# Cockatiels don't need attention?!



## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

Hello guys,

Something struck me today, and I need a good rant. Don't you hate the way that people with larger birds try to put unsuitable bird owners off buying a big parrot and send them off instead to buy a cockatiel? Don't you hate they way that tiels are often characterised as pets for people who don't have the time to put into a 'real' parrot? Mytoos.com, a site pretty much dedicated to putting people off buying cockatoos (quite rightly, in 99% of cases) has this to say:

QUOTE 'You and your wife (or if you're single) work everyday, but you'd like a nice bird. One that will sit on your hand, and maybe even talk. You then are looking at something like a Cockatiel. They don't mind too much that you're gone all day, and don't need a great deal of attention.' END QUOTE


Oh yes they do! My feeling is that cockatiels deserve just as much time, effort and attention as larger parrots. The only difference is they can't scream as loud or destroy as many things when they are unhappy, and so they are suggested to people who know nothing about birds because they are 'easier' to take care of. I wonder how many people have bought cockatiels on this kind of advice, treating them like the bird equivalent of goldfish? We all know that our birds crave and need our company, and surely a miserable pet is a miserable pet, regardless of size, noise level, intelligence or anything else for that matter. 

I know sites like this are trying to do a good thing by putting people off buying wild animals they have no idea about. But the fact is, a person who would do that is no better an owner for a cockatiel than anything else, in my opinion. What do you guys think?


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## estypest (Jul 31, 2014)

Uuuh yeah, cockatiels need attention ! How ridiculous ! I work from home part time, so even on these days I'm at home at Maxi gets -- a greeting/morning scritch/change of food etc -- then 2-4hours out with me getting plenty of fuss or just being with me, then she's back in her cage and she's still chirping and wanting attention (rightly so). Some days she'll come out twice for fuss.

Cockatiels might be smaller parrots, but they're still bright, with clever and interested minds who need and deserve plenty of attention. They wouldn't be content to sit on a perch for hours on end in the wild, so why would it be okay for them to sit in a cage for hours on end, unattended? 

I thought about changing my work at home and working full time and thought actually, Maxi will be on her own for a lot of hours and not out as much, and I'm not going to make that sacrifice for her. No bird should sit in a cage for hours unattended, no matter how big or small they are..


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

estypest said:


> No bird should sit in a cage for hours unattended, no matter how big or small they are..


My thoughts exactly. 

My tiels are my best friends with feelings. Treat them like living things, not like items you can pay mind to when it's convenient for you


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

I'm thinking about respectfully writing to the admin of mytoos.com and asking them to address it. The site is hugely well intended, but that there is misinformation.


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## estypest (Jul 31, 2014)

I would -- seems a pretty irresponsible statement. (And hey.. what if someone bought a cockatiel which didn't talk (Maxi doesn't) or doesn't want to sit on your hand??)


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey is my kid. I find I prefer him to most people, and hubby teases me about Joey getting far more attention than he does. He has his food, water, tons of toys, and radio, and yet I feel guilty for going off to work and leaving him. Or anywhere, for that matter. The minute I am in the door, the world stops until I've greeted him and spent some time with him, before even changing from my work clothes.


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

TamaMoo said:


> Joey is my kid. I find I prefer him to most people, and hubby teases me about Joey getting far more attention than he does. He has his food, water, tons of toys, and radio, and yet I feel guilty for going off to work and leaving him. Or anywhere, for that matter. The minute I am in the door, the world stops until I've greeted him and spent some time with him, before even changing from my work clothes.


Aww TamaMoo I feel the same way about my Cosmo. I could be out running errands and I want to hurry because I can't wait to get home to be with him. I think about him all the time. Luckily I work part time in the evenings so we have all day together by ourselves while the boyfriend is at work. I feel a little guilty because we changed our livingroom and now he is no longer next to my favorite couch and in the dining room. Even though both rooms are connected I find myself worrying how he feels about it. I've been taking him in the livingroom to hangout with us so he doesn't feel left out.

Bottom line, if you have a pet it becomes part of your life and you have to nurture and pay attention to it regardless what it is. I have fish and plants too, and I can tell you they require attention just as much as Cosmo or my dog.


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

TamaMoo and CosmoBird - thank goodness I'm not the only one who thinks about getting home to my bird! It really isn't like any other pet, is it?


