Ok, you want a parrot, but why do you want one? Do you know which type you want? Maybe one of your friends has one, maybe you saw Pirates of the Caribbean and thought a parrot on your shoulder would look cool or maybe parrots have been your interest or hobby for a long time and now you just want to have one instead of reading about them. Whatever the reason, stop for just a moment and think about it.
Do you really know what parrots are like? Really, really know what they are like? Noisy, destructive, at times aggressive, spirited and, if neglected, often uncontrollable. In fact if you think you are going to be able to control your parrot dream on. It’s not going to happen. Parrots are creatures of the wild and you should never forget this. No matter how much care and attention you lavish your bird with, at the end of the day they are still wild animals. And just like the lion tamer who thinks his charge is now tame and then gets attacked so too the parrot owner can think his pet has also been tamed only to have it “uncharacteristically” turn and get out of hand.
And that is precisely why parrots have become the fastest growing “unwanted pet” in the world. In many cases parrots are purchased on a whim without any consideration being given to the fact they are wild animals, often unpredictable and definitely untameable. They make lots of noise, real loud noise, and there is no way on this earth you can control or stop this. They are incredibly destructive and no amount of “taming” or “training” is going to stop that either. So think very carefully before you get one. Parrots are magnificent creatures and deserve more than just spending their lives behind bars. So weigh up all the pros and cons before you get one. Do your homework. Find out what they are like, what they need, what you can expect. Decide if you can handle it. If you don’t think you can, if there is even the slightest doubt DON’T. You don’t want to be one of those owners who realizes he has taken on more than he can handle and then looks to offload his parrot on the first available sucker. Or even one of those owners who realising he has taken on something he has no hope of handling just opens the cage one day and shoos the bird out sending it to certain death. It would be more humane to wring the birds neck yourself!
Investigate thoroughly before buying. In the business world it’s called “due diligence”. No businessman would ever consider buying a business without fully investigating that business first so don’t buy a parrot before you know what you need to know to decide whether owning a parrot is for you or not. Make sure you know what you are getting into BEFORE you buy your bird. A bit like marriage it’s too late afterwards!
