Explaining the needs of a Macaw

[A.K]

Hi everyone.

I’ve a friend, let’s call, Lily. Her daughter, Anne, really wants a Macaw. A severe. She, excuse me if I’m rude, is a little spoilt. She asked her parents for this ginormous cage for a Macaw, and they agreed. She has a huge room, so there’s no problem with space. But how am I supposed to explain that a little, 13 year old girl, cannot possible look after a Macaw?! She’s done so much research, and I really feel like I’m crushing her dream, even though we all know it’s just a phase, and in a little while she’ll be addicted to something else. Would she be able to look after something smaller? I’d never even try suggesting budgies, as she thinks they are birds for babies - which they are NOT! What about a conure, cockatiel?

 

[Tyrion]

Is the rest of the fily willing to help her with it

Vet bills ..good diet ..temperament if needed...if she has help she could very well be able to do it ...I hate to have an avid bird lover over looked by her age

 

[flyzipper]

For people younger than 30, I like playing the life events** card -- for any pet.
That leads to a discussion with the the parents that they'll need to cover everything that's involved in the animal's care.

**Graduate high school, get a job to pay for college, move away to college, live in a dorm or other shared accommodation, turn 20, graduate, move to a new town to start a career, work long hours in your chosen profession to get ahead, turn 30, finally afford a house that you're not sharing with others, get married, start a family... and numerous events along the way where they will have to decide between what's best for the animal versus their still-evolving life...

 

[FeatheredM]

As long as the parents claim the responsibility of taking care of the bird when she doesn't...only problem is college. 13 is not old enough to know what is going to happen when it's time to go to college.

 

[WikiWaz]

Hi everyone.

But how am I supposed to explain that a little, 13 year old girl, cannot possible look after a Macaw?!

Has Lily ever taken Anne to volunteer at a parrot shelter? It may give them a better understanding of what goes into large parrot care.

 

[macawpower58]

I second 'if the parents are onboard' statement.
Many parents do understand their child's love for animals, and foster it.
If these parents do that, then 13 years old may not be too young.
Some kids are more responsible with care than adults will ever be.
It all depends on this girl and her family.

You know this girl, and if you think she's really only in a 'I want phase' then do your best to persuade her not to.
You can tell her the worst that can happen. Or better yet, talk with Mom and convince her it's not in her daughter's best interests to have such a 'dangerous and obnoxious' pet.

Birds can and will:
Dislike and attack her or other family members.
Commit feather or body mutilation.
Scream constantly.
Damage whatever can be reached.
Give nasty painful bites.
Bring huge medical bills.
Etc.

 

[Sparkles99]

They might be okay if the family backs her & the macaw can stay with the family during all the aforementioned life events. Many a budgie has a more precarious situation.

 

[FeatheredM]

It's also very important to explain how little birds have big personalities too! Just as much as big birds, big birds just need bigger stuff and are more sensitive emotionally. Has she ever met a conure, parrotlet, lovebird, cockatiel ect.? It's also important to explain how macaws can get dangerously aggressive, while smaller birds are much more safer to handle.

 

[rocky'smom]

I am firm believer that a 13 year child should not own something like severe Macaw. I don't care how research the child has done whether the family is on board or not. Life happens alot of life happens in the teenager years. School, boys, sports, boys, hanging out with friends, boys, sleep overs,and oh yea did I mention BOYS.
If you think that this is phase of 'I want a macaw' because mummy and daddy will help me with the responsibilities.
A friend of mine daughter want a bird these were questions I asked her:
1.how much money have you saved to pay a avian vet?
2.name 4 human foods that can poison a bird?
3.what is the best quality food to feed your new bird?
4.how much will the bird, cage toys, food and a good avian vet cost you?
5.how long does a cockatiel live for?
6.do you have any other animals in your household, such as cats, dogs, rodents?
7.how many hours of sleep does your bird need nightly?
8. How do you plan to pay for food on monthly basis?
9.What does quality food cost?
10. How much out of the cage do plan to give your bird?
11. Does clipping your birds wings keep the bird from flying away?
If you answer these questions with anything other then the correct answers I am going tell you to do a lot more research.
She couldn't answer about a 1/4 of the question right.

