Six Questions You Must Ask

Before Buying Your Child a Parrot

1. Is your child responsible enough for a bird? Caring for a dog or cat is very different but do they at least care for other pets regularly without being told. Neglecting other pets is a sure sign that they'll also neglect a pet parrot. They may care for it for a couple weeks but eventually they'll treat it just like they do other pets. Nobody ever said that 'past performance is a perfect predictor of future performance' but sometimes it's all you have to go on.
2. Is your child planning on leaving soon (college, military etc)? This probably means they won't be able to take the bird with them? This is one of the top reasons for not getting a child a pet parrot. Unless you're prepared to take care of it in their absence then this should be reason enough not to get a pet parrot.
3. Is this just the latest in a long list of 'must haves' that turn into 'no longer wants'? Are you prepared to step in when your child moves on to the next 'must have' thing? If they've demonstrated a propensity to move from one 'must have' thing to another then a pet parrot will probably be the next 'must have' thing that they realize they 'no longer want'.
4. Does your child have the time required to care for a parrot? Kids usually have a lot of other activities such as sports, school activities and boy/girlfriends that prevent them from spending the required time with a parrot. Depending on the species, parrots can take a LOT of time to care for. This includes the basics of cleaning, feeding and providing fresh water but also includes spending time with them and bonding with them.
5. Can the child pay for all the costs of a pet parrot? If not, are you prepared to pay for all the costs? This includes regular care and maintenance as well as regular vet visits. The cost of a parrot can be overwhelming. Do your research up front to estimate the costs. Of course there's the obvious costs (initial purchase, daily food, daily cleaning supplies) but there are often over looked costs (toys, vet visits, etc). These often overlooked costs can be a real shocker if you don't do your homework before purchasing a parrot.
6. Does your child show initiative and maturity in other areas such as doing chores, homework etc? If you constantly have to remind them about their other responsibilities then adding another responsibility probably isn't a good idea. The parrot will surely become just another chore that they don't want to do.

You've probably picked up on a theme here. The bottom line is that you have to be ready to step up and care for the pet parrot if/when you child no longer wants it. This shouldn't be taken lightly. Most pet parrots require a considerable amount of time to properly care for. Finding a new home for a pet parrot isn't always easy and it's also a very traumatic event for most parrots. So the bottom line is, if you're not willing to care for the parrot for it's lifetime (which will most likely be longer than your lifetime) when your child no longer wants it, then a pet parrot is not recommended.

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This article was originally published on www.InfoSuperFlyway.com. The InfoSuperFlyway website is dedicated to Kibibi the talking African Grey Parrot (Congo African Grey) with sights, sounds, audio, videos, articles, top ten lists, parrot jokes, parrot humor, and Clicker training info! Original Article Source: Six Questions You Must Ask Before Buying Your Child a Parrot

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