African Grey Wanted!!

[Siroxius]

Okay, for those who are confused about my earlier post. You shouldn't always take what people say to heart. This is now edited... I don't have the money to spend $2000 at one time for a bird. I also get pet insurance if something was to happen to the bird and needed immediate attention. I had it with my dog and it really came in handy. Feeding the bird and properly taking care of one is not a problem I don't mind spending a couple hundred dollars on the bird and I know the bird has to have a big enough cage to be able to move in which I have already looked around and know I have to spend around 200-300 dollars or more for a sufficient cage. Like I said I have done the research I know it is a lot to take care of these magnificent birds. Yes i have had experience with birds. I had a parakeet that my mother gave me. I know they are a little different but I still have bird experience. He was very sweet and loved sitting in my lap I miss the little guy. He was an older bird. anyhow like I said I'm looking for a birdie to give a good home.

 

Post edited by: Siroxius, at: 2009/01/28 18:27<br><br>Post edited by: Siroxius, at: 2009/01/28 18:33

[Titch]

have you tried rescue centres?

 

though some rescue parrots could be tricky to handle if they've been mistreated in the past, but if your looking to adopt, i reckon this would be the kindest way forward.

 

[LisaM]

Welcome Siroxius!

 

I'm going to be totally honest with you here...one of the things that concerns me is when you say you don't have enough money to pay for a bird. Do you have enough money to buy a large enough cage, playstand, healthy food (ongoing expense), lots of toys (ongoing expense), vet visits (ongoing expense), etc.? They are not an inexpensive pet and if you will end up only buying the cheapest food you can find, etc., that will only be bad in the long run as your bird may get sick and may require more vet services ($$$) in the future.

 

There are greys in foster/rescue organizations (www.petfinder.com is one place to start) but it depends on what a "reasonable" distance is to you and if you're prepared to deal with whatever baggage may come with the parrot.

 

I hope you're not offended by my questions regarding your ability to pay for a Grey, but there are a lot of people who get into it not realizing how expensive they can be to maintain and that is how many of them end up in the rescue places.

 

I just looked on Petfinder and there weren't any in Ohio but there were some in NY and IL.

 

Also, I found all of mine through the local newspapers. I waited until I found the right fit for me and for the bird and got to see the environment they were in and how they had been raised up to the point of them coming into my life. I didn't buy the first, second or even third one I looked at, though it was very hard to walk away from any of them.

 

Good luck to you in finding what's right for you. Please post any questions you have or come up with and do a lot of reading through these forums to get a good understanding of what you're getting into.

 

Kudos to you for considering adopting an older grey vs just getting one from a breeder though. There are benefits to both.

 

Keep us posted,

 

Lisa

[judygram]

Lisa brings up some good points to consider, it is not just the price of the bird but all that other stuff you need to go along with the bird. I commend you for considering adopting an older bird but if the lack of money is the only factor then a rescued grey may not be for you. It takes a special type of person to take in a rescued bird for it usually comes with some baggage and may require more training and patience than with a baby grey.

 

I am not trying to talk you out of getting a grey but you need to research and find out if this is what you want and that is a lifetime committment you will be making so it is not to be taken lightly.

[danmcq]

Hello Siroxius ,

 

The others have gave you many god points to consider. One thing you should know also, is a rescue does not adopt out any parrot for free. They mostly require you to take a class or two, interview you, come out to your home and inspect it and want to see the cage in place you have purchased for it. It is only upon their approval of these things, that they will allow you to adopt any parrot.

 

Also, you did not mention if you have any previous experience with parrots. Taking in an adopted parrot is not easy many times and for the most part are not the bundle of joy and love muffin you mat think they are just from seeing a tv show or your friends grey. Each one is different and some are hell on wheels due to the way they were raised or treated in the past.

 

The other thing rescue look at is the adaptor's ability to financially provide a healthy diet, good living conditions and expensive vet bills for checkups or illnesses. A vet checkup can easily hit $300 and if something is wrong can go over a 1000 in the blink of an eye.

 

You really need to consider carefully if you believe you can actually offer a lifelong home and provide for a parrot as a human child would be treated.

[Janfromboone]

I've found the needs of an african grey just for toys is quite extraordinary. You see, their favorite toys are the ones they can distroy. The second need that has exceeded my expectations is time. I don't know if you expect this, but most of the time I spend at home at least requires keeping an eye on Tobie because he's out of the cage if not one on one interaction. I didn't read your earlier post and don't know what this is about, but these are just my personal observations of my own experience.<br><br>Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2009/01/28 20:05