Parrot owners

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littlewings

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I am considering getting a parrot this year (conure, for any interested). Currently I am in my second year of undergrad, with intentions of going to vet school. I was wondering if there were any vet students who had a parrot, and if they feel they have enough time to spend with the bird (giving indirect attention and direct attention). I would hate to get a bird, only to have to rehome it because my schedule is too demanding.

Thanks!

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An old friend of mine had a conure and it was very very loud. Nice bird, but loud. He did end up finding it a new home (not only because of that). Just make sure you could deal with that while studying or that you have a big enough house that you could get away from it once in a while.
 
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My question wasn't about the noise of the bird, I am aware of that, but thank you for pointing it out as I know there are lots of people who get a bird and expect something different. I came across the motto " a noisy bird is a healthy bird," and I think that's pretty fair, as they are fairly vocal creatures.

I was wondering more about the time I would be able to spend with the bird, and if there was anyone who had a bird in school, and their experiences. However, hearing from other people's experience with having pets while in vet school would be awesome too! Since it looks like no one has a bird!
 
My question wasn't about the noise of the bird, I am aware of that, but thank you for pointing it out as I know there are lots of people who get a bird and expect something different. I came across the motto " a noisy bird is a healthy bird," and I think that's pretty fair, as they are fairly vocal creatures.

I was wondering more about the time I would be able to spend with the bird, and if there was anyone who had a bird in school, and their experiences. However, hearing from other people's experience with having pets while in vet school would be awesome too! Since it looks like no one has a bird!

Here is my opinion, but take it with a grain of salt. I have pets, and I love my pets. Vet school demands more of my time then I would have imagined. I feel guilty neglecting my pets at least a couple of times a week. After only a few weeks of vet school I have already had one quiz and one exam. From here on out it looks like a minimum of one quiz a week and up to 3 exams a week. Classes generaly start at 8am and end ~4:30pm. We do get out earlier every once in a while, but I also have classes that last later (up to about 6pm), and classes that require group meetings with access to the library that can keep me there later. We do have a longish lunch here, but it is also filled with required class activities, club meetings, hospital rounds, etc. So far, I have only had one lunch where I was not busy, and then I was studying for an exam.

I will not rehome my pets, but I take extra time daily to be sure they have enrichment actitivies for the hours I am not home. I routinely am away for over 12 hours. I am fortunate to have bought a house in an area where I can have a dog run outside (inside of another fence) with access to my house, where I have an x-pen set up. Less of a worry with a bird, but I don't know how healthy it is for a bird to be caged for 20 hours a day either. Even when I am home, I am studying or trying to figure out electives or work on evidence based med or such. So generally, I get home, play with my pets and feed them (~1/2 hour) then I study till bed time, were I try to give them some more attention before falling asleep. I know some of my classmates are struggling and encountering issues with their pet.

If I hadn't owned my pets before applying to vet school (I am a non-trad) I would not have obtained them with the plan to attend. I would have waited till after at least the first semester to make that decision. I am fortunate to have the indoor/outdoor access and a variety of devices to entertain them and keep them occupied throughout the day.

So, I think it depends on your lifestyle. If you aren't likely to be active with clubs or extracurricular activities (wet labs here are a big one) or to want to spend extra time in anatomy labs or at study sessions, or you don't feel guilty about an animal getting minimal attention, it might work out. I admit that I never thought it would be this challenging to give my beloved pets the appropriate amount of attention and time. Now, when I give them attention, it is focused and intensive...their favorite activities in concentrated bursts...trying to outweigh lack of quantity with quality. Maybe if I had couch-potato pets, rather than athletic working dogs, it would be easier. I seem to recall conures as being social....I just wonder if isolation would present issues. My recall on birds may also be poor.
 
Disclaimer: I have never owned a bird. my opinion is based soley on shadowing an avian vet for the past year

I think the thing with birds is that they like routine. Many of the bird owners that come in to the vet practice I shadow at, who have generally healthy birds, have a set routine that they go through with their birds. Up at the same time each day, eat breakfast together, home at the same time each day, eat dinner together, socialize, bed time.

