My wife and I have been going back and forth about a pet. She is against having a dog (don't ask ) and I am allergic to cats.

She had a parakeet when she was a child and her grandfather had one (it drank vodka) so she is thinking about a parrot. While I am not opposed to a parrot I know little more than they can live for decades and they have a good sense of rhythm thanks to Marzie's videos.

Details;
- 6yo boy - he is very loving and gentle but still a 6yo boy.
- good sized house, 2 story
- I will traveling a great deal and my wife works 7-6 daily. My MIL will be home during the day.

A friend has one. A "pre-owned" Parrot.

He will squawk and squeal very loud. Then he will follow up with "Shut up!"

Apparently his previous owner was not appreciative of his expressing himself.

Wooden furniture will be gnawed on. He has a late 30's China cabinet that has been "personalized".

Personally I would teach him to say "I taste like chicken".

Do you really want the parrot to sound like your MIL?

We had several parakeets in our house over the years. When our last one died we were considering a parrot. A visit to a local shop/breeder who hand raises birds in his household changed our minds.

We watched one large bird aim a projectile dump across two cages at another bird. The shop owner commented that he needed to get a room divider between the two of them because they didn't get along. He also warned us that having a parrot was like having a two year old as a part of your family for the next 20 or more years. He also suggested that we would need to childproof the house because they get into everything as they explore.

Over the years I had a couple of birds. The larger parrots should be considered a lifelong pet. Your best choice is a spoonfed bird as it will think humans are its parents and seem to adapt well to living with people. Less biting and some other bad habits that come with birds that have not been raised in this way. Hopefully one of the folks with more expertise will show up here.

I worked in a business that had a Double Yellow-Headed Amazon parrot for many years. He spent days on an open perch, and nights in a cage. His wings were clipped so that he couldn't fly far, but they'd grow out over time.

I enjoyed him, but he could be a real bastard. Sometimes he'd decided he didn't like a particular employee, meaning they had to be on constant alert for possible aerial attack. I don't recall him ever going after strangers. It was the faces he knew that set him off.

I was able to handle him most of the time, but every once in awhile he'd decide he wanted a piece of flesh from me, and he was pretty good at getting it.

Eventually he did bond to me, stopped biting me, and started to accept and enjoy affection. However, other people remained potential targets.

No way I'd ever want a bird again that had the temperment to bite like that f-cker did.

Just don't name it Pebbles...

So far these comments don't seem like a real positive endorsement for the idea!

If you buy a Norwegian Blue, be sure to read the fine print on the warranty.

I’m not fond of parrots as pets – way too noisy.

But I had a wonderful pet parakeet when I was a kid. That little bird had TONS of personality! He would land on my desktop while I was doing my school homework, grab my wooden pencil in his beak, raise it high and march around proudly. He also liked to grab a sheet of paper and go chickety-chickety-chickety… along the length of one edge, leaving the edge looking as though it had been ripped from a spiral bound notebook.

He would also land on my shoulder, dive into my shirt pocket and march back and forth with only his tail feathers showing above the pocket. Then he’d jump up and grab the edge of the pocket with his claws with only his head showing and peer about happily.

Lots of affection too. He’d happily sit on my shoulder for long periods. He certainly recognized me – choosing my shoulder rather than other family members.

He would mutter pleasantly, not loudly. I marveled that God could pack so much personality into that tiny little brain.

I love parrots, macaws, cockatoos, etc. As a kid volunteered at Parrot Jungle in Miami.

I had a cockatoo as a pet once because a work teammate bought an import Goffin Cockatoo and was torturing it/did not know how to care for the bird. I eventually donated to the Jungle.

Unless you can give the care, time, and patience needed for 20 years or more - I wouldn't recommend. They are intelligent (think 2 year old), emotional animals that need a bond and preferably a second parrot/mate. They are loud, can be A**holes to some, etc. Unless you are prepared for all of that - I would not recommend a parrot, and definitely not a wild caught bird. For those that have the patience and time, they are great companions / pets.

