Money Does Not Equate to Happiness

Last night, my boyfriend and I got into a discussion about money and our spending habits, particularly since it's almost Christmas and I've been spending too much money on gifts. Our goal is to pay off all the money we've spent with the start of 2011 coming up and become better at saving instead of spending! Well, this led me into thinking about how much money I have spent so far on the parrots! I do not know the exact numerical amount (and I am actually glad NOT knowing, because I would scare myself with the truth), but let's just say with all the money my boyfriend and I have spent so far on the birds and their care/supplies, the total could've bought me a nice, new car, or perhaps a small house? (I'm slightly kidding). I don't like to make a huge fuss over the price of things and I am in no way complaining that my parrots "cost too much" because the happiness they bring me could never have a price-tag attached to it. But when I think about it, I think the money I spend on my parrots could become equivalent to how much money I will be spending on my future human child (or at least comes somewhat close)!

Love at first nibble

I am not exaggerating. At first thought (for a novice parrot owner-to-be), having a parrot doesn't seem like such a hard ordeal at all. How hard could it be to take care of a small, feathered animal that sits in a cage all day and eats seeds, right? WRONG! Believe me when I say, the instant I brought my first parrot (Gingey) into my home, my entire life changed (for the better, though). I admit I was not 100% prepared and I had not done adequate research in the beginning. Seeds, it turns out, is a horrible staple food for parrots and is the equivalent of humans eating a Big Mac from McDonald's everyday. Parrots need a base diet of high-quality pellets (I feed my birds "Roudybush" and "Zupreem Fruit") and fresh fruits, vegetables, whole-grain rice, pasta, beans, nuts, greens, etc. Luckily, there are very great mixed blends out there, which are excellent quality and smell wonderful as well (parrot blends from 'My Birdsafe Store'). On top of having a base staple of pellets and dried mixes, I prepare on a bi-weekly basis a "7-Layer Salad" (sometimes monthly if I am being a bad, lazy mama) using this recipe: 7 Layer Salad Recipe, which is great because it lasts long and can be fed daily for about a week or two (that way I don't have to chop up fruits and veggies every morning/night)! When I don't have the salad available, the birds will get a bean and rice mash for their breakfast (Volkman's Soak & Simmer Mash) that I buy in bulk and cook the night before feeding. These are just a FEW of the dietary aspects that are basic necessities for optimal avian health. Diet is extremely important and correlates to a healthy, long life (as well as neurological soundness, aka, happy parrots)!

Amazing blends from "My Birdsafe Store" by the pound

The cages were the next crazy purchases. I never put much thought into a bird's captive living quarters and I quickly learned that "bigger is better" when it comes to parrot cages. There are, however, multiple other factors that go into choosing a good cage. They have to be properly "powder-coated" so that the birds cannot get metal poisoning from chewing the cage bars (birds will chew EVERYTHING). Next, birds use more horizontal space rather than vertical, so a wider cage is better than a taller one (did not know this at first, hence, needed to upgrade). The cages' bar spacing is also an important factor to consider and they should not be too wide that a bird may get his head stuck and caught in between them (especially with my Caiques, who are very rambunctious and zoom around in their cages all day). To top it off, the smallest of my cages weigh about 110 pounds (give or take a few), so putting these monsters together was no easy feat!

 I can't forget to mention all the toys, full-spectrum lighting, perches, and playstands that are necessary for a happy, healthy parrot! Parrots are highly intelligent animals and in the wild, they spend all their days flying, foraging, climbing, bathing, preening, and feeding, amonst other things. Therefore, since our captive parrots have all their basic needs provided to them (on a silver platter, might I add), they need to have plenty of things to keep them entertained so they do not become bored. A bored parrot may start plucking/destructing its own feathers (called feather plucking), become an excessive screamer (on top of already being loud with its normal, routine flock-calling and daily vocalizations), develop bad habits such as biting, becoming fearful, and being overly destructive. With all this in mind, I try to provide as many toys and activities for my parrots as financially possible. There are enough toys so that I can rotate them between each of the parrots' cages every few weeks so that they do not become bored with them. There are java tree playstands and climbing nets available outside of their cages (they spend about 70% of their time outside of their cage), along with a variety of perches, toys, and hanging thing-a-ma-jigs everywhere for them to swing, climb, and play on. They also need sunlight, either real or artificial, and since I cannot have an outdoor aviary, my parrots get their daily dose of sunlight (important for Vitamin D production) from a Full-Spectrum light bulb (read more about the importance of full-spectrum lighting here).

We want more toys, please!

These are just some of the basics of parrot-care and I am always learning new things everyday! I'm sure I've left out some things but this was just a little glimpse of my life with my parrots, inspired by my suffering bank account. Yes, it might seem crazy to an outsider/non parrot owner, but at the end of the day, I know everything I do for them is well worth it and I would not have it any other way. I want to continue providing my parrots the most enriching environment possible with the best diet I can prepare everyday. What I get in return is priceless and I do feel blessed to have this chance in sharing my life with these amazing animals, because it definitely is not for everyone! My wallet might suffer here and there (okay, it may suffer a LOT at times) but this is what I chose and this is the commitment I bear in deciding to allow these creatures into my life. Life has surely changed for me in many ways (both good and some bad) because of them, but I know it has made my life that much deeper.

The Caiques meet Santa!

...And my dream is to expand my flock even more! =)