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A Parrot Platform |
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PARROT ADOPTION & RESCUE
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PET PARROT ALERT! Pet Parrots in peril
WOULD YOU WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TURNING THIS…
…INTO THIS?
If you are thinking of getting a pet parrot, PLEASE, THINK AGAIN!! Parrots are funny, beautiful, and intelligent. But they are also noisy, destructive, messy, demanding, time-consuming, and expensive to buy and to maintain. It is unfortunately only too true that bringing a parrot into a home more often than not means misery for the parrot as well as for the people. If you think you would like to have one in your home, you need to be aware of many important facts. To begin with, parrots are NOT domesticated animals. Even though some species can now be bred in captivity, this is only a relatively recent development and parrots still have all the genes, and therefore all the instincts and needs, of their wild grandparents. It is very difficult to meet or substitute for these needs in captivity. More often than not, this means that sooner or later, usually within five years, owners are forced to realize that both their lives and the life of the parrot are so unsatisfactory that the parrot is given up. Some of the factors contributing to this decision are discussed below. INTELLIGENCE In the animal kingdom four groups have been identified with intelligence that can be compared with that of humans: the crow family, dolphins, the great apes, and parrots. This means, among other things, that these animals have not only physical requirements for their maintenance, but also mental and social requirements. Of these four groups, only parrots are kept in huge numbers in captivity and can be acquired without any prior knowledge of what is involved in their proper care. If you wouldn’t put a dolphin in your bathtub or a gorilla in the playroom, please think carefully before you decide to put a parrot in a cage. Parrots are very social animals and live in the wild in large groups. Within those groups they choose a mate who is a constant companion, 24 hours a day, all the year round, not just in the breeding season. Most parrots remain monogamous for life. In captivity the parrot owner will have to take the place of these all these social relationships, which is VERY time-consuming.
Parrots, like people, have distinct personalities and they make decisive personal choices. A person may buy a parrot only to find that the parrot wants nothing to do with him/her, but is interested exclusively in another member of the household, who may not want to be the “designated parrot friend/partner”. Parrots become sexually mature at about 5 or 6 years of age, depending on the species. At this time their personalities may change radically, including the sudden appearance of aggression and screaming. Such changes can be either permanent, or reappear annually only during the breeding season, making them unmanageable for months out of every year. Parrot lungs need a much higher humidity than is found in the average home. 70% of pet parrots have respiratory problems resulting from an environment that is too dry. A parrot’s entire anatomy, physiology and psychology are evolved for flying. Denying a parrot the ability to fly by wing-clipping or caging has irrevocable negative effects on personality and health. At the very least, to be truly healthy, a parrot needs to live in an aviary that is large enough to permit flight, and that has both outdoor and indoor areas. Parrots need a varied diet. A diet of only seeds is inadequate. Even the modern pellet formulas are not sufficient to be used as the exclusive food. Parrots need fruits, nuts, vegetables, and a wide variety of seeds, grains, proteins and minerals. In addition, parrots need exposure to unfiltered sunlight every day.
UH-OH! TROUBLE! When a parrot’s many needs are not adequately met in captivity, the parrot responds with behaviors that are inappropriate for either the parrot and/or the owners: screaming, biting, aggression, destruction of household goods, self-plucking and even self-mutilation.
In one poll of members of a parrot club, 97% of the owners reported having “mild to severe” problems with their birds. Even “well-behaved” parrots can be difficult for their owners. Behavior that is “normal” for a parrot can be very unsettling for a human. NATURAL PARROT BEHAVIOR Parrots wake up and go to bed with lots of “calling”, which can reach decibel levels that are audible not only at home but at many of the neighboring homes. Parrots naturally chew on anything that crosses their paths. Including wall-paper, furniture, buttons, clothes, books, houseplants, electric wires, you name it. They are not “deliberately misbehaving”, but just doing what comes naturally. Parrots are also very messy. They not only throw around everything they have explored and rejected, including food, but they shed feathers and dust at an amazing rate. It is said that parrots have the intelligence of a child of 5 years old, and the personality of a child of 2. That means that they know what they want, and they are determined enough and intelligent enough and stubborn enough to figure out whatever is necessary to get it. And to keep doing whatever that is until they succeed. A parrot can outlast a person at almost anything!! With all this in mind, it is necessary to parrot-proof your home in order to make the house safe for the parrot and the parrot safe for the house. Many adjustments are necessary. For example: Remove poisonous house-plants; protect valuable furniture; do not use aerosol sprays, incense, deodorizers or non-stick cookware or ironing boards because any of these can release fumes that may be fatal for parrots. All windows and doors must be screened. Windows and mirrors must be covered when the bird is out to prevent crashing into them. Electric wires must be hidden or protected. And so on and so on. A STABLE HOME LIFE? The average parrot will probably have 5 to 7 owners in his/her lifetime because they are so difficult to keep that they are continually being passed on to new owners. Depending on the species, a parrot who has received excellent care can live to be 30, 50, even 100 years old. So if you are one of the very special “parrot people” who can provide everything needed to keep yourself and your parrot happy, your parrot will most likely outlive you. Then you are faced with the problem of what will happen to your pet. It is NOT easy to find another good home. Parrot refuges and adoption centers are so full that many are not accepting any more birds, leaving owners who can no longer care for their birds no other option that to return them to the marketplace where anything can happen to them. Some people have even consulted with veterinarians about having their bird put to sleep if the person dies first.
