Ok, so please don’t take this the wrong way, anon, because I don’t mean to single you out at all and this isn’t directed particularly at you, it’s more of a PSA because this has been kind of weighing on me lately.
I think it’s great that many of you see my birds and want a feather friend for yourself. That’s awesome that more people are giving birds a chance. The bird fandom could always use more members. But, I feel there’s a side to this conversation that we haven’t been totally having. So, there’s a few things I need to say.
You guys get to see the cute side of bird keeping on my blog. I don’t show you everything. If you’re interested in bringing home a bird, you need to know that everything. Because bringing home even a small bird is a commitment. You need to realize what you’re getting into before you do it.
You guys see me post pictures and gifs, but what you don’t see is me scrubbing bird poop off of everything, dealing with broken blood feathers, toenail clipping, wing clipping, first aid, getting bit, struggling to give medicine, and so on and so on.
People wanting cockatiels in particular concerns me because of how long they can live. Pepper is TWENTY. That’s older than many of you here. Are you ready to care for a creature for potentially twenty years or more? Are you ready for poop, screaming, and biting? For twenty years? Where will you be in twenty years? Can you be sure that your cockatiel will be with you?
Same concerns apply to budgies and finches. I show you guys pictures of the finches in a slinky, but what you don’t see is how I struggled to get the social dynamics right for them in the cage. How I had to research and find solutions as to why one of my finches was getting picked on so bad that he was missing a bunch of feathers from his neck. I posted on forums, I bought books, I searched, and I read. It took money, experimenting, and dedication to get my finch cage right and my little Jamie finch is still recovering from the plucking the others did to him.
You guys see cute pictures of the budgies, but you don’t see me getting sprayed in the face with droplets of blood as I try to take care of a broken blood feather on a scared and struggling bird.
You also have to worry about diet. Even if you don’t see signs now, you could later. You guys see Pepper whistling, but you don’t see how I agonized over his fatty liver disease. When I got Pepper, I was four, and not only that, all the information that’s so readily available now just wasn’t there. As a result, Pepper had a pretty poor diet most of his life, and now I work to reverse the consequences. It’s been a struggle to get him to eat right, and often he won’t. I have medicine I give him that he hates and it’s difficult to give to him as he tries to get away.
You have to be ready to provide everything they need to be healthy or they will suffer, even if it’s later down the line. Just because your bird seems fine on a seed diet now, doesn’t mean it will be fine forever. Are you ready to make sure your bird has fresh fruits and veggies? Are you ready to cook and prepare food for your bird?
I love keeping birds, and it’s something I will always do, but it takes a particular kind of person to do it with care the way the birds deserve, and sometimes I don’t even do all I should. I’m still very much so learning. This is a commitment that is very different from a cat or a dog. Birds are a lot of work, and they are a lot of work for many years. You need to be sure you’re ready for that.
If you’ve done all the research, asked all your questions, and you know you are ready to give a bird a good forever home, then I support you in your decision to bring home a bird. PLEASE consider adoption when doing so. People applaud those who rescue cats and dogs, but many don’t know this is an option for birds. Use petfinder.com. Look for shelters. Call around. There is an incredible number of birds in need of a good home. If you are prepared, you could be a needy bird’s shot at a happy life and home. Their second chance when they wouldn’t have had that otherwise.
So I’m happy that my birds inspire you guys. That’s great. I just want to be sure they are inspiring you in the right way. It would kill me if I became part of the problem in the epidemic of birds being rehomed or given up because people saw my blog, and then got a bird when they weren’t prepared.
So I’ll get off my soapbox now. All I ask is that my followers consider this information and do their homework before deciding they want any bird.
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1Dm3PAU