When people ask you if parrots make good pets, what do you say?

[JLcribber]

Yes, really and honestly. I love my birds like I do my kids. I actually worry about what's going to happen to them once I'm gone. My husband would LOVE to see me find Elvis another home. He has NO loyality to animals (which is different story for a different day) and it really causes problems between us at times. But I am committed to the best life for them - whatever the cost.

Ditto. Reverse the gender.

 

[Saemma]

Ok, to all of you who said that if you knew then what you know now, you wouldn't have ever gotten your first bird...Really? Honestly and totally truthfully? Yes, they're a lot of work and they suck the life blood right out of you, but I wouldn't give my guys up for anything! I mean, Clancy CAG sang Jingle Bells to me on my birthday! How much more could you ask for?!?!?!?!!?!? And she probably sang Happy Birthday on Passover...so she gets a little confused sometimes! LOL!

Seriously though, no one ever asks me if my birds make good pets...they're generally still getting over the very odd idea that I even let them out of their cages. And nope, I don't think they make good pets, but I absolutely love them. For the record, I think fish make horrible pets too even though I think they're incredibly calming. Cleaning out those tanks and trying to keep the environment just right has got to be a killer though...no fishies for me please.

I don't think I would have gotten any parrot because I would not have believed that I could handle any or all of it.

If I were to write ALL of the things that I do for each of my parrots on PAPER, it's quite daunting EVEN to me at times.
My non parrot friends think I'm pretty exceptional.. but they really have no clue. On this forum I have noticed that so many others provide more than I do. I'm not talking about "material objects like toys and such". I think I provide a fair share to my parrots. I'm referring to time, and different types of enrichment opportunities.

My biggest worry at the present moment is for my parrots to outlive me and not be able to find them a home where they can receive the same level of care or better.

 

[Jadie]

Would you advise a parrot for a pet?

For a person into masochism maybe. You are going to be doing TONS of work and for this you will be bitten, pooped on, clawed and screamed at. You buy the best and freshest food at the store, which you don't get to eat. You subscribe to 3 newpapers that you don't read. You spend your extra cash on toys that are destoryed (and that's a good thing). Their cages cost more than your computer. You've tossed out perfectly fine cookware because of the birds. Oh, and all your favorite candles too. You've learned how to perform minor medical procedures to repair yourself in the event of a bite. No more "secret stach" of money for (insert dream item here)- it goes to your emergency vet fund- WHICH WILL GET USED! And lets not forget that needy bird on craigslist that you will one day see...that will break your heart and pocketbook.

Yeah, bird people are crazy...but crazy in love too...and we get loved back in a way that is different from any other creature. So despite all the pain, its worth it. Nothing like feathered love

Absolutely !! Great post.

 

[Chicklette]

I say if you have the time, the patience, the will to go threw screaming fits and biting then yes, they make good pets but there not for everyone. They are a big commitment and should not be taken lightly, and not all talk, so if you want one because they talk that’s the right reason. You also need patience and it can get expensive. You HAVE to be prepared to take them to the vets if they are sick and that’s expensive. If you can handle this you can handle a parrot but they are work and need tons of time.

 

[Love My Zons]

When I mention I have Parrots, I get an "oh wow" that's cool most times. I haven't had anyone honestly say anything bad. They usually connect in memory and mention one that someone they know has or had. I pretty much round up my conversation of how cute they are and how mine are like 2 yr old kids. That pretty tells most who have had kids who give you a run for the money something they can relate to.

I don't tell them the negatives of the chewing, destruction part but when someone says "do they poop all over the place?" I can say no honestly, my RLA waits til he goes back on his cage to poop but Kazoo? He's a pooper.

 

[dorn27]

Don't want to be a Nosey Nellie, but how on earth did your hubby break his back saving Sunny??

Ginger

I'm pretty sure he fell out of a tree.

Trees were involved. He jumped. He'd gotten up there with a ladder, and she moved to the next tree (right next to this one) and our friend had moved the ladder and had started up that tree (despite my protest that she wasn't going to go to a stranger).

James must have agreed with me, and told us he was coming down to go to that one. He was about 6-8ft up when he jumped. He wouldnt wait 5 seconds for us to move the ladder over. Unfotunately we live in a very OLD neighborhood, with very old large trees. This one had a massive root system. His feet hit the rounded root pile as he was landing, his footing slipped, and BLAM! Onto the sidewalk right on his rear.

I heard it break, HORRIBLE sound. I thought for SURE it was his tail bone. The man wandered around in denial for another 30 minutes or so. By this point Sunny was a block North of our house and about 2 stories high. (Every tree, she went higher and higher!). I was throwing up (from anxiety) and my husband drove to the ER. Thankfully our friend worked at that ER at the reception and she stayed with him (taking all her breaks at once) until her husband found someone to take their baby twins while I was camping out at a tree 4 blocks South West of our house (she went into over a dozen trees before night fall).

I knew it was bad when it was like 4 hours later and I still hadn't heard anything. Julie (friend working at the ER) finally called me and said "Don't panic. But now they're sending him for a MRI (or CT I get them mixed up) because they found sometime suspcious on xray" I asked if it was his tail bone, and she basically told me, no it was higher than that, but please don't panic yet.

He ended up having a compression fracture on his L2 (which is the 2nd vert up from your tail bone section) Basically right where the curve of your rear goes in. An entire piece was clipped off the square edge, but we were lucky where it fell, anywhere else and he would have been paralized or needed surgery.

It basically looked like this

He was in serious pain for 4 weeks, and a lot of pain for another 2-3. Now he has much worse flair ups (he already had a bad back).

The next morning, he STILL managed to climb on a guys 2 story roof while we called her in (she was 3 stories high). I tried, I really did, but I have severe height phobias due to an accident on an escalator when I was a kid and an already existing height fear at the time.

She went into 2 more trees (trying to get to James but missing as she wasn't a good flyer). Then a baby robin landed near her and was REALLY curious about what she was, and scared her. Sunny took flight (with baby robin following) and flew and flew trying to get rid of that scary robin. Slowly... she started to fall (running out of breath, with no where to land over the street) She ended up about 8 ft up, I got the ladder, taped 3 perches together with her happy hut on the end and she climbed in with relief! James scooped her up, drove her home and she saw the vet when they opened. She was super hungry and had weird green poop for 2 hours, I think she ate leaves or helicopter seeds. Then, all was normal.

Except us. In June this will have happened 3 years ago. It's still major anxiety for me since it was my mistake that got her lost and James suffered (though, admittedly he jumped on his own) a long term injury.

 

[jmfleish]

OMG! Kristi, what a story! I'm so glad you got her back and your husband is ok, relatively speaking! I think I would have lost my mind! Where in Wisconsin are you?

 

[Chicklette]

For the record, I think fish make horrible pets too even though I think they're incredibly calming. Cleaning out those tanks and trying to keep the environment just right has got to be a killer though...no fishies for me please.

I have three fish tanks and yes, it can be a pain especially when things go wrong, like filters don’t start. But I love my fish and tanks so I put up with it. But yes, it’s a pain but for me, it’s worth it. Just like my birds but I don’t “love” my fish like I love my birds. But I do really like my parrot fish Charlie and Oscar Wilbur, A LOT!