PARROT PROFESSIONALS QUESTION KEEPING PET PARROTS Viral diseases are becoming more of a problem. Often these diseases are fatal, but do not show up immediately, resulting later in expensive veterinary care and much misery for bird and owner. Perfectly healthy seeming birds can also be carriers. As a result of this and all the other problems that they see in their practices, many avian veterinarians are beginning to question whether it is possible at all to keep parrots in captivity in a way that is not harmful to their mental and/or physical health.
Many breeders have become so alarmed at the number of parrots that are brought back to them by the buyers that they have stopped breeding parrots. Parrot behavior consultants are constantly being asked to find new homes for birds whose owners cannot deal with the problems that have arisen. GOT YOU THINKING? The above is only a “bird’s eye view” of the pitfalls of parrot keeping. For more details and personal stories, please consult one or more of the websites listed below. And try to get some first-hand experience: visit a parrot sanctuary and ask yourself why so many birds have been voluntarily given up by their previous owners; do some volunteer work at a sanctuary yourself and get to know the birds and what is involved in their care; talk to (previous) parrot owners and, if possible, caretakers in bird parks, zoos, or sanctuaries. If you are then convinced that a parrot is after all not for you, you have most probably made a wise decision. Please continue to enjoy these magnificent birds in the bird park or zoo, and in nature films. Should you decide after all your research that you are one of those exceptional people who would enjoy being owned by a parrot and could give that parrot the life s/he deserves, please consider fostering or adopting one of the many thousands of parrots looking for a good home (see websites for adoption centers). Fostering (giving a temporary home) to a parrot while it is waiting for permanent adoption is another good way to see if parrot keeping is for you before making a permanent commitment. In addition to the many other advantages of adopting (including getting to know a bird before you bring him/her home; having the back-up of the center if problems arise; getting an older bird with a stable personality who is also less likely to outlive you), bringing home a parrot from a shelter is one step in redressing the injustice that has been done to these incomparable birds. The parrots thank you for your careful consideration. www.satyamag.com/nov04/mccarthy.html Text by Gina Kornblith Photographs courtesy of Marc Johnson at Foster Parrots July 2006
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Thinking of getting (another) parrot? Consider adopting! by: Gina Kornblith The present captive parrot situation can only be described as having reached crisis proportions. Statistically, the fate of a captive-bred baby parrot today will much more likely than not be one of benign negligence at best, and cruel neglect at worst. Parrot owning has become “in” and parrots can be bought at such inappropriate places as corner pet shops, garden centers, on the Internet, at “bird shows”, by anyone with the price in their pocket, whether or not they have any idea of what parrot ownership involves. All too frequently, as soon as they find out, they realize they have made a mistake. Caring for a parrot is labor intensive. It takes special people to devote as much time, energy, money and devotion to their pets as a parrot needs in order to be kept healthy and happy. So what happens to the parrots who end up where they are not really wanted? The lucky ones are brought to a rescue or an adoption center. It is in this regard that I would like to make a plea to anyone thinking of getting (another) parrot. Consider adopting! If you live in the Not sure about adoption? Or perhaps not even sure whether you want a parrot at all? Try “fostering”, which is a possibility at some centers. This is giving a temporary home to a bird while s/he is waiting for permanent adoption. In this way, you have made no permanent long-term commitment. If you are thinking of getting a first parrot, this is an ideal way to see if you really want a parrot in your life, full-time, for maybe decades to come. Perhaps you will even decide that you want to be only a “fosterer” – leaving you with the option of having “parrot-free” periods in your life for travelling or other activities. There are many advantages to adopting. At an adoption center, you will not be rushed into a decision, you will not be pressured, or given a “sales pitch” designed to get you to buy a bird, whether or not the bird is right for you. You will be told the truth about a bird, both negative and positive. The bird will have been medically and behaviorally screened by professionals whose chief concern is the welfare of the bird, and not making money. The people at adoption centers care greatly about all their birds and are interested only in seeing that they find a happy home – happy for the parrot and happy for the adopters. At an adoption center you have the wonderful opportunity of really learning the character of each individual bird. You can get to know them by visiting regularly or by doing some volunteer work at the center. Sooner or later you will be chosen by one – or more! - of the birds to be their special friend. The parrot not only gets a chance to choose you, but you also get a chance to know the parrot’s personality, by being around the bird yourself, and from reports of the center caretakers. They