Should I return my finches?

[Quailer2]

I was questioning myself on if I should return my finches. I want to return them because of the following reasons:
1. My parents won't let me feed them healthy food
2. My parents are very, VERY reluctant when it comes to going to the vet.
3. They will refuse any and all "weird" facts I tell them and simply mark them as false (like letting the birds out of their cage and cooking rice and peas)
4.They have a strong belief that our 13 inch long cage is "Super Big".
5. Finally, they really, really REALLY want to breed the birds for some reason.
So should I return my birds to their original caretaker or their original breeder if possible?

 

[Sparkles99]

I'm not sure they'd wind up in a better place, TBH. I've seen three free male budgies on online classifieds this week alone.

 

[Mizzely]

I guess I would ask why you brought them home in the first place, and what things you CAN do to improve their life?

 

[Quailer2]

I'm not sure they'd wind up in a better place, TBH. I've seen three free male budgies on online classifieds this week alone.

Makes sense.

 

[Quailer2]

I guess I would ask why you brought them home in the first place, and what things you CAN do to improve their life?

Well, my mom got them for me by impulse after years of asking to get a pet, and without me knowing, got them from a breeder and then those birds escaped. Then, one of my mom's friends had finches from the same breeder and wasn't taking great care of them so they lended us their birds. And for the second question I really have no idea because my parents won't let me do anything at all unless I show them multiple sources of what I want them to let me do. And even then they are very doubtful.

 

[Aviphile]

Well, my mom got them for me by impulse after years of asking to get a pet, and without me knowing, got them from a breeder and then those birds escaped. Then, one of my mom's friends had finches from the same breeder and wasn't taking great care of them so they lended us their birds. And for the second question I really have no idea because my parents won't let me do anything at all unless I show them multiple sources of what I want them to let me do. And even then they are very doubtful.

Tell us exactly what you want to do and I am sure that someone on here can help you find some sources to share with your parents to educate them. How does that sound?

 

[Quailer2]

Tell us exactly what you want to do and I am sure that someone on here can help you find some sources to share with your parents to educate them. How does that sound?

That sounds great
I would like to:
1. Show my parents that finches need a cage that is at least 30 inches long.
2. Show them that despite the price the vet is important.
3. Show them that veggies are very important to a bird's diet
4. Teach them that birds don't need a nest to sleep and that breeding can lead to an aggressive behavior and health issues.

 

[Aviphile]

That sounds great
I would like to:
1. Show my parents that finches need a cage that is at least 30 inches long.
2. Show them that despite the price the vet is important.
3. Show them that veggies are very important to a bird's diet
4. Teach them that birds don't need a nest to sleep and that breeding can lead to an aggressive behavior and health issues.

Remember you asked for this

Suggested Reading - NFSS | National Finch & Softbill Society

If you have access to a library you should be able to find a few books to read and share.

Caring for Finches: An Expert Guide - Petful

For a beautiful and low maintenance pet for busy schedules, look no further than the finch. Read our guide to caring for finches.

www.petful.com

 

[Quailer2]

Remember you asked for this

Suggested Reading - NFSS | National Finch & Softbill Society

If you have access to a library you should be able to find a few books to read and share.

Caring for Finches: An Expert Guide - Petful

For a beautiful and low maintenance pet for busy schedules, look no further than the finch. Read our guide to caring for finches.

www.petful.com

Thank you for the support!
I'll send the Petful page to my parents and will find some books at my local library.

 

[Mizzely]

Here's one from the Humane Society Finch care

Lafeber's site is a bit more sparse but still mentions your bullet points: Finch Personality, Food & Care – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

Even Petco mentions most of the things; I bring them up because sometimes parents are more likely to listen to sources when they recognize the name: Finch Care Sheet: Food, Habitat & Health | Petco

 

[Mizzely]

As for the vet care, it is hard to explain to people sometimes when they only see dollar signs. Part of taking on a pet is getting them the help they need, when they need it, and I am at a loss on how to explain that to people when it is very easy to understand for me. They feel pain, and letting an animal suffer because of money is just hard for me to find a way to explain that.

 

[finchly]

Invite one of your parents to this site. Whichever one is more internet savvy. We can teach them.
As you can guess by my name, I keep finches and believe all those things are important, plus safety measures like not cooking with Teflon if you have birds in the house.

 

[Zara]

3. Show them that veggies are very important to a bird's diet

What is you current veg situation? Are you asking your parents to buy veggies specifically for the birds?
Perhaps a starting point is to use what you have so it costs nothing extra. For example, when cooking with carrots, save the tops that are cut off ad the green bits, be sure to wash them, and feed those to your birds. Same with peppers, cut the tops off for them, or a piece if using the large bell peppers. Same with other veg, if you can´t give them a part they can eat that you would otherwise toss, then just cut a slice of this and a slice of that.
You have two finches right? You really don´t need that much food to prepare a bowl for them, so a small piece of four or five veggies is a great start, and your human food won´t be much different for lacking that small piece of pepper and small piece of pumpkin, or whatever.

It is similar to how I feed my birds, I give them what I eat, and then I have some frozen veggies in the freezer to top up and add variety.

I hope I explained that well.

edit; maybe a good idea to put a ¨no - go¨ list together and print it and stick it in the kitchen somewhere. Like, no avocado, no onions, no garlic, no leeks, no apple/pear seeds..