lauraeliza
Sitting on the front steps
- Joined
- 1/5/21
- Messages
- 15
Hello all! It's my first post here, but I'm excited to have found the forum and plan to be back - hopefully a lot as I get my next feathered friend!
I am a previous budgie owner - I had a delightfully sweet girl for about 4 years when I was in my late teens until she unfortunately passed from egg binding. I took a break from bird ownership after that and I'm in my early 30's now, and life is finally feeling settled enough that I'm ready to bring a bird back into it (but definitely a male this time, because losing my budgie that way was not something I care to repeat!)
I've always thought I'd get a sun conure when I got a bird again, but I'm still renting and often in small spaces, so I think a smaller bird that doesn't scream would be a better choice. That led me to parrotlets, but as I've been doing research I'm concerned that I may or may not be the most ideal parrotlet owner. I do work about 40 hours a week (out of the house from around 9:30-6 most days), and am usually out of the house at least part of a day on the weekends. My plan is to have the bird out whenever I am home, and I'll have different play stations set up and areas for it to explore with supervision. The plan is also for it to go spend a day a week (caged) with my grandma who lives by herself - the hope is that it will be good company for both parties.
My concerns are if that will be enough time for me to interact with a parrotlet the way it needs, and I'm also a bit concerned with what I've been reading about how they can become territorial/aggressive? I'm not currently married, but that may not always be the case, and I'm concerned about the bird rejecting my partner/any future children that might enter the picture. I want to be the best bird owner I can be, and I want the bird to be a happy member of my family for its whole life. I've been doing so much research that my head is starting to hurt - I've looked into tiels (concerned about the dander and allergies), lovebirds (seem to have some of the same concerns as parrotlets), and linnies (worried about the hand-shyness that can develop as they get older). Can anyone maybe weigh in and provide some insight into if I'm just overthinking this - or if I'd be better off just getting a budgie again since I know what they need and how to care for them? I like the idea of a parrotlet because of the greater potential for speaking, training, and snuggling. While my parakeet learned a few words and phrases in context and gave some kisses, she was not snuggly I also found a breeder that hand-raises them not far from me, and as my parakeet was hand raised, I'd definitely like to go that route again, but again... just want to be a good bird owner and not jump into something I later discover I can't handle.
Thanks for any help!!
I am a previous budgie owner - I had a delightfully sweet girl for about 4 years when I was in my late teens until she unfortunately passed from egg binding. I took a break from bird ownership after that and I'm in my early 30's now, and life is finally feeling settled enough that I'm ready to bring a bird back into it (but definitely a male this time, because losing my budgie that way was not something I care to repeat!)
I've always thought I'd get a sun conure when I got a bird again, but I'm still renting and often in small spaces, so I think a smaller bird that doesn't scream would be a better choice. That led me to parrotlets, but as I've been doing research I'm concerned that I may or may not be the most ideal parrotlet owner. I do work about 40 hours a week (out of the house from around 9:30-6 most days), and am usually out of the house at least part of a day on the weekends. My plan is to have the bird out whenever I am home, and I'll have different play stations set up and areas for it to explore with supervision. The plan is also for it to go spend a day a week (caged) with my grandma who lives by herself - the hope is that it will be good company for both parties.
My concerns are if that will be enough time for me to interact with a parrotlet the way it needs, and I'm also a bit concerned with what I've been reading about how they can become territorial/aggressive? I'm not currently married, but that may not always be the case, and I'm concerned about the bird rejecting my partner/any future children that might enter the picture. I want to be the best bird owner I can be, and I want the bird to be a happy member of my family for its whole life. I've been doing so much research that my head is starting to hurt - I've looked into tiels (concerned about the dander and allergies), lovebirds (seem to have some of the same concerns as parrotlets), and linnies (worried about the hand-shyness that can develop as they get older). Can anyone maybe weigh in and provide some insight into if I'm just overthinking this - or if I'd be better off just getting a budgie again since I know what they need and how to care for them? I like the idea of a parrotlet because of the greater potential for speaking, training, and snuggling. While my parakeet learned a few words and phrases in context and gave some kisses, she was not snuggly I also found a breeder that hand-raises them not far from me, and as my parakeet was hand raised, I'd definitely like to go that route again, but again... just want to be a good bird owner and not jump into something I later discover I can't handle.
Thanks for any help!!
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