Possible parrot home help

[Icee]

Hello, this is my first post. I do not own a parrot but have been yearning for one for years. At least 10 years ago my husband and I took in a neighbors Red Shouldered macaw (while he was away in the military). We grew extremely attached and it was a tearful day when we had to give Charlie back.
I'd like to talk to my husband about getting a parrot of our own. I know we could afford the upkeep of owning one BUT it is not likely we could afford the expense of a new cage (I'd be picky with a cage) and the cost of a parrot all at once. So this is why I'm thinking this Ferret Nation cage could work. It has 4 doors on the front, the middle sections can be removed. I don't see anything that could cause harm. I think I should ask though before even mentioning bringing home a new friend. Does anyone see any reason at all why this cage couldn't work for a parrot's home?

[zazanomore]

Has it ever been used by ferrets before? Or is it brand new? I say, give it a good old scrub down, to make sure there's as little bacteria as possible.

I don't see any reason to why that would be a bad cage. You said you can remove all the inside parts, so that would make a nice spacious cage.

Find out the cage dimensions and bar width. Every species of bird requires it's own cage sizing.

[Icee]

Yes, my two ferrets are in it now. I have another nice ferret cage to move them into.
I just measured this cage. It is:
4 ft tall (excluding the bottom storage area)
3 ft. wide
I guess you would call it 2 ft. deep? (from front to back)
Bar spacing is 1 inch, and the bars are thick.
I would like to find out what species is appropriate for this cage as well. I really don't know. I don't think we'd be getting a huge Macaw, just a mid sized bird. Like maybe an Amazon or African Grey. Not sure until I can get some advice. Then I'll take notes and talk to my husband.

[Jenny]

Icee, just want you to be aware of the risk associated w/owning both ferrets & birds, if you don't already know. Not saying it can't work, just want to be sure you're informed.

Use extreme caution if you get a bird. Ferrets eat birds!! I would have to say that having a bird and a ferret not a good combo. If your ferret ever got loose while you were gone you'd come home to a fat ferret and a pile of feathers. I'm not saying you can't have a bird I just want you to be aware that as tame as your ferret is, it will eat birds. Just FYI

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Ferrets are said to pose more risk than cats and dogs, but I think caution can reasonably be exercises. Ferrets don't usually have the run of the house unattended.

Cleaning the cage thoroughly and disinfecting it are probably the main things to consider. That and some features of cages designed for birds are really handy... but not necessarily essential.

[Michael]

All the ferret and cage business aside, I must warn you that if a new parrot cage seems to be over budget now, then you probably can't afford a parrot (rather that kind of parrot). See the discussion we had about the cost of parrot ownership: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=320

If $500-$1000 seems like too much to spend on a cage which can easily last 10-20 years, how are you going to feel about dropping $1000 every single year on toys, food, perches, accessories, and vet bills?

Almost any parrot can easily go through $200 worth of perches each year, $20 per month on food is a low ball (that's $240 a year), $40 for 3-5 toys a month ($480/year), yearly vet visit $100 (sure depends where you are and could be less but also could be a LOT more, believe me). This does not even include the cost of replacing all teflon pan/appliances, getting trees/playgyms/stands, vacs, air filters, humidifier, rugs/mats, etc. You're probably looking at spending $1500-$2000 in the first year not even including the cage or the bird.

I get very concerned when people say they can barely afford the price of cage/bird because in the grand scheme of things, those are the smallest component of the long term cost of parrot ownership. This is not to say you cannot diversify your budget for a different kind of parrot though. When someone has $1000 to spend, they shouldn't be looking at a $1000 bird but rather a $300 parrot cause all the other stuff will easily add up to that. I don't want to discourage you from getting a parrot, but I want you to strongly think through the long term costs because you can expect to spend as much as a new cage or more every year that bird lives. And they can live a very long time.

[zazanomore]

All the ferret and cage business aside, I must warn you that if a new parrot cage seems to be over budget now, then you probably can't afford a parrot (rather that kind of parrot). See the discussion we had about the cost of parrot ownership: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=320

If $500-$1000 seems like too much to spend on a cage which can easily last 10-20 years, how are you going to feel about dropping $1000 every single year on toys, food, perches, accessories, and vet bills?

Almost any parrot can easily go through $200 worth of perches each year, $20 per month on food is a low ball (that's $240 a year), $40 for 3-5 toys a month ($480/year), yearly vet visit $100 (sure depends where you are and could be less but also could be a LOT more, believe me). This does not even include the cost of replacing all teflon pan/appliances, getting trees/playgyms/stands, vacs, air filters, humidifier, rugs/mats, etc. You're probably looking at spending $1500-$2000 in the first year not even including the cage or the bird.

I get very concerned when people say they can barely afford the price of cage/bird because in the grand scheme of things, those are the smallest component of the long term cost of parrot ownership. This is not to say you cannot diversify your budget for a different kind of parrot though. When someone has $1000 to spend, they shouldn't be looking at a $1000 bird but rather a $300 parrot cause all the other stuff will easily add up to that. I don't want to discourage you from getting a parrot, but I want you to strongly think through the long term costs because you can expect to spend as much as a new cage or more every year that bird lives. And they can live a very long time.

But you also need to consider the fact that with the other supplies, it's smaller amounts over a longer period of time.

Paying for a large bird and a large good-quality cage upfront can be a lot.

[Marnie]

Almost any parrot can easily go through $200 worth of perches each year,

with the exception of a couple rope perches ( $20) my perches have cost nothing. i make my own.
if your know your trees, there is an over abundance of free perches everywhere you look.
when mine get yukky i just go out , pick up branches and make more. each one unique.

toys can be costly, BUT there are lots of sites that show how to make your own out of simple everyday stuff. so there are ways to cut costs, but overall parrot ownership can be pricey.
the cage being the biggest expense. you want a nice big one for your feathered friend.
you cage looks to be a nice size for a medium size parrot.

good luck on finding your new member of the family.

[Icee]

Was so pleased to see the info you have supplied me. I do have a lot to think about. Our ferrets get about 3 hrs a day supervised play (only allowed to roam free in the livingroom). The rest of the time they are sleeping, eating, and wrestling in their cage, or visiting me at the computer desk. And yes, they absolutely would eat a bird if they had the opportunity.

I know parrot cages don't really cost that much but the one's I've been looking at do. $1,200.00
in fact. Yes, it is like a "Grand Parrot Palace." lol.... That is why I came up with the idea of using the ferret cage. It's still grand AND something we already have. We are both aware of the costs of taking care of a parrot and really appreciate the update on costs. When we had Charlie we did spend a small fortune on him and enjoyed every minute of it.



This morning I found this bird on Craigslist:
http://springfield.craigslist.org/pet/2078547208.html

I'm not going to try to adopt it. It isn't time yet but I can dream for now. Isn't this little one beautiful?

[entrancedbymyGCC]

She is beautiful, but she doesn't really sound like an easy bird... FWIW.

I really shouldn't read ads like that!

On the expense thing... I do agree you need to understand what you are getting in to financially, but I also don't see any reason not to economize where it makes good sense to do so -- like doing a little work to make equipment you already own work. Our annual vet costs are going to be way higher than what Michael estimated, but I've yet to need to replace a perch that wasn't rope, and I'm not buying toys at nearly that rate, although I do make chew-up ones fairly often. You certainly CAN spend a bundle, but I'm not sure it has to be $2k a year -- but a serious vet bill could easily run that, and that's definitely a thing to take into account.

Hey, they are cheap compared to a horse!