 

[tka]

The real question is whether the parents want a bird. If the parents want a bird, have done the research and are willing to pay for bird, cage, food, toys and veterinary care, then sure. Having a family bird that the parents want but with the child doing the care that they are capable of doing sounds fine. Most importantly, the bird is assured of a stable home with people who want it and who understand the care and expenses involved. Nothing is sadder than kids coming on this forum with their desperately sick bird which the parents refuse to take to a vet and the bird ends up dying in their hands. About the second most sad thing is a parent rehoming their kid's bird because the child has lost interest in it or has moved out, cannot take the bird with them and no one else in the family wants to take on its care.

A 13 year old getting a severe macaw is beyond madness. Their lifespan is listed as over 30 years. If we say 30 years, that bird could be with the girl until she is 43. That encompasses the entirety of her teenage years, early adulthood and maturity. Think about what a person is likely to experience between 13 and 43: secondary school/high school and extracurricular activities like sport or music, perhaps becoming skilled at something and working to develop that skill, moving out of the family home, potentially university or specialised training, starting out in the workplace and establishing oneself in a career, potentially moving around (maybe in different cities, regions or even countries) and living in a few different rented homes, perhaps dating and eventually meeting a special someone, maybe getting married and welcoming children into the family...

Life will inevitably throw curveballs: financial instability, relationship break-ups, homelessness, changing careers and retraining as something else, physical and mental health issues. At 13, you know nothing about how your life will turn out or how you handle such massive life changes. At, say, 33, you're hopefully much more settled and have a better idea of the kind of home you can offer a bird.

I have written dozens of posts advising teenagers not to get birds because as a university lecturer, I know what my students' lives are like as students and as new graduates. The only thing they can really be certain of is uncertainty, and that's not a great life for a bird. In turn, having a bird is a massive commitment and providing proper care for that bird may mean sacrificing opportunities and experiences that a young person ought to have to develop personally, academically and professionally.

Given that even smaller birds like cockatiels and conures can live into their twenties, I think birds make terrible pets for teenagers. The only way it can work is when the bird is a family pet, everyone has done their research, everyone understands that parrots may be loud, bite, pick a favourite human, isn't a domesticated animal etc AND everyone is committed to and welcomes the bird.

 

[sootling]

Wow- I'm also a minor, and let me just say, that is crazy! Heck, even budgies are hard when you're a minor (of course, my family is a 'pet oriented' family and will take proper care of my pets if and when I go to collage, and if I have financial instability), I can't imagine a macaw! I'm quite against the "If the parents are ok with it, it's fine." argument, as macaws can get expensive, they can be super hard to handle, and her parents shouldn't have to bear that responsibility.

And yes, her life is going to change big-time. She won't always be able to depend on her parents for whatever she wants, and a macaw can take a huge hunk out of a young adult's wallet! She also probably won't be able to have partners (of any sex) that aren't up to living with a loud, expensive, time consuming macaw.

I honestly think that macaw will end up being dumped, given to a pet shop, or rehomed. Any parrot, from the smallest budgie to the largest macaw has feelings, and with those feelings comes all sorts of things that 13-year-olds probably can't deal with. I don't hang out with friends, or have partners, because I'm too busy with my birds and other pets. It really is a time-consuming position to be in.

All I can suggest for now is telling them to rehome to a good parrot rescue if and when they do decide to rehome, instead of giving it to PetSmart or dumping it, and educating them on the correct care.

 

[fashionfobie]

I agree with much that has already been said.

I want to add that parrotlets can be as bad of a choice for a child as a macaw. It is not true that small = easy. It is not true that a small bird can't be dangerous or get themselves into dangerous situations. Parrotlets are very reactive, can and likely will bite at some point. Children may not have the same capacity to control their natural reaction to push or smack a small bird away, that an adult may have. The parrotlet is the one who suffers or is accidentally gets killed.

A follow up question too, are they thinking of adopting? An elder macaw may have need of a home and they may be safer than a young bird who is sorting out the frustrating time of hormones. This isn't to say the child should be the sole carer. But if the parents want a macaw, adopting an older bird may be the best option. They can meet the bird and already have a sense of who the bird is, what the bird thinks if children etc. Also meeting the adoptable birds may raise the awareness of how difficult things are for birds who do live so long, who do pass through several hands, who do get set on the way side as human life events change their situation.

