Dave
New member
- Jan 30, 2006
- 54
- 0
- Parrots
- 1 pet CAG--1 pet TAG--1 pet YC Macaw--2 pet Quakers--3 prs of breeder greys--not pets
ADOPTING PRE-OWNED PARROT / BUYING A BABY PARROT
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This is just my opinion concerning the adoption of a previously owned parrot who might be facing no future home because of misunderstandings and the lack of knowledge that comes with the ownership of a pre-owned parrot. This is just my opinion about buying a baby parrot. I post this because with many people, there's no middle ground. That's when the nastiness between people starts. That's also the time that the level headed person/people decide to not get involved with these nasty attacks and simply remain on the side lines until every one involved in these attacks feels that they've gotten the last word in.
One of the most gratifying things that an animal person can do is to adopt a pre-owned animal, in this case a parrot . Many parrots rate high on the difficulty chain. I've worked with many of these 'disturbed, mistreated, less than perfect different species of parrots for 7 yrs in MO before moving back to the east coast to PA. I have the scars on my arms, hands, shoulders and a few on my upper legs that testify to this. These troubled birds are located with a family that are professional breeders but who also have a section that is devoted to these 'different' older birds. Many will always remain there forever and many will be adopted. People came and dropped these 'troubled' parrots off never to return. These birds as well as many other parrot species have been classified by bird experts and scientists as 'a wild species that will always remain a wild species' as opposed to many domesticated animals that are also pets. The problems that exist usually starts with the owner's lack of knowledge about parrots. This isn't their fault. It never was their fault. Coping was the true problem. Who's to say who can or can't cope???
Luckily, these different wild species of parrots can adapt to living in a human environment unlike wolves, bears, deers and other wild animals who won't survive when human contact is involved in their survival in nature.
Although a newly hatched parrot and older adult parrots are both classified as 'wild' there's an obvious difference between the two. That difference has to do with the developed habits and personality of the older pre-owned parrot and lack of habits and unknown, undeveloped personality of the baby parrot. Many habits of the baby parrot are developed when he/she arrives and lives at it's first and hopefully last home. The baby parrot develops it's personality in full view of the new family and that family is able to watch the whole process and development of that personality. It takes a while to see that development grow but it's the family who totally benefits from that situation. 'Slow and easy' makes for the best understanding of that baby parrot. Rules, regulations, normal family life and getting used all the people in that family along with a new environment is very easy for the new parrot to accept. After all, there's nothing from the past that the baby parrot can compare it to. All parrots have certain traits that nature has instilled in them. These traits can't be changed but can be modified where a baby parrot is involved. The key word here is 'socialize' and socializing that baby parrot into it's new environment makes for a well rounded secure pet, especially when the whole family is involved. People do run into problems with baby parrots but those problems can be resolved pretty easily with the help of other people who have or had those same problems with their baby parrots.
Adopting a pre-owned parrot is a different thing and with it comes some difficulties and situations although the new informed owner is able to understand what they're actually seeing in that parrot. Usually, those people already own or have owned other parrots and are able to ease the pressure that the pre-owned parrot is going through.
These parrots have usually lived in either one or a few homes in the past. With each home, the parrot develops habits that pertain to what's going on there. Parrots don't forget things very easily and when that parrot moves on to that next home he/she takes those habits with him/her. It's frequently referred to as 'baggage' or 'history' which involves many aspects of the parrot's personality and habits and ways of thinking. The ideal adoption of a pre-owned parrot is getting one that has no 'baggage', but that's impossible. First of all, the parrot is older and very sure of itself. The 'baggage can't be gotten rid of. Usually, a person that adopts a pre-owned parrot forfeits the experience of that parrot living and acting like a baby. Many people who are experienced don't have a problem with that phase of ownership. The people who do have a problem are the ones that aren't familar that experience. They don't get that experience over night. What they do see is an obvious amount of previous 'baggage' and they become disillusioned and many times, the parrot will soon be off to it's next home. The amount of 'baggage' that the parrot stores away when living in that home depends on how long the parrot has lived in other homes. Part of that newly obtained 'baggage' are the personalities of all the different owners that existed and the methods used to make the parrot conform at each home. Again I say, parrots don't forget and they have the natural ability to store away more and more situations. Some of these owners should have never taken on the adoption of a pre-owned parrot and some of these same people should have never taken on the task of owning any parrot but we all make mistakes. No one's perfect.
The only similar thing I can compare this situation to is the adoption of a child. The ideal adoption is when the child is very, very young and the new parents are being given the chance to easily intergrate that baby into their family life style. But what about those children that are 8, 9,10, 11, 12 yrs and older? They also come with 'baggage' which will remain with them. Some people can't handle that older child and then he/she will shortly be making that familar journey back to those different foster homes and all over again those children are just waiting for the right people to come along and who will accept them for what they presently are.
Adopting an older child isn't for everyone and adopting an older parrot isn't for everyone. Luckily, there are those experienced people out there who can cope with either situation. The people that get baby parrots are doing another type of wonderful thing by providing that new creature with a hopefully good future and a happy life.
My message and my opinion here is that people should never think less of themselves if they can't adopt an older bird. It's not for everyone. There are many other people out there that thrive and actually enjoy telling those potential buyers of baby parrots that what they're about to do is terrible because they're not giving that older parrot that has 'a history' a chance. Then those people start to belittle the potential buyers of baby parrots. It becomes an ugly experience and usually, it's the potential buyers of baby parrots that wind up suffering because they lack the tools to defend what they're about to do.
There are many people out there that can and do adopt the older bird. They open their hearts and homes for that less than perfect lonely, sad mistreated bird never expecting a huge major change but instead, their only desire is that the parrot will put all the wonderful new experiences that are about to happen into their 'baggage' pouch and live happily ever after in their final home but we should never forget those people who can only handle those baby parrots. They also deserve a nice pat on the back because their only desire is to give that brand new recently weaned baby parrot a good life . That new baby parrot is going to bring happiness and good experiences to the new owner. After all, isn't happiness for ourselves and the birds we take in what we strive for?-----Dave
