You’ve got Parrot Fever and you're crazy about parrots! But you're asking yourself "Is a pet parrot a good idea for my lifestyle?" Parrots make good pets for those that understand that parrots are a very long-term commitment have unique care needs and despite these concerns, they enjoy being around mischievous, intelligent animals.
Research shows that parrots are one of the most intelligent animals known to man. There are tons of reasons that parrots make good pets for the well informed. Do you know these facts about parrots?
Browse Google to find out why people love their parrots. You'll learn that parrot owners love their parrots funny antics and silly dispositions and are surprised that such a small creature can have such a big personality. They love teaching their parrot new skills or tricks. A lot of people are crazy about their parrots!
However, just as many people are unhappy after they acquired a parrot. Maybe they didn't do their homework about parrots. They didn't realize how messy pet birds are. These dusty pets drop feather dander and down feathers everywhere. Parrots can be very needy, too. Especially if they have not been taught to entertain themselves or they don't know how to play with bird toys. Parrots are an expensive pet requiring healthy foods and the need to constantly restock bird toys. Parrots that don't have enough socialization frequently develop problem behaviors like very loud and obnoxious screaming, biting and feather plucking. Think of a parrot as a pet that is stuck in the terrible two’s for the rest of its life. Sadly, the difficulties associated with caring for parrots have resulted in thousands of birds living in parrot shelter awaiting a new forever home. One such parrot shelter is The Gabriel Foundation in Denver, Colorado.
So, if you still want a parrot, what do you need to do make it a successful, mutually satisfying relationship? You'll need to think and act like a preschool teacher who has the patience of Job. Preschool teachers know how to engage and reward desired behaviors while ignoring and replacing undesired behaviors. Another important skill is to learn is how to read your parrot’s body language and mood. Parrots need you to:
With this knowledge in mind you can decide whether a parrot is the pet for you.
Click here for more help on Choosing a Pet Bird. Browse all of our pages to learn more about parrots.