# Are cockatiels good pets for a beginner?



## ilovemyfatcat (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm 13, I've never owned a bird before but I am definitely looking into cockatiels. I don't know if my mom will say yes, I always do my research before asking. I've asked on yahoo answers but never get good answers so I've decided to come to the experts with a few questions!
Are these guys good pets?
Do they bite often?
How easy are they to train?
Are they messy?
How often do they go to the bathroom (so I know roughly how often to put him back in the cage)?
Anymore information would be great. Don't worry, I'm responsible and always do my research. I will make sure I get a big sized cage and good quality food and a bunch of toys. Time isn't a problem. I can sell stuff now and start buying stuff and wait for my birthday (November) and Christmas to get everything plus the bird and to have money put back for vet costs.

Also, I know a vet around my area. I went in for my guinea pigs and heard ALL KINDS of birds chirping so I know they accept birds, so I do know a vet if I ever need one.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

*Are these guys good pets? *They are wonderful. I love my birds because they are social creatures and get excited to see me because I give them lots of love and out of cage time.
*Do they bite often?* I have a little girl who never bites. I have a boy that bites all the time. He draws blood a lot too. It's painful and it hurts. So, it depends on the bird. You will never know what your bird's personality will be like. 
*How easy are they to train?* Yes and no. Once again, it depends on the bird. My boy catches on real easy. My girl.. Not so much. 
*Are they messy?* Lord yes. They drive my boyfriend crazy. They were on the carpet and my boyfriend wanted to get rid of them because all of the seeds and hulls in the carpet. We move them to the kitchen and I have to sweep the floor daily because there is always a mess, and I have plexi glass seed catchers which do wonders, but my guys are messy.
*How often do they go to the bathroom (so I know roughly how often to put him back in the cage)?* If you are going to put your cockatiel in the cage everytime it poops, just don't get one. They CONSTANTLY go to the bathroom. Chances are that you will get pooped on everytime you get the tiel out. I actually wear a towel around my shoulders so if they poop, they poop on it and not me. If it gets anywhere else, I either use a paper towel to wipe up or a wet wipe.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I would not recommend that you get a 'tiel unless your mother is very committed as well. They can be great pets, but birds are very delicate and require much more specialized care than animals like guinea pigs. 

For example, many things may need to be changed in order to make your house bird-safe. You'd need to get rid of cookware that contains teflon, all cleaning products with harsh fumes, scented candles and bath products, pest control, to name just a few. 

Birds are also excellent at hiding medical problems, and by the time they show any symptoms, it is an often very expensive emergency. Since you are unable to drive yourself for at least a few more years, you'd need to make sure your mother would be willing to drop everything to take the bird to a vet, and pay for the treatment if needed. All too often we see younger members put into the position of needing to get vet care, only to have a well-meaning parent prevent it. So please make sure that if you get a bird, your mother is on board with all of this.

Don't get me wrong, 'tiels can be great family pets -- I've had one of my 'tiels since I was five years old. But, you either need your whole family to be supportive, or you need to wait until you are old enough to independently control your living environment and financial situation. 

Good for you for researching.


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## Cryren8972 (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi! 

Yes, they are wonderful pets! They are sweet and full of personality for the most part. If you're going to do your research, make sure you get your cockatiel from a good breeder, so you know that your pet had a great start...it will help ensure you have a bird less likely to have any kind of issues.

Yes, they are messy. They throw seed, splash water out of their dish, and get feathers and feather dust everywhere. It's part of owning a tiel, kind of like owning fish, you know you're going to have to clean the tank.

They can be easy to train...depending on what you're trying to train them to do. Male cockatiels you can train to whistle and sometimes talk. Females will talk on occasion, but it's rare. Some people have even taught their cockatiels to do tricks. However, pay attention to your cockatiel's personality. Some want to learn those things, others would rather just sit and cuddle. 

They go to the bathroom approximately every 10-15 minutes, but can be more or less depending on when they ate, if they're nervous, etc. You can possibly potty train your bird: http://www.mit.edu/~rei/birds-potty.html. However, if poop really bothers you, then just know that it's going to happen A LOT. You will get pooped on. =) It's easy to clean up though. =)


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Enigma makes excellent points! More on the cookware- I had to throw out all of my boyfriend's cookware and buy new pots and pans that were PTFE free. He was very unhappy about it, but PTFE cookware can and will kill your birds because it releases toxic fumes.. If your parents really don't want you to have the bird, you are better off waiting. It's really sad when the younger members can't take their tiel to the vet because their parents won't drive them there/won't allow it. 

