Can't believe I'm still awake to answer this, but I am!!

I was NOT in the market for a bird, Aly. But we went to get some supplies, with the promise that Helen wouldn't beg for anything. She looked athe birds in an open "cage", and that Roger just walked right up her arm! It was all over.....he sat on her shoulder while she walked around the store. I went back the next day and got him for her 11th birthday. He has really been a joy for both of us. As you probably know, Milly, is a "rescue" of sorts, and I think her shyness is partly due to the fact that she was in her cage alone for so long, plus getting shuffled from place to place. She has been here two weeks, today.

Milly doesn't talk, she "squawks", so far. But Roger, in less than three months, has mastered "Zippity Do Dah". He stops at the part we would sing "Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder". We haven't learned that much, but he has the first four lines down pat! He has also learned to say "Hey Birdie" and "What's up, Birdie?"....all because that's what I say to him every morning. Cockatiels will talk with some work, from what I understand. One of our friends has a Cockatiel, Sunshine, and Sunshine learned very quickly to mimic my friend, Jeanie, and tell their Golden Retriever to be quiet! She taps on her cage and says "Quiet Dulche"! LOL!! I thought that was great, and I keep waiting for Roger to belt out a "Quiet, Honey" for me, any day! He hears it enough!!

Roger is a very, very social bird. Milly let me know she is ready for her morning romp by "squawking" loudly!! Helen can get Milly out of the cage, but so far, she will not come out for me, at least not on my finger, but if I open the door, she comes out on her own and climbs and explores. She and Roger get along beautifully. I have heard that two will socialize together, and might leave the humans out, but so far, that has not been a problem. Roger loves us to love him. One night, we got them both out, and left Roger on top of his cage, and just took Milly over to the sofa. Roger took off, and of course went straight down. He was not going to be left out!!

I let them out for a couple of hours in the morning, and play soft music for them, which they love, and usually find them sleeping when it is time to let Lilly back in the room. We always take them back out to climb on us while we watch tv in the evenings, but even if we don't, they are ready to sleep by 9. I used to move Roger every night, back to the guest room, for the quiet, but have realized that they really don't need it. They are in my living room. I turned the lights out and tv off tonight at 10, and they have been quiet since then.

As for the cage, I let the pet store choose it for me. It costs as much as the bird!! You will want a large enough cage that the bird can be active inside, and you want a bird that has been handfed, so it will be more likely to be tame. Roger was 2-3 months old when we got him, and he came to the Pet Store from a local cockatiel breeder. I do understand that you can buy directly from the breeder, much more inexpensively than from a pet store. But I wouldn't trade my Roger for the world!!!