How to convince my mom to let my budgie out for more than an hour?

[Talkbudgie]

I don't want to be rude but it sounds like she won't budge no matter what. If he's confined to your room I don't see why she's kicking up such a big fuss!

I'm probably quite a bit older than you so rebel me just ignored my mum and she eventually stopped bugging me about it.

I can't exactly do that, my dad is against this too, but can I show your replies that say budgies aren't unsanitary?

 

[Talkbudgie]

Perhaps tell her that if anyone in your household touches any surfaces, they are probably spreading more germs/bacteria/viruses than a bird is. We potentially spread a lot more by just coughing or touching anything.

Okay I'll tell her that, but she thinks animals are more unsanitary than humans, but I'm sure she'll have to face the truth sooner or later.

 

[Miss_sj]

By letting her put often, you are also reducing the risk of obesity/inactivity and and other health issues, which would cost you a lot in vet visits in the long run and potentially lead to a shorter lifespan.

I second this- as you've mentioned your mom likes facts, present to her the health issues that can be developed due to having a sedentary budgie.

This will lead to higher vet costs, and potentially an illness which could hypothetically be "spread everywhere " (with your moms way of seeing it.)

 

[macawpower58]

Searching zoonotic disease in parrots will find you much information.
There are zoonotic diseases that birds can pass to people.
Psittacosis is probably the most common.

But many animals can do this:

Cats pass...

• ringworm.
• toxoplasmosis.
• salmonellosis.

Dogs pass...

• Noroviruses. ...
• Pasteurella. ...
• Salmonella.
• Brucella.

The amount of people that catch them though are very small.

So be careful googling in front of Mom.

 

[Talkbudgie]

Of course!

Even if your budgies were sick, they still wouldn't be spreading disease to you. They are not wild birds.

Thank you so much, I'll show this to her and she'll have to agree.

 

[clarousel]

She wants proof and reassurment that they won't spread diseases, and one of our family friends have a lot of budgies and says they spread diseases, which is why she won't let them out.

Will these forum posts be any help? There have been many helpful posts on this thread already.

I got Preeno from my dad's aviary and he has them in questionnable housing conditions. 3 vet trips later (most likely unrelated to the housing conditions) and Preeno hasn't spread any diseases to me. Still alive and well!

 

[Talkbudgie]

I second this- as you've mentioned your mom likes facts, present to her the health issues that can be developed due to having a sedentary budgie.

This will lead to higher vet costs, and potentially an illness which could hypothetically be "spread everywhere " (with your moms way of seeing it.)

Thank you guys so much, I think I have a shot at this now!

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

I actually take care of everything; changing food, water, cleaning cage, taming them, but her main argument is that she'll let me do everything I want with them as long as they're in their cage, not out. It took my days of wheedling to finally get her to allow them out for an hour.

Seems like it is an excuse to not let them out then, because if she was really scared of a disease spreading though contact, why would she even buy a bird in the first place. You have to touch things that the bird touched to clean and keep them healthy, so if you bird really did spread diseases (which it definitely does not) you would have them already.

 

[Talkbudgie]

Will these forum posts be any help? There have been many helpful posts on this thread already.

I got Preeno from my dad's aviary and he has them in questionnable housing conditions. 3 vet trips later (most likely unrelated to the housing conditions) and Preeno hasn't spread any diseases to me. Still alive and well!

I'm going to show her the whole thread tomorrow morning (she's much more agreeable in the mornings) thank you so much for helping me out!!

 

[Miss_sj]

Searching zoonotic disease in parrots will find you much information.
There are zoonotic diseases that birds can pass to people.
Psittacosis is probably the most common.

But many animals can do this:

Cats pass...

• ringworm.
• toxoplasmosis.
• salmonellosis.

Dogs pass...

• Noroviruses. ...
• Pasteurella. ...
• Salmonella.
• Brucella.

The amount of people that catch them though are very small.

So be careful googling in front of Mom.

Yep, this, I've been caught out with this as my fiance once complained that I would catch a disease from Flynn by spending too much time with him- Fiance was jealous (!)

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

Fiance was jealous (!)