Unfortunately we see a lot a lot a lot of birds with anxiety disorders - over preening, self-mutilation, excessive vocalization, etc. It is impossible to mimic the birds natural 'flock' which they have with them 24 hours a day under normal circumstances. and this can be hard for a bird.

My vet always recommends people interested in getting a bird for the first time check out mytoos.com its about cockatoos, but a lot of similar behaviour is seen in other birds as well.

Thats not to say that some birds can't adapt, because of course some do. Its just hard to know if the bird you get will be able to adapt well or not. I do know vet school graduates who do have birds, but I think they got them later in their schooling, when they were certain they could care for them appropriately.

Maybe you could wait until you are more sure of your schedule/where you will be? I'm sure moving once you are accepted to vet school will put a lot of stress on your birdie.
Good luck
 
I can sort of answer this. I have a cockatiel and I have been making it work pretty well so far. I actually think he's getting more out of cage time than when I was doing my masters. I agree with GellaBella about having a routine.

Mine's not as exact as she was describing, but it seems to work. When I wake up I feed the cats then take my bird out while they are occupied. He stays with me while I eat breakfast and he likes to come in the shower (he has his own perch in there). I tend to do these things slowly so he gets about an hour out there, then he goes back in his cage while I finish getting ready for school and while I'm gone all day. When I get home at night I cook then take him out whole I eat. I have a play gym for him to play on while I study, or if he wants to he sits on my shoulder. He's usually out any where from 2-3 hours in the evening. His cage is by my desk so I can leave him in there while I study too and he's never really alone. This is nice when he is determined to eat all of my papers. :rolleyes:

I've never had a parrot before and they may need more stimulation than that. I really don't know. You might consider a cockatiel. They're less expensive and much quieter (compared to a parrot). I'm a little biased though. :)

I hope this helps you make your decision.
 
I've never had a parrot before and they may need more stimulation than that. I really don't know. You might consider a cockatiel. They're less expensive and much quieter (compared to a parrot). I'm a little biased though. :)

I hope this helps you make your decision.

I'm on the other side of the spectrum and have had two large parrots. I have an African Grey and an Umbrella Cockatoo. The African Grey I have is probably the most perfect "pet" parrot out there. She's smart, interactive, and talkative, but is able to entertain herself for the most part, is not destructive, not too loud, and overall very easy to handle. The Cockatoo I have is on the good side of things too, but she has more "typical parrot issues."

If I leave my cockatoo out for one second unattended, the windowsill or dining table will have a huge chunk bitten off. You can hear her a quarter of a mile away even inside the house with the windows closed when she's screaming. When she has a tantrum, she can bite pretty hard and do quite the damage.

She is the biggest snuggle bug in the world and she's the love of my life, but her constant need for affection tore at me for a good 5 years of my adolescent life. She was never alone in the house as my mother was a stay at home mom, and I made sure that she had a good couple hours every evening of active play time with me. Even then, I always felt guilty about not being able to give her enough attention.

Even with my picture perfect African Grey, I don't think I would feel comfortable having her by myself in an apartment where I would be gone for a big chunk of the day. I assure you I would be evicted within a week with my cockatoo.

I've had quite a bit of experience with conures in a sanctuary setting, but not so much in a home environment. They are definitely easier to deal with than a cockatoo, but I would say that they are still quite a bit more demanding than a cockatiel. Other than the noise (which isn't that bad on the parrot spectrum, but still pretty significant) and vet bills, I don't see too much of a physical/logistical issue with having a conure. They're not nearly as destructive as the larger hookbills, though they like to bite ears, faces, and toes sometimes.

I'm not sure how prepared you are for emotional turmoil though... It's true that if you end up with the right bird, you can have a perfectly fine situation. With a good routine, lots of dedication, and $$$, I can see it working fine. However, what will you do IF you end up with a bird that screams 24/7, that mutilates himself no matter what you try, is not handlable, etc...? This happens to plenty of people and it's nearly impossible to predict in advance.

