Parrots as pets: Basics please?
I have some questions about parrots as pets. I'm not going to be an irresponsible pet owner IF I get a parrot; I will read up on them and really do my homework and prepare. But, I'm not even sure if I will get one yet because I have questions.
1. Are parrots aggressive?
2. How are different breeds of parrots different? Are some friendlier than others, different sizes, and/or easier to manage?
3. How do parrots do with cats and dogs?
4. Do their cages stink?
5. How often does one clean a parrot cage, and how do they go about cleaning it?
6. What do parrots eat?
7. What treats, toys, and activities do parrots like?
8. What else should I know about parrots?
Thanks in advance.
Update:***Read this***
I have other questions: 9. How old should a parrot be when you adopt it?
10. How does one train and bond with a parrot to become close companions with it?
Comments
Parrots come in all sorts, types, colors, personalities and sizes. They are a pet requiring commitment unmatched. I have worked with many species over my career. I use my birds as ambassadors and have direct contact with people of all kinds. I recommend a MALE RED SIDED ECLECTUS. I could NEVER recommend a cockatoo of any species as a first bird.
Parrots can be vocal and can be aggressive. They mature and change and go through bratty behaviors which pass with patience and consistency on your part. My female has bitten me and really bloodied me. This was my fault in not understanding and insisting she do things "my way."
Pets are too often thrown away when they behave in normal ways for them but misunderstood by owners. We are a fast food society but unlike Fed-Ex we don't get understanding about our pets overnight and unlike Burger King...we have to do it their way and don't get it our way unless we learn their way and they accept us as part of the "flock."
building trust and training: http://www.avianweb.com/eclectus.htm
socializing: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=social...
bonding: http://birds.about.com/od/livingwithabird/tp/Ways-...
target training fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MaRFuFPOSk
Eclectus/grey basketball game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clu4tlLqysM&NR=1
Showering eclectus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51eBcJ_sKQ4&feature...
Birds display affection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61dmt9KD77E&NR=1
Mine travel with me on my shoulder and a PVC car perch, snuggle under covers where they often fall asleep, play with complete abandon, clown and love Elmo. I have a dancing Elmo in their cage.
A parrot breed selection is a personal choice and as you are starting out in the correct manner by asking questions, seeking advice I can say that learning about birds continues even after you get one. I will cite some online resources following my comments as well as my blogsite which links directly with birdchannel.
Matching your lifestyle-projecting needs, wants lifetimes is vital for your greatest happiness and that of your pet. Parrots can be wonderful companions, devoted and loyal. There is also a high degree of clean up involved with them. Parrot's lifespan vary with species and some can live over 100 years. I am 54 years old and know providing a competant care giver for my parrots is required for their greatest happiness and therefore have provided them with people through my will. Parrot's diets can vary and should be provided variety. They also love to sneak pizza, chicken and we do great.
I love Soloman Island Eclectus Parrots. I own a pair, the first one was a female given to me after she was found in the snow 3 years ago. She is 10 years old app. I purchased my male as a baby 2 years ago. Here is their site: http://www.avianweb.com/eclectus.htm and other species can be found on the left margin. Online forums exist and are free to join. This will give you problems encountered by species.
My blogsite with slideshow of my animals and the birds is: http://zoocrewkids.blogspot.com/ Best wishes in your search. My name is Jerry.
Feel free to contact me if I can help with anything or answer questions. I purchased my baby male from Susie Christian, a reknowned author of eclectus and a very credible person. Her site is: http://www.eclectusville.com/
First of all, I think it is great that you are doing your research "before" you get your parrot. Good for you! Think of parrots like people as far as their personalities because they are as varied as people are. It is not a good idea to let parrots interact with dogs and cats, because accidents can happen. If they do interact, watch VERY closely. Their cages do not stink if you clean them at least weekly. You can clean the cage with soap and water or diluted bleach water (1 capful to 1 gallon).
Parrots should eat pellets which you buy at any pet shop. Seeds are not really good for birds because of the high fat content. They also should have green vegetables and a little fruit.
They love interaction with us, that is their favorite pastime! You must make sure you have enough time to spend with a bird. They must all have plenty of toys in their cages. It is very important for them to be able to chew and keep busy.
A parrot should be weaned by the time you get it. You don't say what kind of parrot you are thinking of. Will it be a little Parakeet, or are you thinking of something big like a Macaw? It will make a difference as to different things you must do, how they act, how loud they are, how much they talk, etc.
My best advice is go to bird shows and pet shops and play with as many as you can. That way you will get an idea of what bird is best for you. Also, buy a BirdTalk Magazine and birdchannel.com. They have lots of useful information. Good luck.
Glad to see you are doing your research! You are absolutely right, many people are irresponsible & the animal ends up paying the price!
1. Yes they can be aggressive. With proper training and handling they won't be aggressive to their owner very often. However part of having a bird is getting bitten, it will happen. I have an African Grey and she has only bit me very hard once, however she is very aggressive towards most females that come in my house & once bit my sister on the face (just leaned over as my sis was walking by) for no reason at all.
