04/02/2025
SO WHY DO YOU REALLY WANT A PARROT? 🤔
Sometimes you come across a video of a cockatoo dancing or cuddling, sometimes it's a video of an African grey with amazing talking skills, and sometimes it's a macaw with its beautiful colours...
And then you think - I want a talking parrot or a cuddly parrot, BUT this is a tiny clip of that actual parrot's life. Do you really know what it takes to keep that parrot happy?
Parrots are wild animals and before you consider even welcoming a parrot into your family these are just some points you need to consider...
1. TIME - how much time do you have to give a parrot? Some parrots have the intelligence of a child, would you leave a child to its own devices locked in a cage all day?
2. SPACE - parrots need a lot of space. The bigger the better! The cage needs to be big enough that he/she can stretch their wings out and still have room. Large cages are expensive! They need space to fly and climb. Lack of exercise can cause bone growth issues.
3. EXERCISE AND MENTAL STIMULATION. As already said, parrots need daily exercise and mental stimulation, foraging, games, toys, time with their humans. If it's not enough, it can lead to behavioural issues, biting, screaming, destruction of your home, feather plucking and even self-mutilation.
4. DIET. You see that parrot food in the pet shop and think gosh that is cheap? That cheap parrot food full of fatty sunflower seeds and peanuts and is slowly killing your parrot with fatty liver disease and if very unlucky aspergillosis. Aspergillosis, an infection of a parrot's respiratory air sacs, is very very expensive to treat and often fatal. Do you have other parrots? It will spread to them too! A good diet costs money and time to prepare. Fresh fruit and vegetables are necessary for your parrot to live a long and healthy life and avoid hefty vet bills.
5. PARROTS ARE SO LOVING? They don't always like everyone in the family. They might only bond with one person, which means the rest of the family isn't allowed to feed them, clean them or go anywhere near them. This is particularly common in African greys.
6. PARROTS ARE WILD ANIMALS. Even the tamest of them can bite - SORE! Be prepared to be bitten. Will you still want them after a bite?
7. SPECIALIST VET CARE. Parrots need specialised vet care, not your general vet that treats your cat or dog. They need an avian vet - these are limited. Make sure you can get your parrot to one when needed, and they are expensive - can you afford this?
8. NOISE. Parrots make noise ALL day, noise level depends on species but have you heard the noise of a screaming cockatoo or macaw? Have a look on YouTube. Could your neighbours handle the noise too?
9. MESS. Oh boy, the mess!!! Parrots chew, shred their cage paper, toys, throw their food all the time and are p**p machines! Can you handle this?
10. LIKE YOUR SMELLIES? Do you love your scented candles? Your lovely-smelling cleaning products? Perfumes Get rid of them, they are toxic to parrots.
11. LIFELONG COMMITMENT. Parrots are a lifelong commitment - some species can live 50+ years, so they are exactly that!
Do you still want a parrot? Please do your proper research and not a cute video on YouTube!
Post credit to our friends and fellow parrot welfare warriors at Brainy Birds - Parrot Rescue and Rehabilitation.
http://www.brainybirds.co.za/
