After watching plenty of videos with smart and cute parrots, perhaps after visiting an aviary, or even after watching your friend’s parrot, you’ve decided to get one yourself! It is no surprise; parrots are incredible creatures with colorful feathers and bright personalities. It is almost like having a TV personality at home.
However, as cute as they are, hold on. Before hurrying to the nearest pet store, you must consider that parrots are not dogs, are not cats, and sincerely, they have specific needs. If you’re seriously considering adopting a feathery companion, here at Pet Comments, we’ll help you make the best choice.
1. What Are You Looking For In a Parrot?
Do you want a cuddly one, a “talker”, or do you prefer a bright and sharp parrot that can learn many tricks? Not every parrot species is the same. For example, African gray parrots are known to be the smartest parrot species. Caique parrots, on the other side, demand plenty of attention and games but rarely articulate words. There are over 350 species of parrots; is the one you are looking for legally available in your area?
Have you investigated the unique qualities of the parrot species that interests you? We encourage you to investigate the best parrot species that make wonderful pets! However, even if you’re interested in a specific parrot species due to a particular trait, for example, you want a “talking” parrot, there is no guarantee that the one you adopt will “talk” as much as you would like; since every parrot is different and has its own personality.
2. Are You Ready For a Looong Stay?
Adopting a parrot is pretty much like choosing a new member for the family. Why? Parrots have incredibly long life spans; macaws, for example, live longer than 80 years at times. African grey parrots are a big favorite of families because of their cleverness, however, this bright parrot can live from 40 to 60 years.
Before adopting a pet, potential owners must evaluate if their circumstances will allow them to accommodate a pet, especially if your pet will probably outlive you. If that happens, can you guarantee the future of your pet parrot? Adopting a parrot will bring many joys to your life, but if you’re not ready for it or your circumstances are not the best ones, refraining from adopting a parrot would be both wise and considerate.
3. Do You Have the Budget?
Even if you adopt a parrot, they will be expensive in the long run. How so? Keeping a parrot in a cage and filling their bowls with water and pellets is not enough for a happy and healthy parrot. Despite possessing large and sturdy bodies (in most cases), parrots have specific needs to be satisfied. For example, you will need to make annual visits to a vet that specializes in birds.
Besides the annual checkups with the vet, you have to make sure you’re providing a healthy diet for your pet parrot. A diet based on pellets alone is not fit for a parrot. Besides, you will need to select the correct amount and type of pellets for them, and the right amount of fresh fruits and seeds to compliment their diet. To give an example: housing, feeding, and taking care of an average parakeet that lives from 15 to 18 years can cost you from $2,885 to $3,440.
4. Do You Have Enough Space?
Space can be a problem if you’re planning on housing a large parrot. Large parrots need a roomy and spacious cage with enough room for them to extend their wings, climb, and play with toys. Besides needing space for an enclosure for your parrot, you will additionally necessitate a parrot-proof area in your home. Parrots need time out of their cage to fly, climb, and play with their owners. It helps them exercise their body and mind.
Some parrot species are smarter than others; therefore, they need plenty of mental stimulation like games, tricks, and quality time with their owners. If you are planning to house a parrot, select a specific area of your home to transform it into your parrot playground; preferably, wherever they can interact with you the most.
5. Do You Have the Time?
Some parrots species have the level of understanding of a child or a toddler and bond deeply with their owners. Can you imagine leaving a child on his own all the time? Not at all. To deprive a parrot of human interaction — even if you are not doing it on purpose — is cruel, careless, and can affect your parrot horribly. Many develop self-destructive behaviors, start pulling their feathers, stop eating, and become aggressive. Parrots need plenty of interaction with their owners, and toys to chew for their alone time. Therefore, if you work long shifts or spend very little time at home, it is not advisable for you to adopt a parrot as a pet.
6. Will Every Member of the Family Take Care of the Parrot?
If you live with a roommate or have a family with kids or teenagers, will every member of the house watch out for the parrot? Parrots love to spend time with their human family, but they need to handle the parrot with care. Children and teenagers should learn from the beginning to take care of the parrot correctly. Children can learn more from this than just being responsible; they will also grow to be compassionate and loving. To accomplish this, gentle direction from their parents will be necessary. Having a parrot is a long-term commitment, and every member of the house must be on board with it.
7. Can You Stand Too Much Noise?
Is it always noisy in your home? If your answer is yes…then excellent! You will love having a parrot. Besides being vocal animals, parrots make lots and lots of noise. They communicate through the sounds they make, like squawking, chirping, whistling, and mimicking every noise around them. Nevertheless, it doesn’t end there.
Since your dashing new friend needs to amuse and entertain itself, you will hear the sound of toys being lifted and dropped…all the time. To top that, parrots need to chew everything, just like other birds. Consequently, you will hear chewing, too. For these reasons, parrots make incredibly loud roommates.
8. Do You Mind Cleaning Often?
Besides being noisy, parrots can also be messy. They love to play, chew everything at sight, and throw things if they can. Pretty much like little children, they leave their toys everywhere and don’t clean up after themselves. Thankfully, children can outgrow this period of life, but having a parrot means forever having a messy child at home. Besides being a complete disaster, having a parrot will force you to parrot-proof your home or an area in specific for the safety of your pet.
9. Do You Already Have Other Parrots at Home?
If you already own other healthy and happy parrots at home good for you! You probably know everything you need to know about taking care of a parrot. But beware! Have you thought if the new addition to the family will fit in and be welcomed among the oldest members of the family? Parrots grow territorial over their space. Do you plan to keep different parrot species in the same cage? On the other hand, you cannot have two male parrots in the same cage, even if they belong to the same species. Doing so would provoke frequent territorial fights.
What Kind of Owner Are You Going to Be?
Being the right type of owner is the most significant matter on this list. The right owner will be considerate and attentive with their pet parrot. Answer every question with honesty and evaluate your present circumstances. Having a parrot will bring many joys to your life, but you must make sure to bring only joy to your parrot’s life, too.
Further reading:
- nsw.gov.au Birds you don't need a licence to keep
- WindyCityParrot What types of parrots can you legally own in the US