Hi, I'm new here...How do I convince my parents to let me get a cockatiel

[Akira]

Hey, I've been reading this thread How do I convince my parents to let me get a cockatiel | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum and I was wondering if you guys could help me too. I'm also a minor and my parents don't really want me to get a bird because they don't know how our dog Zeus will react to a bird, they are aware that I would be the one responsible for the cockatiel and that I've done a lot of research on this subject, I've wanted a bird for as long as I can remember. I have you questions answered to be best of my knowledge and I really want to hear your feed back.
1. How much money have you saved to pay an avian vet? I will save up as much as needed which is $75

2. Name 4 human foods that can poison a bird? Avocado, caffeine, chocolate and tomato leaves.

3. What is the best quality food to feed your new bird? From what I can tell, in Australia, Trill is the best seed food for cockatiels and pellets are the best healthy thing to feed birds, but they still need variety.

4. How much will the bird, cage toys, food and a good avian vet cost you?The cage will be free as my nanny is getting that for me, as for the toys I’m willing to spend $50 for the first batch of toys, more will come in the future. An avian vet costs $ per year

5. How long does a cockatiel live for? From 20-50 years

6. Do you have any other animals in your household, such as cats, dogs, rodents? Yes, I have a dog named Zeus, he’s a Staffy and does not like cats, I’m not sure how he would act towards a bird.

7. How many hours of sleep does your bird need nightly?10-12 hours

8. How do you plan to pay for food on monthly basis?I still live with my parents so I assumes they would pay for the food, but if I can pitch in with pocket money to help I will

9. What does quality food cost?In Australia I believe it’s $30

10. How much out of the cage time do you plan to give your bird? EVERY MOMENT I’M AT HOME!!!!

11. Does clipping your bird’s wings keep the bird from flying away? Yes and no, it stops them to an extent but they can still glide from high surfaces

12. How often should you clean their water, change their food and clean their cages? Water and food should be cleaned daily, as for the cage, depending on its size it could be every week or every month.

13. How big of a cage are you planning to get? It’s about a medium size, it’ll be good as the bird’s bedroom but not as a home.

14. How do you plan to go about gaining the bird's trust? Taking slow steps, For the first few days I’ll just let it settle, quietly talk to it and care for it, I will eventually try things like putting food in my hands and seeing if it goes on it. Then I’ll try to teach it to step up and from there hopefully I’ll have a best friend.

15. What will you do if your bird doesn't become the cuddly best friend for life you were expecting? Not all birds like to be handled. I’ll still try to give it the best life it can have, even if it doesn’t want to be handled it can still fly around freely and have its fun.

16. What should you do to a bird after it bites you? Not react, reacting only encourages or scares the bird, instead you leave them alone in their cage for a few minuets so that it knows it gets no attention from biting, and if it’s out of fear than it’ll be able to have a break.

17. What does their diet look like? Pellets, seeds, vegetables, chicken, egg and catfish.

18. Are you willing to commit hours at a day, every day, to this bird for the next 20 years? YES

19. What are you going to do when you go to college/university? I’m going to bring it with me and go to a pet safe apartment and get a part time job to sustain the cockatiel and myself.

20. How are you going to pay for vet costs? Your bird Will get sick in his life, there is almost no doubt about that, and an Avian vet can be very expensive but is needed. I’m planning on getting a part time job and I’m trying to get people to commission me for art work, I will put every penny aside for the lil baby.

 

[Shezbug]

Welcome to the Avenue @Akira It is so great to have you here I am always excited to see more Aussies join AA

Sounds like you have been learning a fair bit about birds and I am really happy to see you have already found some of the answers to the questions posted for another young member wanting a bird You seem to have great motivation to learn about the bird you would like to bring into your life.

Some of your answers are correct and some of them are partially correct which is excellent as far as I am concerned but I need to tell you that the money ones concern me the most for you at this point simply because you stated that your parents do not really want you to have a bird and also your dog may be a concern . $75 for a vet visit is pretty much just a basic wellness check up but does not cover any tests or medication if needed and the bill will get much higher than that if anything needs to be tested or investigated further so $75 is a good start for the basic first check (depending on the actual vet clinic of course) but you seriously want to have much more available just in case.

