GCedric

I thank you guys for all the great insight you have provided me with! It turns out I will be mostly working 55-60h a week for the first few years so I guess I won't be able to materialize my dream anytime soon:( But I will try to do pro bono work for rescues /*aviaries around my area while my life stabilizes /*I pass the first few years. I love all birds and hurting a bird by providing it with less than adequate living conditions is definitely not on my list. I love greys, I love macaws, I love conures, I love caiques, I love all these puffballs of feathers. I hope I get to live my dream someday:)

And how is their relationship with you? Are they still interested in you or do they end up ignoring you and form a closer bond with the other bird? If I was to go that route, I'd get both babies at the same time indeed.

Here's another question I have: Should I end up working 55h+ a week and still want a parrot, what are your thoughts about getting two of them in two separate cages? Would that prevent boredom while I am away (which could end up being 11h+ a day), yet preserve my relationship with each of them? I am just being theoretical and looking at all the options I could end up having. Thanks:)

I thank you guys for all of your good answers. It is very interesting. Here's what I decided to do, since two families of bird are interesting me at the moment (greys and macaws): * I keep going to the petshop to spend time with their greenwing Rio and their greys. They have babies but I am trying to hang out with the adult, because I know we just can't compare a baby that always want to be cuddled with an adult that has its own likes and dislikes. * I am fortunate enough that there is an aviary conference being held in my city. I have already planed to spend time with people that have parrot sitting businesses, breeders, shelters, etc. * I will establish a bond with these people so that I can gain hand on experience with these two types of bird before I make a choice of which will come home first. * As of the when, I'll let summer fly by, I will live my first U.S. tax season and from there I'll know what kind of time I have in my life. I am happy about the way I am doing things. It's the first time in my life that I am being THAT thorough about a commitment (as I didn't do so with my quaker), and I am sure I will end up doing a good job once I am sure. I like what a member said about providing a FOREVER home. Even then, I will create myself a social network of parrot lovers so that if one day, by the most unfortunate of circumstances I had to rehome my bird, I would have a network of caring people that could end up wanting to adopt it instead of having him end up on craigslist. Now I got to spend time with adult greys as like I said and think, babies can't be used to make myself an idea. Thank you all for your great insight:) Oh and by the way, my roommate as a quaker that he might end up bringing. Would that change the situation? As my prospective companion could have a little buddy to chatter with? Best day to you all, don't forget to not file your taxes late, the IRS got some nasty penalties for late filling! (especially businesses!!)

Thank you for giving it to me straight. I am not sure if it would remain the most important thing. Like you, it is possible that I could end up not even caring about it after a while. That I don't know. What do you feel makes your relationship with your grey amazing? Ie. how do you guys exchange affection with your birds if they don't like being touched?

Thank you for your great answers. You are right, we never know, and I know we can't even begin comparing a baby and an adult, like human children and human adults are very different - and let's be honest, children often have sweeter dispositions than we adults do. I find that the more I age, the more I like my routine, the less tolerant to change I become, and hell I am still only 24. The relationship could effectively surprise me a lot. That we have no idea. Like I said and I will repeat it to be honest, I would've gone for a greenwing macaw. But I can't wrap my head around bringing one in an apartment. If anything, it could be a later-in-life project. A grey is totally different from a GW and that I know (although only in theory as I do not have enough experience with either bird to confirm these things)that a grey could bring another relationship that I would never have thought about. These are all things I am exploring right now. It's not so that I need a clown parrot or a 'toddler' like parrot, it's more that I need to give it affection. I am a very touchy feely guy in general. I love touching people (women) in affectionate ways (not a sexual thing at all per se) and that is a part of my own personality that I would be frustrated with if my bird absolutely refused me to caress him.

Thank you for having read me iluvparrots:) It is a long post and I hope people won't overlook it. I have put the amount of thought that I think is required for this kind of decisions. I love being a complete idiot with my bird, almost becoming a child with them and speaking to them in different pitch voices. They really bring out the kid in me. I would be looking at a CAG (not sure there are that much TAG around Quebec) Also, I have myself suffered in my life of anxiety and depression and would not want a living being under my care to go through that because I did not do my homeworks before bringing it home. I don't want to overthink or overscare myself but coming here seemed to me like the best idea.