 

[Nnbal]

I can summarize it like this.
My uncle had an African gray parrot, and when I was little, I used to stay at my uncle's house all the time to see the parrot. My uncle told me that taking care of a parrot is difficult and requires effort. Yes I live with my family and I have a brother too. And it's always been my dream to grow up and have a parrot. I am working now and I wanted to meet all the financial needs of the Pasha that you can think of. (My father wants to help me, but I don't want that. Because I want to take a real responsibility.)
I think every child should have a dream that they want to realize when they grow up and they should strive for it. I don't think a child of this age can handle such a huge responsibility alone.
It could be a macaw or a budgie, it doesn't matter.

 

[macawpower58]

I don't think anyone is saying this 13 year old should be sole caregiver to a macaw or any pet for that matter.
I doubt this 13 year old's parents expect their daughter to do so either.
If they are expecting that, then that's a problem we'll never solve.

Parents that buy their child a horse to show, expects that child to learn caring, responsible behavior under their watchful eyes. I'm saying this should be the same.

Some of us are saying with a supportive family behind her, she may do very well.
Others are saying the family shouldn't have to be responsible, but with a child this young, I disagree with that.
The family is everything in this case.

This all falls down to are the parents the type of people who can do this.
No 13 year old could do it alone.

 

[Tyrion]

I feel we dont have the whole story ..we need to know if the parents are all for it and have they done their research before we say no way to this child who is in love with a Macaw ... at 13 I had a breeding group of Guinee pigs ...2 hamsters.. 2 cockatiels and a horse.. and looked after all of them with the help of my mother...

 

[macawpower58]

One other thing I'd like to say is, every argument given about the reasons this young person will end up giving up this bird, happen everyday to people fully grown and on their own.

Perhaps a parents loving guidance could lessen the 'rehoming' cycle we so often see in adults (anyone supporting themselves is IMO an adult).

 

[flyzipper]

I agree with your primary point, which is this hinges upon the parents.

Parents that buy their child a horse to show, expects that child to learn caring, responsible behavior under their watchful eyes. I'm saying this should be the same.

That said, as someone who grew up on a horse farm, I disagree that this is a parallel.

Unless the family owns a farm, horses are boarded at a stable that is responsible for their primary care. Further, a horse does not disrupt their household in any way (unless you count the smell from barn clothes). If the child loses interest, the horse's stall continues to be mucked out, they still get turned out for exercise, and have steady access to food and water until the horse is sold. The horse might not get groomed or ridden, but its primary needs aren't in question. Often, the horse isn't even bought, it's leased.

 

[macawpower58]

I agree Steve, a horse may not have been the best example. Though my horse was in my backyard.
But any pet a family gets for their child, is usually one that the family ends up taking care of while they teach the child what is needed to do so. Very few children know how to properly care for anything without guidance and learning the rules on how to treat it fairly and humanely.

 

[fashionfobie]

This is so true. We really don't know the whole story.

at 13 I had a breeding group of Guinee pigs ...2 hamsters.. 2 cockatiels and a horse.. and looked after all of them with the help of my mother...

When I was 7 my father brought home all kinds of impulse purchases like goats, cockatiels, chickens, ducks, horses, and dogs. He was a city kid, knew nothing of caring for any of these critters. He would get them because he wanted them for a second. Then I, starting at 7, needed to figure out how to keep everyone fed, keep them alive, watered. My father did ZERO to help, refused to take any of the animals to the vet, my mother would buy food and I would do my best. But I wouldn't trade my childhood with anyone. It was awful. I loved each animal so dearly and worked as hard as I could, but there are limits to being a child. If my father actually participated in caring for all his random acquisitions I am sure I would have a very different view. But I am naturally suspicious of parents and their promises, because of my own experiences.

As an adult my biggest reward is that I can care for my companions in the mode they deserve including vet care, high quality food and the best enclosures. I also have a super supportive life partner who loves our companions as much as I do

 

[macawpower58]

I was very lucky in having parents that also loved animals, and loved showing us, the love that animals return.
They also taught me not to kick my sister, or the dog, when I lost my temper.
They taught me a set of rules that created the backbone of how I treat animals today.
So yes, family is all important.