-=> Quoting Paul Hansen to All <=-
 PH> I have recently discovered parrots. I have no history with birds, and
 PH> I'm quite surprised to find that I think they are beautiful, entrancing
 PH> and full of personality. I find myself haunting petstores looking for
 PH> parrots. I befriend them, only to find days later when I come again
 PH> that someone has adopted them.
 PH> I think I'm in love.
 PH> My wife has three cats. How could I safely adopt a bird while having
 PH> natural predators in the house?
 PH> Should I work up to a parrot, perhaps try a small songbird or budgie,
 PH> perhaps? I understand parrots can be quite long-lived (30+?). Are the
 PH> smaller birds as hardy?
Hey! We share the same initials!
I just obtained my first bird: a Moluccan Cockatoo - after three years of
wanting a parrot and looking, and reading about them, and researching and
hanging around in this echo. I will tell you that after only two weeks of
being owned by a parrot, everything you hear is true! They're messy, they're
very destructive, they require lots of attention, and are noisy. They're
also fun.
I knew all that going in, but reading about all the mess etc and having to
actually DEAL with it are two different things!  The advice I received
from the people in here was to get a smaller bird first. Mine is one of the
largest parrot species and consequently I have larger problems than I would
have with a smaller bird - but because I prepared myself ahead of time, it's
not as difficult.
Don't buy a parrot without reading as much as you can about them and their
care and their pros and cons. The time to read a book on parrots is BEFORE
you get one. You need to know what to expect, how to care for them, their
behavior, how to handle them, cages, food, health concerns, training, etc.
I bought and read half-a-dozen books on parrots and their training before
I decided I was going to get one. I bought bird magazines regularly and read
them. I paid attention to the ads for cages and toys. I regularly visited
a pet store with a good reputation  and observed the various parrot speices
that they had for sale. I talked with the gal who took care of the birds, I
watched her handling them and feeding them and watched how the parrots 
elated
to her. I handled some of them under her supervision for both the bird's
safety and my own. (Parrots can BITE and the jaws of some parrots are strong
enough to take your finger off! I'm not kidding!)
As for cats, I have one. I don't allow my 'too out of the cage unless the cat
is shut up in another room, but they're fine with each other when the bird
is in the cage. My daughter caught the bird bug from me and she has two of
the smaller ones; a Quaker parrot and a Sun Conure. According to her, the
birds bully her cats unmercifully when they're out of their cage. I dont let
my cat around the bird when the bird is out for the CAT'S safety, not the
bird's.
So, learn all you can first. Then decide. I don't regret doing the research
first.
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