And if you do end up with a boy, sometimes they can be REALLY loud and obnoxious. My boy screams at the top of his lungs and he is so proud of himself while he does it. I would not have been able to keep him if I didn't live in my own house. He drives my boyfriend NUTS because he is NEVER quiet. So, that's also something to think about if your mother would be annoyed with a bird who makes a lot of noise.


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## cheesyrhino (Apr 24, 2012)

Hey sweetie  Glad you are responsible enough to ask these things.

Unfortunately, You can't just know if all cockatiels make good pets, or if all cockatiels don't bite. Because this is your first bird, do yourself a favor and choose an animal that was hand fed or is hand tame. These animals have only ever known a persons care, and will live and die for your attention and affection. They make the sweetest pets in the whole world... I just brought one into my home and he is such a joy! A hand fed baby is unlikely to bite you ever, and will love to be pet and stroked and loved. They will also be radically easier to train, because your attention is all the incentive they will need.
This means, no petsmart birds. Sorry, but if you want a quality pet, you are going to have to spend a little more money than you may have meant to. Do a search in your area for local breeders and privately owned smalltime pet stores. Trust me, you don't want a bird from a big corporate store. They feel that their animals are just "stock" like boxes on the shelves and breed them in bird farms like puppy mills. :/

Most Cockatiels are going to go to the bathroom around 20 times a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. Now, being an avid bird enthusiast- you aren't going to avoid some poo. I just carry a bandanna or old sock in my back pocket when playing with my bird. If you get it right away, it really doesn't make much mess. You can work towards training your bird to only go to the bathroom in a specific place; like over a trashcan, in a cage, even over the toilet- still that is a long long term goal, and not an immediate fix.

When you are choosing the breeder or pet store you are going to go with, insist on seeing the facilities. If the breeder won't let you see their cages and play areas, just walk. Chances are if they don't want you to see there is something wrong. Look for a clean, bright, happy environment. Then, don't just pick the prettiest looking bird. Insist on playing with as many of the animals as possible- and learn their personality. Who is sweet? Who is playful? Who seems smart? Pick a bird that is affectionate, well behaved and will pay attention to you. A bird that can't or won't focus on you is one to avoid.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

You also need to keep in mind that 'tiels can live to be thirty years old. Since you are young now, you're likely to go through a lot of life changes during your bird's lifetime, and you need to consider that. I was incredibly lucky that my parents were willing to give my birds a loving home while I was away at college and required to live in dorms that did not allow pets.


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## cheesyrhino (Apr 24, 2012)

Not to mention that your bird will probably still be around when you live in your first home of your own. Are you willing to make the commitment to find accomodations that accept pets? You might not be able to rent that dream appartment and keep your bird, If you are going to have one, you have to make the commitment to choose your bird's well being over any other consideration.


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## brittbritt (Oct 25, 2008)

One of my cockatiels was given to me when I was younger. At that time in my life so much was going on I couldn't keep Sydney. Blessedly I was able to rehome her into a very loving home but it did make me sad I couldn't keep her. Now that I'm older I'm able to be a forever home to my animals. 

I have four female tiels and they are usually pretty quiet. Morgan will call to me sometimes but she's not very loud. I grew up with male tiels and they can be quite the chatter boxes and just keep going on and on with their whistling and talking.


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## C M (Apr 3, 2010)

I agree that unless your parents are also very obligated to the care, I would wait. Your parents will most likely be the ones paying for veterinary bills, and that is the most costly part of owning an "exotic" (bird, reptile, small furry animal like guinea pigs, rats, rabbits).



> but birds are very delicate and require much more specialized care than animals like guinea pigs.


I have to comment that guinea pigs are also "exotics" and need more specialized care than most people realize. It's just that most guinea pig care books are VERY outdated making it sound like they can live in small cages and don't need to see the veterinarian (both very wrong). I've been rescuing guinea pigs, special needs and non-special needs ones for about three years now and trust me, just like any exotic, they do need special care and have to see exotics vets who are guinea pig savvy, and they do rack up veterinary bills like any animal can.


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## delawaregirl (Dec 2, 2011)

> A hand fed baby is unlikely to bite you ever, and will love to be pet and stroked and loved.


We have a hand fed and hand tamed bird that can at times be a bit nippy. She loves to be snuggled but on her own terms and does not always like to be touched. Each cockatiel has its own personality and I am finding their own moods. You just need to learn to listen to what they are telling you.

