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ON THE TOPIC OF PET CARE FOR PARROTS ... By John Geary I
am not a parrot breeder, nor am I a scientist, ornithologist, aviculturist, pet
store owner or
any of a dozen other classifications that would allow myself or anyone else
to designate me as an expert on parrots or for that matter, any birds. I
am a
PIJAC
Certified Avian Specialist,
and as a
freelance
journalist, I do write articles about parrots and parrot care and
conservation for magazines and newsletters. Mainly, though, I am someone who has always been an animal lover, and someone who
believes firmly in the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves. That
is not to say I am the kind of person who goes around committing acts of
violence like spray painting people's
sealskin boots, or slashing their fur coats. That, too, is a form of violence,
and violence cannot be successfully used as a tool to stop violence. While those
kinds of behaviors may generate headlines in newspapers, those kinds of
behaviors are not a long-term solution. At
the same time, I have absolutely zero tolerance for anyone who willingly
torments, abuses or otherwise mistreats a bird or any other animal. Anyone who mistreats an animal willingly and
knowingly - and this includes smuggling and trading them on the black market -
should be punished SEVERELY by the law. Abuse
takes many forms beside physically striking an animal. Ignoring it, yelling at
it, not providing proper food and shelter and withholding consistent, loving
attention is also abusive. The
solution for these kinds of problems, the only viable long-term solution is EDUCATION. Passionate
but gentle explanations and training need to be directed to those who are
ignorant about what is really involved in sharing their lives with birds. People
need to be taught about the demands of living with birds and with parrots, in particular. There are many people
who purchase pet parrots not fully understanding the kind of commitment they
need to make to produce a happy, healthy avian companion. That leads to
heartache for both sides, but especially for the parrot. Our
African Grey, Nikki, experienced this, was passed around from owner to owner
before finding a home full of patience and love with us. But for every happy
story like that, there are at least three unhappy stories. So
if you are planning to purchase a parrot, PLEASE talk to other parrot owners,
breeders, pet store owners, vets and people at the Calgary Parrot Club (or your
own local club). You owe it to yourself and your potential companion bird to take
full responsibility in order to develop a happy, healthy relationship. Below are links to several articles within this site, articles I have written based on research, interviews with avian vets and my own limited experience. There are other links on this website that will you to other sites that can help point you in the right direction. One particularly good starting point is An Amateur's Guide to Keeping Parrots. Please take some time to investigate them. And remember ... "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Gandhi |
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General Information About African Greys |