A
Alleigh
Guest
It looks like I'm going to be adopting a bird later on this week. I know, me?! A bird?! It's hard to believe, but this girl who was absolutely terrified of birds is now going to have one as a pet. It's crazy, right? Well, maybe not so much.
It all started this weekend while I was at the pet store. I needed to pick up dog and cat food, but the store I usually go to didn't have the dog food I feed in stock so I was forced to go to their sister store which was a couple of towns away. Since I usually only go to one pet store in particular, I'm fully aware of where the birds are housed and therefore I stay far away from that area. But this store was set up differently and when I turned around after placing the bag of dog food into my cart I was face-to-face with the parakeet enclosure. And, as I stood there, frozen, in front of this massive expanse of parakeets, something inside of me shifted and I was suddenly enthralled by their colorful feathers and sweet bird calls. Instead of running away as I would have in the past, I stood there transfixed. And that's when the salesperson came up to me...
This perky, young girl came up and started talking excitedly about the birds. And, instead of being full of fear, I was interested in what she was saying. In fact, I was so interested that when she asked whether I'd like to hold one of the birds, I obliged. And it was love at first sight. Really!
I had never held a bird before. My father had a lovebird while I was growing up, but I was always terrified of him. You see, Screech was rescued from an abusive home and he was never rehabilitated. He was not hand-tame and he would frantically try to bite whoever was within reach. It got so bad that I would purposely crawl on the floor in order to get past his cage since I was petrified of him. Just the thought of his squawk makes my heart start racing and I'm actually feeling a bit nauseous just thinking about it right now. But, suffice it to say that I had a very negative experience with birds in the past and that's what has fueled my fear of them. Until now...
The bird I held in that pet store was the most gentle creature. I was told that it was a male parakeet and he had gorgeous green feathers accented with black and yellow -- he was stunning! He just sat on my finger and looked at me quizzically. And, within minutes, I was in love! It's now two days later and I've spent my time reading about parakeets, talking to those who have them as pets, and learning as much as I possibly can about them. And, now, armed with more information than I ever had access to before and the desire to learn more, I am planning on bringing my first pet bird home.
I've gone out and purchased a large cage which I feel is appropriate. And I've also picked up a couple of starter toys, perches, and the like. But I've held off on getting anything more since I want to go into these purchases with as much information and second-hand experience as possible. I'm not one to go into anything blindly and even though this is all happening quickly, I am committed to doing it the right way -- for both myself and my new pet. And that's why I'm posting this here.
I know many of the members here are also bird owners. I would so appreciate it if those interested would be willing to offer some advice on bird ownership, what it entails, and what supplies would be both necessary and a positive addition for my parakeet. Also, any anecdotes you have on owning and caring for birds would be appreciated as well. Unfortunately, the bird I held at the pet store has since found his forever home. But I will be returning there to get my first bird. They had many, many beautiful parakeets of both sexes and I have no doubt that I'll find the perfect bird for me. But, before that can happen, I need to be ready. And that requires more preparation on my part.
Are there any active parakeet forums on the internet? Are there any websites I should look into or steer clear from? I have done a lot of research, but nothing can substitute the knowledge of current or past bird owners. And I know that a lot of the information available is conflicting, so I want to know that what I do or don't do is practical based on experience rather than words in a book or on a website. For instance, many websites suggest getting two birds so that they have a companion of their own kind, but is that best? Or would a single parakeet be just as healthy and happy on his or her own? I know that where birds are concerned, I'm coming into the game a bit late, but I do want to do what's best and am committed to caring for my new bird as well as I do my chinchillas, my dogs, and my cats.
If someone told me a year ago (or even just last week) that I'd be preparing to bring home my first bird, I'd have laughed in their face! But life never does go as planned, does it? Never in my life did I imagine that I'd be free from my fear of birds, but I am. And, even more than that, the little, brightly colored, male bird I held did more than just relieve me of my fear, he opened my heart. And for that I will forever be grateful...
It all started this weekend while I was at the pet store. I needed to pick up dog and cat food, but the store I usually go to didn't have the dog food I feed in stock so I was forced to go to their sister store which was a couple of towns away. Since I usually only go to one pet store in particular, I'm fully aware of where the birds are housed and therefore I stay far away from that area. But this store was set up differently and when I turned around after placing the bag of dog food into my cart I was face-to-face with the parakeet enclosure. And, as I stood there, frozen, in front of this massive expanse of parakeets, something inside of me shifted and I was suddenly enthralled by their colorful feathers and sweet bird calls. Instead of running away as I would have in the past, I stood there transfixed. And that's when the salesperson came up to me...
This perky, young girl came up and started talking excitedly about the birds. And, instead of being full of fear, I was interested in what she was saying. In fact, I was so interested that when she asked whether I'd like to hold one of the birds, I obliged. And it was love at first sight. Really!
I had never held a bird before. My father had a lovebird while I was growing up, but I was always terrified of him. You see, Screech was rescued from an abusive home and he was never rehabilitated. He was not hand-tame and he would frantically try to bite whoever was within reach. It got so bad that I would purposely crawl on the floor in order to get past his cage since I was petrified of him. Just the thought of his squawk makes my heart start racing and I'm actually feeling a bit nauseous just thinking about it right now. But, suffice it to say that I had a very negative experience with birds in the past and that's what has fueled my fear of them. Until now...
The bird I held in that pet store was the most gentle creature. I was told that it was a male parakeet and he had gorgeous green feathers accented with black and yellow -- he was stunning! He just sat on my finger and looked at me quizzically. And, within minutes, I was in love! It's now two days later and I've spent my time reading about parakeets, talking to those who have them as pets, and learning as much as I possibly can about them. And, now, armed with more information than I ever had access to before and the desire to learn more, I am planning on bringing my first pet bird home.
I've gone out and purchased a large cage which I feel is appropriate. And I've also picked up a couple of starter toys, perches, and the like. But I've held off on getting anything more since I want to go into these purchases with as much information and second-hand experience as possible. I'm not one to go into anything blindly and even though this is all happening quickly, I am committed to doing it the right way -- for both myself and my new pet. And that's why I'm posting this here.
I know many of the members here are also bird owners. I would so appreciate it if those interested would be willing to offer some advice on bird ownership, what it entails, and what supplies would be both necessary and a positive addition for my parakeet. Also, any anecdotes you have on owning and caring for birds would be appreciated as well. Unfortunately, the bird I held at the pet store has since found his forever home. But I will be returning there to get my first bird. They had many, many beautiful parakeets of both sexes and I have no doubt that I'll find the perfect bird for me. But, before that can happen, I need to be ready. And that requires more preparation on my part.
Are there any active parakeet forums on the internet? Are there any websites I should look into or steer clear from? I have done a lot of research, but nothing can substitute the knowledge of current or past bird owners. And I know that a lot of the information available is conflicting, so I want to know that what I do or don't do is practical based on experience rather than words in a book or on a website. For instance, many websites suggest getting two birds so that they have a companion of their own kind, but is that best? Or would a single parakeet be just as healthy and happy on his or her own? I know that where birds are concerned, I'm coming into the game a bit late, but I do want to do what's best and am committed to caring for my new bird as well as I do my chinchillas, my dogs, and my cats.
If someone told me a year ago (or even just last week) that I'd be preparing to bring home my first bird, I'd have laughed in their face! But life never does go as planned, does it? Never in my life did I imagine that I'd be free from my fear of birds, but I am. And, even more than that, the little, brightly colored, male bird I held did more than just relieve me of my fear, he opened my heart. And for that I will forever be grateful...
