Are You Ready to Be a Parent of a Parrot?

First of all, if you want to adopt/purchase a parrot only because they are beautiful and/or as a status pet. Think again. But, please read this article so you can make a educated decision before you do that.
If you purchase or adopt a parrot they're are many things to know first. And, there are many things that will be expected from you as a parent of a parrot. You will understand why I said a parent of a parrot if you do decide to include a parrot as part of your family.

Will you purchase or adopt your parrot? In order for you to make that decision you need to find out about two things first. The first is the age of the parrot. Some parrots will live up to 100 years old. That's a long time. So, maybe you might want to adopt an older parrot that needs a good home. or get one that has a lesser life span. but, one thing is for sure. You will need to find out the entire life history of the parrot before you adopt a older one. Some parrots have very specific needs and likes/dislikes that you will definitely need to be aware of. In the case of a baby parrot, they need a tremendous amount of care just like a newborn baby does. This is the bonding time between the parrot and anyone else that will interact with him/her.

Research which parrot you are interested in. There are many different kinds of parrots to choose from. Look on the Internet and talk to others who are parents of a parrot. All parrots are not the same but I can tell you that all are very intelligent and crave social contact. Each parrot has a distinct personality and reacts differently to each person he/she interacts with.

Life span - as I mentioned earlier, some parrots live for a very long time. Can you take on that responsibility? Who will take care of your feathered friend if you should pass away? Is the family ready to take on a pet for that long? You need to talk to your family prior to bringing home your feathered friend.

Temperament - All parrots are different with regards to personality. Some are friendly while others need to gain trust before they interact with you. Some are funny characters and others are more reserved. Some are very possessive of their parents while others are very finicky with whom they interact with. Usually, you will need to interact with your parrot for a little while before you can get a good idea about the personality or temperament.

Sound tolerance - All parrots make noise. They make noises for different reasons. Depending on the size and species of the parrot will dictate how loud you parrot will be. Parrots like to scream when excited and/or mimic the sounds that they hear around them. Some, if they can speak will talk to you and demand to be spoken to. And, if you don't talk to them you'll know about it with every loud scream.

Training - This is very important. The children need to be able to properly interact with your feathered friend. Teach them first. Then, teach the others in the family. If you don't have any experience with this than you need to purchase some training books on your exact species. You need to understand how to teach your feathered friend a few commands in order to have a happy parrot and family. Parrots need structure and guidance. Believe me, you do not want a out of control parrot on your hands.

Compatibility - Lets say you have a spouse or significant other in your life. Well, some parrots do bond with one person in the house or choose a person in the home. This happens. They will call that person mom or dad and all others by their first name. If you are the blessed one to be chosen than never break that bond by not being a good parent. And, if you weren't the one chosen than try not to get jealous. It's best if the parrot bonds with someone in the home. Do you have other pets in the home? You need to figure out if this is a good situation. Remember, some hunting dogs will go after the parrot just because of it's instinct to do so. All parrots have a faster heartbeat than humans and most other animals. So, if the parrot gets very frightened this may lead to a heart attack because of fright. If you know that your pet will be aggressive to the parrot, don't even think about getting one and putting your feathered friend in danger.

Home accommodations - Before you bring your feathered friend home you will need to get the home ready. Depending on the wing span of the parrot it will dictate the size and kind of cage that the parrot will need. Some may even need their own room or their own designated area. You will need to get rid of all the things in the house that can be toxic to your parrot. Get a book on your exact species to find more about these toxic items.

Diet - Diet is very important. You can buy a bag of parrot food depending on your exact species. But, that is just the beginning. Parrots need a daily serving of fruits and vegetables in their diet. Mangoes are a favorite with allot of parrots. And, you should find out what they really like and give them a treat every once in a while. Never give a parrot anything sweet because it will raise their heartbeat very quickly. Depending on the species there are certain other foods to avoid at all cost. The book that you purchase should tell you what to avoid.

Vet care - You can only take your parrot to a aviary veterinarian. And, the vet bills are not cheap either. You will need to find one before you bring your feathered friend home. You will need a vet for grooming purposes such as nail clipping and wing clipping. It's best that the vet does these things because your feathered friend may be very annoyed with you for a long time if you do it. And, you really need to know what you are doing when grooming a parrot. Wing clipping. There are two ways permanent and letting the wings grow back. I personally would let my parrots wings grow back but that is your decision to make.

Mating - There are very strict rules on parrot mating. Make sure you talk to someone who has allot of experience in this area before even thinking of this. If you do decide to go that way that you can forget about the bond with you and your friend because now his/her feathered mate will most likely take that position. Also, about twice a year most parrots molt. This is a time when some parrots get a little aggressive towards anyone else other than their mate

Exercise - Parrots need allot of exercise. They need to come out of their cage and spread their wings. They also need to walk around the house for awhile too each day. I would not let them outside unless you know for sure that they cannot fly away. Plus, their are many dangers outside that you may not be aware of. Such as other animals, extreme heat and extreme cold. Sometimes parrots will not fly in the house but believe me they still can.
Pet sitting - When you go on vacation will you have someone to watch over your feathered friend. Make sure that you seek this person out early on. It's best if your feathered friend develop a relationship prior to you going away.

Socialization - this is very important. All parrots are naturally social animals. So, you are expected to spend time with your feathered friend every day. Parrots that have been ignored will develop a screaming behavior and/or feather picking disorder. Talk and play with your parrot every day.

The mighty beak - This is self explanatory. The bigger the parrot the stronger the beak. I only say this because if you have a parrot than you need to expect to get nipped at least once. They do this because they may have been startled, or maybe you are not properly holding him/her. Sometimes, they will nip the person that is closest to the one that they are bonded to. They nip for many different reasons. The only dangerous thing with a parrot is that you get one and never socialize or train him/her the commands they need to learn. So, you end up with a parrot ruling the house because you are afraid of it. And your feathered friend knows it and will display his/her dominance at every opportunity.

I hope that I have helped you make an educated decision about purchasing your feathered friend. There are resourses on the right side to read too. it's like deciding to have a child. It's a big decision.