Parrots are among the most cognitively complex companion animals and among the most frequently rehomed, because their behavioral and social needs are profoundly misunderstood before purchase.
Parrot welfare is chronically poor in many companion settings due to fundamental mismatches between species needs and typical husbandry. Parrots need daily out-of-cage time, social interaction, foraging enrichment, and mental stimulation. Caging a cognitively complex, social animal for the majority of the day leads to severe behavioral pathology. The decision to keep a parrot must involve honest assessment of the decades-long commitment required. Adoption from sanctuaries rather than purchase from breeders is strongly preferable from both welfare and conservation perspectives.