If you've decided on a bird for a pet, choosing the right one the first time is the best thing that can happen for you and the bird. Here are 7 important things to think about before you bring your feathered friend home.
Life Span---Some parrots have a life expectancy of 70! This is a huge factor when adopting. Your age and general health should be factored into this decision. If you are older, adopting a pet that is expected to have a shorter life expectancy would help insure that you would always be there to take care of it. In matters of the heart, we don't always get to choose who or what we love do we?
Clean Up---All pets are going to create the need for extra cleaning. However, there are some species of birds (powder down) that create a white dust that is a natural part of their growth and development.
Needless to save, this can become overwhelming in terms of trying to literally keep the dust and dander down. These birds include the African Grey, Cockatoo, and Cockatiel. As gorgeous as these birds are, if you want low maintenance, look elsewhere.
Size---Size does matter because it is direct proportion to how much space your pet will need to stay physically and emotionally healthy. The bigger the bird, the larger the cage needs to be.
The ideal cage should allow enough space for it to fly inside both vertically and laterally without damaging its wings. If living space is limited choosing small rather than large is a better choice. If space is not an issue a large bird or two may work for you.
Personality---This is such an important factor to consider before you bring your pet home. Observing and interacting with it at different times during the day will give you a pretty accurate idea of what to expect.
Even though personality traits are generalized by species, each one is different. Taking time to get to know individual traits will make for a happier match and hopefully save the heartbreak of finding out that you are unable to live with issues that were not apparent before you brought it home.
Life Style---Here's where doing a little research about the type of bird you're considering will pay big dividends. If you have plenty to spend then choosing a bird that needs a lot of attention from its human is a great match.
If, however, you travel a lot or work long hours and lack the time and energy necessary to satisfy a more social bird, maybe fish are a better choice, or a pair of birds that can entertain themselves. This is a crucial piece of information to know before you finalize your decision.
Noise Level---Find out what kinds of sounds your avian friend makes, and consider your living conditions. If you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse where walls adjoin, loud and/or continuous shrieks can cause everybody to become unhappy.
Most importantly, remember that regardless of what the general description is of the variety you are looking at, each pet is an individual and you should do everything you can to get to know what that means for the bird you are considering.
Social Graces---As with people, some pets are more able to get along with people, small children, and other pets. Consider who is going to live with you and this pet and do a little homework about what to expect. If the research shows that a particular type of bird is not good with family members that you know it is going to be exposed to, better to know up front than after you have made your decision.
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