Considering A Pet Bird

[BrooksiderB]

(Very long post, be prepared to read a book lol)
Hi, I'm new to birds and was wondering if one would be the right choice for me. (Not planning on going out and getting one right away, but was thinking here in the next year or two). I Thought it'd be a good idea to learn a bit about them to see what I'd be getting into first, instead of just buying on impulse lol.
By the time I'd be getting a bird I'd be graduated from highschool and would have a job (currently a senior). I have 2 sugar gliders, and a cat.
The biggest issue would be the other animals, but I thought since my cat and gliders could co-exist, the bird would be ok too (Correct me if I'm wrong). My cat is completely separated from the sugar gliders and would also be seperate from the bird.
Would the bird be ok just playing with me in my room everyday instead of out and about throughout the house because of the cat?
(Summary: can they co-exist safely? If not safe, I wouldn't even consider. I'm also sorry if the cat part upsets anyone, I know the dangers of them with birds and gliders but she is not allowed anywhere near them and actually isn't aware they're in the house.)
Because of the cat, the bird would be away from everything in a separate room like I mentioned before. I have read that birds like to watch people, so I was wondering if it would be ok by itself for part of the day?
Yet another question, what all do birds eat? I have no problem preparing anything for them, I do it for the gliders every night because of their specific diet. I have heard that they eat fruits, veg, "chop", and seed? What does chop mean? Do they need specific fruits, veg, and seed?
I have an extra cage in good condition, it's 4ft tall x 3ft long x 2ft wide. I've read that birds prefer longer cages compared to tall ones. Would this cage be suitable for a bird?
If I were to get a bird, I'd most likely get either a budgie, cockatiel, parrotlet, or lovebird. In your opinion which is best/which would be most suitable for me?
Should I consider getting a bird with all of this in mind?
What are the realities of taking care of a bird?
Thanks for reading and possibly answering all of my questions :) (sorry again for my book length post lol)

[Lady]

Hi BrooksliderB,
:pp_welcome: That was a fine post and helps us get to know you and your situation. First and foremost it is never ever a good idea to let your cat and bird meet. Let me give you a quote from Plax that he explained in another post: "Cats naturally carry Pasteurella bacteria on their claws, as well as on their skin, and certainly within their oral cavities. And it can exist on their fir in abundance from the grooming they do with their tongues. Pasteurella bacteria is extremely dangerous for birds and can result in agonizing death within a very short period of time once contracted. All it takes is one swipe of a cat's claw upon a bird that breaches the bird's skin, or just one bite."

I have a mini macaw and she is okay with hanging out with me most of the day outside of her cage when I'm home from work. My husband is home during the day to see to any needs she has. But keep in mind that every bird is different and there is no way to tell what will make your future bird happiest. There are days when our cats get locked in a room and Lady gets to have free roam but she is what I call a cage potato. She has never been very adventurous and is content to be close to her comfort zone.
As far as what do they eat and what is chop, well they eat all sorts of things but a steady diet of fresh fruit, veggies grains (and even cooked beans) is best along with nuts and a few seeds. Some folks also provide a bird pellet to their diet as well. Chop is when one takes a fair amount of the above and makes a big batch of food for their flock to last sometimes months. You should know what your bird likes before you invest time into preparing a chop.
Well as far as which bird that you are interested in would be best, I think you just need to read more about each and it should help you decide. Maybe it would be good to go to a bird rescue and see if you could volunteer some time to see what these birds are like.
There is a good thread and sticky about the size and bar spacings needed for different birds. I'm sure as you look around the forum you will find it.
Ok, enough from me. Again, welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay!

[BrooksiderB]

Yes, I definitely know that about cats! Just a nip or single scratch could be very deadly because of all the bacteria in their claws and saliva. I would never consider them meeting because of this.
Oh ok, that definitely clears up the diet part, thanks for explaining it.
I have read a bit about each of the birds I listed, I'll definitely do some more research though :)
That's a good idea, I'll have to see if there's a bird rescue near me and go visit sometime.
I'll definitely go find them, my bar spacing is 1/2 inch.
Thank you! :)

[Lady]

I found the sticky about the bar spacing recommendations: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

[wingman]

Welcome to the forums! Glad to have you here!

[kendrafitz]

Hi and welcome! No real advice since I don't have any experience with the small guys. Just wanted to welcome you to the group!

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hello and welcome. I hope you will consider a bird or a pair from a rescue centre. There are so many poor little things in need of love and a good home. In my experience, once they get to trust you they are really appreciative.

[Robyn]

The cage sounds plenty fine but what is the bar spacing? If the spacing is too wide the bird can gets its head stuck in the bars and get seriously injured or die. Cage injuries can happen in properly spaced bars as well. 5 years ago I had a pied cockatiel who was my favorite cockatiel (until I got Riley then he became favorite) anyways I had her in a cage that had proper bar spacing and while I was at work she somehow got her wings tangled in the bars and when I got home she was still alive so I rushed her to the vet (30 minutes away) she died on the way to vets office and he told me he had no idea how it happened as he had never seen that before. Also are the bars painted? Cause that can be a huge problem if your bird decides to chew on the bars.

[BrooksiderB]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes! :)
Casper, rescuing is definitely not out of the question. I'll definitely look into rescues in my area
Robyn, my bar spacing is 1/2 inch, so I don't think any birds will be getting stuck lol. I think they are painted, the cage is black.