Lets face it - you're kind of obsessed with parrots. You are definitely not alone! However, to those around us that don't have birds, it might seem like we're a bit odd. It might even be frustrating at times to try and understand why we act the way we do and worry about certain things. Here are some of the most common things people might not understand about people with parrots. 

Buying Products is More Complicated for Us

Because of how sensitive birds are, we have to be extra choosy about what we bring into our home. When our oven goes out and we need to purchase a new one, questions such as “Does it have a self-cleaning mode?” or “does it contain Teflon (PTFE) or other non-stick chemical coatings?” are at the forefront of our minds. Even buying lighting for our house comes with research to make sure that the bulbs we use aren’t creating a flickering that our birds can see. Humans can perceive changes in lighting up to about 60 Hz, but birds can sense frequencies above this which creates a flickering effect that can be stressful. Even choosing a new cordless vacuum or air purifier has become something we have to think about. Many now come with ozone generators and ionizers which are really dangerous for birds. Sometimes, finding information about these products and what they contain takes some real investigation and calling the manufacturer as it’s not always obvious when they do contain dangerous materials and functions for birds. That means impulse buying and casually shopping for products isn’t as easy for us as it is for people that don’t have birds.

When our family and friends are helping us find a product or are with us when we’re shopping, it can seem like we’re being obsessive and unnecessarily choosy. Perhaps we constantly pull our phone out to check if something is safe or get recommendations. Or maybe we turn down something on sale because we need to do more research on its safety.  It can even cause a bit of conflict or tension when someone offers to buy us something or gives us a gift that we cannot use such as non-stick pans or candles. Feelings can be hurt or guilt can occur when we have to turn these things down. The best thing we can do is let our family and friends know that we are being careful for a very good reason. That we love our birds and just want to make sure they don’t suffer or and get hurt. Many people will think we are just being too careful because they’re used to cats and dogs. Some will listen to our concerns and some will just decide that we’re strange or obsessive. That’s okay - many of us have things and hobbies that we focus on that others may not understand. Our birds are healthy and happy and that’s what matters!

Travel and Outings Take Extra Preparation

A lot of people assume that just because a bird can be in a cage that it is easy for us to leave the house and travel for extended periods of time. Just put them in the cage with extra food and water, right? As you know, this is far from the truth. Unless we have someone that we trust and knows about how to care for birds, finding someone to do so while we’re gone can be hard. Our birds need socialization, exercise, and clean food and water every single day. Some birds like to dunk their pellets into their water which creates a soupy, goopy mess that can quickly create the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. Pellets get stale and should be changed after a certain amount of hours. Birds that are used to being outside of their cage may find it very stressful to be stuck inside for days at a time. So, having someone that is comfortable and confident enough to let them out is ideal. 

Even if we are able to find the perfect person to care for our birds while we’re away, most of us still tend to worry about them. It’s normal and natural but others might not understand why we worry so much. Birds are sensitive and we spend a large amount of our time with them. When we’re not there to keep them safe, it’s natural that we worry about them. We can also find ourselves missing them and wondering if they are OK without us. Some parrots have been known to hold a grudge after we return from being away. Some will even pluck their feathers or show other signs of distress. Of course, it’s possible to take some time for ourselves and it can be important to do so. However, it does take some extra planning when you have birds and not everyone may understand why. 

We Have a Lot of Unusual House Rules

When someone comes over as a guest or stays with us for a while, one of the first things we do as people with parrots in our home is go over some of the safety rules of the house. Perhaps you ask people to take their shoes off to keep the floors clean. Of course, we also don’t allow overhead fans to be turned on, non-stick pans to be used, all pans must be covered when cooking, no doors or open windows without screens, careful where you step, don’t open the door when birds are present, don’t spray any chemicals - the list can go on and on. Even interacting with birds can be hard for some people. Not everyone is comfortable with a bird flying in their direction and their first reaction may be to swat at them or panic. This can be dangerous for the birds and difficult to fix if it’s an impulse. Some birds like to go onto the floor and those without birds aren’t used to watching their step every time they walk. But they have to be reminded to do so if our birds insist on being on the floor sometimes.

To someone that doesn’t have birds, it might seem like we are obsessive or overly cautious. They might even feel like we are being inconsiderate of their comfort or asking too much of them as a guest. Of course, we are only keeping our birds safe. But it can be hard to understand that we are being reasonable to someone that has never had birds. It can be hard to find a way to convey the rules of the house without sounding controlling or overbearing. It takes balance and compromise on both ends. The host should be willing to remind the guest in a respectful way of the rules and explain why they exist and the guest must be willing to put aside certain habits in order to comply with them and keep everyone safe.

We Are Kind of Obsessed

Are you someone that finds yourself bringing up your birds often in conversation? Perhaps you bring in random facts about parrots and other birds without even realizing how often you do it. Of course, you probably have more photos of your birds than your family members on your phone and your social media feeds are filled with parrot videos. You might even send those videos and photos of your birds to friends and family all the time. Just admit it - you’re obsessed. It’s hard not to be when you spend so much time with birds and develop such a close bond with them. Birds are fascinating, complicated, and fun. They are members of our family and provide us with so much meaning and connection. It might not occur to us that not everyone is as interested in birds as we are. This is shocking, I know. But maybe we need to remember this the next time we get the urge to remind people about how parrots get their colors or tell them that funny story about our bird for the fourth time. 

To someone else with birds, it's easy to understand why we can come across as being so obsessed with parrots. That’s why so many people choose to go to social media to find others with similar interests. A lot of people also choose to help their local rescue to meet others that have birds and share stories and advice. There’s something really special about finding other people that understand us and our birds. However, it’s important that we are understanding of those that might not understand us. Some people will want to understand and some won’t. Just as you might want to know and understand why someone is obsessed with someone or something in their lives. That’s just the way relationships work and what matters is that we try to understand one another or at least respect our differences in interests, hobbies, and relationships.