# Very concerning.



## Gongy (Sep 19, 2017)

Well,i have just stumbled across this forum by accident and i think i need to say my piece.After reading some of the comments/topics on here, i feel concerned about the total lack of knowledge that people have aquired before getting a pet bird.
A pet bird is not something that should just be left in a cage in the corner of a room in a fancy looking cage.Birds need exercize and they will not get enough flying around a cage.....they need to be let out.If you do not intend to let your bird out,don't get one.Also,do not clip their wings,this only frustrates them and is one of worst acts of cruelty that can be inflicted on a bird regardless of what so called experts say.
Some birds,particularly parrots are highly intelligent and sociable and they require a lot of interaction and attention.We have a jenday conure and she is rarely in her cage......if we are at home,her cage is always open and she only returns to it for food.Other than this she is with us constantly,never leaving our side.If you can't give this level of attention to a parrot,please do not get one.
If you own a dog or cat,it is total stupidity to go and buy a bird.As i said earlier,birds need to be let out and not live their lives stuck in a cage......if you already have a dog or a cat,letting your bird out is an accident waiting to happen.
Before buying any bird you need to read as much information as you can about that particular bird......not like the person on this forum who had to ask for advice on the identity of the two birds that had just been purchased by himself/herself........pathetic.
To sum up,
1.Do not buy a bird if you do not intend to let the bird out of its cage......this is utter cruelty.
2.Do not get a bird if you already own a cat or a dog......for obvious reasons.
3.Do not get a bird if you are'nt going to give it a lot of love and attention.Some birds,particularly those of the parrot family put pet dogs to shame in the IQ department and require extreme levels of care and attention.If you are not willing to do this,you do not get one,it's as simple as that.
I'm sorry if i sound harsh,but birds have been my life and after reading some of the info on here,i am worried about the lives that some of these birds may end up having.Birds are very complex animals that require knowledge and understanding if they are to lead happy lives and this needs to be taken into consideration before any purchase.
Ps,i've been looking after birds for 35 years and i've built up a good understanding of what their life requirements are.


----------



## Gillybee (Sep 24, 2017)

You seem to know your stuff. Do you have any knowledge on Indian ringneck parakeets? Mine's 10 months old and not tame I'm struggling to bond with him and I know after reading on other websites it's very hard to. Maybe impossible. But I'm willing to put in more hard work to see if i can tame him. He gets out his cage to do his own thing every day and I don't have a cat or a dog ☺


----------



## Gongy (Sep 19, 2017)

Hi Gillybee,
You may have to wait a little longer to bond with your bird but please dont give up......they make great pets once bonded with their owners.
He is still a young bird so be patient and try some of these:

1.Does he fly away when you try to get close.If he does,try to establish the distance you can get within before he wants to fly off.Sit at this distance for a few days and then try and move a little closer.....but only a bit closer.Once he is used to this distance,more a tiny bit closer still.Closing the gap takes time but you must go at your birds pace and not the one you want to.....sitting close to his cage straight away wont work.
2.What is his favourite food or treat.While working on closing the distance,try having some of his favourite treats on a small plate that he can easily see.....but dont try and pass them to him.This may sound silly but if its edible for human consumption such as fruit,eat some yourself in front of him and if it is bird treats,pretend to eat it.Make sure he has .access to his own treats in his cage when you do this......the idea is not to show him that the only way he will get a treat is if he comes to you,but to show him that treats are available in close proximity to you.Parrots are extremely sociable and prefer to eat in company,so doing this may encourage him to feel less timid about being closer to you.
3.Be patient.........i waited close to a year before I gained the trust of one of my birds, but the wait was worth every minute.Just keep working at it but dont try and rush your bird....just make sure you work at your birds pace and if he seems to ever get aggitated just back off a little.All of a sudden you will find that your bird will start taking an interest in you but as with most parrots it will be when he wants to and not when you want him to.
When you do bond it can be a totally rewarding experience, bonding with a parrot/parakeet is one of the strongest bonds you can have with any animal.


----------



## Gillybee (Sep 24, 2017)

Gongy said:


> Hi Gillybee,
> You may have to wait a little longer to bond with your bird but please dont give up......they make great pets once bonded with their owners.
> He is still a young bird so be patient and try some of these:
> 
> ...


Thank you so so much for your tips I will try them all.. I've tried the sitting at a distance thing but not getting to close making not much eye contact in case I intimidate him..hes not the best of eaters surprisingly.. just loves pomegranate apples and grapes... I've tried him with lots of different fruits but he just throws them out his bowl...will definitely try to eat some though that's a great idea. I'm guessing patients is the key here so I'll just bide my time.. I'm just dying to pet him he's just so beautiful and mischevious I'd love for him to even step up onto my finger.. here's hoping he will 1 day. Thank you again for your advice


----------



## Franksthename (May 31, 2017)

I don't keep hook bills anymore i keep various finches and Chinese painted quail all in a massive avairy and a few pairs of mandarin and caroliner wood duck all the ducks are free flyers all are reasonably tame I also in the past kept birds of prey,various breeds of pheasant,ducks waders, I did keep Rosa bourkes at one time which were lovley little birds


----------



## hutch6 (May 9, 2008)

Gongy said:


> Well,i have just stumbled across this forum by accident and i think i need to say my piece.After reading some of the comments/topics on here, i feel concerned about the total lack of knowledge that people have aquired before getting a pet bird.
> If you own a dog or cat,it is total stupidity to go and buy a bird.As i said earlier,birds need to be let out and not live their lives stuck in a cage......if you already have a dog or a cat,letting your bird out is an accident waiting to happen.
> 
> To sum up,
> ...


I've got two dogs and four birds, good luck sleeping tonight OP.


----------



## Franksthename (May 31, 2017)

I forgot to mention my pigeons,how could I forget them I have a full team of Birmingham rollers and West of England tumblers and some racer x high flyers which I let out and they just stay up in the air as little dots for hours


----------



## hutch6 (May 9, 2008)

Franksthename said:


> I don't keep hook bills anymore i keep various finches and Chinese painted quail all in a massive avairy and a few pairs of mandarin and caroliner wood duck all the ducks are free flyers all are reasonably tame I also in the past kept birds of prey,various breeds of pheasant,ducks waders, I did keep Rosa bourkes at one time which were lovley little birds


I find the problem with Rosa Bourkes is that they don't like to give up their seat very easily.


----------



## lugee (Sep 14, 2009)

I just wanted to say we had a cat already when we rescued a ring neck parrot, who was in a totally too small/cracked/old cage and alone in a kitchen. My husband brought him home feeling sorry for him, it wasnt ideal- but we just couldn't have left him like that. Equally I absolutely do not want to give him away because I don't want him ending up that way again.
I researched the right size cage for his size and got him the biggest I could. I bought him as many toys as I could, he's with us daily and he has exercise daily morning and evening....our cat is ALWAYS out/sleeping at these times. He is very friendly and tame and from day one sat on our shoulders, though he is wary of people touching him from the back as apparently he used to be grabbed. 
But also my cat got used to him, sleeping next to his cage as if he is a small companion.


----------