Hi all, I came here needing the advice of people actually living with greys (and not just pet shop sales people). I love birds, am emotionally very sensitive to them and the last thing I would ever want would be to make a choice that could cost a bird its happiness / mental health. So first of all, I would like to tell you about myself and my life style, then I'll tell you about my personality around birds, then I will ask specific questions. Oh and please, do not play the lets 'scare him by telling him he doesn't know what he's getting into and how this is a commitment' tape as I have read these warnings thousands of times about any specie in the past five years. I am so sensitive to a bird's wellbeing that I can scare myself off without anyone's help. I can't even stand reading stories of abuse and neglect without almost wanting to cry and yes - I am a guy. About me So I am 24 years old man and I live in downtown Montreal, Canada. I am a tax attorney and will finish school on April 15th and I already have a job scheduled to start on May 5th at a big accounting firm in Montreal. I will be working with the U.S. tax team so you guys can relate a bit more to what I will be doing (assuming most of you are from the U.S.). I live 10 minutes away from the office. That immediately means that twice a year (before April 30th and September 15th) I have tax seasons, thus reducing the probability of time I would be home (so change of routine). That also means that budget is not a problem for me and that I am more than able to provide my prospective companion with the largest cage, tons of toys, good diet and vet services (I have an avian vet approx. 7 kilometers from my home). I also always have access to a car whenever I need one. Living downtown means I live in an apartment, which is soundproofed (concrete walls). It is soundproofed to the extent that when I play loud music, people do not hear it at all even if it's at midnight on evenings. I have an excellent relationship with all of my direct neighboors (each side, above and below) and have asked them if they ever heard me or anything (loud music). I do not have a girlfriend or children yet. It also means that I would sometimes be working long hours. Mostly though, I would never get home later than 6 p.m. Starting in May also means that I am NOT going to purchase him right now. I need to see how I will naturally evolve in my career and then IF and only IF there is a place for him in my life, will I go ahead and get myself a bird companion (it needs to be a natural fit for me). Finally, I do not drink alcohol or party, and working as hard as I do, I don't tend to go out a lot. When I'm done, I like coming home. My experience with birds I've had a Quaker for a number of years. It died approx. 3 years ago and I didn't get any other bird in the mean time because I was not stable enough in my life (still moving around, school, etc.) I have handled big macaws as well (greenwings) and am not scared of bites. After a macaw's bite, nothing is scary anymore. My personality around birds Here's how I was with my quaker, and I would not intend to do things any differently with another specie: * I had a harness for him and took walks with him outside; * I took my baths with him (it would bathe on my stomach as it was too small to do any differently; * He came out is cage as soon as I was there and would follow me around anywhere I'd go in the house; * I loved to handle him and play with him; * He'd eat with me when I had diner. I would put veggies on a plate next to mine, even though he would end up in my plate anyway (he ate chicken - lol) * When I wasn't home, I would leave the radio /* TV on with documentaries. Why a grey Here's why I have laid eyes on a grey: * Its size: I want something in the intermediate size; * Its reputation of not being THAT vocal (because of the appartment setting); * Its natural beauty; * NOT for its ability to talk (it would be amazing, but its not a prerequisite); * NOT as an ego extension (macaws do a better job at that one), although it would make me proud, yes. Here are my concerns about a grey: * Its emotional sensitivity and changes of routine; * Its plucking reputation; * Its not so cuddly reputation (although I plan on getting him as a baby and to have him used to being handled and to wearing a harness to go outside); * Its 'aloof' reputation; Other species I have considered * Macaws - for their personality and more stable emotional states, but VERY improbable I would get one due to my 'apartment setting', although I have considered a mini macaw, but they still have a very loud reputation, so mostly not likely to happen; * Caiques - amazing, although they would be a bit small for what I would like. My concerns with my situation * Will I be away for too long? (8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and surely more 2 months a year due to tax seasons) * Will it handle changes of routine well (changes mostly being my pattern of being home, and why not: even the season changes in Canada) * Is it THAT prone to developing neurotic behaviors or are people exaggerating? (let's face it, the two extremes exist: those that do not care enough, and those that are overthinking / overdoing it). Conclusion As I said before and I will reiterate here, I am very sensitive to a bird's psychological well being. I would not be affected so much by a bird throwing a tamper tantrum or something like that, but would be heart shattered if a bird exhibited psychological distress in my care. I am not willing to bring a bird in my life to make it unhappy. I am not in a hurry to get anything if I am not secure it will receive a life it deserves. Suggestions Should you end up thinking a grey is not the best choice, I am interested to hear what specie you think would be better, considering I would like (as much as possible it is) an intermediate bird and why you think it would be better. I know it is long, but I know it is to you guys that these questions are best addressed, as you've been living with them on a daily basis, which pet shop people have not.