Thinking of adopting a cockatiel? It’s smart first to weigh the benefits and downfall of owning them. We often get so excited about the prospect of having a pet that we forget the important factors to consider beforehand. If you are considering adding a new cockatiel to your family, it could be helpful first to read over the following list of pros and cons of adopting the little bird.
Cockatiels are amazing, affectionate, and social pets. They can be great house pets if you take the time to socialize them and learn about their basic body language. However, cockatiels require a lot more care than people typically expect, so it’s important to be prepared before bringing home a new cockatiel.
As you go through the list that I have curated for you with my personal experience, I would advice you to take some time to consider if a cockatiel is the right pet for you and your family.
If you are ready to take on the challenges of becoming a cockatiel’s parent, go for it! Cockatiels are truly awesome pets and I think more people should consider these birds as possible companions.
However, if you don’t think you’ll be able to handle a cockatiel at its worst, it might be better to wait a couple years to give yourself the chance.
The Pros Of Owning A Cockatiel
Being a cockatiel lover myself, I truly believe in the fact that these little birds can prove to be great house pets.
Cockatiels have their own personality and ways of bringing joy to your life.
There are a number of people who would be great caretakers for a cockatiel, but what about you? Do you think that you are a good match for your cockatiel? Let’s find out!
Cockatiels Are Extremely Smart
Cockatiels are intelligent birds. There are smarter than more other parrot species.
Cockatiels can mimic voices and tones, and they can learn vocabularies of more than 100 words.
These little energy bundles are curious and need to be kept very busy in order to stay fit. Moreover, each bird is different from the next, simply because every cockatiel has its very own character traits.
Being a bird owner, you could teach them to respond through cues and verbal commands. All of this can be learned through proper training.
Most cockatiels are fast learners, and they can quickly understand or adapt to your actions.
Cockatiels Live A Long Life
Believe it or not, cockatiels can have an average lifespan of about 15-20 years. However, the age can vary based of different factors such as your bird’s breed and living conditions.
The long life of your cockatiel basically implies that cockatiels are pet birds that will stay with you for a considerable amount of time.
Cockatiels will be able to grow with you can become great companion animals. They will surely bring joy to your life for a long time while you learn about all the quirks of a cockatiel’s behavior.
Cockatiels Are Social Pets
Most cockatiels love human interaction.
You will often notice that these cute little birds tend to listen to two people’s conversations and act as if he is a part of them.
Cockatiels would love to sit on your shoulder to snuggle up to you so that you can scratch his head. Just like other pet companions, cockatiels are fun-loving birds.
As long as you keep your cockatiels happy, they will be grateful for your act of kindness, and in exchange, they will give you their loyalty.
Cockatiels Are Usually Gentle
In most cases, cockatiels are known to be gentle creatures. Your bird may seem to be shy at first. However, once it is comfortable around people, it will be happy to come to you.
Most cockatiel are pretty gentle and enjoy spending time with their owners.
Sometimes, a cockatiel might even show aggressive behavior, if they are afraid or feel concerned. However, this is rare.
Cockatiels Provide Endless Entertainment
Cockatiels can be a great source of entertainment for you and for the kids of your family.
If you provide your cockatiels with toys (such as ring bells, mirrors, ladders, and swings) that best fits their cage, you will have fun seeing your bird enjoying to its fullest.
However, make sure that the toys you provide your cockatiel is safe for them in all ways.
You will soon realise that having a pet bird cockatiel enlightens our mood by plainly being just themselves.
The Cons Of Owning A Cockatiel
In certain situations, a pet cockatiel can be a little more trouble than you have imagined.
Although you may find your cockatiel as cute, little bundles of joy, these birds have a knack for getting into trouble.
Sometimes people just get themselves a cockatiel expecting them to require very little care, and then later are quickly shocked by how much responsibilities cockatiels are.
However, it is true that cockatiels are not the most difficult bird pet to take care of.
As you go through the list given below, I would advise you to really consider if you are up to the commitment of having a pet cockatiel, even when they are being little devils.
