And while crows may not be suitable birds to be kept as pets, their reasoning skills have been likened to those of a 7-year-old human. Birds are creatures that flock, meaning that they are used to having companions at all times.
A single bird will want a friend as much as humans do. Many will sing to you, sometimes talk to you, and play with you, especially if you spend time together with a bird out of its cage. Compared to the four-legged pets that typically roam free and unattended within their owners' homes, birds are relatively easy to care for.
They can be placed inside their cages for safety when owners are at work or busy. Many people prefer the convenience of cleaning a birdcage once daily to scooping a litter box or having to go for mandatory walks outside every few hours with a dog.
Birds are naturally hygienic animals and preen their feathers daily to keep them shiny and clean. Rather than having to deal with shampoos, flea baths, and expensive haircuts, bird owners can usually maintain their pet's health and good looks with a quick nail trim and a feather clipping now and then. For cleaning, a bird only requires a light shower or spritz of clean, non-chlorinated water once or twice a week. For physically challenged owners, the ease of bird care is a welcome relief. Given proper training and socialization, birds can be every bit as loving and affectionate as a cat or dog.
Some pet birds are inseparable from their owners, even accompanying them on daily errands such as trips to the bank or grocery store. This isn't the best choice for pet birds in colder climates. They can also be easily trained to do simple tasks and tricks for you since they are excellent at mimicry.
Birds do recognize their owners, cage, and toys, and many birds will sit on your shoulder to communicate that it's time for dinner. The more time you spend with your bird outside of the cage, the more creative the responses you will receive when you interact.
I could not have appreciated the full implications of this as a teenager. But, not only should a kid not commit to this nor be committed to it de facto by a parent, anyone should be very careful about stepping into this type of commitment. Although I do have a pet parrot, I originally took him on because his former owner had a metaphorical gun to his head his landlord was threatening to evict.
Aged about 5, he had already had 3 different owners. Three owners in five years is a bit sad. He mostly plays nicely, flies around strongly, seems amused and interested most of the time.
He can be quite destructive. I try to dissuade everyone I encounter from getting a pet parrot without reading things like this first. If you want cute, cuddly and obedient, get a dog. If you can settle for cute and cuddly, go with a cat. I am owned by a Hahns Macaw, Senegal, and a Lovebird. I tell them about the noise, the mess, the food, attention, and care they need. The toys they need, the time they need. I tell them to get rid of their non-stick cookware, carpet-fresh cleaners, etc.
Also, if you have parrots you have to adapt your behavior to them, how you respond to them to encourage certain behaviors and discourage others is often counter to human instinct. My macaw was a huge strain on my relationship for several years! But there are a few folks out there who can provide a wonderful life for birds. Sadly there are more birds in need of proper homes than there are homes for them.
My wife and I fell into the madness like many. We were young and stupid —looking for a dog in fact when we met a spunky lone Cockatiel. He charmed us immediately and came home. I immediately loved how they communicate, clearly and unlike other animals. Learned about bird proofing the house after a terrifying lead poisoning from a sun catcher in a window which thankfully he survived after thousands in treatment. We then moved to the middle of nowhere to work at a major parrot rescue facility where we met the shell shocked victims of bird abuse and abandonment.
After the stint doing this hardest job in the world, we moved again and my wife became a vet tech, and soon was accepted to grad school. Now is a top notch ER vet. One tragically died young due to a birth defect—tearing my heart to pieces. But these little ones are our family. Not a pet, a lifestyle but a rewarding one for crazy people like us.
I hand out leaflets in protest. Well, I think the best way to combat breeders is not to go after them the supply , but to try and reduce the demand. Handing out leaflets to buyers, sending them to educational websites, talking to kids in schools — these are some great ways to help people steer away from captive baby birds and hopefully consider adoption instead.
Plus, horrifying as it is, if you get rid of breeders, people will take from the wild instead. It is a lifelong commitment. I will be cleaning bird cages until the day I die. They are demanding of my attention and I feel guilty that they are in their cages for most of the day, although I take them out in the morning for an hour or two. Parrots should not be bred as pets, period.
Great article! Everyone thinking about getting a bird should read this. Fortunately my wife is a Vet and I have time to spend with our birds, but otherwise it would be pretty impossible and unfair to have birds in our house. The daily grind of screaming, occasional bites, territorialism and hormones remain way after the cute factor has worn thin. If you live with other people make sure EVERYONE is on board, especially with the noise, or you will add a second level of conflict amongst the humans once you bring a parrot into the home.
It almost ruined my relationship. I have just found this blog after doing a lot of reading about parrots as pets. I also live in a small flat so these would not be suitable.
The only limiting factors I can currently think of are a I will be away from home if I return to work and b I live in a small flat and a house is a far-off pipeline dream. Aside from these two things I know I would be totally devoted to spending time caring for and playing with a bird. I have no other animals but am considering getting a puppy sometime soon as I find being around animals very therapeutic with my anxiety and paranoia issues general rule of thumb: people make me uncomfortable, animals the opposite.
