Do cockateils make good pets? Poo a lot? What are the monthly expenses? Are they too loud for apartments?

[silverbullet]

1. Yes. One of our young ones is on my shoulder now. He'll stay there all day unless I physically grab him and put him in his cage. His parents mostly follow me around the house too. They're very social birds, especially if you only have one, then he has to socialize with you.

2. Yeah, kind of. I've taught the dad to poop in the toilet. He's not 100%, but he understands the concept and tries. The others haven't figured that out yet.

3. Maybe $10 a month for seed and cuttlebone. Other food is just stuff we eat anyway. Broccoli, celery, grape nuts cereal, apple, orange, celery, egg, cheese. I'll break off a little piece of what I'm having for them. You can make them toys out of household objects. They love dangling shoelaces and tossing pens, coins and things off the phone stand. Careful, they also love to push knick-knacks off shelves or glasses out of cabinets just to watch them fall! Make sure you have good fasteners on your kitchen cabinets.

4. Maybe. They can squawk pretty loud if they're scared or angry, but they aren't chattering all the time like parakeets (budgies). Normal singing and chirping isn't that loud. Mostly they sing when they first wake up. Depends on the thickness of your walls and the sensitivity of your neighbors I guess.