Having a talking parrot around is a lot like having another kid in the house. They can be noisy, messy, bossy, refuse to listen, and think that they can do and say whatever they want. I know this to be true because my parents have had one for nearly 50 years and he’s like a sibling to me!
Cruz is an African Grey parrot with a big vocabulary. But in this video, he’s decided to speak only one word, which will crack you up! In the video, Cruz is on top of the cabinets, and his mom is trying to talk to him. Make sure your sound is on so you can hear what he has to say. Mom also says that he thinks he’s the boss, so maybe that’s why he’s being so stubborn!
Whaaaaatttt? What’s that, you say? This totally reminds me of what kids do when they’re trying to annoy someone. Whatever you say to them, they just reply with “what?” I think Cruz knows exactly what he’s doing and it’s pretty clear he is the boss!
Viewers got a kick out of Cruz’s cheekiness, too. @Charlotte said, “The running away gets me every time LOL!” @lynninpa pointed out, “Loveable AND sassy!!” @Cherry joked, “I thought his cry for help was totally convincing myself!” @Amy Duggin added, “YES!!!! ‘WOT’ IS MY FAVE!”
Related: African Grey Parrot Acts Out Her Mom’s Phone Calls From Start to Finish and It’s a Riot
Do Parrots Make Good Pets?
I mentioned that I grew up with a pet parrot. His name is Otis, and he is a Yellow-Naped Amazon. He lives with my sister, who’s the same age as him—48, I think. He has a huge vocabulary, can mimic just about any sound he hears, and loves to sing and dance. He’s also loud, messy, and so entertaining to watch…unless you want him to be quiet; he knows it but will refuse to pipe down!
If you ask me, I think parrots make great pets. They’re intelligent, inquisitive, and can be very social. They’ll say hi when you walk in the room and bye when you leave. They’ll call your name and everybody else’s name in the house (pets included). They’re a hoot to have around! African Greys and Amazon parrots are some of the chattiest birds out there, but I think the Amazon parrots are prettier because they’re so colorful.
While it’s fun to have a talking bird in the house, they can get very loud! Once they get going, it can be hard to quiet them down. If they hear loud noises regularly, like a baby crying or a dog barking, they’ll repeat the sound over and over and at the same noise level. There hasn’t been a crying baby in my sister’s house in more than 10 years, but if things get loud, Otis will chime in with the loudest noise he knows…a crying baby.
Because they’re so social, they demand a lot of attention. They like to be in the same room as their humans, so make sure their cage is in a room your family uses regularly. Knowing a lot about parrots and their day-to-day behaviors, I can honestly say that a talking parrot would make an excellent addition to families looking for a fun pet.