 

[Talkbudgie]

Seems like it is an excuse to not let them out then, because if she was really scared of a disease spreading though contact, why would she even buy a bird in the first place. You have to touch things that the bird touched to clean and keep them healthy, so if you bird really did spread diseases (which it definitely does not) you would have them already.

She says that too much contact would lead to it, and the minimal contact for changing food and water won't, but I'll show this reply to her and then she won't have anything to say I'm literally crying thank you so much Skype will be so happy

 

[clarousel]

I'm going to show her the whole thread tomorrow morning (she's much more agreeable in the mornings) thank you so much for helping me out!!

I really hope this works! We can only try our best to educate people on their misbeliefs!

It's a great thing that you're trying so hard too

 

[Talkbudgie]

I second this- as you've mentioned your mom likes facts, present to her the health issues that can be developed due to having a sedentary budgie.

This will lead to higher vet costs, and potentially an illness which could hypothetically be "spread everywhere " (with your moms way of seeing it.)

I actually don't think this will work, my mom had a pair or budgies when she was younger, she never took them out of their cage but they lived a long and happy life, but I'll still show her this.

 

[Talkbudgie]

I really hope this works! We can only try our best to educate people on their misbeliefs!

It's a great thing that you're trying so hard too

Anything for Skype

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

and the minimal contact for changing food and water won't

Well that doesn't make much sense, because water (especially in plastic containers) is the perfect bacteria breeding ground. So if she was worried about anything revolving around sickness, it should be plastic bowls, and not the bird themself. (I switched to stainless steel bowls because the plastic ones I had have tiny hard to clean crevices that fill with gunk)

 

[clarousel]

I actually don't think this will work, my mom had a pair or budgies when she was younger, she never took them out of their cage but they lived a long and happy life, but I'll still show her this.

She sounds a little like my dad. He has questionnable ways of caring for his animals but they somehow live long lives?!

But Preeno has shown him a lot of new things he never knew before and I think it's been a nice surprise for him! Hopefully your mum will come round, especially since she actually likes Skype.

 

[Talkbudgie]

N

Does Skype only stay in your room? Would she notice if you kept him out without her permission? Why'd she let you get him in the first place if she thought he was dirty and diseased? If you put sheets down he'll only poop on the sheets and then it's easy to clean. Also she's probably reading articles about breeder's lung and the dangers of small children eating the bird poop. Articles only talk about the bad things that happen and never really about the good

No, but in a study room she never really enters. But I think she'd notice, we live in an apartment and we always keep the doors open, and even if I could, I don't want him out without her permission, I want her to understand and be on board with their time out. She thought that of they stayed in their cages, we wouldn't get infected. I also think this has something to do with Covid, and she thinks the birds have corona or something. And she's actually saying this because a family friend of ours has a lot of budgies in ONE cage, and never lets them out because they could spread diseases. So I'm going to show her these posts so she can understand.

 

[Talkbudgie]

You may not be able to change her mind about this. I would ask the boss to consider one hour out of cage in am and 1 hour out of cage in pm. So rather than imposing minimums like "A budgie should get at least 30 minutes a day of out of cage time, a conure should spend an hour outside of the cage, an African grey should get at least 3 hours of out of cage time, and a cockatoo needs to spend all day with you," you should put far more focus on the quality of time the parrot spends outside the cage instead.

The time he spends out is usually flying loops around his cage and perching on my shoulder, and I try teaching him to step up. Is that okay?

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

N

No, but in a study room she never really enters. But I think she'd notice, we live in an apartment and we always keep the doors open, and even if I could, I don't want him out without her permission, I want her to understand and be on board with their time out. She thought that of they stayed in their cages, we wouldn't get infected. I also think this has something to do with Covid, and she thinks the birds have corona or something. And she's actually saying this because a family friend of ours has a lot of budgies in ONE cage, and never lets them out because they could spread diseases. So I'm going to show her these posts so she can understand.

@enigma731 can explain well why birds can't get covid, hopefully your mom will realize that having Skype out is very much safe. (Plus, if birds could get covid, where would he even get covid unless you or someone else in the house got it)