Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:21 pm Post subject: 10 Tips for buying a parrot
Written by Alien Sheng
Parrots are one of the most attractive and rewarding animals in the world. Though parrots are very intelligent their requirements and demands are quite different from other types of pets. They need the care and attention of their owners far more than other household animals. Most of the parrot breeds are both noisy and destructive; and the larger breeds live for a much longer time than the smaller ones. Therefore it is necessary for you to think carefully about the following issues before buying them.
- The foremost thing to consider is whether you want to buy a single parrot for your entertainment and pleasure. If so you might want to purchase a small group of parrots for keeping in indoor cages. They will make a beautiful collection and can also breed.
- The price of your parrot is another matter of concern that must be taken in to account. You must decide on roughly how much money you are willing to spend - not only on the bird but also on its food, housing, training, and care. These things can sometimes cost a great deal. Sometimes, people spend a significant amount on buying a parrot but then at a later stage, hesitate to spend money on its care. Parrots are not cheap pets, and in recent years, their prices have increased hugely.
- The next thing to take into account before buying a parrot is the environment where you are planning to keep it. You must decide which type of parrot you want to keep and whether it can survive and adapt to your environment and lifestyle. Whether big or small, all types of parrots require sufficient space for exercise and play. Therefore, you will need to keep them in a cage that is big enough for them to spread their wings and move a little bit.
- You also need to think about your neighbors - because some of the big parrots like cockatoos and Amazons make a lot of noise that can cause significant disturbance. Their twice-daily periods of vocalization at sunrise and sunset are appreciated by those who love birds but can be quite disturbing for those who do not like birds or loud noises.
- Since parrots require a lot of both mental and physical stimulation you will have to make sure that can you have enough time for taking good care of your parrot. If you are planning to keep more than one parrot then you will have to allot sufficient time to take care of each member of the group. Also, you will need to find a reliable person who can take good care of your pets when you are not in town or you want to go on a vacation.
- When you select a breeder from which you want to buy a parrot make sure that the supplier offers a money back or exchange facility on your bird for a reasonable period after purchase. This is because if the birds you choose do not turn out to be suitable for your requirements or they develop any signs of disease, just after short period of your purchase, then you will be able to exchange them.
If you are buying an adult parrot then check carefully that the bird looks healthy and appears to be bright and alert. If you want to buy a baby then before buying check that the baby you have selected has bright eyes and healthy skin which should be free from clinging hand feeding formulae. Check that the birds have been kept in a clean place.
After you have completed your research and decided which parrot you want to purchase, the next thing you must decide is where to buy your bird. Here are some of the options at your disposal:
- Breeders: Many of the breeders are bird-loving, caring persons who breed parrots out of love. However, some breeders just breed birds for the sake of earning money. They do not have complete knowledge of breeding and rearing young parrots. So before buying a parrot from a breeder you should talk to different breeders; look at the cage, living area, and other facilities they are providing for their birds.
- Pet Stores: Most of the pet stores are generally not a good place for buying a bird. Usually the staff members and storeowner of a pet store are not breeders and they do not have up to date information about all their birds. The information provided by them for the customers is usually not accurate. They only know one thing well - and that is how to sell their animals.
- Bird Specialty Stores;- These can be a good option to buy a bird. They are generally pet stores that deal particularly in birds only and have good a knowledge of them. Since their livelihood depends upon their bird quality they usually sell good birds. Often the birds available here are bred on site, as most of the owners of the pet sores are themselves good breeders.
- Rescue Groups: Rescue groups adopt the birds, which have often been discarded or left by their owners. These groups take good care of the birds and adopt them out to people after making sure that bird is healthy and ready to adopt the new environment. While adopting a bird for a rescue group don't think that you are buying a scratch but think of it as the reward of offering a home to someone who needs your help.
Alien Sheng : author:.
Great information for anyone looking to purchase one of these wonderful pet birds .
Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject: Things that you should also consider
PET STORES
Above all remember this -- a pet store is a place of business where the owner of the store earns his living and supports himself and maybe even supports his family with money from the store. He counts on you to buy. His primary interest in operating the store is paying the rent and his bills. The welfare of the animals is secondary or he may only see the animals as merchandise like cars, furniture or appliances. I'm sure you have gone in many a store where the salesperson or owner tried to sell you something, maybe even haggling a little on the price to give you a better deal. They never let you know the negatives or downside about the merchandise they sell. This is the same kind of deal here.
It is up to you to do the homework about the "merchandise" sold in pet stores and examine the reasons why you want or think you need it. You should take this purchase very seriously.
