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Original poster

Anyone got a parrot?

8 replies

wannaBe1974 · 01/03/2006 18:41

Ever since I was small I've had birds, budgies and cokateels and they've invariably always been tame and I've always loved them. Don't currently have any but have always, ever since I can remember, wanted a parrot. DH says absolutely no, and tbh I prob wouldn't get one while have young children, but was just wondering - does anyone have one?

OP posts:
Thirtysix · 09/03/2006 12:55

I have an African Grey-unless youfancy taking on another "toddler" I would wait until your children are older.
I love him to bits and he is very chatty but requires almost constant attention.
Biggest downside is that all birds ceate their own "dust" to keep feathers nice.Bigger the bird greater the amount of dust.
I have had him fo ryears but there are times andwould never get rid of him but there are times when I wish he would fall off his perch....like the time he ate the mantlepiece in two hours...or the time he stripped our newly wallpapered room,or the time he shouted "bugger off" at our new neighbours or the time he pooed on the plasma....

Biggest problem I have is who looks after him when we go away.He doesn't like men for a start so it does lmit the choices.....I do love him though.

georginarf · 09/03/2006 13:02

he ate a mantelpiece????!!!!! how!

he sounds lovely though

Thirtysix · 09/03/2006 18:42

He relly doesn't like being in his cage so I leave him out as much as possible-very happy to stand ON his cage,just not in it.
Anyway,not long after we had moved house I went out to the shops-was only going to be half an hour.Bumped into an old friend and decided to have coffee so was gone a couple of hours.In that time Harry ecided that he didn't like being left alone for that long and to ease his boredom would eat the mantlepiece-and boy did he!
He managed to chew right around the whole thing,eat one of the uprights completely away and gnaw most of the mantle shelf away too.
It was of course wooden and I have to saythat nothing made of wood is safe from a parrot.Well nothing made of anything really-he likes zips too-none of us have any zips left on any coats!

His beak is s powerful I am convinced he could get through steel if he really wanted to.

georginarf · 10/03/2006 13:06

wow!
though I guess I should know it's possible, as I've seen NZ keas (member of parrot family I think) destroy cars, outbuildings, tents etc.

I've always had a hankering for a parrot but realised long ago that it was not for us. Met a lovely grey parrot getting out of a car (on his owner's shoulder) near my sister's house not so long ago, he was very friendly

kreamkrackers · 12/03/2006 14:14

i have an orange winged amazon. dp persuaded me to get it. it's the most horrible pet i've come across and it's in our house! we've had it almost a year and i used to talk and sing to it all day long for months and it still wouldn't let me come near it. dp doesn't even bother with it so it's been left to me and now i'm pg again the mw told me not to go near it and dp still isn't intersted. we've spent over £300 on it's cage, £200 for the bird and now we're trying to get rid of it and we're probably going to loose all our money we spent as who would want to buy an evil parrot? i would never get one again. i read the books on parrots after we got one and after reading the books i realised this is not my kind of pet. it hates everyone who comes into the house and has a very loud skreetch noise that almost deafens me. i try talking to it when it's in a mood like this and it gets worse and worse. sorry to say but i actually hate it.

kiskidee · 12/03/2006 14:17

parrots have really long life expectancies. Amazons live to 30-35 yrs. how long a commitment you want to make? Even budgies will live for 12-15.

kiskidee · 12/03/2006 14:19

sorry to hear that kreamkrackers. parrots mate for life. sounds like this one has chosen a human as a mate and its not you. hence, his manners to you will never change.

Thirtysix · 12/03/2006 21:35

Maybe you should cu your losses and contact parrot rescue.Sounds like that the parrot is a s miserable as you and maybe it would be better for everyone if he was to be taken on by the professionals?
If you need any further help with this-let me have you eemail addres and I will do everything I can

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