Is a bird the right pet for me?
Is a bird right for you? Ultimately, only you can decide this, however the way you answer the following questions can be a good indicator as to whether a bird will fit into your life/lifestyle or not.
- Can you handle messes?
Birds are NOT clean pets by any measure of the word. I vacuum the birds' room daily, and within a few hours, you wouldn't be able to tell I'd vacuumed at all. They will throw food, water, wet food, dry food, seeds, seed hulls, shred paper, get feathers everywhere(especially during a molt), leave beak marks in wooden furnishings if not supervised, poop on the carpet, get poop on the walls, on you, get wet food stuck to the ceiling, if they break a blood feather during a night fright there'll be blood on the walls, ceiling, carpet, you name it. They will never 'grow out of' making messes, and you cannot teach them to 'be clean'.
- Can you handle high levels of noise?
Even small birds, like budgies, finches, and cockatiels, can create a huge racket when they feel like it.
I can hear my birds, all of them, everywhere in the house; that's WITH the door to their room shut. I can hear them outside as well. I'm sure the neighbors can hear them too. :)
They can be incessant about it too, sqwaking, chirping, singing, and whistling on and on for 8+ hours at a crack.
Healthy birds make a lot of noise.
- Can you deal with an occasional bite(that may draw blood)?
While budgies and cockatiels are generally very good natured, even the sweetest bird can bite.
They bite for numerous reasons: Being startled, frightened, spooked, angered, a bad mood, illness, injury, or just plain to say, "Hey! I don't like that! STOP IT!"
You NEED to know how to NOT take a bite personally; non-abused birds do not bite for 'no reason', even abused birds don't bite for 'no reason'. There is always a reason, and 99% of the time the bird gives several clear(in bird language) signals that it is upset or frightened. If you fail to read their body language, you'll be told to back off the only way the bird knows how: With a bite.
- Can you handle a 10-30 year commitment?
Barring untreated illness, accidental death by injury, or cancer, a well cared for budgie can live for 10-20 years; a well cared for cockatiel 15-30 years.
- Can you afford regular vet costs? Emergency vet costs?
Vet visits are not optional. When a bird starts showing signs of illness, they are already critically ill. Birds hide illness for as long as possible, so once you may notice your bird acting funny, every minute literally counts. This means you WILL have to pay for off hours emergency care if necessary.
Regular vet visits range from $10-$30 depending on the vet; a bird should be seen once per year by an avian vet as a preventitive measure. A sick bird should be seen by an avian vet as soon as possible.
Emergency and/or off hours care can sometimes skyrocket in cost. Depending on the hour, the day, and how sick the bird is, the costs can easily shoot higher than $600.
This is something every bird owner needs to plan for. It doesn't matter if the bird cost you $200, $50, $10, or if it was free; it's still a life.
Bottom line: If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the bird.
- Do you have the time to prepare a good diet every day for the next 10-30 years?
"Good diet" doesn't mean "refill with seed" or "refill with pellets". Birds need a varied diet to be at their best. This means a high quality seed mix, a high quality pellet, and a variety of fresh greens, vegetables, sprouts, grains, breads, and fruits.
Every day.
Regardless of whether you feel like preparing it or not.
- Can you afford a good cage, good food, and a neverending supply of good toys?
Plan on spending at least $100 on a moderately sized cage for a budgie, $120 for a cockatiel.
MINIMUM cage size for a budgie is 16 inches square.
MINIMUM cage size for a single cockatiel is 18"x 18"x20".
This means the $20 "starter kit" cage or the $10 "But, the pet store said it was big enough" cage will not do.
The cost of good food ranges from $20-$60 per month, depending on the price of fresh produce in your area. A good pellet will cost you between $14-$30 for a 5 pound bag(this would last a single bird 1-2 months). A good seed mix will cost between $8-$15. Cheap seed is not a good thing to feed, most of the seeds are dead and starting to decay anyway. Cheap seed also is more likely to have seed moths. While these moths don't hurt anything, they get really irritating really fast.
Toys can easily cost a small fortune as well. I make my own toys and order from places online to get better prices(see the caging & toys section) for more information.
In a pet store, expect to pay at least $6 for their cheapest(and sometimes not very safe) toys.
A single bird needs a minimum of 3-4 toys. Between my seven birds, I have over 100 toys. This means I can rotate toys to help keep the birds from becoming bored. Bored birds are unhappy birds, and they'll let you know through noise, aggression, and sometimes budgies will feather pick out of boredom.
- Are you able to/willing to put the bird's health and happiness and 'social life' before yours?
This means you can't take impromptu vacations, be away for days at a time, or leave the bird home alone for 8 hours while you work, then expect to go out that evening or just come home and fall into bed. Your bird will want, need and deserve attention whether you're tired, sick, overworked, want to go out or not.
- For those who rent: Will the landlord/my neighbors be able to deal with the noise and/or mess.
Didn't you hear me earlier when I said birds were noisy and messy? :) You might not mind, but your landlord and/or neighbors might.
- For those who live with their parents: Will my parents be able to deal with the noise and mess?
As above, you might not mind the noise and mess, but your parents might have a real problem with it. If your parents say "no", respect their wishes. If you TRULY want a bird, you'll still want one when you're living on your own and are able to care for it without their help.
- Will you be able to take the bird with you, and still have time for it, when you go to college?
Most dorms do not allow pets other than fish. What will happen to your bird if you move away for college? Will your parents care for it willingly, or will it be a burden or irritant to them?
- To single people: Will you honor the commitment you made to the bird, even if it doesn't like your partner(heh, that is, when/if you choose one:))?
To be fair, you made a commitment to the bird first. Getting involved/married is a terrible reason to dump a pet that you claim to love.
- To those planning to have children: Will you honor the commitment you made to the bird, even if it doesn't like your child(ren)?
To be fair, you made a commitment to the bird first. Having a baby is a very poor excuse for dumping a pet you claim to love.
- If you still think you want a bird...
Read this. If after that, you're still confident that you want, can deal with, and can afford a bird...keep on reading my site! :)
So, that's it. If that didn't scare you off, please continue through the site using the menu in the left frame! :)