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Got a cockatiel when I was... very very young. Maybe 4-5? It's nearing 30 years old now. I chuckle that you call it the "Sweet spot" since frankly, I don't think I could own one in good concience again (at least until I'm much older.) When I moved out for college, my mom basically took over "mothering" the bird, and in hindsight I'd have been horrible to it in _any_ other situation. My mom has a lifestyle that lets her be at home with it most of the day, lets it out to fly around almost constantly, makes sure it has things to occupy it/companionship, and as a result it's aged beautifully. That being said, it requires significant amounts of aformentioned attention, (I'd even argue BECAUSE It's so smart it constantly likes bothering people, even when very young it figured out a half dozen ways to escape its cage, including lifting a slat off the outside of the cage _from the inside_, pushing a food dish out its hole, then climbing out after it, and was savvy enough to do this only when we weren't watching) and more than just attention, patience. If you give too much of a response to its teasing/let it "take advantage of you" (e.g. not enforcing a bedtime, since it will absolutely try to run away, yell at you, and nip at your fingers if it wants to stay up later) it'll absolutely learn this and leverage it more in the future. "Parenting" certainly seems fair for owning one of these animals. I love that grumpy little fluffball so much, but after watching how hard it was to adapt from being bonded with me when I moved out, I've come to the realization that one has to really be ready for a long term commitment that often goes beyond what most people think of as "a pet" to give these birds the home they deserve. |