You are thinking about getting a Parrot?

[Honesty]

I often hear people say how they would love a parrot as they think it would be pretty cool to have a pet that talked. Sadly, some people rush into buying a parrot without doing any research There are so many things to consider before becoming a parront!

Parrots are not like other pets. Their intelligence will not allow it.

If you want a parrot, then I really hope that before you have even started looking for that cute baby bird or even an adult, that you will consider the following points.

Do you have your own home? Living with room mates isn't an ideal situation to have a parrot in. If you are still at home, can you take the bird with you when you move out - what about when you go to college? Work? How many hours will you work for? How many hours will the bird be alone? If you are with a room mate, is it fair to inflict upon them the noise and the mess? or, they cannot have parties because parrots require 8-12hrs of uninterupted sleep?

Do you have plenty of time to spend with your bird? By this I do not mean a few hours of an evening, I mean a lot of time.....

Are you financially stable?

Are you aware that your bird must be taken to an Avian Vet that will charge almost double to a regular vet?

Does everyone in your household support the idea of living with a parrot and are prepared to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in with the training and care? Can everyone take a blood drawing bite or two? Because it will happen. Additionally, some birds will always dislike some human, even in it's own family. Are you ready for this?

Can you take the time to learn the mentality of a parrot?

Have you considered what you will do if you find yourself with a bird that is aggressive,noisy, or messy? We can't pick their personalities.

Can you offer a stable routine? Too many different times for feeding,out of cage, bed are not good for a bird and can make them stressed!

Can you offer your bird lifetime care?

Life with a parrot is fantastic and rewarding and there is never a dull moment but let me point out the downsides to owning a parrot.....

Parrots are:

Messy.... They love to throw food, delighting in throwing it at your walls or furniture
They love to poop in very strange places!

Noisy.... All parrots can be very noisy, especially at dawn and dusk! You can prevent screaming, but, it is something you will have to work at for a long time.

Moody..... Some can get very uppity and bite if they are in a bad mood, so stock up on plasters

Demanding.... You must be able to have your parrot out of their cage for a few hours a day at least. They will not let you have any time off from this! They decide they want out? They want it now and they will not behave until you give in to these demands!

Bossy.... When you bring a new bird home, you cannot force them to do anything they don't want to do. If you do, they will never trust you and therefore initially, things need to be on their terms.

Destructive.... Depending on the species and the personality of the bird, you may get one who is capable of ripping your sofa to shreds in the space of half an hour. Wallpaper, woodwork, curtains, cables....it all needs to be parrot proofed. I am lucky in this respect as Codie does not destroy anything in my home

Specific health needs.... All parrots need a good pellet mix as a base food. These are quite pricey. They need seed and nuts - human grade. They need plenty of fruit and veg which really, need to be organic - unless you want to risk the pesticide issue.
The subject of care is a minefield with many people, there are many dangers. No peanuts in shells, no chocolate, no onions, no caffeine...no avacado, the list is endless!. Non stick pans that release deadly fumes need to be binned - stainless steel is hard to clean. No air fresheners. No heavy duty cleaning products. Only stainless steel for your bird - metal poisoning is deadly. No open windows. Only natural cleaning of the cage. No cables within beak range. There are so many I could not list them all!

Parrots are different from other pets, gaining their trust can take quite a long time! Bonding can take years. Lots of patience is needed!

Talking.... If you want a parrot just because they talk then you really shouldn't be getting one. Only happy, healthy, settled parrots will talk and then there are some that no matter how content in life, will never attempt to imitate a single noise.

Time ..... Several clean ups a day, wiping away with warm water and lemon juice,vinegar, bi carb, natural products! You can buy products such as "PoopOff" which is very good, but quite expensive! Provide fresh water several times a day. Cooking and preparing mini dinners. Taking the time to buy lots of different safe toys so they can be rotated. Keeping him entertained.

Things to consider.....

Cages.... Research what size and shape you need. This is a most important point. Too big for a small bird will result in fear. Too small will make for a miserable bird. The bar spacing needs to be correct for safety.. The shape is important. Good quality cages are a must! No rust. Playstands are also quite important.

Knowledge... You need to get the correct knowledge and be confident you know how to handle your future bird before you bring them home. Too many people take a bird home and then ask questions that they shouldn't need to ask. For example: How do I get my bird out of it's cage? How do I get my parrot to like me? How can I get my parrot to cuddle me? Anticipate every problem you can before you home your bird.

These are very basic needs of a parrot

The main thing is... if you love and care for your parrot, you will have a friend for life

Feel free to add to this