Thinking of being a bird mom

[WheatThins]

I'm seriously thinking of becoming a bird mom. I'm not going to run out and get a bird because I think they're cute. I want to learn as much as I can before I make a decision about this. I've fallen in love with african greys, but I realize they may not be the right bird for me. So, here I am!

[ndeben]

Congrats for researching first!!!!! Tell us about your lifestyle, apartment vs home, what do you want in a bird, talks, not talks, big bird, small bird, are you home alot, work away alot. Do you have other pets, small children, we dont want to get personal, but general things about you may help. Do you want a baby, or a rescue, location where you live....

[WheatThins]

I live in a 1 bedroom apartment. I do have 2 cats but they spend most of their time in my bedroom occupying my bed. When I'm not home, they are not allowed to roam the apartment as they are known to sharpen claws on naughty things. Occasionally, I will have a blue heeler mix dog, who adores cats and I don't think there would be an issue with a bird as she knows what "baby" and "be nice" means.

I enjoy spending ample time with my pets. I spend so much time with my cats that one plays fetch and brings me toys when he wants to play and the other one will wake me up at the same time, daily, by trying to pick me up with his paws. (good luck with that one, kitty!)

As for work, I have a Mon-Fri 2nd shift job for 8 hours per night. I am pretty much home all day during daylight and wake up around 10am. So from 10am to 3:30 pm, I have time to play, then to work.. get home around 1am.

I'm not sure if that would be a proper schedule for a birds as I don't want to mess up its sleeping patterns. (I know mine are....) However, I am looking to change jobs and hoping to find something to do from home that is not a scam. I couldn't have a bird and not pay attention to it.. That would just be cruel.

If I do decide to get a bird, I would hope for a rescue. Both my cats are rescues. The fish.. Well.. I did get them at a pet store..

[micki]

hi and welcome. u are doin the right thing to take your time thinking about which bird u choose.

[my-africangrey-echo]

Welcome to our forum.. I hope we here can help you with your decision. I have a zoo here myself. I have to big goofy Golden Retrievers and two cats all of whom were here before Echo and my tiels. Since Echo can look at my cats face to face when he is on the ground they are intimated by him and will usually just watch from a distance.. If Echo starts to walk to them they will take off because they know they will get bit by that one big tooth we call a beak! My dogs are afraid of that beak too.

My cats are inside cats too so they have never had the opportunity to hunt and even though they like to watch the birds outside have no idea what hunting is about. The few times we have had a mouse in the house they have no clue what to do with it except watch it.

I would suggest a larger bird like a grey/eclectus etc if you have cats just for size intimidation factor with the cats.

Most of all what ever you decide take your time and read read read.

[jenseits]

How wonderful that you're doing all this research before getting a bird. I encourage you to visit parrots up for adoption through a rescue organization to see if there's anyone yo really click with.

If you're on the East Coast, for example, Phoenix Landing has hundreds of birds currently in foster care. One thing the volunteers of Phoenix Landing like to point out is that most of the birds aren't "rescues" per se (i.e., they're not "problem birds") - many of them are wonderful pets whose owners for whatever reason couldn't keep them.

Check out this interview with Ann Brooks, Founder of Phoenix Landing - she gives some wonderful insights into the joys of helping parrots find new homes.

[WheatThins]

I did fail to mention I am in the Dallas, TX area. Sorry about that!

I am seriously reading everything I can. Whether I will get a bird, or not, this year, depends on if I feel completely comfortable with the situation I would be bringing the bird in to. My living room is quite large, so it would accomodate a moderately sized cage. Of course, I wouldn't keep the bird in that cage 24/7. I've noticed that the more talkative birds are always on the perch (videos on youtube), and/or are being talked to by their owners. So much to learn for me!

[my-africangrey-echo]

Oh yes you talk to them as if they are your kids. The more you talk to them the more they learn. Believe me they are smart and will not only understand you depending on which bird you end up deciding on they will talk to you in context.

[Ina246]

Are your cats declawed? You have to be careful that they dont scratch the bird. We have never had a problem with a cat we babysit and the bird. But just to be safe they are seperated when we are not around. But Brea(the dog) and Jezz are left alone together after many hours and days of supervision. Gwen and buddy can be left alone with her, but they try to eat her food and drink her water. Gwen will get dog food and put it in her dish and take some pellet as a trade. They like to lick eachothers mouths after they eat.

If you are looking at getting a Grey do you have allergies?

As for your schedule, we are night people here, our bird is on the same schedule. She goes to bed about 3 or 4 in the morning to about 2 in the afternoon. She needs atleast 10 hours of sleep, based on the vet research and experience. Just like a person she gets crabby if she gets woken up early. We just put a cover on her cage for bed time. I know some people disagree but the vet said it would be okay for her. This way she also get max love time.

I would recommend going to a bird store or a bird expo to see what kind of bird you like. Most people at an expo love to talk all about their birds and answer questions they also will tell you things you never thought to ask. This way you can see different species with different sizes. But remember that a bird will choose you before you choose him, so keep an open mind.

Bird Species
When you have a couple of hours to kill. It list different bird and has a description of them. It also has pictures of them as well. I prefer the parrot page for obvious reasons.

I am sure that was not much help, but it is hard to say what bird might fit you and your life with not knowing much about you. Jezzabelle for example need a bath atleast once a week and also needs fresh fruit, veggies and other people food daily in addition to pellet(birdie kibble) and seeds. She also goes through tons of toys, Amazons(like may birds) love to destroy stuff. She can eat a wood toy if too small in less then a week. We buy Macaw size toys now. She also needs foraging toys. So your birdie budget will also dictate the size bird you can get.

Good luck with your decision, keep us posted.

[WheatThins]

I don't know if I'm allergic to birds, or not.. That's something I have considered. The cats are not declawed and never will be. However, they are accustomed to being in my bedroom most of the time. (It's not MY bed anymore, I merely lease space on it from those 2 by providing food, water and entertainment... )

A bird expo sounds fantastic. I wonder if it would be possible to spend time with someone who rescues birds... I just don't want to run out and buy a bird without doing my homework.. Who knows, maybe a bird will not be right for me.. But I never know unless I investigate!