Hello from NYC.

[JayPT]

Hi!

Unlike many people here, I've never owned a bird/parrot. I'm a girl living in NYC. However, recently I've gotten interested in owning one eventually ("eventually" - I'm aware a bird isn't something you can wake up one day and go out and "buy"), so I figured I'd say hello to you good folks!

But to give you guys an idea of who I am - At a young age, I rode horses, cleaned them, cleaned stalls, and all around took care of them. After many years of being around them, I eventually took up voluntarily walking dogs until adopting a dog. I also own a cat, and take care of a 20 gallon fish tank, and I'm absolutely absorbed in the waterworld, constantly researching freshwater fish types and tank requirements for each (and whether or not they will fit at maximum size!).

But I have some experience on the bird front - it's not parrot experience, but it's bird experience, and I understand there's a great difference between the two. I have sometimes worked with pigeons and occasionally still do.

On the job front, I do paper routes (a fair amount of cash) and I'll be going to college in September for Psychology to eventually go into Physical Therapy.

So I'm glad to be here, and nice to meet you all.

[Michael]

Welcome to the parrot forum. Definitely a good idea to "do your research" before getting into it.

Although you sound like a responsible animal lover, I would not recommend a parrot for you in your situation. First of all you already have cats and dogs. These are completely incompatible with parrots despite what some folks are going to tell you. I have heard loads of cases where a cat or dog snatched a beloved parrot and that's it. It's just an accident waiting to happen so I don't believe it's a risk worth getting into if you can help it (by being aware beforehand rather than getting them first and finding out later).

Furthermore, the fact that you're going to go to college mostly rules out parroting as well. They require a lot of attention, interaction, and stimulation. The last thing you need is all of that on top of the school load. You already must go through so much effort with the animals you already have.

Now this does not entirely mean you can't experience/enjoy parrots without owning them. Here are some things you can do to get involved in your spare time without the commitment or risk:

1) Volunteer at a rescue
2) Visit and play with parrots in a bird store (if you prove to the owners you know what you're doing, they won't turn down some free socialization for their product).
3) Get a part time job at a parrot store if you have the time and can use a little extra cash (expect to be spending more time doing what you'd do as an owner like cleaning cages instead of the fun stuff customers get to do)
4) Go see the feral Monk Parakeets of Brooklyn. Bring some bird food with you and maybe they'll land at your feet or even on your hand.
5) Volunteer at an avian vet
6) Make a birdie buddy with someone who already has a parrot

Hope you can find a satisfactory alternative in the meantime and then when you're done with college and have a more favorable environment, you'll be more than ready to get the parrot of your choice.

[liz]

Jay - welcome to the forum. Even without a parrot you will enjoy and learn from it.

Michael is right. These feathered babies work their way into your heart then take over every breathing moment of your life. I can leave the house for an hour and when I come back they are all over me wanting to know why I left them.

I have dogs and cats but I would never be able to take care of an aquarium and a parrot. Besides I would need a cast iron lid on the tank to keep the birds out.

[HungryBird]

Welcome! You should go to Fauna (87th between Broadway and West End Avenue in Manhattan) and look at all the adorable birds! It's such a nice place. They would be able to show you all sorts of things and you can check out all the cool bird toys.