Birdie Related Pet Peeves

[Shade]

I've had an arguement with someone who was trying very hard to convince me that all of my parrots weren't in fact parrots - after all, they looked nothing like those "typical" parrots
Also, people who ask whether they talk and loose all interest in the conversation when the answer is "no, not really".

 

[Chantilly Lace]

The worst is when people ask why I spend so much money on stuff they will just destroy. Or when people act shocked when they see all their toys and ask why I would bother? I ask why bother giving toys to kids?! How rude! Also the sad stories are the worst, I now stop and ask if it has a sad ending please don't tell me :-( No one ever just puts their finger near my big birds...lol...I don't blame them! The "does it talk" is annoying too, because every single person asks that, I hear it at least 20 times every single week so it gets old. I think I will get a tank top saying "no he does not talk to strangers!" lol

 

[KimKimWilliamson]

POOP!

I love my birds, and wouldnt live without them, but for goodness sake do I HATE POOP!!
Poop on the walls, poop on the chairs, poop on me, poop on the counters, poop on the railings, poop on the cages/toys,


POOP EVERYWHERE!!!!!!

 

[Euphoria]

ive always called my budgies parakeets, but i have always known they are parrots. and always explain that to everyone also ...

my peeve is people getting animals they can't take care of. and see animals abused and thrown out like a piece of trash. my parakeets. are rescues, someone just dropped them off at petco and my friend that worked there called me. i came and took them to my vet, found out Clyde( male) had fatty liver disease and Aaron(male) was fine but after a week of medication and the right diet they both are happier and have been a part of my family for 3 years now. although they are not really socialized. frankly they want nothing to do with me, i have tried over the years to try and be social but they don't seem to want to.


Here is a picture of them: Aaron is the blue and white & Clyde is the yellow & green: this is as close as they will let me get lol

 

[cassiesdad]

ive always called my budgies parakeets, but i have always known they are parrots. and always explain that to everyone also ...

my peeve is people getting animals they can't take care of. and see animals abused and thrown out like a piece of trash. my parakeets. are rescues, someone just dropped them off at petco and my friend that worked there called me. i came and took them to my vet, found out Clyde( male) had fatty liver disease and Aaron(male) was fine but after a week of medication and the right diet they both are happier and have been a part of my family for 3 years now. although they are not really socialized. frankly they want nothing to do with me, i have tried over the years to try and be social but they don't seem to want to.


Here is a picture of them: Aaron is the blue and white & Clyde is the yellow & green: this is as close as they will let me get lol

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Your boys are so handsome! You are quite right,it seems like these smaller birds are considered by some as throwaways. I guess all we can do is try to educate people about the beauty of smaller birds...

 

[Brigidt36]

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but I'll play, lol.

The budgie vs parakeet doesn't bother me, probably because I grew up using budgie and parakeet interchangeably. I can say budgie, but to this day I have never heard anyone say 'budgerigar' so I don't even know how to pronounce it, lol.

As to strangers asking questions like does it talk, etc. Doesn't bother me, I could happily talk about birds and answer questions about birds all day long. I enjoy it and I like the opportunity to teach people about birds. Who knows, maybe I just like to hear myself talk, lol. And birds are always my favorite subject, hehe.

Let's seem my pet peeves;

~people who think of the smaller parrots as 'disposable' pets, only good until they can 'upgrade'.

~people who think birds are 'dirty',

~people who don't think birds are as good companions as dogs or cats,

~people who think it's okay to just 'set the bird free' when they can no longer care for it or no longer want it.

~breeders who sell unweaned babies to inexperienced people with total disregard for the birds well-being.

 

[Wasabisaurus]

I was quite ticked off when a man I consider a friend gave me attitude when I indicated that I didn't want to go here or there or do this, that or the other thing because I'd have to be away from my boys. He knows perfectly well that I am antisocial anyway. He is very very social. People often don't understand that furry and feathered babies are my world. Sometimes it gets on my nerves. Other times I just say ---- it. Actually, that's 99% of the time.

 

[tammie]

Mine are "Does it talk?" and "Why do you keep buying toys if all it does is tear them up?" and "You can get really cheap bird food at WalMart and some of the pet stores!!"

And I know we need to educate these people, but sometimes it's just impossible!!

 

[Zeb]

I hate the fact that some people think of bird keeping as a hobby for " girls and gay guys ". I have seriously had to fight about that at work! Did you know at cockatoos are a girls bird? Me neither!Also, the idea that birds are dirty and carry lice....my house must smell....and be loud....

