Considering getting a parrotlet! Advice please?

[thepoetsings]

So, I live in an apartment and have decided to get a bird! I am a lifelong pet owner but have never had a bird, so I've done quite a bit of research about which one might be right for me. I've read that p'lets are comparatively quiet, yet fun and interactive birds...but I have also read that they can be quite a handful. I would dearly love some advice on whether you think my situation is right for one! I definitely do not want to bring one home and then have it get sick or unhappy from some factor I didnt know about.

My situation is: I live in a 2br apartment, and the p'let's cage would be kept in my room (to minimize noise for the roomie in other room). The room has a large window, and the bird would have ambient lighting throughout the day (but I could leave a light on for it if that is needed). I work from 8:30-5pm every day, but am home after that. I would
probably have about an hour a day to devote my whole attention to the p'let, plus more time just hanging out with it doing work and such. Is there anything about this that would be a problem?

Also, some general questions- are they very messy birds? can they be trained where to use the bathroom? are they
particularly active in a certain part of the day- aka would they be able to hang out in the evening? are there any vital environmental factors I should consider (such as temperature, etc)? I have read article after
article but I would love to hear from people who actually own one lol. Are there any little-known pitfalls?

I also welcome any recommendations for an alternative bird Thanks so much!!

 

[SkyBaby]

I had two parrotlets and they were the most hilarious little things ever. Imagine a large bird personality in a tiny package. That pretty much sums up all that is parrotlet lol.

My guys did fine while I was at school. I had a bonded pair though, so they had each other when I couldn't be there. I started out with a somewhat special needs female (her toes were chewed off when she was a baby) and had her for a couple months before getting a mate when she started plucking due to being lonely for her so she could have someone to be with while I was gone. She was a one person bird and loved me and her mate only and would tolerate only certain people. I never had other birds while I had them. Her mate would go to anyone. They were both very cuddly with me.

Leaving a light on shouldn't be necessary, as long as the birdie has access to ambient natural lighting. I rarely even left the curtains open for mine, as my room was fairly bright without that. They did fine.

They LOVE shredding and will destroy whatever paper cage liner they can reach. lol Lots of shredding toys, especially while you're at work. They loved to shred their food as much as eat it. lol (Then again, what bird doesn't lol) My guys loved colorful things, too. And anything and everything shiny and jingly. I once had a pen with ribbons and jinglebells tied on the end. Charlie (short for Charlotte- she was a girl) used to attack it with some much vigor, she'd crunch down on the bell and hang by her beak a few seconds chattering loudly before dropping the inches back down to my desk. lol She did that whenever I had that pen out. She'd do the same thing with my keys if I let her. lol They're not terribly noisy usually. Not by my standards. They chirp quite often, but the chirps aren't super loud. My guys were very talkative. lol Yes, keeping them in your bedroom with a closed door during the day would be enough, I think, to cover up the chirps for the most part for your roommate.

Parrotlets just love being with their people in any situation. One on one, just sitting on your shoulder while you do household chores, any of that. An hour a day of dedicated one on one attention should be enough provided you also allow the bird to join you during some household chores with close supervision. Georgie (Charlie's mate) could spend hours on my shoulder while I cleaned my room or did my homework. Charlie couldn't sit on my shoulder, as she had no claws to grip with, so she got attention during other things, like sitting on my desk while I was doing homework.

No more messy than other birds their size in my experience.

I didn't really try to potty train George and Charlie. They kinda did it themselves. Charlie always did this funny little dance shaking her tail around right before she'd drop a big old turd, so I had a few seconds to at least set her on a hard cleanable surface before she let it loose. lol George was pretty easy, too. He kinda potty trained himself, after he connected that when he pooped on me, he got put down for a few minutes so I could wipe it off. lol

Although most parrots tend to sleep when the sun goes down and rise with the morning sun, evening play time should be fine, provided it's not too late. I wouldn't do much with them when it's dark outside. If you want to stay up in your room, that's fine. Just cover the cage.

With my parrotlets, I'm inclined to say that if you're comfy with the temp of the room, the bird will be too. I mean, unless you like it super cold or super hot, the birdie should be just fine. lol

Sorry this got so long. There's so much more to it, too. Others will come by and give some other advice I'm sure.

 

[Bird_lover6]

The problem with getting one single parrotlet is that they are very easy to SPOIL, and a spoiled parrotlet may scream just like any other bird. I live with three parrotlets (one upstairs for my daughter, and two downstairs), but none of them are screamers. They make absolutely wonderful companions, imo.

