Those familiar with our Instagram page may have noticed that Cairo has gotten a new friend! That would be our breathtaking emerald-green Senegal Parrot, Malfoy! As their mother, I am frequently asked where I got Cairo and Malfoy from and where I suggest people get parrots. In this article, I will describe the two most common ways of getting a pet parrot: purchase and adoption.
Shop or Adopt?
Let’s go through the pros and cons of each option!
Pros of Shopping
Shopping for a parrot can either be done by going to a specialized ethical breeder or pet shop like Petco and Petsmart. Personally, I strongly advocate for people to boycott these pet shops, for reasons we will cover later on.
Here are the advantages of purchasing a parrot:
- You are Typically Busing a Younce Bany Bit’d
This means you get to bond and work with your bird from a young age. Ultimately, raising and shaping them into having traits that you desire with ease as you are familiar with their history. Such as what environment they were born and taken care of in and how their breeder weaned them.
- Breeders Help Prevent Extinction
Many breeds of parrots are going extinct in the wild due to various factors, such as humans destroying their natural habitat. However, the pet trade breeds parrots in captivity, where many aspects are controlled away from unexpected threats. This means that by supporting the appropriate breeders, you are helping keep certain endangered breeds of parrots alive!
Cons of Shopping
- Expensive
Depending on where you are purchasing your parrot from and how they were raised by their breeders, prices can be very high! Some large sized baby parrot breeds can cost thousands of dollars!
- Long Commitment
Parrot lifespans vary from breed to breed, and the care they receive. For instance, a Senegal Parrot like Malfoy has a lifespan of anywhere from 30 to 50 years. This commitment can be challenging if one's lifestyle is not ready!
- Poor Quality Breeders
Unfortunately, many breeders are dishonest! Sometimes, some scamming breeders post fake listings, claiming their birds are hand raised when they’re not and charging you a high price. Other times, some amateur breeders breed parrots under inadequate environments. As for pet shops, most of the time, they do not provide their animals with proper care or a suitable housing environment with appropriate stimulation. Many parrots are bred irresponsibly!
- No Guarantees
With baby parrots, you’re raising them from a clean slate. There are no guarantees on how they will turn out as they go through hormonal changes and different training experiences.
Pros of Adopting
- You’re Saving a Parrot
There are plenty of parrots surrendered to rescues due to inadequate owners, irresponsible purchases, behavioral, health concerns and tragic circumstances. By adopting a parrot in need of a home, you’ll be saving a life and freeing up space in a rescue for them to rescue more birds
- Affordable
The prices for adopting a parrot is significantly less than purchasing.
- Shorter Commitment
Do not get me wrong, all parrots are a huge commitment. However, if I got Malfoy from a rescue at the age of 23, and he can live up to 50 years, then my commitment would be reduced to 27 years instead of 50.
- You’ll Know Their Personality
You have a higher chance of knowing their mature personality and behavioral traits if you adopt a parrot. The rescue will usually tell you about their history as well. You won’t have to gamble for them to develop certain traits, as they would have developed most features, being a matured parrot at a rescue.
Cons of Adopting
- It is Not the Same as Adopting a Dog/Cat
Parrots are not yet “domesticated.” They are wild animals that can be “tamed.” Parrots are complex yet fragile animals with particular and demanding needs to keep them mentally and physically healthy. Most parrots (not always) in shelters already have problems. For example, a parrot could have outlived its elderly owner and therefore experience a seemingly ever-lasting grief which leads to self-destructive behaviors. Another example would be a parrot from a smoking environment, causing them significant health issues. Other scenarios include a parrot being surrendered by a neglectful household, which means the parrot would have developed major psychological and behavioral problems. All of this means that you need to work diligently to help work your adopted parrot out of these unhealthy cycles of behavior or medicate them however they may require. This is extremely challenging work and not typically suitable for beginners! Sometimes, these traumatized birds will never become those cuddly parrots you see on YouTube.
Conclusion
It is up to you! Before you get a parrot, seriously evaluate your lifestyle short term and long term.
I acknowledge that I am a knowledgeable and competent mother for Cairo, my cockatiel, and my first bird. However, Cairo is a hand-fed baby that I purchased from a specialized ethical breeder right after he could eat vegetables and fruits o his own for two weeks at the age of 4 months. He was not particularly challenging for me to bond with or train. However, this does not mean I am ready to adopt a parrot from a shelter and deal with all that they need to heal and thrive. Therefore, Malfoy is also purchased from Cairo’s breeder to give Cairo a companion and help me expand my experience!