Having a very loving and tame pet parrot is an ongoing commitment that requires daily handling, training, and communicating. Getting a tame baby parrot does not guarantee that it will continue to be tame when it grows up. Getting a tame adult parrot that came from a good home will also not guarantee that you will have a tame bird months later. Even adult parrots that come from a good upbringing can easily revert back to its wild behaviors, if that parrot does not continue to receive the proper care, handling and training that it needs daily.
The most common mistake people make is getting a tame baby from a pet store or breeder, and then not follow up with the proper care, nutrition and training. Years later they wonder what went wrong and why their birds pluck their feathers, become aggressive or are too wary. The sad parrot becomes the victim to another abandonment. Those of us who have shared the joys of an intelligent parrot, know how smart, sensitive, loving, comical and emotional they are.
You hear stories of people who adopt a pet bird that "was sweet when they first got it"... not realizing that parrots don't come that way naturally, but rather a tame and loving pet parrot is the result of hard work and dedication by the humans who raise them in this (their unnatural) world. The human world does not come easy for a wild bird. Handfed or not, parrots are wild animals. Understanding us and trying to live in a caged/house environment give them little satisfaction and stimulation, unlike what they have in their natural environment. For these beautiful, wild, and intelligent birds to live in a home so different than what they are supposed to live in, they need to be given a lot of mentally-stimulating activities, consistent care & training, so that they can live with and understand the humans around them. In return we need to provide them with a healthy diet and quality lifestyle to bring out their best. Without a well thought-out plan, daily training, continued education (on the human's part) and time commitment, these sensitive and intelligent creatures will not stay tame for long.
Zachary's Amazon Parrot Information site will guide you through the topics of parrot upbringing and care in the human environment. The buttons on your left will take you through each chapter that should soon be part of your daily life - if you want a tame and loving pet parrot. The result of their happiness and love towards you are worth every effort.
However, if you are not able to give a large parrot the necessary time, love and daily training, please do not get one. There are many other pets that do not require as much as a large parrot does to stay tame and happy. Be smart and get a pet that corresponds with your available time, abilities, and schedule. Having a pet that you can't control is no fun for all involved, but most of all, it's not fair to a sensitive, intelligent creature like a parrot, who can grow to a 4 year old child's mentality. Please do not adopt a parrot unless you are ready to commit to its well being, happiness and quality of life for the rest of its living years.
Our personal opinion about pet parrots is that: We wish that large parrots are not available as pets for just anyone. They are too complex, wild in nature, and a handful for most people. Even those who can handle their complexities at first, cannot keep up their care for many years as they live for a long time. As a result, many wonderful pet parrots have been subjected to abandonment, self-mutilation, and abuse by its human family. The sad, long list in a bird classifieds section shows you just how many people adopt parrots without knowing what they are getting themselves into. Sadly, as long as money can be made, breeders and pet stores will continue to breed and sell them. As a responsible human caretaker, please do the necessary homework before you begin the journey of bringing a large parrot into your life. This cannot be emphasized enough. Children & teenagers should not get a large parrot as their pet, unless their parents share the responsibility, and be ready to take over fully when the child goes away to school. These birds require too much care that most adults can't even provide. Not to mention the high expense of keeping them tame. |
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