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## Tequilagirl (Mar 4, 2013)

It is quite shocking and upsetting that any bird lover would say something like that, and I think you should write to them and explain why they are wrong, I would be happy to do the same.

I complained about an article a while ago about cockatiel care that said towards the end that cockatiels need their wings clipped regularly and I politely explained to them that although it can be a choice the owners can make, cockatiels most definitely didn't NEED their wings clipped, and the article was changed.

Maybe the article was written a long time ago and needs updating, but I agree that cockatiels will be underestimated forever as pets as long as people keep thinking they just kind of just sit in a cage and do nothing.


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## Tequilagirl (Mar 4, 2013)

I say pets for lack of a better word, my bird is definitely family to me.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

I honestly don't spend more than an hour or two with my cockatiels every day. They love me dearly, but I think the size of the flock may have something to do with how much attention a cockatiel requires. Clearly, a single cockatiel is going to need more company during the day than say two or three.


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

Darkel777 said:


> I think the size of the flock may have something to do with how much attention a cockatiel requires.


Absolutely, Darkel777. I imagine that is so!


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

TamaMoo said:


> Joey is my kid. I find I prefer him to most people, and hubby teases me about Joey getting far more attention than he does. He has his food, water, tons of toys, and radio, and yet I feel guilty for going off to work and leaving him. Or anywhere, for that matter. The minute I am in the door, the world stops until I've greeted him and spent some time with him, before even changing from my work clothes.


Lol, same here with all of my pets


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

I've complained to Pets at home for a similar thing that was next to their Derren Brown article about his Quaker, Rasputin. Saying Parrots don't take as much care as a dog...


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## BirdCrazyJill (Apr 23, 2013)

People say the same thing about budgies too, and having both I know that they are VERY needy birds! they crave our attention and will literally follow us around the house because they want to be with us. That's just like saying little dogs don't need as much attention as big dogs do. Some people *smh*


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

You are right, Jill! I think all birds require a level of understanding and companionship that most people would be surprised about, or even cannot give.

Tisena, that statement from Pets at Home is TERRIBLE! Thanks on behalf of a whole lot of people and parrots for calling that one out.


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## vampiric_conure (Jul 8, 2012)

I totally agree with everyone here - cockatiels require a lot of work, easily as much as a dog! And this coming from someone who has a flock of 6-7 birds, a dog and fish  . I've only ever had birds in groups of two or more, so I don't know how cockatiels are as single birds, but I find having more than one bird takes a lot of emotional and social support away from me because the birds have each other. Not that they ignore me...it's just that I don't have to spend nearly as much time with them during the day because they have another bird to pick on, LOL. That make sense?


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

Hahaha! That totally makes sense vampiric. As a single bird owner I can say that they want company 24/7 as they would have with their mate in the wild, and I think it's our responsibility to give as close to that as humanly possible.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

Well, every pet needs attention. I have a dog, three birds and two gerbils. You would think that the gerbils would be just fine if no one looked at them for a day or so. Nope. 
Once we left for a week, and my neighbor was checking on them daily, just changing water and food basically. They destroyed the water bottle out of spite because no one was really paying attention to them like usual (we take them out daily and let them run around, feed them nuts etc.)
So, to say that this species or that species does not need much attention is not true. When you have a pet, your life changes. If one is not prepared to devote a certain amount of time to his/her pet, one should stick with a pet rock.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

> one should stick with a pet rock.


Do some people actually have pet rocks?


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## Tacotielca (Dec 3, 2013)

Yes they definitely require lots of attention. Taco wants to be with me 24/7 as well. I feel guilty when I go to bed, work, or leave the house. I am sure if I let her, she will sleep all night on my chest snuggled up to my chin. 

As guilty as I feel, I really enjoy having a single bird though. I don't want a 2nd bird and you know people say don't get a 2nd bird for your 1st bird, so since I don't want another one…. I hope Taco is ok with being single… I struggle with this guilt almost everyday.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

Haimovfids said:


> Do some people actually have pet rocks?


LOL, I don't know. Maybe :lol:


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

eduardo said:


> LOL, I don't know. Maybe :lol:


Look what I found on Google: http://m.wikihow.com/Have-Your-Own-Pet-Rock

It sounds so ridiculous in my opinion. Just read it, it's hilarious! :lol:


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