I personally would not agree that Trill is the best seed mix available here in Australia (probably the best would be to mix your own most likely from seeds purchased through a good clean fresh supplier) but Trill is certainly readily available and stocked in nearly every supermarket that I have ever been to so that is one bonus. I will also admit that I have used Trill (not on its own though) and I do actually keep a box of it on hand but I am not keen on the fact that I have not yet seen one without shells added to it or with a decent variety of seed in it nor have I been able to sprout most of it, the few times I have tried I have had less than maybe a quarter of the seeds sprout This means they are not very fresh and will be lacking in nutritional benefits.

$20-$30 for a 2kg bag of pellets is about correct from my experiences with all the different brands I have purchased, some brands do come in smaller bags too which makes them a little cheaper but generally I have found the 2kg bags to be around this price range regardless of the brand.

Birds with clipped wings have actually totally disappeared from sight, the success of flying with clipped wings can depend on quite a few things so I personally would actually say NO clipping will not stop your bird from flying away and definitely is not the safest option for any bird unless recommended for particular health purposes by an AV. Some birds with clipped wings can not even glide and will crash like a rock to the ground chancing serious injury if they should feel the need to take flight for safety.

I have fairly large cages for all my birds and they get cleaned daily like most people serious about responsible bird care will do. Bacteria can grow out of control very quickly and can be very harmful for your bird and also you- the type of bird you want is quite dusty too so I would certainly never leave it a week let alone a month to clean any of my cages. It is kind of like if you lived in a caravan and only did your dishes and flushed your toilet once a week or once a month (ewwww lol), birds generally eat, preen, play and poop in the same cage so the cleaner it is the better for your birds health.

You seem to have a quite good understanding of many things bird related but there are some areas that you may want to keep learning about so as to benefit both the bird you bring home and yourself. Behavior, training and diet are just some of the areas we all keep researching on constantly and you would also benefit from continuing to read up on these things too

Just out of curiosity, can you tell me where you found out that catfish is part of the general bird diet? I honestly have never specifically heard catfish being mentioned as part of the general diet so I am wondering why you mention catfish in particular. I do feed small amounts of cooked fish to my bird every now and then same with chicken.

I really hope you will stick around and become so knowledgeable about birds and their care needs that you can convince your parents on your own to let you have one and also for them to give you the support you will need while going through school and many life changes because they can see how much you really have invested in learning about the care, expenses and needs of birds as companions!

 

[Ripshod]

​

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

Shezbug covered everything incredibly well, but I would also like to add you say your parents don’t want a bird much, will they be willing to pay a few hundred possibly even a thousand dollar vet bill if something goes really wrong? There have been a lot of minors who come on with a sick bird who their parents refuse to take to the vet and it’s heart breaking reading about their situation and not being able to do anything about it.

You seem to have done lots of research so I wish you luck and

 

[Mizzely]

My first vet visit with any bird is usually around $400.

 

[finchly]

Hello and welcome!
Your post plus Shezbug’s make up all the basics very well so I won’t say too much...

I’m one of the people who clipped and lost the bird anyway, in fact I had clipped him that morning. Hubby forgot he had a bird on his shoulder, he only went into the garage but the door was open, wind caught the startled bird, and he went a mile away from us. We did get him back but we’re part of the very few.

College - are you sure? Going to school full time and working part time could make for a very lonely bird.

Vet costs - Go by those in your country. I’m in the US and never get out for less than $200.

I hope you’ll join our ‘family ‘ here on AA and keep reading/learning. You seem to have a good grasp of things already. I hope you do get to become a birdie “Parront.” Maybe invite your parents to read this forum, or this thread?

 

[Zara]

Hello Akira, Welcome to the Avenue!

If your parents are unsure, maybe you could foster a bird? Just another option

Deep cleaning the cage one a month is ok, but it needs cleaned daily (papers removed and washed with a cloth and hot soapy water w/ ACV).

Maybe invite your parents to read this forum, or this thread?

Excellent idea

 

[Ripshod]

@Zara raises a great point. I stsrted my journey by fostering for many years. It gives a great chance to learn all about the different species, the birds will come vetted so shouldn't really run up any vet bills. The only down side is having to return the bird, but you gain that experience while they are with you.
Your education will get in the way at some point. With fostering you'll be able to go through your education without you or your parents being responsible for a bird's life.
One day you'll be ready to take on a full time bird and will have the experience to know what species would be good for you.
We can't put our birds away for a week to have a rest. Taking in a bird can be likened to having a child. You will have to be a parent, friend, nutritionist, chef and nurse to them.

