Parrots are among the most cognitively sophisticated of all animals, and their welfare needs are profoundly misunderstood in the pet trade.
A parrot confined to a small cage and deprived of flight, social contact and cognitive stimulation is undergoing chronic psychological suffering. Feather destructive behaviour and screaming are recognised welfare signals equivalent to self-harm in other animals. The industry sells baby parrots without adequate disclosure of their lifetime care requirements: decades of daily social interaction, large flight space, complex enrichment and specialised veterinary care. Many parrots spend their entire lives profoundly understimulated, often rehomed multiple times.