If you do decide to go for it, I would definitely set up a routine as kef148 suggested. I would also add that Bedtime routine is VERY important for parrots. They absolutely need 12 hours of quiet + dark sleep time every night for their physical and psychological health. So don't count on your playtime with your bird to be at 10 pm.

I would also try to get a large cage (larger than is typically recomended for a conure) with plenty of toys and enrichment, and a buddy for your conure. There's a whole slew of other problems associated with birdy buddies, but my personal experience has been that conures bond pretty well with each other. Having 2 will help with the boredom issue. Hope this helps at least somewhat.
 
OK so I swear I'm not a foster-spam bot, but you could think about fostering a parrot from a rescue so you can get an idea of the commitment and an idea of whether that particular bird and you work well together. Minnerbelle, do people foster parrots or do they not do well in a short term home situation?
 
OK so I swear I'm not a foster-spam bot, but you could think about fostering a parrot from a rescue so you can get an idea of the commitment and an idea of whether that particular bird and you work well together. Minnerbelle, do people foster parrots or do they not do well in a short term home situation?

Some organization do have foster home for parrots, and I'm sure that it would be much more manageable with a conure, but I'm not sure what kind of organization would be willing to allow a busy vet student to foster (or adopt one for that matter).

This is more the case with the larger parrots like macaws and cockatoos, but to a large extent, homeless parrots have it much worse than homeless cats and dogs. A large populations of birds in rescue groups have just exited from a viscious cycle, where one family takes in the bird, the bird is too much or too "obnoxious," bird is covered in a dark room/basement for a long time until the family can't take it anymore, and the bird goes to another family where the cycle starts over again. After 8-10 homes, these birds have gotten pretty messed up... and it really takes the most dedicated foster homes to rehabilitate them. I'm not sure it's the best thing to try for someone who's just trying to see if a bird fits their lifestyle.

But I guess I'm digressing somewhat, because this type of scenario isn't as common with smaller parrots (I just get emotionally charged about this topic since it's so close to my heart). Either way, bird fostering takes a lot more time, effort, and experience than dog/cat fostering so I'm not sure it's a good idea.

Also, birds can become VERY emotionally attached to their person so that's another thing to consider. They can become so attached (many think of their owners as their lifelong mates) that they can go into self-mutilation mode when their relationship gets disturbed. Cockatoos are notorious for this, but it can also happen with many parrot species. Cockatoos will sometimes kill their mates in a jealou rage (called "lover's rage"). My cockatoo got so upset when I got a boyfriend that she would attack me as soon as she knew I was on the phone with him. I could talk to other friends on the phone without her getting upset.


I guess more for info in case you're interested, common scenario for conures ending up in rescues are:

1.) owner didn't realize how psychologically sophisticated these birds were prior to acquiring them, and feels so guilty all the time about not being able to provide adequate care, and realizes that the best thing to do for the bird is to relinquish him/her to a rescue.

2.) parents get their kids a conure thinking it would be so awesome to get a singing bird that sits on their kids' shoulders. bird is loud! and the bird also bites... and the bird doesn't even talk!

3.) same as 2.) but minus the children. birds and biting is hard to get over. it's kind of like a non-cat person trying to handle cats. the more flinchy you are, the more they bite/scratch. the way i see it with birds, birds like to give warning bites (which in itself can be pretty damaging), and what matters most is how you react after the first bite. If you don't take control of the situation after the first bite, the real bite comes - and that one's dangerous. Well... I guess with conures it won't be too bad, but it can still draw blood.

4.) Kid goes off to college, and can't bring his/her bird. Since these birds are just more high maintenance than a dog or cat, leaving the birds for parents to take care of isn't really an option.
 
I know you're already aware of the noise issues, but I just wanted to stress that this could have a HUGE impact on you moving. My mom has probably the sweetest, most easygoing cockatoo in the world. If she lived in an area with close neighbors, there's no way she could own her. Remember that if the vet school you'll be trying for is in a city, or if you'll probably end up in an apartment and not a single family home, you'll want to consider that now before getting a bird. Also, unless you've got money saved up or you have parents who can help supplement your income, the extra money you'll have to spend to find a decent place that allows more/big/noisy pets is going to become really important and potentially really limiting.