 

[Lady Jane]

I would be the one responsible for the cockatiel

Are you totally aware of what comes with the full responsibility of being a caregiver for a companion bird? Its a long list that includes financial needs that can be into the hundreds of dollars?

 

[Hankmacaw]

We see so many young people come on to this forum devastated because their bird (that their parents didn't want them to get) is sick and dying and no one will help them pay or even get the bird to a vet. Maybe that will help you understand why we are not enthusiastic about you you getting a bird.

Your dog will always be a deadly danger to your bird unless you keep them physically separated - all of the time - no slip ups or a dead bird.

Meat, of any kind, is never given to a bird as a diet item. A bird does not have the right enzymes to digest meat and most meat is full of bad fats. You can absolutely kill a bird by giving it too much meat.

Try, If you are old enough, volunteering at a bird rescue or a zoo and learn as much as you can. You are not ready for ownership of a bird yet - and that will be devastating for the bird.

 

[JLcribber]

Here’s what I tell all “children” that want a parrot.

You're very well spoken for such young person. You're no doubt very intelligent but one thing you do not have and can not have at your age is life experience. You can't possibly know how bumpy and twisted that road is until you've travelled on it for quite a while and that's once "you" are driving and not just along for the ride.

You have many, many years ahead of you to fulfill all kinds of dreams. You are but a child that is thinking of getting another child. Imagine if you were to get pregnant now or get a girl pregnant now (sorry I don't know if you are a boy or girl?) and had to become a parent at your age. It would be overwhelming and something you will need to deal with for the rest of your life. On top of that the "child" you are thinking of getting is never going to grow past the age of 3 and is "never" going to move out. This child is going to need as much space, time and enrichment as you do. Not just a cage.

Live some of your life first and get those all important experiences under your belt. Become independent, stable and have a much more defined path before you make this life time commitment. You are going to want to meet and share your life with a special person also. This bird will be a factor in that even happening. There is no rush to do this because you are so young.

You just don't know what you don't know until you know. A lot of us old farts do know because we've been there, done that.

You sound like a very committed person but there is no rush.

 

[Hawk12237]

My first vet visit with any bird is usually around $400.

Yes I was going to say, $75 doesn't even cover walking in the door here. Annual checkup with all tests will run $400 or more easily!
But everything else I think they have down pretty good. Birds cost a pretty penny to take care of. A lot of cost goes into it for a happy bird.

 

[SmallFeather]

I would say that if your parents aren't 100% on board in getting a bird, it would be best to wait. I love staffy dogs, but they do tend to have a very strong prey-drive, so I would be extremely careful. I am a minor as well, and am very lucky that I have parents who really support my love of birds and love my birds just as much as I do. If my parents weren't okay with me having a bird, or thought of them as disposable, I would wait until I was out of the house to adopt one. You have an entire life ahead of you, why not wait until you are out of school and can make your own choices about the welfare of your animals? Also, if your parents don't want to get a bird now, I don't think they would be onboard to care for it while you are in college. I don't know how it is in Australia, but in the US most universities and colleges don't allow pets. Maybe you should consider volunteering at a bird rescue instead. It's very rewarding!

 

[Rain Bow]

Welcome to AA! You've got all the good info here!

The only thing I'll add is cost & vet chat. My last vet visit was around $75-100, it was a new vet. It was Part 1, the bare minimum was done. Part 2 is just before Thanksgiving in the US. My guess is it'll be around $150-200. The vet will be grooming w/ a beak & nail trim as all I can do is keep them sort of maintained. A blood draw & Full blood workup @ a lab. So for his wellness this year, I'm guessing it's going to be around $300 total.

When I 1st got Buddy my 1st vet clipped him before talking to me. I was mad because I wasn't sure it was what we as a family wanted for him. Like a week later, he got spooked & didn't know what to do because it was off balance, he flew into a wall & bruised his beak (took over a year to grow out). Thank goodness he didn't break his neck.

I hope you enjoy it here & I hope you can talk your parents into being on board, but if not please wait. I agree w/ JLCribber, you have your whole life to own a bird, & most importantly, on your terms!

