DO
YOU REALLY WANT A PARROT!!!
TURN
YOUR SPEAKERS UP PLEASE TO HEAR THE NORMAL PARROT VOCALIZATIONS
Are
you sure that you are equipped to handle life with a parrot?
Before you take on the daily challenge of life with a
parrot research the type of parrot that you are considering.
Talk to owners of parrots; read everything you can find
concerning them. Research, research, research, and then
research some more. Life with a parrot is not easy.
Take a look at the parrot rescue facilities and sanctuaries.
These places are filled to capacity with the
“mistakes” other people have made. Then ask
yourself the following questions!
Do
you expect your home to be spotless at all times? All
parrot species are messy, even the little parakeet. Food
is flung everywhere. Seed, pellets and nutshells end up on
the floor. Fresh foods can be found plastered to the
walls, cage bars, carpets and the ceiling. Pieces of
wood from those favorite toys are strewn about. This is a
daily occurrence!! Birds poop every 2 to 15 minutes,
depending on their size. That tends to be a lot of poop. Big
birds make big poop. Poop is not confined to the paper at
the bottom of the cage. They poop on the bars, in their
dishes, on their perches and toys, on you, through the bars onto
the floor and on your furniture. Cage papers must be
changed daily. If they eat messy foods you will have to
change them more often. Cages need to be scrubbed with
soap and water at least once a week, sometimes more. Cockatiels,
cockatoos and greys have powder on their feathers that will
stick to everything. Dusting will be an everyday chore.
Do
you have priceless antique furniture? Parrots do
not know the difference between the wood toys in their cage and
the priceless antique chair that your grandmother left you.
If they can reach it, they will chew it. This
goes for furniture, woodwork, walls, computers, electric cords,
picture frames, books, nothing is sacred! TV remotes beome
buttonless in an instant. I spent 2 days putting wallpaper
on the walls of our living room only to have strips of it
removed by our African grey. The hole in the wall to your
right was made by an amazon and a goffin's cockatoo in about 5
minutes time.
Do
you hate loud noises, or continuous monotonous noise? Any
of the larger birds are loud when they scream, earsplitting,
earplug wearing, run for cover LOUD!! Your neighbors a
mile away will be able to hear these screams. A normal
parrot screams at least twice a day, for 5 to 15 minutes at a
time. Parakeets, cockatiels etc may be small but they do
have voices. Can you listen to a small bird whistle or
call for hours on end? These are just what normal birds
do. Some birds scream constantly!! Turn your speakers way
up and listen to this website over and over for at least 15
minutes at a time, twice a day, every day. Can you handle
it?? Thinking about a cockatoo, click here Cockatoos
Are
you afraid of being bitten, or the sight of your own blood?
If you spend much time with a parrot at some time or other
you are going to be bitten. I mean blood drawing, skin ripping
bitten. The macaws here can crack a brazil nut with
their beaks. Imagine what they could do to your finger, arm
or face if they applied that pressure to you. I have had
the small bones in the back of my hand broken by a
cockatoo. Was he mean? No, he was scared!
I know many people who have had to have stitches from
damage caused by a bird’s beak. Small birds can also
bite extremely hard. I saw a parakeet bite into a
person’s finger and hold on for dear life. That tiny
little parakeet had to be pried loose. Check out the hand
in the photo to your right. Can you deal with that??
Do
you like to have visitors over often? Your non-bird
loving friends will no longer come to visit if you have a loud,
messy parrot. If they don’t mind the noise and the mess
the thought of being bitten will keep them away. You
would be surprised at how some people freak out over a little
bird poop on their new shirt.
Do
you mind having holes in all of your clothes, or not being able
to wear jewelry? Parrots love to chew on clothing.
Those beaks can and will puncture your clothing. Every
parrot owned human that I know has at least one good article of
clothing with holes in it. Shirts with buttons will no
longer be an option. A parrot can remove or break a button
in less than a second. Jewelry is just another thing
that will have to go. Parrots love shiny things. Rings,
necklaces, bracelets and earrings will be chewed and more than
likely broken if you wear them near your parrot. Parrots
have removed precious stones from favorite jewelry in an
instant. I have seen 14 karat gold necklaces snapped in
half by a tiny little parrotlet.
Are
you ready to give up that nonstick cookware, those aerosol cans
(hairspray, perfume, deodorant) air fresheners, rug deodorizers?
Nonstick cookware can be deadly to a parrot. The
fumes from PTFE have killed thousands of parrots. PTFE can
be found in stoves, heaters, hair dryers, curling irons,
dishwashers and many other everyday household appliances. I
received this letter from DuPont Teflon® and wanted others to
see all they have done to address this issue , to read what they
had to say click here
The
propellants used in aerosols can also kill. You will have
to change to pump bottles. That perfume or cologne that
you love so much will also have to go along with those air
fresheners and rug deodorizers. The smells from those
items can kill or cause severe neurological disorders. Bleach
is also on the not to be used list. You can’t use the
self-clean option on your oven either.
