Hi scragend
parrots are great i have 2
BUT they can be messy & noisy,painful
your'e right about commitment the regular cage cleaning
food & water changing just like any pet,
holidays could be a problem trying to find someone to look after them who has the experience.(preferably)
at least you dont have to walk them,
hopefully nobody in the home is allergic to them,
i have had my amazon since 1984 & my second grey since 1998, my first died suddenly after 13 years,never cried so much.
but both greys talked unlike the amazon,
my amazon loves me, will always come out on to my hand,
fly to my shoulder from the stand,
or if i lie on the floor she will fly from stand to her cage- climb down the side onto the table & then fly onto my stomach,
the grey won't do any of this,he would just climb up his cage & once there i would lift his cage down onto the floor onto newspaper while i clean his cage bottom out.
greys can be highly strung, if i enter the room with a cardboard box - he thinks its for him & backs away & squawks,
my wife can stroke his head & feathers when he is in or on his cage, i have little chance of either,
but let her try that on the amazon,it still wont let her.
i would like a macaw or cockatoo but i can dream.
So they can be quite entertaining etc but they also tie you down like most pets.
any more questions please ask.
Merry Christmas