It is NEVER a good idea to bring a feathered or furry friend into your family by way of an impulsive decision. There are many horror stories about the novelty of the new addition wearing off. One that comes to mind is bunnies purchased at Easter, only to be dumped by the side of the road a few weeks after.
I have sung Piper’s praises ad nauseum but here I want to share with you one of the challenges of having a parrot in your family.
Piper is our second bird. Cato, a lutino cockatiel, was with us for 15 years before he passed away. We have been lucky with both little men, in that neither one was prone to screaming. Sure, there is noise but that is all methods of communication (“Squawking The Same Language“).
On rare occasions, though, Piper will scream for no reason. It can last for quite a few minutes, several times a day and usually occurs for a day or two. Not non-stop but enough that we double and triple check everything – him, his mansion (we never call it a cage), his toys. Check, check, check. When the screaming begins, recognizing it is not one of his normal sounds for something he wants or needs, after troubleshooting all the above, we attempt to distract him. I Google, but do not find a plausible explanation for the outbursts. We chalk it up to hormones, change of season, weather, who knows. Maybe he is just in a mood. Who can’t relate to that? We ride it out and thankfully there is an end to this phase Piper is going through.
I know that some birds scream more regularly, some constantly, due to many different causes, none of which I am versed in and able to discuss. I just want to let everyone know that although Piper is an absolute joy, our life together is not all rainbows and unicorns. As is the cae with anyone we love, we have to be understanding and patient when they are going through something, doing everything we can to help. In the case of Piper’s screaming, I calmly tell him that mommy is already visually impaired and can’t afford to lose her hearing too from the decibels he is creating. This approach isn’t successful, but reason is always an option to try.
As I write this on a Tuesday afternoon, Piper is playing on the coffee table with his toys, happy to have mom nearby but perfectly fine doing his own thing. When he does scream it is annoying. Grating. Maddening. It is not for the faint of heart. Although many birds desperately need forever homes, you have to know what you are getting into.
Piper didn’t have that choice. Even though he is spoiled and cared for beyond measure, I am sure living with humans in a house when you are a parrot is not always easy. Maybe the infrequent, uncharacteristic screams are as simple as that.
Just like my love for Piper. Simple. And something worth screaming about.
#sisterrain #birdmom #adoptdontshop #parrotsofinstagram #conure #ahelpingwingparrotrescue #piper #thescreamsarecomingfrominsidethehouse