 

[Conurekidd]

o yea, i get the, how do you sleep??

easy, i sleep, its like people assume birds dont sleep.
or when people say at the pet store, eww he just pooped, thats why ill never have a bird. they poop.
ARE YOU SERIOUS did you just say that.

but my ULTIMENT pet peeve is at the rescue and ill be first to assit somebody. not conceded in anyway at all.
but im possablly one of the most knowlagable staff they have. they acually have the nerve to ask me for a person with more experince. so i direct them to the owner.. what happens?? owner gets stumped with a question he cant answer
so he tell them, "let me get someone more knowlegable in the specific field". hey what do ya know im back haha

older bird lovers that belive they know it all WILL NOT take any advice i give. they correct everything i say. when im right and THEY KNOW it. like how clipping is critcal on the bird, thell answer no its not, we clip all our birds. thats really irresponsable for you to allow them to fly. yea sure haha

or how breeders are horriable people, but we need to supply our own trade, cant keep taking from the wild, its wrong.

there so much more. its hilarious. i have laughed at one adopter before which was wrong. but he told me, theres no bird food just weird colored treats. (pellets) i tell him no its healthy food. seed mixs are much high in fat.

so instead your feeding maufactured food? and he related it to chicken nuggets from mcdonalds.
if thats not funny idk what is!!

 

[Bokkapooh]

Mine are: "does it talk?", "will you give it to the zoo when your done with it?", "too many toys in there(the cage)", "big cage!", "there diet is very easy to provide, right", "does it come out?", "is it mean?", "does it bite?", "it looks like an easy pet" and just so much more! Although these are my pet peevs I do try to take that question or statement and respond to it as educationally as possible

 

[Shawn]

Interesting points. I've heard all of those before, and it's never bothered me. What REALLY bothers me is seeing "non-bird" people (is that ok to say here?!?) go up to a bird and do the "Oh you are so cute blah blah blah" in that baby tone all the while poking their fingers at the beak or saying "hello! hello!" and getting right up in a birds face waving their index finger. I've seen people do it all too recently, and my only thought is "Do you have any idea what that bird is seeing when you do that?" Seriously. go have your friend do that to you and see how much fun it is from the other side.

 

[QP4CAG]

What! You mean you do sometimes get to work without any poop on you at all? I'd probably have to wrap myself up in a garbage bag to manager that ....

Im at work right now and wouldn't you know.....bird poop on my shirt! Gosh I miss them

 

[Crackaleen]

Interesting points. I've heard all of those before, and it's never bothered me. What REALLY bothers me is seeing "non-bird" people (is that ok to say here?!?) go up to a bird and do the "Oh you are so cute blah blah blah" in that baby tone all the while poking their fingers at the beak or saying "hello! hello!" and getting right up in a birds face waving their index finger. I've seen people do it all too recently, and my only thought is "Do you have any idea what that bird is seeing when you do that?" Seriously. go have your friend do that to you and see how much fun it is from the other side.

That is my main pet peeve as well! When people do that to my birds, I tell them to stop unless they want to get bitten. They inevitably ask why and I have been known to respond by getting right in their faces, waving my finger right in front of their mouths and/or eyes, asking them how they like that. They always take a step or two back and look at me like I'm nuts, but I find that gets the point across pretty well.

 

[Conurekidd]

oh i forgot, when they say, "you do know hes gonna live a long long time right?
really! i didn know that, thats cool, thanks for telling me haha

 

[HelenVanessaDavies]

PEOPLE THAT ONLY WANT TO HAVE A PARROT SO IT CAN TALK,THEN GET RID OF IT IF IT DOESN'T!!!
People that decide it's better to "set the bird free"
People that think birds aren't worth enough to be taken to a vet.
People who scream/shout/throw things at birds to get their attention or to scare them.
People who blame the bird when they get bitten, when it's clearly their fault
People that don't understand parrots so label them a "bad" animal, "not rehomeable"
People that treat their little chiwawa like babies and look down on bird people for buying their birds toys. (and they say WE'RE the weird ones)

My favourite comment so far about Percy is: "...he's a cockatoo?....what are they like African greys? Can't believe how many toys you bought for him, he'd have been fine in a small cage with one perch and no toys" -

Or when they find out how much veterinary treatment I got Kylie my budgie "You could have bought a whole AVAIRY with that amount" - but would it be my Kylie?No she was a member of my family so dammit she is entitled to medication and lots of love!!!

 

[TypingParrot]

I can't stand seeing people advertise a 18"X18" cage as a "large" or "huge" bird cage! Just saw one on CL and its maybe a foot across and 14" high cylindrical cage and they say it's large. No, sir, the macaw cage at the other end of our house is large. That thing is dinky! And I can't stand round cages anyway! no corners!

 

[Nargle]

I don't get why some people buying parrots feel like it HAS to talk. It's not that important of a factor. I have a dog that doesn't speak a word and I love him to pieces! Dogs are way more common than parrots and they don't speak at all, yet people keep buying them!