Parrots as therapy for psychiatric patients

I would agree with Pease & Brown (Psychiatric Bulletin, December 2006, 30, 463) that parrots are probably not suitable for health centres, not because of confidentiality problems but because they can be noisy and it is unfair to keep them constantly caged. When parrots breach confidentiality it is with phrases they have heard repeatedly and with emotion. There are cases of parrots squawking lovers’ names and leading to the break up of both human and parrot relationships (for example, the sad story of Ziggy in Daily Telegraph, 17 January 2006).

I have kept pet parrots for 20 years and can recommend them for the house bound, the lonely and patients with depression, especially middle-aged women suffering from the ‘empty nest syndrome’. They can be extremely loyal and loving, providing companionship and better quality entertainment than television. They are highly intelligent, social animals, and African Greys can learn to use words in a meaningful way. They do, however, have complex needs and some species, such as cockatoos, should be avoided as they become neurotic if their emotional demands are not met. Amazons (the green ones) are a good bet. Their longevity can also be a problem (for example when elderly owners require nursing home care). It is important to purchase an English-bred bird, preferably one that has been hand-reared. I would advise prospective owners to contact The Parrot Society UK (http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org) who produce a number of thoughtful publications on the care and needs of these birds.