Things to consider are:
1. Is the merchandise suitable for yourself or your family -- for instance if you have allergies, the merchandise may cause you to experience severe discomfort and medical bills as you wheeze, sneeze, have a runny nose or worse. Cockatoos, doves and cockatiels are not good choices if anyone in your household suffers from allergies. Cats are not a good choice either, especially the long haired ones.
2. Is the merchandise healthy? Today the chances of buying a sick or diseased bird are something to seriously consider as there are more and more sick birds being unknowingly sold in pet stores. Protect your investment and do not buy a sick or diseased bird. Get a bill of health signed by a vet. Some avian diseases can make people deadly ill or may even be fatal.
3. Do you have money to take care of your purchase. A car needs insurance, repairs and gas. The same for your bird merchandise -- they need a very large cage, or else there is a possibility of even more screaming and plucking, the right foods, fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. Do you have money for a vet? Check into the cost of vets today. You may be surprised at how much they charge, many times going into the thousands of dollars. What about toys and other incidentals such as play gyms, carrying cases, etc. Then there are bird sitters to pay when you go away.
4. Noise is a big consideration, especially if you live in an apartment building with finicky neighbors or neighbors that don't like you. They may use noise as an excuse to complain about you. Certain birds scream more than others, like conures, lovebirds and macaws. Even parakeets have been known to be the source of a neighbor's complaint. In the wild birds call to each other at sunrise and sunset, especially during mating season.
5. Do you have the time to take care of a demanding creature like a bird, or a dog that needs to be walked three times a day in rain or shine. Birds demand lots of attention or else they will scream and pluck and who wants a plucked, bald bird, especially if you will be paying much money to the shopkeeper. Remember once you buy the merchandise, many shop owners will not give you a refund.
5. Birds and other animals all make a big mess. There is no way to get around it. Do you like to clean or will you or the wife endure a messy home. Birds are notorious for throwing seeds and other food out of their cage inviting insects, cockroaches and rodents. There will be lots of extra cleaning for you to do.
6. There is a need for many birds and other animals to chew, so many will destroy your furniture. Remember, if you do not allow them to chew, they will scream and pluck even more than usual. They will release their frustration onto themselves by screaming for attention or because they feel sick and plucking their skin and feathers, sadly.....
7. If you have expectations of a talking and singing bird or one who does tricks, know that the majority of birds never talk, learn to do any tricks or sing. Even canaries do not all sing. Breeders and storekeepers will never tell you as this is inside information they keep to themselves and do not share. Your bird may be a deadbeat and just sit in the cage doing nothing but taking up space and your money.
8. Birds can be dangerous so if you have small children, this is a no no. Birds may bite down very hard; their beaks were designed for cracking open hard nuts in the jungles. Even parakeets and cockatiels have been known to bite. Do you want something in your home that has the potential to do harm to you or your family?
9. Inconvenience, and this is something generally overlooked. Is your lifestyle such that you just hop in your car on the spur of the moment for a long weekend out of town or an impromptu vacation to visit friends or family. No more. You will now need to plan your every move ahead of time as these birds cannot be left alone. After all would you like to be left in a cage with no way out most of the time. Water gets slimy, food goes rancid and bird is lonely and bored. In the wild they are always in a flock and are busy. Plucking and screaming will occur.
10. You must consider that you can no longer wear cologne, perfume, use Teflon pans, air fresheners, toxic cleaning products, etc. Birds have a very sensitive respiratory system and these items can kill your bird or else make him very very sick.
Do you know that the majority of information found on the Internet in favor of keeping birds as pets, companions or housemates is written by breeders, pet store owners or others whose source of income is birds? These are the people that have a vested economic interest in getting you to buy. They count on your hard earned money to pay their bills.
Do your homework by reading about parrots in the wild and you will learn about their unique behavior and you will learn the true nature of birds. The way to learn about birds is to visit sites which do not have any financial or other interest in keeping birds as pets. Certain animal rights sites (and I'm not recommending any) will give you accurate information. By researching and doing homework, it will save you much money, time, and heartache down the road. Before you buy a car or purchase a home, I'm sure you check everything out -- do the same with buying a bird or other animal.
If you have diligently done your homework and you and the members of your household have decided to buy a bird or other animal, wait a week or at least a few days and do not buy impulsively. Most things bought on an impulse do not work out.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you have made the decision to share your life and home with a bird or other animal, I wish you the best of luck with your new purchase. _________________
This is really great information! I think that more & more people are getting on line to do better research BEFORE aquiring any pet - I hope so! _________________ Cathy
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