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Life with a Parrotlet
Living with a Parrotlet is one of life's joys. They love spending time with their human companions, loving to show affection by giving loads of kisses. At times they are content to play alone but mostly they want to sit on your shoulder and tell you how things ought to be done and then comment on what's going on around them. Parrotlet have the ability to speak human but the ones I've encountered usually know a phrase or two and then speak Parrotlet. They have got a huge personality and often have challenged bigger animals and many times this has ended up with them receiving a cat scratch or dog bite and then dying from the toxins in that bite. Many Parrotlets like toys and enjoy a big cage, as they love climbing, swing and just be busy bodies. Preening toys are a huge favorite with them. I would recommend not to give them a mirror as they may think it's another Parrotlet invading their territory. Parrotlets love bathing. I find having two water dishes is beneficial: one to bathe in and the other to drink from.
When you first bring your Parrotlet home they may be nippy as they'll challenge you. You must lay the law down and tell them "NO" when they do nip, put them in their cage, and then walk away. If you are overly upset, or react, to their biting you they know they're getting attention this way and will continue to do so.
One must know at all times where their Parrotlet is when out of its cage. Many of these little birds have flown or jumped down from the cage to follow their human and have accidentally been stepped on. This tragedy happens more often than one would think. It is heartbreaking to lose such a lovely creature to this mistake. Learn to shuffle your feet! Do not lift your feet when your Parrotlet is out! This is a very important rule to abide by when your bird is out so you don't step on them.
If you decide to have two Parrotlets as pets I personally recommend getting them a year apart and training one as a pet before bringing home another. One reason being, if you bring both birds home at the same time you'll end up with them bonding to one another rather than you. Another reason is that one bird may be more responsive to you than the other and what happens more times than not, is you end up paying more attention to the more interactive bird. If you do have two birds you should also have two cages as they may breed if they are of different sexes. If you have two of the same sex in one cage they may fight and injure or kill one another.
Parrotlets are passionate about their humans and make wonderful pets. I recommend when buying one to go to the breeders and play with them, especially if there are a few in a clutch. Let the bird pick you! This way you know the bird wants to be part of your life.
Parrotlets are so tiny that medically you must know your bird. What he or she weighs, make sure their droppings look right, not watery, and that they get a good diet of pellets, seeds, fruit and veggies and protein such as eggs, chicken, and beans, hard cheese is often ok in small doses. Many like whole grain breads and bagels, too. If your bird is fluffed up or in the bottom of the cage, not eating or drinking or just acting "off" please take it to the vet. You must know that many tests, which can be run on larger parrots, cannot be run simultaneously on a Parrotlet as they can only have a few drops of blood taken at one time.
If you care for small birds with a passion for life and a wonderful loving personality a Parrotlet may be for you!
Written by: Rosemary Wilson
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Noah
Photo Courtesy of Rosemary |
Rosemary is a friend of mine. She has a little green Parrotlet, named Noah. Rosemary got him as a baby and she has been owned by her much loved Noah for almost six years now.
Choosing a Parrotlet. Parrotlets are the smallest parrot in the world. They can be very delicate and may not be suitable for families with very small children. Also just because the Parrotlet is small does not mean he cannot bite and bite hard! Parrotlets have a tendency to not let go when they bite. Supervision with children is an absolute must at all times. D. Brown
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