Choosing The Right Parrot - Family - Pets

Before you buy yourself a parrot, you have to consider several factors. This will save you from heartaches later on. Do consider the size of your home (whether a landed property or an apartment), other pets you currently share your life with, the amount of time you are willing to devote to your bird, the size of your wallet, your family members' tolerance for parrots, and whether there are children in the house.

Birds usually don't mix with other household pets like cats and dogs. I am sure you have watched Tweetie and Sylvester. Its in their natural instincts to stay away from four legged animals with claws. And its in the cats' and dogs' natural instincts to pounce on a yummy bird. Unless of course your four legged friends are well domesticated that they know their gourmet meal is going to come out of a tin can. And unless your cat or dog lives in the barn and doesn't come into your house, then it would be safe to own a parrot.

Room size does matter for a parrot. You will need a large floor space if you intend to raise African Greys, Macaws, Cockatoos and Amazons, with their standing cages. A large room will not stress your parrot and this is important if you want to train it to do tricks later on. Smaller parrot species like Conures, Lorakeets, Cockatiels and Quakers would be ideal if you are living in small spaces and apartments.

How much money are you willing to spend to buy a parrot? The popular talking birds like African Greys, Cockatoos and Amazons retail in the $2000 to $5000 range. The smaller birds like Conures, Lorakeets and Quakers retail in the $500 to $700 range. Hand fed birds will cost you more but you will have the advantage of them already being accustomed to being fed by humans.

Do you have 30 minutes of your time to devote to your pet parrot a day? You need to because that is the minimum amount of time you will require to build a relationship with your parrot. Parrots are sociable birds in the wild and they flock together. In the absence of other parrots in a domestic home, you become the bird's companion. The 30 minutes that you spend has to be quality time. Feeding time is the ideal time and talk to your bird while you are doing it.

Can other members of your family tolerate the presence of your pet parrot in the house and the potential noise that the bird will generate, not to mention the words it will pick up and speak over and over again once it learns how to talk? You need to discuss this with your family because a parrot is a lifelong pet and can live as long as humans.

Do you have children in the house? Consider the safety of children because parrots bite and can injure a child. Set up rules in the house and make sure that children don't come near the parrot cage unsupervised.

When you have considered all factors and made an informed decision, you will find that owning a pet parrot is one of the best decisions you have ever made.

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