Greylady1966
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@macawpower58 I was very lucky too and I pasted that down to my daughter at a young age.
Very true, I saw a video of a lady going to help a girl choose her bird. She wanted an African grey, but met a small bird who was very sweet and couldn't choose. She eventually went with the small birdShe might consider going through a rescue and fostering one for a while. This will give her a test run before a full time commitment and is she adopted an older bird, they are more settled, you know what you are getting in personality and a 50 year old bird is now a thirty year commitment. I did get my parrot when I was 16 years old but he is not a macaw. The size can make it much harder through all those transitions. I agree that the parents are key. If they are willing to take on the responsibilities when she can't (or won't). Also if she goes to a rescue, she may likely fall in love with a smaller bird which will still love that ginormous cage. Also having her save up the money through working with parrots may satiate that need. (IE if she were mine, I would get her involved with a rescue and go to the not so fun stuff such as cleaning cages, mixing up food, etc. I don't regret getting Walter as a teenager but it did change the trajectory of my life. (I was going to join the Peace corp or teach for the DOD but didn't want Walter to suffer through quarantine).
I would find it difficult to do those things without interacting with my birds.Her mother and father say they are willing to help out with things like, replacing cage liners, feeding, switching toys, but absolutely NO interaction with the bird.
On its own, parents who pay won't prevent an animal suffering from neglect. I would be more optimistic if you had said the parents are animal lovers and would take responsibility before anything bad happens to the bird. If it comes to that, we all know that birds require a level of diligence that can be hard to accommodate if people aren't fully committed to the idea of keeping a bird.They also say they will pay for everything.
... this is worrisome to me, but again, my childhood memories are showing.absolutely NO interaction with the bird
I’m not entirely sure what drew her to the Severe. She definitely wants a baby though. I will ask next time I meet herI ask why a Severe, what is enticing a 13 year old to get a severe, is it a specific bird she knows? Is is a baby, a rehome, a rescue? Makes a difference if my daughter wants to bring it into our home. We have a Severe macaw and got it young; has a very independent personality. Need to know more about the why. Can be a good situation but also can be a challenging one if not a wise situation.
The parents aren’t super animal lovers, but I grew up with Anne’s mother, and she will definitely not let any animal be neglected or suffer. She’d rather re-home it. I believe they are willing to take responsibility, but only if Anne won’t. They want her to get a little bit of independence. If she is neglecting them, then both parents will take over the parrot.I would find it difficult to do those things without interacting with my birds.
Also, this (and the, "She has a huge room", comment) makes it sound like the bird will only have company when Anne is in her room.
On its own, parents who pay won't prevent an animal suffering from neglect. I would be more optimistic if you had said the parents are animal lovers and would take responsibility before anything bad happens to the bird. If it comes to that, we all know that birds require a level of diligence that can be hard to accommodate if people aren't fully committed to the idea of keeping a bird.
Reiterating this part...
... this is worrisome to me, but again, my childhood memories are showing.
Add REPTILES to #6-- they carry diseases harmful to birdsI 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.
This suggests that everyone has a lot more learning to do.Also, the no interaction, when helping out with the bird, they will try to minimise interaction. No petting, scratching, holding, the parrot. That’s for Anne to do, I think so that the parrot bonds with her.
I like what you said about the interaction, and will pass that along to her parents. Thanks.This suggests that everyone has a lot more learning to do.
Firstly, everything they do in the presence of the parrot is, in some way, interaction and will shape their relationship with the parrot. Making eye contact is interaction. Swapping bowls out, if the parrot is in the room, is interaction. Talking, singing or shouting in the same room as the parrot is interaction. Responding to - or ignoring - sounds, whistles, chirps, squawks and screams is interaction. There are many, many ways of interacting with a hands-off bird.
Secondly, birds don't really care who interacts with them the most when deciding who their favourites are. An even cursory look through this forum will find many posts along the lines of "I am the only who does all the daily care for my bird, interacts with them, plays with them and yet my bird only wants to be around my partner".
I had many pets as a child - dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats and stick insects. I got and trained my first dog from a puppy when I was 14. However, my parents were 100% behind me, paid for everything including vet fees, and when I went to university, they looked after my dog for the rest of her life. I had a lot of responsibility but I also had a lot of support. I think that 13 year olds can care for animals wonderfully - however, it is important to recognise the limitations of a young teenager.
Being a teenager is a time-limited condition. Most small mammals can live their entire lives during someone's teen years. This isn't the case with a bird which why I think they make such unsuitable pets for teenagers. Even if someone doesn't attend university, they're not going to live at their parents' house and be financially dependent on their parents for the rest of their life. It's essential to consider the implications of a 13 year old taking on the care of an animal that can live for three decades.