Kakariki...

[orange-gnome]

Hi, for a long time now I have wanted a pet birdy, I have done lots of research and reading on all types of birds inc parrots and have come to the conclusion that I either want a kakariki or a cockatiel, but I am more sold on the kak.

I have looked into what they need and realise that they need plenty of attention and a nice big cage with lots of time outside of it, I am quite prepared for this and just want to know if there is anyone out there who has had one and can they tell me anything that I may not have read about them already?

[funnywebsite]

I have been keeping cockatiels for a few years now and they give off a lot of dust off their feathers. I am forever dusting the furniture. I have not had a kakariki so just looked them up on Ask Jeeves. They sound fun birds, just like cockatiels.

"Usually Kakarikis are kept in aviaries, and rightly so. They are so hyperactive that they need a larger space for their size to maintain their physical and mental health. Their requirements are different from most pet parrots commonly kept. They need to fly and exercise often. Like their bodies, their minds also work very fast. They are not complex, but simple and direct. Consideration is not the word for them, but action is! Matching to their high activity level, they eat like piglets. Then they scatter food to the cage bottom and scavenge as if they had never seen it before. They climb cage bars up and down without using their beaks. Roof walking upside down in a bat manner is another way of exercise. Anything they can reach from their cages with their long legs would be pulled in and examined. Once they reach adolescence, hens show a strong urge to chew, and ***** protect their territories - cages- fearlessly. This period will pass sooner or later, but their territorial nature, to some extents, remains. Once outside, they never sit still on your shoulder nor on a playgym neither. There is always something to discover and something to investigate in the house: under furniture, inside fridge!, in larder cupboards, or on shelves. They scamper around the house with a pit pat sound which is rather loud for their size. Forget about a relaxing time with a cup of tea while they are out. They will fly to your cup and try the tea even before you have a sip.

[funnywebsite]

Sorry ran out of space. I was going to say, cockatiels are messy and like scattering food, all birds are messy and playful. My cockatiels like coming on the dinner table and eating things off your plate and sipping tea, chewing up the frames of my pictures hanging on the walls etc. Obviously kakarikis are more demanding by this description. If you have lots of time then OK. I do keep more than one bird so mine are never lonely. If you spend many hours out of the house then you need to get two birds as company for each other. If you are at home most of the day then one would be fine and you as his soulmate.

[orange-gnome]

I had read that website too and found it very helpful and had also read lots about the dust from tiels. I work from homne most of the time so I would be spending lots of time with whatever bird I got which is why I ended up deciding on a kak, I know that I can and will give it all the attention it needs and more!
Thanks for your input : )

[funnywebsite]

That OK. Birds are great and make the house a home. Enjoy him.

[orange-gnome]

Thanks Zeb, I have seen lots of Kaks in shops that just seem to sit there too, however after reading soooooo much information about them I think that it is probably because they are so very intelligent and therefore probably bored out of their tree!!

I considered an african grey too but decided against them partly because they are very expensive compared to kaks and tiels and also I just think as a first bird I think it would be more sensible to go with a smaller one.
I have heard lots of stories of people getting A.G's just because they are popular and speak a lot and not realising how much work they are and them being left with an aggressive parrot that they need to re-home.
I would like to think that being a vet nurse I am a more responsible pet owner and would spend a lot of time researching and seriously consider whether I can give an animal everything it needs and look after it properly before I go ahead and buy one.
Thanks for your input both of you, I will let you know when I get my bird and possibly be asking for advice from time to time too : )

[funnywebsite]

Thanks orange-gnome.

I will also just add I have always kept budgies also. I love budgies. They are so chatty, they never shut up. Cockatiels are quiet compared to budgies. I don't know about kaks but budgies are forever singing. They love music and will kiss anything. My budgie is always feeding my cockatiel and preening him.

He drives my husband crazy sometimes with his constant humming but it never bothers me.

A budgie should not be ruled out. I would say you need a pair of budgies though because they like preening and feeding each other. They are nice to watch.

[barry&betty]

hiya orange-gnome, we have 2 kakarikis that were aquired from a pet shop, they were very quiet and looked sorry for themselves. we were told that they had been there for 6 months and it was unlikely that we would tame them. barry our male is now hand tame, very cheeky, full of life, he loves music esp if the video is cartoon and loves to wind me up by mimicking the telephone!! we've only had them a year i can't imagine life without them. they do need a lot of entertainment they do get bored easy but they are fascinating and i thoroughly recommend them