Parrots are among the most cognitively complex companion animals, with welfare needs including extensive social interaction, cognitive enrichment, and large space requirements that most homes struggle to meet.
Parrot welfare challenges arise from the fundamental mismatch between the species' complex needs and typical companion animal contexts. Parrots in the wild live in flocks with constant social interaction, fly kilometres daily, and engage in complex foraging and vocalisations. Captive parrots in single-bird households, confined to cages with limited foraging opportunity, develop chronic boredom, stress, and self-destructive behaviours. Addressing parrot welfare requires social companionship, extensive enrichment, large flight spaces, and cognitively stimulating foraging opportunities. The decision to keep large parrots as pets requires serious consideration of whether their needs can genuinely be met.