So torn!! Anyhoo thank you for the myriad of tips and for the stories of other posters. The more I read, the more I know. Yet I still want a companion bird. The more prepared you are, the better. My bird loved me and never complained. So please do not support this website as it is false information, thank you. Hi there! I just find it disturbing that there are so many homeless birds because they are generally very difficult to live with. If I can help reduce that number, I can sleep better.
After living with a cockatiel for 15 years, I fully agree. I find myself always sitting in weird positions because he likes to sit on my knees under the desk. This article is completely accurate; these animals are not domesticated.
The difference between a dog and a bird is massive. Interacting with my bird is often the opposite, no matter how much I love him. This is just his nature, and it induces huge amounts of stress in me and greatly influences my productivity. I heard about African Grey parrots from a biofeedback therapist that I had when I was about He was wild-caught. We bought another one from the same place, who has since died, and another from a couple in a retirement community.
I deeply regret having birds for multiple reasons: the medical care is very scant our birds have bornavirus, an incurable disease. Did they get it from that big bird cage that was left behind by a neighbor? I tried to let my Timneh play with my hair, but he ended up giving me a big cut above my eyebrow.
The other one hates the very sight of me. To this day, I barely interact with our two parrots. Now that they have bornavirus, my mom syringe feeds them for almost every meal. I feel that for all involved, bird ownership is a bad idea. I would never, ever, EVER choose to have a parrot as a pet. They live too freaking long. They will consume your life. Certainly mine do.
This bird needs out time then that one then the other one. God forbid they all come out at once unless I want a bird blood bathe, a ruined night, and more money to go to vet bills! Yeah …. Excellent blog post! I wish breeders would stop with the myth that they are contributing to survival of parrot species in the wild, though. All they do is generate more human-dependent birds who end up being abandoned and rehomed multiple times or sometimes worse.
Captive bred companion birds cannot be released to the wild and are of no conservation value. It is illegal in this country the United States as well as many other countries to import wild-caught birds.
Thank you. My family is owned BY 4…2 jenday conures, 1 sun conure, 1 moluccan cockatoo. No matter how much we do, we cannot give them everything they need. Like Liked by 1 person. I think you are right. So sad that many parrots and parrot-like birds are condemned to a life of misery by those who love them. I have always held that birds should have company of their own kind. I had a Yellow Naped Macaw. He died 2 years ago at 37 years, from a kidney tumor. My life revolved around him.
I had him before I had my husband. Skipper hated hubby, hubby tolerate the bird. They ended up best buds. He was always out and about when we were home. He was a super cuddly bird. People always said I spoiled him too much. We nursed him through 6 weeks of intensive care when he started showing symptom of a tumor, then decided to end his pain. One of the most heartbreaking times in our lives. I still have all my nibbles furniture and door mouldings. I want to eventually get another bird buddy but am not quite ready yet.
I have been doing a lot of soul searching, and as far as getting a baby, I realize that would be so unfair to the bird. I figure we have about 30 years left if we stay healthy.
One of the best ways to help parrots survive, and to prevent bird abuse in general, is to understand that all birds are individuals from species whose members belong in the wild.
Pet store marketing campaigns give consumers the false impression that parrots make ideal pets. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Parrots require an extraordinary amount of care and attention and can have life spans comparable to humans.
Many people believe that parrots can be pets like other animal companions such as cats and dogs. Only after the bird arrives home, and the excitement has worn off, is the unsuspecting consumer hard hit with the reality of parrot parenthood. As a result, some parrots are forced to live their entire lives in closets, garages, and basements, or in makeshift, outdoor cages and aviaries, subjecting the bird to the elements and unsuitable weather and dangerous predators.
Others pass the bird onto other unsuspecting guardians without a word of caution. It is estimated that the majority of all captive parrots eventually end up in at least five homes before suffering and dying prematurely. Millions of unwanted parrots are listed for sale on the internet, in newspapers, in magazines, and are sold at bird marts across the nation. Those who do survive often exist in deplorable conditions, with no quality of life. They frequently suffer from loneliness or overcrowding and become hoarder victims.
Parrots are loud. Even the small parrots, such as lovebirds , parrotlets and budgies , can be quite shrill when they vocalize. And, make no mistake about it, they are very social creatures. If they do not have an avian flock, they will look to you to be a flockmate, and there are many responsibilities inherent in that role. Parrots are messy. The mess! In the wild, parrots eat off and on throughout the day, dropping food as they go. This is helpful to the ecosystem: By making a mess, parrots share their food with other creatures in their habitat while distributing seeds to promote plant growth.
Having a parrot in your life means a chunk of what once was your free time will now be devoted to vacuuming and scrubbing. Parrots need interaction and stimulation. While your parrot can be trained to play quietly in his cage for periods of time, it requires patience in most cases, and either the ability to buy a vast array of safe toys or the creativity to make them.
Parrots need to chew and shred to keep their beaks healthy and their minds active, and it is up to their human guardians to provide safe materials for that purpose.
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