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Is a bird a good match for you?

There are many things to consider when thinking about owning a bird. Birds are very delicate creatures. They require adequate housing and plenty of attention to thrive. Their life span is long among the larger parrots. Many outlive their owners with proper routine care and a healthy diet of food and love. What will happen to your favorite companion when you are gone?

Exploring the costs of taking on a bird for a pet.
Parakeets are relatively inexpensive at the local pet shop. Depending on the type they can range from $12-65. They will need a cage adequate in size to move around and flap their wings. The bigger the better. They will not thrive without toys or distractions. Toys themselves can be inexpensive if you are creative, but the dwelling can cost upwards of $40 or more for an adequate size. If you are handy a cage can be made from supplies at the local hardware store, but are generally more difficult to clean. Food is an ongoing expense. A parakeet doesn't eat much in a day. For best nutrition they should have pellets or a pellet/seed mix. Pellet food is more expensive because it is more nutritionally adequate. Plan on$10/month for food. Initial investment $70 dollars or more plus the ongoing food requirements and possible vet visits.

Breeder prices are always lower than the local pet shop and usually produce a healthier, weaned and well handled baby. As you move up to the larger birds the prices keep getting higher to over $10,000 for a bird. Obviously budget will come into play. The larger the bird the more expensive the housing and the bigger the food bill. Start up costs can be in the thousands for larger parrots with adequate housing and food, vet check etc.

Larger birds will require grooming. This can be learned and done at home, but many take their birds in to have wings, nails and beaks trimmed. Even the little parakeets need nails trimmed and some keep their wings clipped to prevent accidents like flying into windows or ceiling fans, or escape through open doors and windows if they are allowed out of their cage. We will explore more specifics for each common species in depth here.

Exploring the mess
Birds of any size are messy. It's a fact and it cannot be avoided no matter what you do. Pet birds do best with handling, which means they must spend time outside their cage and handled. Birds "poop" often in small/large amounts. Can you handle getting droppings on your shoulder, hair, carpet, floor? If you can't it's best not to consider owning one. Birds are wasteful creatures. They will scatter and drop their food. Up to half or more of what you give them can end up at the bottom of the cage or thrown outside the cage. Can you afford this loss, or will the waste bother you? Again... this is a major cost, will it bother you? Cages should be sanitized at least weekly, do you have a backup plan for your new friend while you are sanitizing the cage?

Exploring the noise
Birds make noise! The bigger the bird, the louder the noise. Some have a pleasant "song", others talk, and some scream (very loudly). This is a consideration if you live in an apartment. Will your neighbors be bothered with a screaming or whistling bird? We live in a house and when we go out to walk the dogs we can hear our cockatoo screaming from across the street and beyond (windows closed). Will your neighbors be bothered by this?

Exploring your decision to consider a bird as a pet
What made you decide you wanted a bird for a pet? The worst decision is because you are intrigued by talking birds. What if the bird you get doesn't learn to speak, has a limited vocabulary, or you can't understand what they are saying. Will you be disappointed? Most birds don't speak or speak much in the first year of life. Some never learn a word. Some are well known for speaking abilities, but each bird is different and there is no guarantee they will be among the norm.

Exploring your free time
It is pointless having a larger bird that does not receive one on one time out of the cage. Do you have the time or will you make the time daily to spend time with the bird. They need a routine. Can they fit in YOUR routine? Smaller birds like budgies, finches, and canaries can be content as cage dwellers, however even in a cage they DO appreciate listening to you talk to them and offer treats and some of your time. If you can't be consistent it's not a good choice to own a bird. They are much like children and need the same attention. If you travel, and are gone for long periods of time routinely it will stress the bird to have other caregivers. Birds don't cope well with change. Even a relocation of the cage or furniture in the room can be devastating for them.

Exploring your other pets
Do you have other pets? Do you have cats with claws or cats that like to hunt in the back yard for birds? This is a safety issue for both bird and cat. Large birds can mame/kill other pets and visa versa. It comes down to who bites who where first. A large parrot can bite tails, legs, ears and other body parts hard enough to sever them from your other pets. Can you keep these pets separate if necessary?

So you are still considering a bird for a pet? Now to decide what is the perfect bird for you! Birds can make wonderful companions when cared for properly and when the owner can be tolerant of certain conditions. Once you've got the fever it's tough to stick to just one.... Keep that in mind!!!

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