Hate the Term "Starter Pet" but...

[wrench13]

B..b..b...b...bird LUST !

 

[RatAtaT2693]

XD

Yeah - something like that. My mother's like, "Why do you want so many animals?!" And really the only way to explain it is that every animal has a different personality and thing to offer. The dogs give me the incentive to exercise and never ending attention; the cat gives me a ridiculous amount of cuddle time; the rats are great to watch run around, but (if you do your homework and know what you're looking for) are also attentive and require creativity in designing their cage. If they lived longer, I'd probably stick with them.

The bird... I think the bird would be a great intellectual stimulant and a close companion. It'll eventually take over the slot the rats fill. (I guess I'll have to change my name to Birdatat.) And, when I feel ready for the big, long lived birds, a companion for life. People come and go, but your animals are, more or less, forever. That's what I keep reminding myself.

On the bright side, my local wildlife rehab center emailed me saying they needed help (volunteers) with feeding the baby birds! Obviously these are not pets, but I'm guessing the whole weaning process is basically the same across the avian spectrum. I've been vying for an animal care position since I joined/moved to VT in August, and this is my foot in the door. (Plus, if I do get a baby tiel/mac/conure, I'll have a decent understanding of at least the basics.)

 

[Brittany741]

After reading everything you've said, my honest advice is to wait until you're done with your dream of the Triple Crown.

This may come across as harsh and I don't mean it that way at all, but it would be unfair to your bird for you to get him or her and then disappear for your long hike. My advice is to wait until things settle down and you can devote the time to the bird they desperately need. You've got your hands full with your rats and dogs as it is and birds simply don't handle that kind of situation like other animals.

 

[RatAtaT2693]

After reading everything you've said, my honest advice is to wait until you're done with your dream of the Triple Crown.

This may come across as harsh and I don't mean it that way at all, but it would be unfair to your bird for you to get him or her and then disappear for your long hike. My advice is to wait until things settle down and you can devote the time to the bird they desperately need. You've got your hands full with your rats and dogs as it is and birds simply don't handle that kind of situation like other animals.

Yeah, I get it. Mostly that's what I was thinking about. I keep thinking about tiels, but we'll see what the situation is in December. My ankle is getting arthritic and my doctor says that I'm now twice as likely to get injured. (It's raining now, and I could have told you that yesterday.) We'll see how the joint heals. I've wanted to hike at least the AT for ten years now, so I don't think pain will discourage me at this point. The things that kill me the most are the ones I didn't do.

Either way, I've decided to adopt another rat (long story on why I changed my mind), so most likely that will add two to three more years before I can consider a bird. But oh well, more time to study and train for the AT and/or a bird. We're looking into housing that would be closer to the local parrot rescue, so maybe volunteering would be more feasible.

My interview for baby feeding is tomorrow.

 

[Piasa]

Good luck on your interview!

Volunteering will be great for you to figure out what you want in your future bird. What looks good on paper isn't necessarily what we end up liking the most.