 

[camelotshadow]

Welcome, you have great expectations & inquiry,,,

All I can say is $75 will get you into the vet but if you need tests, labs meds etc it will be least 2 to 3 X or more...

Its all here...been said & done...all available for those who can do a little research.

What can't be told is life...It all paints each of us differently...Youth is not easy & it is a time of development & perhaps a bird would not fit well into it so do take your time & give it alot of consideration & make sure everyone in the birds life for the next 20 or more years understands & is willing to make life changes with you...

 

[Akira]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I will make sure to keep in mind that chicken and meat is a snack and not apart of the diet, I am still young and have time to wait, I will look into more medical issues and make sure that when/if I get a bird that it has $400 spare for any potential vet bills, I will clean the cage daily, I will get something else other than trill, Staffies have a prey drive and can not be close to the bird, my education is a factor but at this moment I'm in a situation where I only have 1 full day of school, the rest of the days are only 2hours (it's a place for people who have anxiety, depression, and other problems), my parents don't want the bird because they do care they don't want to see it hurt, I'm a female btw and I'm not into males so there's no need to worry about pregnancy , I will look into fostering and experiences at zoos, my parents don't know I'm on this thread, My mum is interested but Dad is another hurdle, if I did have a bird my parents would listen to me about health problems as so far every time I feel that a pet isn't ok I am usually right.
I'll be honest I wanted a bird because of many reasons but one big reasons lately is that I feel alone, I used to have a guinea pig that was my best friend and ever since he was killed I've been miserable, I feel bad that I'm expecting that a pet would help me emotionally but I've always had good connections with birds, like with my mum's friend's birds. She has 5 of them and I connect really well with three of them, (the other two are ring necks and one is nice but the other is nuts, its pupils dilate and everything), especially with a love bird named tweety, he was so sweet and was just there for me. (I've only ever owned a budgie before and he wasn't really mine, he was more my parents). Once again thank you all so much for your advice, information, corrections, and general kind help, it means a lot

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I will make sure to keep in mind that chicken and meat is a snack and not apart of the diet, I am still young and have time to wait, I will look into more medical issues and make sure that when/if I get a bird that it has $400 spare for any potential vet bills, I will clean the cage daily, I will get something else other than trill, Staffies have a prey drive and can not be close to the bird, my education is a factor but at this moment I'm in a situation where I only have 1 full day of school, the rest of the days are only 2hours (it's a place for people who have anxiety, depression, and other problems), my parents don't want the bird because they do care they don't want to see it hurt, I'm a female btw and I'm not into males so there's no need to worry about pregnancy , I will look into fostering and experiences at zoos, my parents don't know I'm on this thread, My mum is interested but Dad is another hurdle, if I did have a bird my parents would listen to me about health problems as so far every time I feel that a pet isn't ok I am usually right.
I'll be honest I wanted a bird because of many reasons but one big reasons lately is that I feel alone, I used to have a guinea pig that was my best friend and ever since he was killed I've been miserable, I feel bad that I'm expecting that a pet would help me emotionally but I've always had good connections with birds, like with my mum's friend's birds. She has 5 of them and I connect really well with three of them, (the other two are ring necks and one is nice but the other is nuts, its pupils dilate and everything), especially with a love bird named tweety, he was so sweet and was just there for me. (I've only ever owned a budgie before and he wasn't really mine, he was more my parents). Once again thank you all so much for your advice, information, corrections, and general kind help, it means a lot

It sounds like you are going to be a great parrot when the time comes!

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

welcome you rqve been some good advice already

 

[Mizzely]

One thing I'll mention as I also deal with anxiety and depression - birds are not always the best pet for that. I had to let my Quaker go live with my mother in law because his screaming would leave me in bed crying as it became a trigger for me. This was after raising him from 3 months old and having him for years. It is one thing to visit a bird and connect with them, it is another to live with them without escape.

A bird also cannot wait for you to go through an episode. They need daily care and the cage should really be cleaned weekly at the longest, not monthly. Monthly would be more for a deeper clean or disinfecting.

 

[zoo mom]

Welcome. You sound like you will be a wonderful bird parront when the time comes. I really like that you took the advice in stride and in the spirit in which it was intended and did not become defensive and get an attitude.