.
Do
you have an extra $150 - $300 to spend on a well bird exam each
and every year? $1000 plus if the bird gets sick and
needs vet care? In the wild birds mask their illness in
order to survive. This is a natural instinct. Birds
need to be vetted at least once a year to make sure they are not
masking any illness. Looking at the bird and listening to
his heart and lungs is not enough. He will also need to
have blood work and cultures done. You can’t take him to
your dog and cat vet either. He will need a vet that
specializes in avian medicine. Heaven forbid that the bird
becomes sick. In one single weekend we have spent over
$1,500 on emergency vet care.
Do
you have money for toys, lots of toys? Birds need to
be kept busy. This means toys, lots of toys, destructible
toys. If a bird can’t destroy a toy it is no good.
They need to chew and destroy. It not only
keeps them mentally stimulated but also helps to keep those
beaks trimmed and sharp. Without toys they will look for
other things to chew, see question #3. Toys vary in price
depending on which type of parrot you choose. Toys for the
larger birds can run upwards of $50 and last less than a week.
We haven't even mentioned the cost of a suitable cage,
which can be anywhere from less than $100 to over $3000 for the
top of the line.
Are
you aware of what constitutes a good diet for a parrot?
You can’t just throw some pellets or seed in their cage
and expect them to be happy or healthy. They need variety
and moderation. They will need veggies, fruits, nuts,
legumes, breads, lean meats, etc. This is an every day
thing, not just when you have time. We spend hours shopping,
peeling, cutting and preparing bird foods every week. After
all that there is no guarantee that they will eat it!
So you think they can just have what you cook for dinner.
Well, that depends. Do you cook only nutritional
foods? Do you use a lot of salt or butter? Parrots
need a nutritionally balanced diet to stay healthy. Avocados,
chocolate, raw onions, and caffeine are just some of the
things that should never be fed.
Are
you ready to spend the next 30, 40, 50, 60 years looking after a
perpetual 2 year old child, or a hormonal teenager? Depending
on the type of parrot you decide on, they can have a lifespan of
more than 60 years. Even that tiny little parakeet can
live to be almost 20. The bigger the parrot is the longer its
lifespan. Do you have someone to take care of the birds if
something should happen to you? Just because you love your
bird doesn’t mean that other family members will take them on.
Many
of the parrots in adoption facilities are there because they
were left to family members who did not want them.
Parrots
are like 2-year-old children. They cannot be left alone
unsupervised. They can and do find things to entertain
themselves, see question #3. They will get into anything
and everything.
As
birds reach sexual maturity they often turn into hormone raging
teenagers. Ever see a sweet human child that turned into
the devil’s advocate once they hit puberty? Imagine that
same thing happening to your little feathered bundle of joy!
The sweet cuddly bird that you knew yesterday is gone.
Today you have a feathered demon whose only purpose in
life seems to be making you miserable. He screams
non-stop, he rips out his feathers, and he bites you to the bone
every time you get near him. Suddenly you need to buy stock in
bandaids and the staff at your local ER know you on sight.
He chases your children and spouse around the house biting at
their feet. If he decides that you are his mate he will do
anything he can to drive away anyone he sees as a rival for your
affection. This includes your children!!
Do
you like to go on vacations away from home? You cannot
leave a bird alone with just a dish of seed and a bowl of
water. He needs companionship and supervision. Birds
can die of thirst or starvation in a very short period of time.
And an unsupervised bird can be big trouble. I read
a story of a parrot that let himself out of his cage while his
owners were just gone for the day. Check out the damage
he did in just a few short hours. Bad
Bad Frances
You can't leave them with just anyone either, your non-parrot
owning friends won't want to babysit.
BIRDS
ARE A LIFETIME COMMITMENT! IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT
COMMITMENT, WANT A PARROT BECAUSE IT TALKS, DON'T WANT TO BE
BITTEN, WANT ONE THAT NEVER SCREAMS, GET A STUFFED PARROT
INSTEAD!! If after reading all of this you think you
can dedicate your life to a parrot then please check out these
websites and ask yourself if the same can be said of those who
share your home. Parrots affect everyone in a household,
not just you.
Still
want a parrot, then consider adopting one from a reputable
parrot Rescue
facilitiy. If
you decide that you must have a baby then please buy one that is
weaned. It is a complete myth that handfeeding strengthens
the bond between parrot and human. The bond I have with my
previously owned birds is every bit as strong as that I have
with the ones I raised from babies. Handfeeding by an
inexperienced feeder can be DEADLY!!!!
Remember
that parrots are not domestic animals. They retain their
wild instincts no matter how tame they are. You may share
your life with a parrot but you won't own him. He will own
you!!
Parrot
Playhouse is not a rescue facility but we can help you locate
one.
