What parrot should i get

[Anast010]

Hello! I've been considering getting a parrot, but I want to make sure that I can take care of it and would really appreciate some advice.

I'm a student, and apart from the seven hours of school I've got plenty of time at home. I spend most of my time in my room and wouldn't mind letting my bird out of it's cage for as long as I'm there, so at least four hours a day. I'm a bit worried about the cost of a bird, since my financial situation is average and I've seen them being described as expensive pets.

I've been doing some research and I lean towards getting a cockatiel. Is there some other bird I should consider or something important to know? And how much is the cost of taking care of a bird like a cockatiel?
Thanks in advance

 

[Azalea2]

Many bird owners are in "average" financial situations; ownership is not exclusive to wealthy people.

Describing birds as expensive is a bit complicated. Some people (in my experience) will call something "expensive", but they easily spend lots of money on restaurant dinners, food delivery, fashion, subscription services/streaming, bars and night clubs, concerts, video games, etc. I am not saying that nobody should ever do those things, but "expensive" is open to some interpretation.

Of course you can start by spending hundreds of dollars on the actual bird, cage, toys, perches, other supplies, food, etc. Then continue to buy more food and replace supplies as needed. It's not easy to tell you exactly what cost to expect ahead of time.

 

[wrench13]

Can tell you what I spend on my amazon Salty - its around roughly $150 a month. Most of that is toy money. Vet checkups are around $200 (yearly).

 

[Anast010]

Many bird owners are in "average" financial situations; ownership is not exclusive to wealthy people.

Describing birds as expensive is a bit complicated. Some people (in my experience) will call something "expensive", but they easily spend lots of money on restaurant dinners, food delivery, fashion, subscription services/streaming, bars and night clubs, concerts, video games, etc. I am not saying that nobody should ever do those things, but "expensive" is open to some interpretation.

Okay, thank you! This really helped me put expensive into a perspective )

 

[GoldenDaysAz]

Hello! I've been considering getting a parrot, but I want to make sure that I can take care of it and would really appreciate some advice.

I'm a student, and apart from the seven hours of school I've got plenty of time at home. I spend most of my time in my room and wouldn't mind letting my bird out of it's cage for as long as I'm there, so at least four hours a day. I'm a bit worried about the cost of a bird, since my financial situation is average and I've seen them being described as expensive pets.

I've been doing some research and I lean towards getting a cockatiel. Is there some other bird I should consider or something important to know? And how much is the cost of taking care of a bird like a cockatiel?
Thanks in advance

Hi there! A cockatiel is a great choice. Check into adoptions. So many birds are being rehomed. I would suggest getting two that are already together so they have each other while you aren’t home. Wish you the best.!

 

[Anast010]

Hi there! A cockatiel is a great choice. Check into adoptions. So many birds are being rehomed. I would suggest getting two that are already together so they have each other while you aren’t home. Wish you the best.!

Thank you very much

 

[Anast010]

Can tell you what I spend on my amazon Salty - its around roughly $150 a month. Most of that is toy money. Vet checkups are around $200 (yearly).

Alright, thank you. I can definitely afford the vet then

 

[kme3388]

Hi there, I wouldn't recommend a parrot to a student. It's because parrots live a long time. Life will be changing for you, and your parrot may not be able to be apart of it. Lets say you go off to college, and need to live in a dorm. Some may accept your parrot, and others may not. What if your landlord/property manager won't accept parrots? then what happens to the parrot? Parrots make noise. Of course some are louder than others. Now imagine if you need to live in a apartment... and then you get a lot of complaints. You may have no choice but to rehome the parrot. What if you get a significant other who doesn't like birds, and doesn't understand why they are even in captivity as pets. Then what happens to the parrot? So much can happen as we grow. I can give countless examples. At the end of the day the parrot suffers in these situations that it didn't ask to be in. I myself at the stage of life you are in would stay clear of any parrot.