BeatriceC
Well-known member
- Feb 9, 2016
- 1,351
- 91
- Parrots
- Goofy (YNA), Oscar (Goffin 'too). Foster bird Betty (RLA). RIP Cookie, 1991-2016 ('tiel), Leo (Sengal), Charlotte (scarlet macaw). Grand-birds: Liam (budgie), Donovan (lovebird), RIP Angelo (budgie)
Hey, kiddo. I've stayed silent until now. I know that what the others are saying is difficult for you to hear. I think they've been very polite, and SilverSage in particular has been very sensitive and caring just just towards your birds, but to you too. Growing up kind of sucks. You're at this age where you really can do a whole lot more than society gives you the freedom to, but you're at the mercy of the adults responsible for your life right now. It's frustrating, and, in my opinion, the response to that frustration is the very reason why teenagers get such a bad rap. We can see that you really do want to do the right thing, but there's a few factors working against you, almost none of which are within your control.
For comparison purposes, I have three teenage boys. They're currently 17, 15 and 14 (but they're all 2-3 months away from their next birthdays). My youngest has a couple of birds. He hasn't had them for very long, and honestly, did that typical teen thing of just bringing them home, counting on the fact that I wouldn't tell him no once they were already in the house. But there's a few things that make my house different from your house.
1. We're already bird people. My husband and I already have a flock of four birds and dedicate substantial time and money to their care.
2. I'm a housewife. I have the time to pick up any slack caused by school commitments and other such things.
3. While my son is absolutely responsible for his birds, he knows he can count on me in an emergency. If what happened last night to your birds happened to his birds, it would have been an "all hands on deck" situation to clean up the birds, their cages, their area, and get them to the emergency vet. Everybody in the house would have not only have been required to participate, but would have without a second thought and without being asked. For example, when one of my son's budgies died, I literally dropped everything and took the budgie to the vet for a necropsy to make sure none of the other birds were in danger. There wasn't even a second though as to the necessity of that. It's just part of being a responsible bird caretaker.
4. We have a pretty darned good public transportation system and my boys know how to use it. All of them can independently get around the county by bus and trolley without my assistance if necessary, and that includes taking an animal to the vet, going shopping, or really, anything else they need, should something happen when neither I nor my husband are available to drive them anywhere.
You don't have parents that are so passionately dedicated to the care and well being of your birds. You're 15 years old. You don't appear to live in a place with decent transportation or a vet you can get to independently. As SilverSage told you multiple times, this isn't your fault, but it's your reality. The mature and wise thing to do is recognize that your reality isn't allowing you to have birds right now. In a few years, that will be different, and we will be having a different discussion.
We don't think you're a bad kid, and we're not arguing with you. We're trying to gently break the sucky reality of life to you in a way that protects the animals currently in your care. Just think of this as your first difficult lesson in how crappy adulthood can be. It most certainly won't be the last time you'll have to make a heartbreaking decision for the advantage of somebody else.
For comparison purposes, I have three teenage boys. They're currently 17, 15 and 14 (but they're all 2-3 months away from their next birthdays). My youngest has a couple of birds. He hasn't had them for very long, and honestly, did that typical teen thing of just bringing them home, counting on the fact that I wouldn't tell him no once they were already in the house. But there's a few things that make my house different from your house.
1. We're already bird people. My husband and I already have a flock of four birds and dedicate substantial time and money to their care.
2. I'm a housewife. I have the time to pick up any slack caused by school commitments and other such things.
3. While my son is absolutely responsible for his birds, he knows he can count on me in an emergency. If what happened last night to your birds happened to his birds, it would have been an "all hands on deck" situation to clean up the birds, their cages, their area, and get them to the emergency vet. Everybody in the house would have not only have been required to participate, but would have without a second thought and without being asked. For example, when one of my son's budgies died, I literally dropped everything and took the budgie to the vet for a necropsy to make sure none of the other birds were in danger. There wasn't even a second though as to the necessity of that. It's just part of being a responsible bird caretaker.
4. We have a pretty darned good public transportation system and my boys know how to use it. All of them can independently get around the county by bus and trolley without my assistance if necessary, and that includes taking an animal to the vet, going shopping, or really, anything else they need, should something happen when neither I nor my husband are available to drive them anywhere.
You don't have parents that are so passionately dedicated to the care and well being of your birds. You're 15 years old. You don't appear to live in a place with decent transportation or a vet you can get to independently. As SilverSage told you multiple times, this isn't your fault, but it's your reality. The mature and wise thing to do is recognize that your reality isn't allowing you to have birds right now. In a few years, that will be different, and we will be having a different discussion.
We don't think you're a bad kid, and we're not arguing with you. We're trying to gently break the sucky reality of life to you in a way that protects the animals currently in your care. Just think of this as your first difficult lesson in how crappy adulthood can be. It most certainly won't be the last time you'll have to make a heartbreaking decision for the advantage of somebody else.
