, and if you can find a sweet older birdie that would be a great choice! They already know how to treat humans, and although getting them to trust you might be a little harder it will be worth it! Plus you said you want a bit of a challenge XD

 

[ZephyrFly]

It's great you're doing your research now!

First is that as you know, no bird is quiet, I'd say get a cat if noise is a big issue, not that all cats are quiet! Cockatiels and Budgies can still be very noisey and persistant, but that is not always the case for all birds. BUT seeing a bird in store or at a breeders wont always indicate the noise you'll get, he might be very vocal in shop then take him home and he'll only be vocal in the morning and night, or vise-versa.

As I'm not in the USA i don't know the exact prices but buying and keeping a bird isn't cheap. Initial cost will include the bird, his toys, cage, a good bird safe cleaner, and food (pellets of your choice and whatever the bird ate before). I had £500 sat ready for my green cheek conure and I used all of it (thats $694), plus I'll need to get new toys every so often, fresh bag of food and so on. Much like any destructive pet or car, they are a money sink, a cute fluffy money sink.
Then there's vets bills, never cheap but you'll want to know the location of the closest avain vet for emergencies at the very least. Unless you're lucky and have one close by you'll need to drive or have someone willing to take you quickly (when birds get sick you likely wont know til they need immediate attention).

You're parents while you live at home will have to have some involvement in the care of this bird. If you are living with them and at your age they will have to. If they can't then for now you should consider waiting til you are living independently. This is because you are young, you might love animals but you should be aloud to go out sometimes. Pets are great, it's great you're willing to take on the responsibility but birds are very flock orientated they need company and mental stimulation (toys, time to fly, etc). If you're not home for whatever reason, at a friends house, hospital, camping, your parents have to be willing to help clean up, as well as water and feed the bird. Birds are best kept in a family room like the living where they can see and talk to people, and have a space to fly around. Pet birds need to be socialised with multiple people else they get overbonded with someone which leads to behavioural problems, biting, screeching, being a terror. More time out of the cage is better but birds like routine, so a couple hours everyday is fine if you can make time for more on weekends, the odd day/weekend with less shouldn't end badly.
All birds require some amount of training, some more than others. They can adjust to things like schedules but you should be adjusting for a new pet not the other way round.

I don't know much about cockatiels and budgies sadly, they are lovely birds and both more independent than a conure of any colour (as a general rule). That said see if there are any shelters/sanctuaries for birds near that you can visit, go and see different bird species and experience the kind of noise you should expect. Those birds do truly need a good, stable, forever-home, you may even find a bird that you instantly connect with. Even if you do though remember that those birds normally come with baggage, bad health, bad behaviour, things you might not be able to correct quickly if at all. The best intentions can't make up for experience or knowledge you don't have. But that is your choice there, not all re-homed birds have problems and it would certainly be a good learning curve if you make it with the right bird.
I'd say look at birds in pet shops but also talk to and maybe visit breeders if there's a species you like, good breeders will help you along the way. Young birds are a good start for bird owners but they aren't perfect either. Pros: They're young and it's easier to train good habits and keep out bad behaviours (in theory). Cons: Puberty*/personality development** (**=When young, birds personalities are developing so the sweet baby you buy wont always stay that way, or he might, you wont know til he grows up a bit. This can be dealt with with good training to some degree)(*= Birdy Puberty! Their first hit of hormones. Basically a little feathered teenager. This can involve alot of grumpy/agressive behaviour, sudden biting, and general personality U-turn. A lot of birds are rehomed soon after they hit puberty as people don't know how to handle it, a lot like how puppies are rehomed after they get too big. That all said, and it's important to know, but not all birds are hit badly by hormones. Some birds like mine, you'd barely notice the difference, no biting, not major personality change. I'm lucky. Don't disregard a hormonal bird).

Being a good pet carer is knowing what's best, even when that means your pet isn't best with you, you wrote that you don't give up on your animals which is great but situations can and will change. You wont be living at home for the next 20 years will you? (No judging if you do) but work will happen, going out, seeing friends.
Life happens sometimes.

You have other pets so the cleaning and feeding and bathing should be normal to you. If you can guarantee a bird a stable enough home, with as much time and care as you can afford with at least some help from your parents for now then explore parronthood. They are amazing to live with, they will get under your skin at times, they will bite, they will make a mess, but they will make up for it in companionship, with the right care. You choice can make the difference between you and your pets happiness.


The big, the bad, and the ugly. Owning a bird. But damn if they ain't cute an' silly.

(I'm done ranting, you're free!)

 

[itchyfeet]

Lol glutes - search for doublete's posts...think you might enjoy those
Photos of the chameleon would be cool!

As for parrots - noise is a given, but it's also relative. My IRN is the noisest....chatters all day, yells if a guy other than my husband gets to close...screams at the dog. Or barks.
My 'tiel probably makes the second most amount of noise. Chirps all day, no yelling fits.
My galah is capable of making the loudest noise - but very rarely does. Often just mutters quietly.

GCC's could work for you. All of my birds have a reasonably flexible routine, because they've been taught to. No one flips out if they're up late, if they have cages cleaned in the morning one day and the evening the next, or if they've got a bird sitter (she comes to our place). Routine is certainly important, but so is adaption and flexibility and keeping this in mind early on will help conquer potential issues later on.

As for independent play, this can be taught with foraging and station training. All 3 of ours will chill on a play stand while I'm working at my desk, and we have a variety of different purchased and homemade foraging toys to cycle when our days take us away from the birds for longer than we'd like. Actually we used foraging at other times too, but ya get what I mean. Good luck!

 

[Bladesmith]

What no Beardies? That was what my now 10 year old daughter wanted for her 8th birthday, so you're not alone in the herp love. Welcome to the group!

 

[itchyfeet]

Lol glutes - search for doublete's posts...think you might enjoy those
Photos of the chameleon would be cool!

As for parrots - noise is a given, but it's also relative. My IRN is the noisest....chatters all day, yells if a guy other than my husband gets to close...screams at the dog. Or barks.
My 'tiel probably makes the second most amount of noise. Chirps all day, no yelling fits.
My galah is capable of making the loudest noise - but very rarely does. Often just mutters quietly.

GCC's could work for you. All of my birds have a reasonably flexible routine, because they've been taught to. No one flips out if they're up late, if they have cages cleaned in the morning one day and the evening the next, or if they've got a bird sitter (she comes to our place). Routine is certainly important, but so is adaption and flexibility and keeping this in mind early on will help conquer potential issues later on.

As for independent play, this can be taught with foraging and station training. All 3 of ours will chill on a play stand while I'm working at my desk, and we have a variety of different purchased and homemade foraging toys to cycle when our days take us away from the birds for longer than we'd like. Actually we used foraging at other times too, but ya get what I mean. Good luck!

hmm I tried to edit this and couldn't. It's Riddick07 with the snakes - not doublete - my mistake, sorry!