Pets of any kind are a real responsibility and committment because they are so totally dependent on their owners for all of their care, much like little babies.

We have fish, 2 dogs and one cockatiel. The easiest to take care of are the fish, then the dogs and lastly the tiel. Our tiel is a lot more work (cage cleaning and making sure that she gets a proper diet) and needs out of the cage time. When out she requires a lot more supervision than the dogs.

I am glad that you have found this forum. It is a good place for you to learn what can be involved in owning a tiel--I know it has taught me a lot. Good luck on your decision.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

C M said:


> I have to comment that guinea pigs are also "exotics" and need more specialized care than most people realize. It's just that most guinea pig care books are VERY outdated making it sound like they can live in small cages and don't need to see the veterinarian (both very wrong). I've been rescuing guinea pigs, special needs and non-special needs ones for about three years now and trust me, just like any exotic, they do need special care and have to see exotics vets who are guinea pig savvy, and they do rack up veterinary bills like any animal can.


I understand this, but you don't have to, say, throw out all of your cookware, all of your cleaning products, all of your scented toiletries, etc. to keep a guinea pig safe. My point was that while guinea pigs are also exotics, they can be cared for by one very dedicated family member, even if the rest of the house isn't particularly interested. Birds, on the other hand, could be killed by one family member who doesn't care and uses a toxic product in the environment.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

enigma731 said:


> I understand this, but you don't have to, say, throw out all of your cookware, all of your cleaning products, all of your scented toiletries, etc. to keep a guinea pig safe.


Unfortunately that's not true. Guinea pigs are susceptible to fumes, cleaning products, and other things. They can also die if you use them. 

Aside form the above suggestions that are all wonderful. I'd also make sure there are no plants that can harm your bird in your house. I would also make sure than nobody in your family has allergies as cockatiels can cause allergies to flare when they fluff and dander explodes all over the place. This is not usually a problem with one bird, but when you have 12 like I do you may get a talking too every once in a while, also like I do. 

I would not be discouraged by the life expectancy of your bird. Give the bird a loving home and it will thank you, it is worth it. It really irks me when people say you're not responsible if you get a pet that one day you may not be able to take care of. If everyone had that mentality then there would be nobody with pets and more and more animals would be euthanized. Ideally you'd want to keep the bird the rest of it's life, but things happen to everyone to cause a life change at one point or another. Part of growing up is taking responsibility for what you have. What you do when and if the time comes will help you build character.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

This is not a debate about guinea pig care. My point stands: Your entire family must be committed to making your home safe for birds.

Let's get back on topic.


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## sivuh5 (Apr 9, 2012)

I think a cockatiel would make an excellent first pet, with a couple of qualifications...
First, your mom must be 100% supportive, as others have said. Second, you must be a patient person who can take the time that a bird will require to get to know you and bond with you.

My son is 11 and "our" cockatiel is really his. He loves to take care of Monty - change the cage paper daily, provide fresh food and water, and take him out of the cage to spend time with the family. Having said that, I am the one who cleans up the mess around the cage every day, and makes sure Monty's diet is appropriate (buying and chopping vegetables, etc.)

One thing that is a huge misconception about birds is that they are less work than a dog or cat. This is far, far from the truth. Having a bird is a lot like having a two year old child that will never grow up. They have strong, individual personalities and require (demand) significant attention from their families. I have a dog and I actually think she is much easier to take care of than my bird, LOL!

Having said all that, if you are committed to a bird, a cockatiel is in my opinion the best for a first time bird parent. I've had budgies (parakeets) and Lovebirds and this is my second cockatiel and the tiels are much friendlier, more interactive, easier to tame, and bite less. Please note, all birds bite. It just depends on how often, and how hard. Biting is their only means of making their wishes known (other than flying away) and therefore if you are not cooperating with them (based on their agenda), they will tend to bite. My tiel will use his beak to let us know what he wants, but it is very soft - he doesn't hurt as long as we heed his warning! LOL!

Good luck with your decision, and please, DO NOT BUY FROM A PET STORE! Pet Stores should not sell live animals, and the more people buy from them, the more they are encouraged to continue the practice. Pet Store birds are often mishandled, poorly fed, and neglected socially. (there are some exceptions, of course) I would NEVER buy a dog from a pet store, and therefore I would not buy a bird (or any other live animal) from one.

Sue


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