possilbe adoption Caiquie

[Mike&Sue]

I am looking for some advice for my wife and I.
We have been considering another bird pet, possibly a parrot, for some time. Recently, I was offered an opportunity to adopt a White bellied Caique. I met the bird at a friends-friends house and it seemed to take to me (before there was any talk of adoption). The owner said he never was so friendly with a stranger. Then a couple days later she said she was having trouble taking care of the bird and her sick husband and she is getting old besides. She's looking for a good home.

We have some considerations however and do not want to get into something that will not be good for the animal:
We have 2 parakeets currently -- any possible issues?
We have 3 cats - what is the likelihood of training them all to coexist; or is this a disaster waiting to happen. Currently we shuttle the cats outside to let the birds fly, but I would want the parrot to have more time out of the cage daily - perhaps over an hour to 3 or 4 if possible.
We are both working during the day but do some computer work at home -- the bird would be alone for 5 hours total typically.
The bird is reaching (or currently in) adolescence (2-3 years old)...is this a good time to adopt considering it's current life stage?
What other possible problems does anyone foresee? We love animals and would love an opportunity to care for the bird and give it a good life...but we really want to do the right thing.

thanks for any guidance.
Mike & Sue. Boston, MA

[liz]

It can be done but would require a lot of work. There is a strong opposition on the subject. My Amazons are always loose. There is only one cat I worry about and Rambo give her an attitude adjustment.
My cockatiels only get out when I can secure the sun room. Cockatiels are the same size as wild birds and that cat cannot be in there. I don't worry about the other animals.

[Wolf]

Very pretty bird and not a very common one in captivity either. This is a high energy bird about the size of an Amazon. I would definitely recommend that you pay close attention to its body language as a bite from a bird of this size is capable of inflicting severe damage.
After the quarantine period (30 days ), I would be very cautious with introductions to your budgies due to the difference in their sizes. I would even consider that they should be out of their cages at different times, just to reduce the possible danger to the smaller birds. Still this bird will require a minimum of 4 hours of out of cage time on a daily basis with at least one hour of this spent one on one ( meaning physical contact), for petting and grooming and possibly training. I don't know where this bird is in its puberty cycle, but as this is the stage where it would normally choose its mate and relinquish its bond with its parents, it should work out to the advantage of all concerned.
Cats present their own set of problems as even a scratch to the bird from a cat could cause a lethal infection for the bird. Cats can be discouraged from messing with your birds but due to the fact that birds are food to the cat, you can never trust the cat to leave your birds alone, most especially when you are not supervising the situation. I have several cats and my birds are never out of their cage unless I am present to oversee the situation. Same with dogs. Many people will not allow their cats to be in the same room with a bird that is not in its cage and although that is not entirely feasible in my house, I can find no fault with this way of managing things.
This bird requires a cage which will allow it to fully extend its wings and then some if it is to have sufficient room to do more than just sit still. A birds wingspan averages twice the length of the bird and to provide adequate space in the cage that should be doubled, since this bird is about 9 inches long the cage needs to be at least 36 inches long and as tall as you are. Like your budgies the bird needs to be on a solar light schedule, up with the sun and in bed with the sun, with full exposure to the periods of dawn and dusk to keep its circadian cycles in proper condition and it need a wide variety of fruits and vegetable as well as whole grains in its diet. An all seed or pelleted diet will lead to liver and possibly kidney disease.
I think that I have touched on the basics, other than the question of flight, which I most definitely recommend to allow. I hope that this addresses most of your concerns in a manner useful to you. If you have further question please feel free to ask.

[Pajarita]

No, Wolf, they are not anywhere near the size of an Amazon. They are a bit larger than senegals, kind of like a large Nanday or quaker... about half the size of a yellow nape.

There should be no issues with the budgies as long as you don't pay them any attention. They are little clowns, quite independent, cute and pretty and the only parrots I know that actually play often on their own and which work out in a family environment (they have a different social structure from other parrot species but you need to work at this, it's not a given). Age is perfect because it already went through puberty BUT they can be quite nippy when they get grumpy so it's imperative that husbandry is real good and that their cage is bigger than what its size would require (they are very active climbers). They need four hours of out of cage time and more than just one hour of one-on-one and this needs to be done every single day and at the right times (mid morning and mid afternoon). You can't have the cats around them because caiques like to walk and climb A LOT and are not quick at take off so although it's dangerous for any bird to cohabit with a cat, it's more so with caiques.

[Wolf]

I apologize for the error ,I was thinking Senegal and don't know why I put Amazon.

[Pajarita]

That happens to me all the time. I am thinking of one thing and end up typing another... (what do the say? the eyes are the first to go but the brain is not far behind?)

[Mike&Sue]

we thank you for all the informative replies.
We are talking about it very seriously and have been doing a lot of research.
We are planning to go see the bird this afternoon - Susan hasn't met him yet.

Would we have to "childproof" the home -- one person characterized this breed as "feathered toddlers". we can put caps on electrical outlets, but what other safety concerns might we have if we get distracted while he's out of the cage (e.g. a phone call or something)?

[liz]

No you don't have to cover outlets. You do have to hide all wires, remove things that are harmful if eaten. Check on your plants. Birds will taste anything. When I got a new area rug, Rambo tasted each color.I have laminant flooring on top of my curtains to keep Myrtle from perching and pooping down them. I put towels on the backs of my chairs and paper on the floor where she likes to perch. Look around, what could a toddler get into if he could fly. Then get on the floor and look around. I no longer put shoes under my bed but behind a closed closet door. I hung sheer curtains on bedroom doorway to keep Myrtle from flying into an unsecured room.
Just like a toddler, if it gets quiet, check on what it is up to. Rambo put a hole in the wall behind my toilet.
etc.

[Pajarita]

You also have to cover all cracks (like the tiny space left between a piece of furniture and the wall), not leave anything made out of paper or cardboard laying around (books in bookshelves are a favorite chewing toy to them), make sure all your windows have stainless steel screens (you need to have them done custom), get rid of or stop using anything that has Teflon (pots, toaster ovens, self-cleaning ovens, etc), ceiling fans, room deodorizers, scented candles or anything that burns and produces fumes (fireplace, too). After that, it's a matter of remembering to do things all the time like putting down the toilet cover, not opening doors to the outside with the bird loose in the house, not leaving toxic stuff out (like chocolate, coffee, alcoholic beverages, etc)out, that kind of thing. It's not easy living with a parrot.

[Wolf]

There is a very good list of items that you need to be aware of as it contains information on what foods are good and bad for parrots as well as woods and plants both safe and toxic and a listing of toxic household products. Here is the link to it.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12521

The list begins on page two of this post, I would suggest that you make a copy of it as if you are like me you will refer to it a lot, especially at first.

When you are busy bird proofing you place pay close attention to places that a bird could get into that would be difficult to rescue the bird from and make sure that the bird can't get into these areas. Heat vents are one, or behind and under large appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, even under some recliners and sofas as they can go under and then climb up into them from underneath some of them. It is always a good idea to not allow your bird to have any access to your kitchen at any time.