I've never owned a bird, but I have pet-sat for a conure and an african grey parrot quite a few times. The conure was a sweet bird who I really liked, but part of the reason she was so well-behaved and adjusted is because she was on a strict routine and got a ton of attention. I know for me, personally, I wouldn't get a bird with plans on entering vet school. There are just too many variables and you're so busy - I know I, for one, could not handle it. However, if you have your heart really set on getting a conure and you're certain you can put the work in, I wouldn't say it's impossible. It would be a lot of work, though.
 
In my class we are seeing stress issues popping out all around from various pets. I don't think it is JUST the change in schedule, but the relocations, changes in environment, routine changes, water changes, etc. I do think routine/schedule have a lot to do with it. So far, the list has included anorexia, diarrhea, self mutilitation, property destruction, escapism, self injury (not necessarily intentional), and wound infliction on owner. Has ranged from animals as small as sugar gliders to as large as horses. Unfortunatly, I think it can become a cycle of stress as well: stress of school/move/changes impacts student and pet. Pet reacts to stress in manner that is time consuming/hurtful/worrying to student, who is already stressed and becomes more so, which contributes to the stress of the animal, etc.

I don't consider myself a bird expert, but my parents had conures, cockatoos, mini macaws when I was younger. We also had love birds and cockatiels. I sincerly believe cockatiels/budgies/canaries/finches/lovebirds do better in these situations. Also, to be bluntly honest, less of a financial investment tends to = less stress. And, it is possible and easier to set up a flock if need be. Most of my folks birds were rescues. Not all birds want to be around people, and some would rather not see a human ever. Those kinds of birds, often with a mate or flock, would do very well, but aren't generally what people wanting pet birds desire. My parents were great at getting birds they obtained to stop destructive behaviors.... but they had an occasional bird that wouldn't stop regardless of what they did. Feather plucking was a pretty typical behavior that isn't easily stopped. Also, some birds are very messy...making clean up a longer and frequent chore. I also just learned in classes that at minimum checking feces should be a daily thing with birds.
 
Thank you guys, many of you have given me a lot to think about regarding time. I really appreciate you sharing your experiences and advice with me!
 
Ditto what was said above.

I have a 20+ year old Goffins Cockatoo that, unfortunately, is staying back at home, in the animal hospital I worked in, while I'm in vet school. He was a surprise gift to me years ago-- I was young, naieve, and, I know now that there's few others who would have the patience for him anyway.

Since I bought a house out here, I need to have tenants/roommates to support the mortgage, and after 1st term of 1st year, my hopes were dashed---and it was either I live with the bird alone, or bring him back home.

I have tremendous guilt about not being able to have him with me here.

I love birds and parrots, and I'm into exotics. My personal opinion is, unless you have the luxury of setting up an aviary for a bird -- I personally think a cockatiel or smaller is the way to go, especially if school is your near-future. If you were older, retired and had some time and $ to spend on a bird--- different story. I equate any bird larger than a cockatiel to be akin to having a toddler (with wings and a beak...) ... I think you already get what I'm trying to say.

I love conures-- I know someone with a very well adjusted conure---but... what if you end up with a conure as others above have mentioned... it will be a large distraction, and responsibility, for you w/school.

BTW, www.mytoos.com = excellent site, as mentioned above!
 
I don't have a tonne of experience with larger birds (although I did foster a cockatoo once, and still have the scars...), but I have a lot of lovebird experience (they seem to just fly into my house - literally)...While I loved my experience with the larger birds, they are a HUGE time commitment, and can be, as others have said, incredibly vocal. While I fully support you in wanting a larger bird, I don't think that vet school is the time. However, if you'd still like a bird companion, I would suggest either a cockatiel or lovebird (just sayin'...lovebirds are awesome, no bias or anything...;P)...While they are still a time commitment, they are not as demanding as a larger bird (nor as loud).

Good luck in choosing a feathery friend!
 
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