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Post by jesskells on Feb 13, 2016 12:48:19 GMT -5
Yes, hello everyone! My name is Jessica, but you guys can call me Jess. I have been anonymously viewing your forums for a week now, I'm not usually one to join forums, but I'm hoping I can fit in with you guys. How I found out about Quakers is a little bittersweet and I hope you all won't judge me for it. But a little over a month ago I purchased a Cockatiel from a small pet store. I had a really bad feeling about buying a bird from there but, I went ahead about bought him anyways. You could tell he was never shown any kind of affection. I came to the conclusion that he would be better suited to someone who has more experience earning the trust of adult bird who has had no socialization. I decided to give him away, to a lady who has 4 adult Cockatiels, all who were rescues. While we were discussing Cockatiels, she suggested that I get a Quaker.
And that's where the research began! And what lead me to a breeder who contacted me and told me more in-depth details about this bird. He was very passionate about them and said many good things. He told me he didn't have any babies available yet, but sometime in April they should be done weaning and ready! I did my research, even spoke with a woman who has three, at my job. I personally have two turtles and can't wait to have an new addition to my little family. I do live with my parents (plan on moving out in a year) and we have a family cat. I used to have a hectic schedule, with random times and days off. But to accommodate my Cockatiel, I pushed my job into getting me a permanent position with set hours/days. So I think everything will work out! While I wait for my baby, I'll be watching the forum and learning from everyone here. 
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Post by julianna on Feb 13, 2016 14:41:54 GMT -5
Welcome Jess. Sounds like you have made up your mind on getting a Quaker and that is nice. However, having a cat around will be the issue. A cat's instinct is to eat birds and your Quaker will be a tasty treat.
I hope you can wait until you move out and are on your own before the purchase. Remember also, these little guys can be very loud or very sweet, they will for sure... pull at your heart strings.
I am glad you have been reading this forum because it certainly gives you things to think about before the purchase. I would hate to see a Quaker find a home and then have to leave it. Wishing you all the best... and if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask.
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Post by jesskells on Feb 13, 2016 15:12:47 GMT -5
Thank you, I have read about cats and birds over the past few months. I have brought it up to the breeder and he told me it shouldn't be an issue.. If it is, it will be very easy to sneak around her. She sleeps most of the day, she's a very gentle cat as well. I appreciate the advice. I wouldn't want to go through giving another bird away, either.
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Post by easttex on Feb 13, 2016 19:20:01 GMT -5
Hi Jess, and welcome to the forum! I want to second Julianna's concern regarding cats. I'm not sure why the breeder thinks it's not a problem, but I would never let a cat around my birds, even when the birds are caged. That predator instinct is strong in even the nicest cats. And many birds have died not from the cat attack directly, but from the bacteria they get from an otherwise non-fatal bite. By the time you realized that your cat was going to be a problem, it could be too late. We love Quakers here, and there are many good things to be said about them, but I hope the breeder is giving you the whole story. They are more complex than cockatiels and once they mature they can be a handful, especially for someone with no parrot experience. I'd encourage you to read liberally in the behavior board especially, to get a fuller idea of what sorts of things come up. Of course everyone here is happy to help. |
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Post by cnyguy on Feb 13, 2016 21:01:07 GMT -5
Welcome, Jess. As the others have said, cats and birds don't mix well, so among the things you'll have to consider is a plan to keep the cat and Quaker separated. Doing lots of research before getting a parrot is the best approach-- continue working on learning all you can about Quaker parrots. This Forum is a good place to start, and you're welcome to ask any questions you might have. Read some books about QPs too-- Mattie Sue Athan's Guide to the Quaker Parrot is one I often recommend. Visit the companion site quakerparrots.com too-- there are articles on QPs and other good things there. |
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Post by Angela on Feb 14, 2016 6:23:30 GMT -5
Hi Jess and welcome to the forum! I've only had my Skye for 4 weeks now so don't really have that much advice! It's good to see you are doing your homework about Quakers before you make your purchase! That's what I did! Everyone here is lovely and full of wonderful information, so ask away! |
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Post by Jan and Shah on Feb 14, 2016 16:25:06 GMT -5
Hi Jess, welcome to the forum. Ask any questions you like. I can see you are doing your homework so you will know what you are getting into. All I would like to add is that a quaker is like a 2 year old child - temper tantrums included. They never grow older than 2 years of age so you will need to be prepared for that. However, having said that, they are wonderful, delightful and will always keep you on your toes |
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Post by zim on Feb 14, 2016 17:28:15 GMT -5
Welcome aboard!
If you know you will be moving, you may wish to wait until you have moved and settled in before getting a parrot. I know it sucks and it's hard to wait once you've made up your mind (I was in that exact situation), but moving can be very stressful on the little guys.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Feb 14, 2016 19:13:04 GMT -5
If you do decide to wait, you can buy all sorts of things while you are waiting - like a big cage, toys, bowls, etc. It is always good to be prepared.
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Post by biteybird on Feb 15, 2016 2:41:17 GMT -5
Welcome Jess, future 'parront'! Hope you enjoy the forum and that your plans work out well - as the others have mentioned, it's best to be prepared to keep your cat and quaker separate (I know this might be disappointing to you). I'm sure you'll read up and please continue to ask questions, as everyone will want to help as much as they can. |
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Post by aaron on Feb 18, 2016 10:19:27 GMT -5
Welcome Jess! Glad to have you aboard. I applaud you for doing research ahead of your purchase. That is definitely the right thing to do.
The others have given you some great insight and advice here. I'll echo what has been said about cats-- you need to be really careful. If your breeder is telling you with confidence that "it shouldn't be an issue," they are potentially just trying to complete a sale above anything else and I would take any advice they give you with a healthy degree of skepticism. This is not to say that it *can't* work out between a bird and a cat, but it's a definite risk, regardless of what the breeder says...
As zim pointed out, it would probably be better if you waited until you move-- both to avoid stressing out your little bird friend, and to avoid risks with the cat.
As others noted, Quaker parrots present a significantly greater set of challenges than Cockatiels. Cockatiels tend to be pretty easy going and are relatively accepting of their environments, generally. Quakers are much more intelligent, and are generally much more demanding birds. To keep a Quaker parrot happy in the long term, you'll need to be able and willing to devote several hours a day to them (at the very least). Once they hit sexual maturity (between 1-2 years of age), the baby honeymoon is over, and you will undoubtedly spend a lot of time trying to work through the behavioral issues that come with this influx of hormones. If handled properly, it's generally manageable, but if you accidentally encourage the wrong behaviors, it can get really intense really fast. These birds are loud, messy, distracting, and demanding, and while they do learn, they will, as noted above, always be about as emotionally mature as a 2 year old human-- and you may very well have them for the next 30 years. It's a huge committment, so, especially for young potential bird parronts, it's extremely important to try to consider what the future may hold for you and how well a bird will fit into it. Also important to consider whether you will have the necessary resources for food, toys, and vet visits. Especially if something goes wrong, things can get very expensive.
Don't get me wrong, these birds are amazing little creatures and can be totally wonderful companions as well. They will capture your heart immediately. I'm not trying to discourage you, but want to make sure you're taking all of this stuff into consideration before taking this plunge. Of course we're all here to answer any questions you might have!
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