Some newbs bought a moluccan.

[notscaredtodance]

A couple who come into the store frequently and were looking at a little green cheek conure we have, decided that when they couldn't get him at the sale price of $199, and had to pay the full $299 price, they weren't going to get him, and were going to get a moluccan cockatoo instead The price of just the cage is like 6 times as expensive as the full price of the conure!

They both work 8 hour days and their only previous bird experience is a cockatiel. That they had for 3 years then it suddenly died. They are new members of the COFOAF club, which is a rescue club for birds, but also just, helpful, like scheduling mass vet appointments for a discounted rate.

Anyways. I give this bird about a year in that home. Who knows. Maybe I'll end up with it.

[HyperD]

They should make a law saying you can refuse sale if you think the customer cant provide a good home...

[Red Moppet]

The bird rescue centers where I live have extensive adoption papers to fill out including agreements to not breed the bird and if the bird can't stay at the home then instead of selling it the people would have to return it to the rescue center. Additionally, the center conducts a couple of home-visits to ensure the bird and the people are getting along and the bird is being housed appropriately.

Too bad pet stores can't/won't do the same.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Well... maybe they did take on more than they can handle, but at least they did join a club and express some interest in understanding. And they do have SOME experience. Am I just a hopeless optimist?

Oh, and I'll add that the store where we got Scotty (a breeder who also has a store) did come pretty close to that. No home visits, but fairly extensive conversation before they began to let us even see the birds. Several visits before we could pick the bird up. The deal almost fell through because they were SO, well, controlling, and yet didn't have enough time to be readily available. So I think there is a happy medium. This place has very mixed reviews online because their business policy is aimed at hedging for a permanent home.

[pchela]

Well, three years of having a cocketiel is still bird experience. Cockatiels shouldn't be discounted... they can be just as challenging as a bigger bird. And they did join the rescue organization so I'll put myself in the hopeless optimist category with Entranced.

[Natacha]

If the cockatoo is used to spending some time in his cage, then he might turn out fine.

Problems arise when they get more attention than they would normally at first and then, when the amount of attention diminishes..watch out.

At least these people have made steps to get more knowledge and be able to surround themselves with parrot people.

Hopefully they'll be able to provide adequate care for this cockatoo.

[notscaredtodance]

I'm not discrediting cockatiels as pets at all, more the fact that it was only alive for 3 years. Maybe 5, since they bought it young from a petstore.

[pchela]

Ah I see. I misunderstood. Did they happen to say how it died?

[Michael]

:( They should make a law saying you can refuse sale if you think the customer cant provide a good home...

Who needs laws for this at all? As a private buyer and a private business, they have the freedom to sell or not sell as they choose. The real problem has nothing to do with regulation but greedy stores/breeders that knowingly sell into bad homes cause they're only in it for the money.

[Azure Hanyo]

:( They should make a law saying you can refuse sale if you think the customer cant provide a good home...

Who needs laws for this at all? As a private buyer and a private business, they have the freedom to sell or not sell as they choose. The real problem has nothing to do with regulation but greedy stores/breeders that knowingly sell into bad homes cause they're only in it for the money.

To the credit of a young worker I met at a local Petland awhile ago, he constantly refuses to sell any bird, cockatiel, budgie or otherwise, to anyone who can't answer a small series of basic care questions.