I just had the time to finally read this "article" that you posted Noodles, and that's just terrible...See this is the problem with the internet. It's fine if people want to write "Editorials", or "opinionated" articles online, but this was written as if it's supposed to be a factual, informative article, and it's full on inaccuracies that will actually serve to put birds in harms-way, and stick people who don't know any better with birds they neither want or can handle or care-for...
I'd bet everything I own that the person who wrote this "article" had never owned or even interacted with a bird in their life....
Really it's not the author of this article that should be blamed, but rather the Editor who allowed it to be published on their website...Editors are supposed to fact-check all "informative" and "educational" articles for accuracy and back-up what is said with footnotes and citations...None of those here...why? Because it's an opinionated article, and I'm sure if this website writes anyone back that's what they are going tell you, that "This article was not intended for educational purposes, but it's rather an opinionated article written from the view-point of one of our writers, and that's evident in the lack of any footnotes or citations", or something to that effect...So bad.
It gets worse--- another user clicked her name and she claims to have worked with birds and been a vet-tech etc for many years LOL! It enrages me...With opinions like this, her credentials are either a lie, or she must have worked in some sort of terrible bird-mill! From a commonsense perspective, her claims are ludicrous, but even more so having owned birds!
"...worked with birds and been a vet-tech for many years..."
That basically means nothing at all, but it looks nice on-paper I guess...Unfortunately most "Vet Techs" are not CVT's that have gone through any training school, nor do most of them have any type of higher-education at all. I didn't realize this before a few years ago actually, I had always been under the impression that anyone who worked in a Veterinary Office/Hospital as a "Vet Tech" actually had to go to school for it, like a technical school. Actual "Certified Vet Techs" (CVT's) have gone through a 2-year educational/training program and have an Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology...So I had always thought that ALL Vet Techs working in Veterinary offices/hospitals were CVT's...
Then one day I sold a car to a woman, and when doing her credit application she said she was a "Vet Tech" and had worked at a very reputable and the most expensive Veterinary Office in central PA. And she made a very nice amount of money...We got to talking about my college/grad school education in Animal Health-Science, and I asked her where she went to school (Penn State owns a renowned Technical School in Williamsport, PA called "Penn Tech", or Pennsylvania College of Technology, and they have both a Vet-Tech and actually a Physician's Assistant program, so I thought she had probably gone there)...She said "Oh, I didn't go to college, I just applied for the Vet Tech job because when it was advertised it said that no experience or education was necessary"...Then she educated me, and I verified what she had told me, that most Veterinary Offices and hospitals in the US employ "Vet Techs" and "Certified Vet Techs", they both do the same things exactly, but the CVT's are paid a bit more...that's it. So all you need to get hired as a Vet Tech in the US is a high-school diploma. That's it...now I'm sure that some places insist that all their Vet Techs are CVT's, but according to this woman that's not usually the case...
So I'm going to assume that Ms. Kalhagen, who wrote this little "editorial", has absolutely ZERO medical education or training, and her experience "working with birds" is probably 100% only the time she's worked as a Vet Tech...
And like you said, not only are many statements she makes completely wrong/false/untrue, but they are common-sense! Or at least I thought they were commonsense, it's sad if they're not!!!
I particularly liked her statement about saving money by buying less pellets or seed-mix for your bird by just feeding them veggies and fruit some days, so you can "stretch-out" the pellets or seed-mix and not have to buy it as often...Was I the only one who was horrified by that? That's exactly like saying "Hey, you don't have to feed your dog dogfood or your cat catfood every day, you can skip days feeding them that and instead just feed them some people-food, that way you won't have to buy dogfood or catfood as often!!!
Then there was the statement "While your apartment might be too small for a dog or a cat to live in, and if you don't have a yard at your apartment then you have to walk your dog every day for exercise, so a bird is a great alternative because all they need is a tiny cage that is big enough for them to fit into, and that won't take-up too much space in a small apartment, and you don't have to walk them or give them exercise like you do a dog"...That's me summarizing what she wrote, but it's pretty accurate...Oh, and of course the statement right in the first or second sentence that says "Unlike a dog, when you're at work or any time you're busy, you can just throw your bird in it's cage for as long as you need to"...What the hell is wrong with this woman? If she's actually worked as a Vet Tech for any length of time in an office that treats birds, I would think she's seen plenty of parrots who are pluckers or mutilators...good god..
