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

[Brynn]

[debbie]

Yes to three of these questions and no to the expenses per month. Approx $15.00 a month on food and endless of your time. Your first expense is the bird and the cage . approx $300.00

[nursek]

I loved my cockatiel, but we moved and i didn't have room for his big cage. A manager at the pet store took him to be her personal pet.

He did have some annoying chirping habits, but mostly he whistled and tried to talk. The chirping wouldn't have been loud enough to disturb neighbors had we lived in a apartment. Here's a video if you can open the link of my cockatiel and my dog.

Some cockatiels are friendlier than others. This one could be very loving, or he could suddenly get angry and peck me. If you can open the you tube video, it shows him attacking my husband's arm!! He would let me pet his head and rub under his wings. He loved that.

They do poo randomly, but i read that if you want to control it then you just feed them at certain times of the day rather than leaving their seeds or veggies/fruit out all the time. I never tried that technique. There poo is pretty small.

Monthly expenses are not bad. See previous person's answer.

[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.

[Duckyfuz]

Hi,
I own cockatiels and many other parrots and by far, I have to admit cockatiels (by the way, that's the correct spelling) are one of the birds with the sweetest, most even personalities. They are gentle, docile, and very social birds who love human interaction and love to spend time with their "human flock". They are playful, affectionate, forgiving, and full of personality. They make great companions if well cared for. So for your first question, a definite yes.

Poo a lot? Well, sure, but it depends. Cockatiels are one of the smaller parrot species, considered medium size, and usually its the smaller birds that poop more than the large ones. But kept clean, it has never been a problem for me all these years of caring for them. Keeping the cage clean and when outside, keep it on a play stand or play gym, it is fine. And they do not have odors like other pets such as dogs or cats.

Monthly? Well compared to macaws and African greys at about $100 per month, cockatiels are fairly cheap. For supplies, food, toys, vet bills, an average of $15. But when you get the bird, the average cockatiel can be from $50-$175, depending on tameness, age, location, mutation, and such. Hand raised ones are more expensive than untamed ones, but I HIGHLY suggest a hand raised one. A untamed one is technically a wild one, which DON'T make good house pets. Hand raised ones love interaction and socialization while the untamed ones just do their best to stay away from you. But on average, a $15 per month and $300 for the bird, cage, supplies and stuff the first time you get it.

Too loud? No way. Cockatiels are simply ideal for apartments, condos, and considered fairly quiet. Males are louder than females, sometimes their screams getting a bit loud and shrill, but properly cared for, they should never be calling loudly constantly. Shrieking is mostly a sign of depression, boredom or loneliness.

So cockatiels come in various mutations, bred for different colors. There is the grey (original), lutino, cinnamon, pied, emerald, silver, whiteface, pearl, fallow, and a few more. Since the normal grey is the original, it is usually cheapest. Lutinos and pearls are about the same price. But the whiteface, cinnamon, goldcheek, and silver are just a bit more expensive, not too obvious though.

Cockatiels, male and female, have big differences in personality, and which gender you get can affect the bond between you and the bird. Even though mostly it depends on the INDIVIDUAL bird and not the different species or genders in personality, here's a few hints to both the female and male bird's personalities:

MALE
Males are more colorful than females in some mutations, striking yellow, white, red, etc., on their feathers. Males usually have a more outgoing, courageous, adventurous personality. They are naturally curious and love to explore and play and entertain. Males are much more active than females. Males also have a better chance of learning able to talk, and almost all males are natural star whistlers. But males are much louder than females, even though normally not a problem for apartments, can get a bit loud if not controlled.

FEMALE
Females have duller feather colors than males, and they are not as playful or active as males. However, even though females are heard to be a bit harder to tame and train than males, well trained and hand raised females are also said to be more cuddly and snuggly than males with their owners. Females have a even, sweet personality, but also quite timid at times. They aren't likely to learn to talk or whistle, even though it is possible, but females are very quiet, barely ever making a sound. But many people choose males over females because female birds can have egg laying issues, which are a problem for many owners and very serious for the bird.

Those are just a few I listed about cockatiels. They are amazing companion parrots who can live to 15-20 years, with big personalities who love socialization and are excellent friends to have.

If you have any questions or problems or need some advice, you can email me at littleowl6420@gmail.com! I would love to help!

[RedFeather]

They aren't too expensive per month. I'm not rich, and I have two cockatiels and four budgies, and do just fine with them. Poop a lot? Maybe every 20 minutes to half-hour or so - but their poop isn't too bad, and it does wash out of clothing.

They make great pets! They are generally very sweet, from my experience. They have different personalities from bird to bird, of course, but they're gentle, sweet and affectionate, for the most part. Mine love to have their heads scratched - can't guarantee that all 'tiels will want that, but they often do love a good scritch. I've found that with mine - if you pay attention to their warnings that you're bothering them by doing something, they won't usually bite you hard - they'll give a warning first - they'll squawk and you and act as if they're biting your finger, even though it doesn't hurt. Heed the warning, you won't get bitten.

I live in an apartment, with all six of my birds. They aren't too loud. One of my 'tiels does like to make a lot of noise sometimes, but usually it's him whistling and saying "pretty bird," so it's fun listen to.