Cockatiels Live A Long Life
If you are not ready for a long term commitment, then cockatiels are not just the right pet for you.
Owning a cockatiel means, you should be willing and able to make a 15 to 20 year commitment to be responsible for the life and happiness of pet cockatiel.
If you have a child, you already understand that this type of commitment requires that you love, provide, teach, share, enjoy, discipline, worry, laugh, cry, and eventually let go.
But there is a difference – a big one. With a child, your relationship changes as he grows; as he gradually becomes more independent, you gradually let go.
Your cockatiel, on the other hand, regards you as his whole world throughout his short life, and the letting go is often sudden and always final.
Cockatiels Do Not Do Well Alone
Cockatiels are social birds. Therefore, you will need to have at least a pair of cockatiels for your home.
Cockatiels do not do well when kept alone. In the wild, it has always been their norm to catch up with other cockatiels.
More than one cockatiel means, it require more time to clean their cages. Therefore, make sure that your birds have a complete set of maintenance in terms of food and hygiene.
Cockatiels Can Be Demanding
Cockatiels are social birds. In the wild, they live in flocks.
Unlike a pet cat or a dog, which is generally allowed to follow you around the house, your cockatiels will always be often confined to one area.
Due to this, your cockatiel might scream loudly if you leave the room. Your cockatiel would want to know where you are!
If you can’t spend a decent amount of time with your bird every day I recommend getting a second bird.
A bird left alone without much to do is going to develop behavior problems.
Cockatiels Are Fragile
Cockatiels are pretty fragile. In the wild, cockatiels get to roam free. Nature helps them with their overall growth and development.
However, if you plan to bring a cockatiel home, you must check first their future environment.
Furthermore, cockatiels cannot survive breathing in contaminated air. And, you don’t want to see your little bird dealing with respiratory problems.
In addition, cockatiels can get sick due to slight temperature variations. These little birds have complex anatomy that makes them quite fragile as compared to other types of pets.
When you have a pet cockatiel, make sure that you are handling them gently. If not, they might be injured. They can also bite you when they feel you are showing aggressiveness towards them
Cockatiels Are Loud
Although cockatiels seems to be cute and cuddly, they are pretty loud. These tiny birds can be sometimes annoying due to their loud vocals.
If you have a quiet neighborhood, they will easily be disturbed as cockatiels have no warnings when they talk.
There might be times when you would like to have a spacious and private place together with your pets. In these cases, having a cockatiel may not be a good idea.
You will find them playing but most of the time talking. Such behavior of a cockatiel can be annoying if you want privacy.
Furthermore, if a cockatiel feels that you don’t appreciate their presence, it might even do harmful things such as biting you.
Owning Cocktiels Can Be Expensive
In the long run, cockatiels can prove to be pretty expensive for you.
Cockatiels must have a spacious area to do bird’s activities such as exercise, eat, play with the toys, and fly around.
If you hve a tight or low budget for a pet’s cage, then maybe a cockatiel is not the right choice for you. Don’t waste your time trying to put your pet in a low budget birdcage.
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Are Cockatiels High Maintenance?
Although cockatiels are not considered high maintenance, they need a considerable amount of care.
Unlike most other parrot species, cockatiels require a certain amount of handling and out-of-cage playtime on a daily basis.
Also, cockatiels are nowhere near as demanding as some of the larger parrot species. They normally don’t talk, but cockatiels are highly intelligent and can be trained to follow commands.
Cockatiels can prove to be a great choice for those who have the time to devote two or three hours per day to playing with their pets.
As long as it has a large enough cage and a bird-proof area for it to play in, a cockatiel will be a good fit for a would-be bird owne
Do Cockatiels Make Good Pets For Children?
Cockatiels are one of the best choices for your children if you want to get them a pet bird.
One can easily teach its cockatiel to talk, whistle, and do tricks.
Furthermore, if you have any older children who can devote time to interacting with a cockatiel, it would be the best option.
However, cockatielsrelish their time out of the cage, so they need a bit more cleanup work than finches or budgies require.
Therefore, select a cockatiel for kids who really have a desire to keep birds and learn about them.