My friend had one that often said "fuck you".
Fine pet!

Do your research before you select a breed. Keep in mind you are making a long commitment. It's not going to die in 15 years like a dog.

Another issue is if you are wrong and decide you do not want it, the larger birds do not adapt easily to new owners.

You are committing to something long term.

I raced cars with a guy who inherited a parrot from his parents, so it was probably already in the 40-years age range and still healthy.

He was aggravated to no end that he couldn't get the parrot to talk, but totally unaware that it did a perfect imitation of his wife's rather distinctive laugh.

"At the end of the day, parrots are wild animals," says the parrot owner with bites on her face.




Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va0Vq3UuBfw

We have had a Blue and Gold Macaw for about 20+ years, his name is Ziggy.
We got him when he was still needing hand feeding.
We all love him but some more than others.
Ziggy can be VERY LOUD. He speaks fluently.
Not a pet you would want to deal with in an Apartment or Condo.
Ziggy is MESSY!
As pointed out, he is like a perpetual 2 year old, Tantrums when he wants something, and all you get from yelling "shut up" is the same reply back to you.
Be aware, Parrots are EXTREMELY SMART! Ziggy listens to everything no matter what room you may be in he is listening.
He can be very affectionate then SUDDENLY take a bite out of you. Parrots are NEVER really tamed and can never be complexly trusted, especially around strangers.
You MUST learn how to handle a bird, you can NEVER let it think that you fear it or that it has YOU under control.

Over the years I have come to the conclusion that I would never have a bird again. I feel VERY guilty keeping a creature so smart, in a cage for so many hours at a time. Of all creatures a bird should not be caged, they are meant to be free.
"Free as a bird"

I have 4 parrots. Have had them since the late 80’s early 90’s, and they are still going strong. Two were already mature adults when acquired.
Do your research on the types of parrots - for example, I’d never recommend a cockatoo unless you’re home all the time. They COMMIT to you. Amazons and macaws are more bouncy (double yellow heads and scarlets can be pretty feisty), and African greys are more thoughtful, and easily offended. All can live ridiculously long lives. There are many other kinds of parrots- Amazons, macaws, greys, caiques, conures, lorikeets, eclectus, cockatoos, cockatiels, budgies, parakeets-these are the ones I saw most often when I worked with an avian vet.
A budgie, otoh, I’ve seen live about 30 years, and has a tremendous, fun filled personality in a tiny package. They are far less expensive than the larger birds, and often far more charming. Also, perhaps consider a mynah or similar? Not parrots, but still very charming and cool, and perhaps without quite the longevity. Best of luck, but please, do your research. Two of my parrots were rehomes, where the owner either got tired of the bird and it’s behavior after years of tolerance, or didn’t realize what they were getting into in the first place, and once they caught on (hundreds in vet bills and constant begging for attention) wanted nothing more to do with the baby bird.
Super sad.

Yes my cockatoo is the love of my life. I can't see me ever without her.

However, she is LOUD, and EXTREMELY destructive.

She is a cuddle sponge, frighteningly smart and can carry on a conversation with you.

I used to work at a pet store when I was a kid. That experience really made me very aware of the commitment of a parrot. Think child for 30-70 years.

And, as a former pet store employee, I can tell you that there are a lot of other bird options with less of a life commitment (although I personally hate birds as pets, but that not even worth $.02).

I can say that there are a ton of other animals that would make great pets that aren't birds, cats or dogs though.

Mammals: rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, sugar babies, hedgehogs

Reptiles/amphibs: leopard geckos, frogs, chameleons, newts/salamanders

Fish: of all kids.

There are a lot of engaging alternatives that you don't have to: 1) engage a nanny to deal with if you are on vacation, 2) use a T/E attorney to life plan for, and 3) will be quiet at 3:00 am for their entire lives without much fail.