If you spoil your bird a lot in the beginning, she might scream for your attention because that is what she has come to expect. Parrotlets are flock birds, and she will find her companionship and safety in you if you don't have another bird. My advice for a good relationship with a well-behaved parrotlet (just remember - no guarantees!) is to provide your parrotlet with the absolutely largest cage you can afford. Absolute minimum would be 30" long by 18" by 18" but a flight cage would be much better. With lots of toys, a variety of perches and swings, she can amuse herself while you are gone. Furthermore, and this is important, she will amuse you while you are there and watching her. There is nothing more boring than a little bird that just sits on a perch looking forlornly in your direction. You can also put toys on top of a flat top cage to provide her with a play area outside of the cage - important when space is at a premium.

If you believe that you won't have enough time for a single bird, you might consider getting two young male parrotlets FROM THE SAME CLUTCH. They would need to remain flighted and should be housed in nothing smaller than a large flight cage. (When they start to bicker, one can fly away from the other.) I have two male parrotlets, and I love to watch them interact with one another. They are very amusing. They aren't the "velcro" spoiled birds that some people want, but they do fly to me, chatter to me, and love to sit on my hands or shoulder. They're simply not as needy, and there is always the possibility that could become too aggressive with one another, but there's much less chance that they will become screamers! My little parrotlets are adorable, and we have a great relationship. As soon as I walk into the kitchen, they both fly to the side of the cage and wait for my attention.

Good luck. Hope this helps give another perspective. I adore my parrotlets and highly recommend them.

 

[jsvajda]

I have a single parrotlet and I live in an apartment. Pip is AMAZING - he's so cute and sweet and funny.

He lives in my living room (I live in a 1 BR) and during the day I open the blinds and turn on the radio for him. I wake him up about 20 minutes before I go to work (I'm a teacher, so I leave around 7). I give him a kiss before I go and he always chirps me goodbye. I get home at various times (it depends on the day) and he just gets SO excited when I walk in the door. He gets all chirpy and rings his bells for me until I get him out. He's happy with whatever time I can give him. Some nights, it's as simple as him sitting on my computer as I make worksheets or him resting on my shoulder as I grade papers. On the days when I get home at a decent hour, we might even play on the floor together - he LOVES jingly balls and will chase them for hours. He also loves to destroy coffee filters and napkins - cheapest bird toys I've encountered yet. We always have wind down/snuggle time around 8:30 when I turn the lights off. Pip climbs onto my neck under my hair and just relaxes. In fact, that's what he's doing right now.

One thing to keep in mind is that p'lets are SMALL - if they're out of their cage, you need to know where they are at all times. Pip loves to run around on the floor, so whenever he's out, I always look before I step. They're also SMART - Pip knows the layout of my apartment and if you disappear, he'll fly or run to you.

P'lets are trainable - Pip can do a few tricks and he's pretty good about not going potty on me. He does a cute little two-step backwards and gets fluffy when he needs to go, so I can usually tell that he's getting ready to poo.

I have a smaller cage for Pip - 16 by 16 by 30, since my apartment is darn near a closet. It's full of perches, swings, and toys for him to play with. He LOVES bells and shredding toys. He's not a terribly messy bird and what messes he makes are proportional to his size - small and easy to clean up. Pip is my baby so he's a tad bit on the spoiled side toy wise, but he's well behaved - no screaming, no major bites or anything horrible.

One thing I've learned since having a bird is to try to maintain a day/light balance. As much as possible, I try to make sure that Pip has 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light. It's something my vet recommended to help keep hormones in check. During the school week, Pip gets 14 hours of light. But on weekends and summer, it's 12 and 12. I've not had a single hormonal/humping bird issue in the 2 years I've had him.

Pip's an easygoing, sweet, funny little birdie. P'lets truly are big birdies in tiny bodies. You'll love having one!!

 

[Milo]

I have a green rump parrotlet named Milo, and I wouldn't trade him for anything! Plets are incapable of screaming like other species, although he can get "loud" with his chirps (although it's nothing compared to the racket other fids can kick up!) I would definitely say they're an apartment friendly species. Milo is in the finch flight cage from petco (30lx18wx18d) and it seems to suit him just fine, although he is out for a large portion of the day. He's not a huge shredder, but he does love to preen his toys and will go nuts for a swing or a bell.

It is very, very easy to spoil him... he's unfortunately very aware of how adorable he is and uses his powers for evil! Okay... not evil... but it does get him millet and bread from unsuspecting visitors. He also tries to sneak bits of food off my plate and is dead set on drinking my coffee in the mornings (we have to have a decoy mug for him). He's starting to mumble and knows two or three different whistles. His normal day is about 7am-9pm but that's counting his pre-bedtime snuggle... he gets very irate if he does not get his before sleep snuggle.

