Do many people keep parrots now? One friend confesses that when he was five or six, a parrot kept by relatives spoiled his visits to their house. First there was the sound. While the lad was talking to his aunts, there would suddenly resound this most awful screeching from the cage, which made him jump. Then the creature might be released, to be cuddled and cooed over by the ladies. He would be asked if he would like to take Pretty Polly. But he always said "No, thank you". Only when the bird died did he feel comfortable in that house. He confesses that he hasn't seen a parrot for years. Have you? And he has friends who dote on the memory of the parrot in their parental or grand-parental home. One was allowed to roam freely in the daytime - but not to get on to the table while they were eating. The parrot had his stand nearby and at the end of the meal, some titbits were left beside it. Parrots, all who know these birds agree, can be friendly and talkative with one member of the family and narky or dismissive with another. You have to be careful with children when parrots are flying freely about. The bird would be unlikely to put up with cuddling or pushing around as puppies and some cats, even, do.
A writer for Country Life magazine went to see several parrot-owners and in spite of reservations says "They are wonderful companions - intelligent, attractive, and full of character - but they can be home-wreckers, loving the wife and hating the husband or vice versa". She quotes Penny Morrison, an interior designer, who has an orange-winged green Amazon parrot Willie, who sits on her shoulder, will take a peanut from her mouth and (nonsequiter?) has destroyed all her earrings. He flies free in their house. Her husband is not a fan. "He says all Willie does is say hello and crap, not to mention destroying potted plants, but I adore him." Another woman interviewed says her pet "is famous for copying my laugh, which can confuse visitors and embarrass me." This parrot, although she gets on with her mistress, adores the husband, "and will groom his eyebrows and even eyelashes." The ultimate in something.
Another parrot is said to be good at names and calls all the people in the house once he knows them, and hates being ignored. . . "above all, he is a music lover. He adores La Traviata." Does anyone keep canaries? Y