Parrotlet?

[Anonymous]

My 10 year old animal-loving daughter really wants a parrotlet. After saying no to a cat (allergies), ferret (stink), and chinchilla (dust bath, asthma), she has identified the parrotlet as a small and quiet enough member of the bird family we can care for. My "nice, soothing, aquarium" suggestions went unheeded.

Parrotlets are the smallest member of the parrot family, similar in size to a budgie, but more demanding in terms of attention.
My daughter is a responsible child and already participates in our dog's care.

I am looking for advice, suggestions, personal experiences with this species, allergy risk information, and recommendations as to where to buy one.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Their poops are fairly small but they poop everywhere if you have them out of their cages. It’s kind of gross.

[Anonymous]

If you already have a dog, I would skip it:
https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption/parrotlet-care

[Anonymous]

They live 15-20 years. Is your DD going to take it to college? Grad school? Care for it until she’s 30?

[Anonymous]

The question is do you want this pet and do you want to take care of it?

Your DD is a little kid and can’t really be responsible for a living animal. You will have to go behind her and make sure it’s fed, has water, entertained. Think about when you go on vacation - you will have to hire someone to take care of it

[Anonymous]

Seeing birds kept in cages cuts me to the heart. It isn't natural and it isn't how they are meant to live. Please don't do this.

I love the aquarium idea.

I also know someone who got a hairless cat due to allergies, and it is adorable.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Yes, I fully realize I will need to supervise feeding and do some basic clicker training myself, as she's too inexperienced to do it. There's a local bird place where we can board a pet parrot. When DD leaves for college, I am prepared to care for a bird.

I haven't decided yet because of two things:
1. I've heard that kitchen fumes can be deadly to birds, and we have an open floor plan.
2. PP is correct, birds are not domesticated like dogs. Is it right to house a parrot? On the other hand, it would be a bird bred for the pet market, not taken directly out of the wild. It would have a pleasant life in my house: uncaged several hours each day, large flight cage at night, enrichment, toys, specialized avian vet, etc...

Yes, that aquarium sounds nice, doesn't it? But DD wants something she can pet.

You know what? If this pandemic goes on much longer, we're going to end up with an aquarium of blue danios AND a parrotlet! Thank goodness we live in the suburbs and aren't allowed to have chickens or goats or horses, otherwise she'd want those too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Yes, I fully realize I will need to supervise feeding and do some basic clicker training myself, as she's too inexperienced to do it. There's a local bird place where we can board a pet parrot. When DD leaves for college, I am prepared to care for a bird.

I haven't decided yet because of two things:
1. I've heard that kitchen fumes can be deadly to birds, and we have an open floor plan.
2. PP is correct, birds are not domesticated like dogs. Is it right to house a parrot? On the other hand, it would be a bird bred for the pet market, not taken directly out of the wild. It would have a pleasant life in my house: uncaged several hours each day, large flight cage at night, enrichment, toys, specialized avian vet, etc...

Yes, that aquarium sounds nice, doesn't it? But DD wants something she can pet.

You know what? If this pandemic goes on much longer, we're going to end up with an aquarium of blue danios AND a parrotlet! Thank goodness we live in the suburbs and aren't allowed to have chickens or goats or horses, otherwise she'd want those too!

If you already have a dog, why can't she pet the dog and be responsible for a dog? I'd get a puppy over a parrotlet if dog allergies are not the issue. Birds just aren't that pettable or interesting. (Hamsters and guinea pigs are pettable but maybe have the same issue as chinchillas?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seeing birds kept in cages cuts me to the heart. It isn't natural and it isn't how they are meant to live. Please don't do this.

I love the aquarium idea.

I also know someone who got a hairless cat due to allergies, and it is adorable.

+1

Cruel.

[Anonymous]

My bil has one. He lets it poop everywhere and showers with it ... so gross and unsettling.

[Anonymous]

Op,

I appreciate the thoughtfulness in which you’ve approached this issue. I do think it’s important that the bird wasn’t taken from the wild but bred in captivity doesn’t mean they were meant to live in a house.

If she has asthma, I don’t think a bird is the right pet. If she really wants something to let, get a hamster. It’s easier to contain the allergens.

Parrots bond to one person:
http://everythingbirdsonline.com/care-feeding/companion-birds-care-dealing-with-one-person-birds/?v=1d20b5ff1ee9

She won’t be able to take it to college and it will get weird. My sister got a small parrot and this happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Yes, I fully realize I will need to supervise feeding and do some basic clicker training myself, as she's too inexperienced to do it. There's a local bird place where we can board a pet parrot. When DD leaves for college, I am prepared to care for a bird.

I haven't decided yet because of two things:
1. I've heard that kitchen fumes can be deadly to birds, and we have an open floor plan.
2. PP is correct, birds are not domesticated like dogs. Is it right to house a parrot? On the other hand, it would be a bird bred for the pet market, not taken directly out of the wild. It would have a pleasant life in my house: uncaged several hours each day, large flight cage at night, enrichment, toys, specialized avian vet, etc...

Yes, that aquarium sounds nice, doesn't it? But DD wants something she can pet.

You know what? If this pandemic goes on much longer, we're going to end up with an aquarium of blue danios AND a parrotlet! Thank goodness we live in the suburbs and aren't allowed to have chickens or goats or horses, otherwise she'd want those too!

If you already have a dog, why can't she pet the dog and be responsible for a dog? I'd get a puppy over a parrotlet if dog allergies are not the issue. Birds just aren't that pettable or interesting. (Hamsters and guinea pigs are pettable but maybe have the same issue as chinchillas?)

OP here.

