Choosing the perfect companion parrot is like choosing the perfect family, neighbor, or spouse. In the end, the choosing thing wasn't so much a choosing thing as it was a matter of life serving you a result or an option.

You are "born" into a companion parrot (family or friend gives/wills you a parrot), you find yourself "with" a companion parrot (off the cuff moment in a random setting where you just can't walk away from a situation) or you choose out of lust, emotion, or a deep commitment (generally baby parrots in a store, decision to help a rescue, you meet someone else's parrot and fall madly in love with the idea.). That's about it.

Successfully choosing the perfect companion parrot does not start with the parrot. It starts with you identifying your lifestyle, your finances, and an honest evaluation of your personal goals and beliefs in life. I've worked out a life equation for choosing the perfect companion parrot. You'll need your favorite note taking device, or a pen and paper to work this out. THIS WORKS.

Consider the days you have to yourself. Whether they are vacation days, weekends, paid time off days, or retired it does not matter. Just those days you were free to choose your path. Write down what you did during those days over the last year. Just general points like mowed the lawn, went to a party, cleaned the garage, played XBox, that sort of description. Take your time and really think about those days and what you filled them with while you had them. Label this list, ACTIONS.

Consider the days you have to yourself again. Now write down what you spent your money on during those days, such as food, entertainment, travel. Get specific to a point. Don't just write food, was it groceries for the house, or did you go out to eat? We are itemizing expenditures for a reason. Make these items clear enough to differentiate from each other. Label this list, INVESTMENTS.

Finally, consider the days you had to yourself one more time. Now write down WHO you spent that time with during those days. After you've got those names, write down the companions your friends and acquaintances have in their lives. It doesn't matter how small or large their companions are, horse to goldfish, list, count and number them all. Label this list, INFLUENCES.

Alright, now let's do some revelation equations!

Divide your ACTIONS list into two categories: HOME and AWAY.

Divide your INVESTMENTS list into HOME and AWAY.

Divide your INFLUENCES list into FRIENDS and ACQUAINTANCES.

Boiled down, human motivations either indicate a settled spirit, or a searching spirit. There's no judgement to these two states of beings. They just are and they just affect everything. Including the life, you will actually create and provide a companion parrot.

Add up your results. Do you spend more time and money centralized around creating a nest or are you working on getting out and away for experiences and revelation? What did your money and time investments create? Were you left with a tangible thing, or experiences? Finally, you are who you spend the most time within those hours. Are your friends animal lovers, or are they pet collectors? You can tell quite a bit about yourself by looking at and evaluating who you consider friends and who you invest your emotional energy in.

If you are a settled person, with a nature that is content. You have friends that reflect that nature and who also nurture their companions with that same contentment. If you spend money to edify being settled and reinforcing and protecting your contentment, then by all means find a companion parrot. If you own your home, go big or small. If you rent or are a little transient due to employment and career path. Go small. The larger the parrot, the bigger the stuff you'll move. The smaller the parrot, the less stuff. Speaking from experiences of moving macaws and cockatiels and one sassy IRN, the smaller the parrot, the smaller the boxes and cages. But rest assured a smaller parrot packs HUGE personality and requires the same level of routine and schedule respect. It's just that their moving boxes are smaller.

If you are still unsettled in life, searching for experiences, growth, revelation and evolution while investing in experiences outward rather than inward, don't consider a companion parrot at all. Not right now. Your lifestyle doesn't match their lifestyle.

Companion parrots are creatures that search for a settlement. They need a stable flock with knowns. You may travel with your parrot, but do you always go home when done? You are settled in nature, but actively sharing and returning to the settlement.

Outside of children, there really isn't anything like a companion parrot lifestyle. I've raised both. Kids are easier. Our parrots define our choices more than we like sometimes. But we made the lifestyle choice willingly and after a bit of a chuckle about it, we are glad to be with them at any cost.

To choose the perfect companion parrot, you first must choose to see who you really are as a person. Because without that step, it could be a bumpy relationship for both of you.