will tell you the truth because they want what is best for the bird and have no stake in your taking home a bird that will not be happy with you and you with him/her. Is this a bird that will fit into your household? Bringing home a bird that you know eliminates one of the big risks of getting a bird after only superficial contact. Parrots have very distinct personalities and preferences and a bird that looks sweet as can be in the store but turns out to be a terror at home is, to say the least, a rude awakening. Should there be any behavior or medical problems, or a history of such, with a particular bird, the center will usually be aware of this and let any prospective adopter know it. Then they can work together to see whether this is something the person will be able to cope with. Better to find out before the bird is sitting in your living room screaming all day or attacking your family members. If problems develop after the adoption, the experts at the center are always available as a resource and “help desk”. If you have thought that you would like to have two birds who are good companions for each other, adopting a pair who are already on friendly terms will greatly decrease the chances of your ending up with two birds who want to have nothing to do with each other. Twice the work and half the pleasure! Again, the center is your best guide in advising you on your choice. Adopting an older bird has several advantages. Their personality is more fully formed and stable so you will less likely be in for unpleasant surprises. You can ask how the bird reacts to the breeding season so you know what to expect for those months of the year. And by choosing a parrot of a more advanced age, you can decrease the chances of your friend outliving you, and all the problems of finding a caretaker for him/her when you are no longer there to do it. If something unforeseen happens to you so that you are unable to continue to care for the bird, most adoption centers will always take their birds back. Apart from all the above advantages, consider the satisfaction of knowing you have given a new life to a parrot who has been waiting for the right person to give him/her a home. And by doing so, you have also made another spot available in the center for the next parrot who is waiting to get in. And you have made a contribution to our redressing the great injustice that is being done to these marvellous intelligent beings.
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So, You Want a Bird?
I have owned birds for most of my life. Since I was a child and my father brought home that first parakeet----I’ve been intrigued! Parrots are playful, curious, engaging and mischievous. They are also messy, noisy, expensive, time consuming and just to complete the package---they also bite! Facts: · A large macaws beak exerts pressure in excess of 300 lbs per square inch. Many foolish people have made the mistake of pursing their lips up to a huge unprotected beak---they soon were looking for a good plastic surgeon! · Any bird that is given to you for “free” will likely come with a birdhouse full of issues to take care of o Large vet bills o Aggression issues o Screaming (loudness) o Plucking and/or mutilation o Nutritional deficiencies o Illnesses · The bird may require major veterinary care due to a life of neglect….can you afford to spend several hundred dollars on veterinary costs? · Parrots require an “AVIAN VETERINARIAN”---you should choose one before you bring your bird home. It is also a good idea to have an “emergency veterinarian” in mind---even Veterinarians take vacations! · A bird that comes to you “unfeathered” will most likely NEVER re-grow his feathers….everyone “thinks” they will be able to “fix” their new friend---few succeed. · Parrots REQUIRE a clean cage to remain healthy · Parrots need to chew, so unless you want your new friend to disassemble your antique china cabinet—you will need to either make or buy wood toys for him to destroy. A large parrot requires a very large cage---these can cost over $500. · Birds REQUIRE nutritious fresh food every day to remain healthy---are you willing to do the research and leg work in order to provide your bird with the best diet? · A large macaw can live to be over 50 years old & will most likely outlive you---do you have someone in mind that would be a suitable home after your demise? · Is your significant other on the “same page?” A spouse who does not like animals can make life miserable for both you and your new friend. Receiving a “free” bird means that instead of purchasing a newly weaned chick---you are taking over a bird that has many issues to overcome. The more tragic his prior life, the longer it may take to make a “break through.” This isn’t about saving money---it is about giving a good life to a creature who was “given up on” by the humans in his life. Owning parrots is not a cheap low maintenance “hobby”----I spend approximately 2 ½ hr every day doing the things that “must” be done to care for them (feeding, cleaning, showering) & even more time for one on one attention. When I’m not with them it is because I am at work---they are always on my mind. This life altering commitment should not be taken lightly. With all the vet bills, cleaning, preparing food, being bitten----It still can be an amazing experience for a well prepared owner. I realize giving these forgotten and mistreated birds a good home is my passion, my lifestyle and one of my greatest joys.
---Mary Genotti-Collins |
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| ©2007Eternity's Sunrise |