2. Huge differences in personalities! Little parrots can be just as feisty as large ones! Some are more aggressive, some are more shy, some are clowns, some are cuddly. Also there is differences in individuals in a species, each bird has its own personality. there is tons of great info on the web about each species
3. Cats have a bacteria in saliva that is very dangerous to birds, so even if the cat scratches the bird a tiny bit, the bird may die. I have known people that had birds & other animals, but I personally would never do it. My parrots brother was killed by a dog.
4. No, because you change the paper every day :-) (its ok if you forget every once in a while for a day, it won't smell)
5. I put newspaper on the bottom of my Grey's cage. It is easy because I just slide the tray out every morning & roll up the paper & throw it out & put down new paper. However that is the easy part of cleaning up after her. She throws her food & bits of toys & bits of the newspaper all over the place. I have to vacuum every day because it is such a mess around her cage.
6. Parrots need to have a varied diet. I give my girl pellets (don't give seeds except as treats, seeds are very high in fat) every day (she always has them in her dish) and then I share a lot of what I eat with her. Parrots need fruits & veggies, especially dark green veggies like spinach. She is very picky about veggies and will only eat them if I sit there and eat them with her.
7. It depends on the parrot. My parrot LOVES peanuts. She kinda likes some toys, but mostly just wants stuff to rip up. I hand cardboard boxes in her cage and she loves destroying them. She also really likes her bell & rings it so much, she even rings it along with music, very cute. She also loves to swing on her swing. I let her have free range of my apartment whenever I am home and she very much likes to rip up carpeting and poke holes in shoes, so you really have to keep an eye on her, she can destroy something very quickly. Parrots need lots and lots of time outside of their cages.
8. Parrots are very high maintained animals. they are messy, loud, destructive, and cannot be trained to be obedient like a dog. training a parrot is also totally different then training a dog. remember parrots are only a few generations removed from the wild, so they have a lot of wild instincts & if they do not get enough training and human interaction they will essentially become un-tame.
9. Well there are not really baby parrots up for adoption. However once they reach a few years of age and start going though sexual maturity (a lot of bad behavior & challenging your authority goes on during this time) people start giving up their birds. If you want to buy a baby contact a breeder & the two of you will work out the best time for you to take the young bird. I would recommend waiting until the bird can eat solid food though, handfeeding is very difficult & should only be done by professionals. Your bird will have no problem bonding to you.
10. Not enough space to answer this one! Just spend lots and lots and lots of time with your bird & the two of you will become soooo close. As for as training use treats and positive reinforcement. When your parrot is bad, just put it back in its cage, never blow in its face or flick it to punish it. that will just make the bird fear you, and that won't help anything.
Check out this website for some good honest parrot into
http://thetrueparrot.homestead.com/index.html
Best of luck!
1. parrots go thru a testing phase where they test your dominance it lasts about a week where they MAY bite but that only happens once.
2, parrots are intellegent wich makes them so much different from the other species of birds yes by nature some parrots are freindlyer than others like african greys (the smartest birds out there i own one) are a one person bird and bond with that one person they are very protective with there human amazon parrots by nature are unpredictable so that means that you never know what kind of mood there in there beautiful creatures but very unpredictable since your a first time bird owner i'd go with the smaller sized birds like a cockatiels,Quakers,Conures, Senegals, ringnecks, alexzandrians, birds like that
3. birds cats and dogs can get along fine if there introduced proporly most cats dont like a new intruder in there house so introduce them slowly but if you have a cat like mine then they'll be afraid of the bird. dogs and birds my suggestion is to put a muzzle on your dog when you introduce them that way the dog can bite the bird make the dog feel sumbissive to the bird
4. birds cages dont really stink that much surprisingly
5. you should clean the cage at least every two weeks you can put it off for three but it just gets harder to clean from the poop and the food on the floor of the cage as most parrots like to dig in there food dish
6. parrots eat seed.millet.fruit and veggies.they can also eat eggs as a treat not like a whole egg but bits and pieces of your breakfast
7. eggs are treats, so are millet sprays. anything that you find at a pet shop thats a treat for a bird they can have i personally like the kaytee brand of bird food and bird treat for my birds its full of flavour and full of colours so the bird will stay inrorested toys .. they like swings, and LOTS of wood toys to keep them occupied DO NOT get them mirrored toys cause then the vbird will bond with the "other bird" and not you cause they dont know that its not real as for activities they love to just hang out with you
8. Parrots are extreamly intellegent creatures and they bond with you some live like an african grey lives up to 75 years ... so if you do get a bird you need to make sure your willing to stay with this creature until it dies ... also try to get your bird from a breeder i say this because most breeders will let you pick out the baby and go and visit it as it grows up like buying a puppy
9. the parrot should be weened when you bring it home that means it should be eating on its own without the breeders help
10. you train the bird by being persistant just like a puppy and you come close to it by taking it out of its cage everyday for at least 2 hours you can buy a stand and put it on the coffee table or buy a floor stand and put it beside your couch attach some toys to it and let it play while you watch tv
i hope this information helps and good liuck finding your new best friend! parrots can be great companions if you have the time to put into them!
if you dont know much about parrots, start out with a cockatiel.
there very good first birds. (especially if you get a hand fed one)