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Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

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Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby Michael » Wed Sep 18, 2013 3:39 pm

Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Owning parrots can suck at times. This article isn't about all the good times we have but rather some of the difficulties even I face with parrot ownership. Just letting you know that you're not alone and that we all run into trouble. The training approach can greatly reduce this and improve your relationship but never completely.
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby CaitlinRice413 » Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:46 pm

:gcc:
Last edited by CaitlinRice413 on Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby Brad&Maz » Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:03 am

Actually, it does not "suck" owning parrots. They are pets for people who want more than just an animal that they percieve as an object rather than a thinking, feeling entity with emotional needs. As a younger person, I worked in several pet stores and I have 23 years experience owning African Greys. I start with the caveat that every individual bird is different from the next. However, 99% of the time, what ever issues a bird has, they can be overcome by an owner who invests the time and has great patience. I have worked with abused and neglected medium to large parrots who when I first encountered them, were incredible hostile if not outright vicious. Yet, after, sometimes months of daily gentle treatment, these bird have slowly developed into gentle affectionate pets. I am sure that there are birds that cannot be "turned," but they are not common. I have always found that even with Greys, constant socialization (substantial daily attention and exposure to many people and different environments), although at first can be difficult for them, usually results, to a greater or lesser degree, in a bird that accepts more people, becomes less stressed over changes in their enviorment and generally, a calmer bird. The key is to spend as much time possible with a parrot while not over reacting negative behaviors (such as biting). Again, patience and persistence is the key. One of the best things I ever did for my Grey, who was initially shy and nippy, was the bring him to my office several times a week (I have that luxury). There, he was exposed to and recieved attention from many people a day. Eventually, he warmed up to the staff and has been a relatively outgoing bird, although he still prefers me, he accepts most people.
Owning a parrot has much in common with parenting a young child. The only way do to it correctly is to make the necessary investment of your time, effort and patience. No doubt, such a requirement is not for those who simply wants a "pet." The rewards of properly "raising" a parrot are that you have an affectionate, intelligent, loyal and often comical animal who not only "bonds" to you and interacts with you like no other animal can (other than perhaps chimpanzees, dolphins, etc.), but you find yourself "bonded" to it as well.
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby Nir » Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:45 am

Thankfully I don't have much issues with my birds. Sure they get messy but my hand held vacuum takes care of that. And since I eat healthy, cooking is also not much of a problem. tHE only thing that I wish did change was them not yelling so much to let them out or when I leave the room. They go straight bonkers for a few minutes every time lol. I still just don't reinforce it but I accept it that they will always miss me when I leave and will let it be known.
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby cml » Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:13 am

I completely agree.

Sometimes, it is really really aggrevating owning a (or two) parrot (s), but in the end its worth it :).
Stitch (WFA) and Leroy (BWP)
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby 9Beaks » Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:38 pm

I believe Micheal hit the nail on the proverbial head with this article about parrot ownership. Like so many other people do, unfortunately, I went into owning a parrot without a clue as to what that entailed. When my sweet baby bird turned into an aggressive-biting obnoxious adult bird, I knew I needed to get educated, and pronto! In trying to get help, i found other people just pass off their problem birds because they didnt know what to do anymore and had no time or patience, but I didn't want to do that because I had made a lifetime commitment to this winged creature, and I was going to stand by it! After many months of wading through inaccurate and contradicting information on the web, in books, and other bird owners, I was lucky enough to stumble across Parrot Wizard and trained parrot . com. I absorbed so much helpful information and bought Michael's book to help guide me with my birds (yes, plural, as by now I had acquired birds from places where they were being mis-treated and/or neglected and I wanted to help them.) Parrot Wizard has taught me so much, and both me and the birds are much happier and healthier now! The proper care of birds takes lots of time, money, patience, and TLC -- EVERYDAY! For many, many years! It is a commitment that I believe people take way too lightly, thus adding to the growing numbers of unwanted birds. I'm leaning now towards seeing a time when birds and other animals are not kept anymore for our amusement, but instead live a free life in the wild. In the meantime, I will continue to care, love, and cherish my birds, and encourage and educate other bird owners to do the same for their birds.
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby bwendo » Fri Oct 11, 2013 2:01 pm

What I love most about owning a parrot is that I don't actually own the bird - I am merely part of his support team. Also, it is very alluring to know that the unpredictable nature is exactly what attracted me to this animal in the first place - I didn't want the stable, almost boring loyalty of a dog or the smug self indulgence of a cat. I wanted a sort of monkey with wings. And I certainly got it.
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby marie83 » Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:45 am

I've only just got around to reading this but I also don't believe owning a parrot sucks. Of course I am really glad you have written this article, not everyone is suited for keeping parrots and to some people keeping a parrot would suck.

To me it is the best thing ever (even if I do believe parrots should never have been brought into captive environments from the wild but that's a whole other topic) but of course I only have smaller species but they are more than capable of making a great deal of mess, screaming more than they ever have in their entire lives on the one day you have a headache, being temperamental and moody, biting hard enough to make you bleed-sometimes multiple times in one day etc etc.

Of course there are times where I don't know how to deal with a certain situation, times that I could really do without the hassle and expense of another vet trip (ok the vet one is every single time, I can always do without that so that one really does suck) and times where I would prefer to just sit quietly and read a book without them trying to chew it up.

On the whole though I love being the carer of my birds, the noise and mess makes my home a home. Prepping their meals and growing sprouts for them makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile with my time. The new stuff they continue to throw at me is a challenge and I enjoy finding out about the new things I learn from it and the rewards from successfully overcoming a problem is immense.
In over 14 years I have only ever felt like it sucks twice (apart from those vet trips of course), although sucks is not the word I would have chosen, but that was with two specific birds with two entirely different situations- One being the apparently untameable Harlie, that was a horrible time feeling like I was the source of her fear and she was better off without me. The other was Ollies relentless biting. Both those situations are fine now and every scrap of effort to resolve it was totally worth it although emotionally draining at the time.
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Re: Why It Sucks Owning A Parrot

Postby Rebellious » Sat Oct 12, 2013 9:41 pm

I couldn't have worded it better - sometimes, owning parrots does suck.
They bite, they're messy, they are SO loud...but they can be really rewarding too.
I'll never forget that time I got bitten by Rebel, my :cockatoo: . It was only a few months after I had gotten her, and I was trying to take her out of her cage to clean it. She just got down into that attack stance and just lashed out like a tiger. And it hurt. Really bad. But she's made up for it, she's such a lovable bird. Other than the neverending mess.
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