My daughter's particular focus is animals. She wants to be a zoologist. She feeds and grooms and plays with the dog, but apparently it's not anywhere near enough. Some birds, including the parrotlet, thrive on human attention and interaction. The parrot family is highly intelligent and trainable. They love to be gently caressed on the head and back, and snuggle on your shoulder, and of course, some can be taught to talk.

I need to research how dangerous my open floor plan is, though, regarding kitchen fumes. Don't want to kill the bird as soon as I burn something on the stove...

[Anonymous]

Those birds are too smart to be pets. Even if you get a very social one who happens to like your daughter (which is a big IF because they have a wide range of personalities), it’s no life for a pet.

I would think a rodent would be better and certainly easier to get rid of. A guinea pig maybe? If you already have a dog, I don’t see how another furry thing could be a dust/asthma problem

[Anonymous]

NP here; used to manage a pet store that turned into a parrot store, so learned a lot about parrots. Then I rescued a few and have had parrots all my life (I'm 54 now), so have some experience differentiating the species when it comes to having pets. I have noticed that there is a real hesitancy for anyone or any article to slag on any sort of parrot, but different species have distinct personalities and in general, some make much better pets than others.

First, the "kitchen odors" thing mostly has to do with non-stick cookware. Non-stick cookware, if allowed to get TOO hot, emits a gas that kills birds. Our bird is in our kitchen because they are flock animals and it would be cruel to leave him in a bedroom by himself. We're always in the kitchen which is part of a great room, and always within line of sight for the bird so he's not lonely. I got rid of all non-stick cookware except a small egg pan and never burn that pan because I'm always watching the eggs while I cook them.

Also, his cage door is always open during the day, and I have a cage where the cage door opens downwards and stops, sort of like a plank, and he sits at that spot.

Parrotletts are not the friendliest birds. They may be small but they are really not the friendliest, or brightest, or tame-able birds. I don't think they are great first birds for anyone. Young parrotletts *are* sweet--almost all young parrots of any species are sweet, which is why they sell. But certain species are not great pets after puberty.

In my opinion, there are two great choices for first-time parrot owners (and I've owned both types extensively):

1) The parakeet (budgie, budgerigar) which comes in an English or American variety, or mixed. The American is the most common in the US. The budgie looks similar to the wild budgie, but comes in many amazing colors.

While with many parrots, male vs. female doesn't really matter, I personally like male budgies because they chatter happily all day--they are just happy little guys and their mood is contagious.

A female budgie has a brown cere (nose) that sometimes is flakey. A male budgie has a blue cere.

A baby budgie has a light violet cere and if really young, its yellow beak may have some black on it. If you are looking at babies but want a male, look for male behaviors (chatting, bobbing happily, and/or pretend or real regurgitating for another budgie)

2) The cockatiel. The cockatiel is not the prettiest parrot--no jewel greens or blues--but it is a fantastic bird. The reason is it's got a big bird brain in a little bird body. It's smart. It's actually a cockatoo, just a miniature one. Cockatoos are a class of parrot that likes to be petted and coddled. Big cockatoos like cuddling way too much, though, and can never get enough--but cockatiels are ok with ambient attention.

A cockatiel is not big enough to take off a finger or eat through your table leg in 5 minutes (I have had a cockatoo for 25+ years and had to buy extra table legs). Cockatiels can emote, but they are not ear-splitting screams of a cockatoo. They are small, but way smarter than a parrotlet or a parakeet.

Male or female, cockatiels are sweet. Males may whistle a little more than females, but both are loves. I had a cockatiel for 20 years that I could communicate with just by looking at him! If I looked at him a certain way, he'd walk over to me.

Ok I hope that helps. Whomever you get, please consider feeding them all sorts of things besides seeds--whatever you are eating that day (except chocolate or avocados).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Yes, I fully realize I will need to supervise feeding and do some basic clicker training myself, as she's too inexperienced to do it. There's a local bird place where we can board a pet parrot. When DD leaves for college, I am prepared to care for a bird.

I haven't decided yet because of two things:
1. I've heard that kitchen fumes can be deadly to birds, and we have an open floor plan.
2. PP is correct, birds are not domesticated like dogs. Is it right to house a parrot? On the other hand, it would be a bird bred for the pet market, not taken directly out of the wild. It would have a pleasant life in my house: uncaged several hours each day, large flight cage at night, enrichment, toys, specialized avian vet, etc...

Yes, that aquarium sounds nice, doesn't it? But DD wants something she can pet.

You know what? If this pandemic goes on much longer, we're going to end up with an aquarium of blue danios AND a parrotlet! Thank goodness we live in the suburbs and aren't allowed to have chickens or goats or horses, otherwise she'd want those too!

If you already have a dog, why can't she pet the dog and be responsible for a dog? I'd get a puppy over a parrotlet if dog allergies are not the issue. Birds just aren't that pettable or interesting. (Hamsters and guinea pigs are pettable but maybe have the same issue as chinchillas?)

OP here.

My daughter's particular focus is animals. She wants to be a zoologist. She feeds and grooms and plays with the dog, but apparently it's not anywhere near enough. Some birds, including the parrotlet, thrive on human attention and interaction. The parrot family is highly intelligent and trainable. They love to be gently caressed on the head and back, and snuggle on your shoulder, and of course, some can be taught to talk.

I need to research how dangerous my open floor plan is, though, regarding kitchen fumes. Don't want to kill the bird as soon as I burn something on the stove...

Parrots bond to one person:

http://everythingbirdsonline.com/care-feeding/comp...e-person-birds/?v=1d20b5ff1ee9

It is cruel to put a bird in a cage and it is cruel for its person to leave it with other people.

You don't seem to be taking in the feedback on this thread. That's your choice, but then why post?