Before I ramble on too long.... I would highly recommend a plet. They are such fun, outgoing little birds!

 

[thepoetsings]

Thanks so much for the responses! I am definitely getting a parrotlet hehe. I think I found the bird to take, its a Craigslist adoption which I was a bit wary of but the p'let is only 3 months old so I figure it can't have too many behavioral problems yet. I dont really want to buy a breeder bird when there are so many that need adopting. Does anyone have any advice for when I first bring home my new baby? Probably picking him up today

 

[Milo]

Just let the plet set the pace. Let him/her get used to the surroundings before you do too much, unless he/she wants to come out right away, and then have at it! My approach with Milo was to leave his cage open and just talk to him for the first few days he was with us and give him lots of tasty snacks to show him we weren't so bad. Making sure the little one is eating and drinking is crucial

The little one should be old enough to be past regression, but it is something to look out for. If they start head bobbing and making begging noises you'll need to start handfeeding again for awhile

 

[birdlady]

Jennifer I think you summed it up perfectely I have had two parrotlets and adore them both. Currently Maya is the only one with me. She is so much fun and such a joy to be around. She is definitely a Mommy's girl though and just loves being on me when she is out. I will stress what was said about their size...super tiny, so never take your eyes off of them for a second. THey love to burrow under pillows, blankets, etc...so can easily get lost and injured.

 

[thepoetsings]

Picking up my parrotlet tonight! So excited!!

 

[birdlady]

Picking up my parrotlet tonight! So excited!!

I will be checking for an update and pics!!!!

 

[SkyBaby]

Yes!! Same here!!!

 

[Feather]

I'll be watching for pictures as well! Congrats, Diana!

 

[coral]

congratulations! i cant wait to see the pics!

 

[Nikki]

How exciting! I can't wait to hear all about your new little one!

 

[jsvajda]

I can't wait to hear all about your new fid! And I would LOVE to see pictures, of course!!

 

[Jewels95]

Hey, some great advice you've gotten! I'm excited to see pictures of your baby when s/he comes home.

I just want to point out that I also think an hour is plenty of time. Remember: even though a new pet is exciting, try to keep your hang-out sessions the same in the beginning as they will be for a lengthy period of time - otherwise you could run into some issues when you're parrotlets confused as to why you're not spending as much time with them as you did at first. They don't realize that you're very busy with work and other life necessities.

 

[thepoetsings]

UPDATE for all interested:

Meet Zazu!! The name is contingent upon him actually being a boy...I THINK he is but of course cant be sure without a test, which I am going to do this weekend. He's such a cutie! He chomped away like crazy at my fingers the first time I took him out of his new cage, but after about 10 minutes I got him to stop trying and allow me to scratch his neck. On day 3 now and he is pretty good, will sit on my hand and just look at me and let me pet him. He will still bite a bit at first but its much less aggressive lol, more just testing the waters. Which is nice cause my poor fingers have a nice little collection of welts!

One thing I'm really happy about is that he seems to have no trouble eating- I had heard that sometimes they won't take to a new food right away. I currently have him on the Forti-Diet Pro bag stuff from Petco but am going to start mixing some pellets and things in soon.

He doesnt seem to be able to fly yet- I felt sort of bad because I arranged his big cage with flight in mind and all he can do is climb around! He can flutter and break his falls when he falls, but no actual flight. I had to rearrange things a bit so he could get to them. The guy I got him from said he was 'about three months' old- are they supposed to be able to fly by now? I don't think his wings have been clipped, though I really wouldnt know what to look for so I'm not sure.

 

[SkyBaby]

That little guy is just precious!! How old is the little guy? From what I remember, it only takes a few months for parrotlet to mature. Males and females are sexually dimorphic, meaning males look different from females. It's most easy to tell with the nominate greens, though. I think that a male blue parrotlet will have a darker blue making a streak from the eyes and a darker blue romp. The females don't so much get that brighter blue face patterning and romp, even though a small amount of blue on the nominate green girls is common. Mine had that, but she was green. On the blue color morph, you might see a slightly different blue in that pattern, but maybe not as bright on the females as it is on males. Here are a couple pics.

These are not my pics or my birds. Just examples. You may not have to spend money on the dna test.

Here's the website the pics are from so you can read more there and see the male vs female in other color mutations as well if you're interested.

Parrotlets.us - Parrotlet Color Mutations

Male:

Female:

 

[April]

Aww,what a little cutie and I just love his name.

 

[Milo]

You shouldn't have to do a dna test because plets are dimorphic. Can you take a pic of him from the side or from the back?