Please give me your opinion!

[Saerphe]

Thank you everyone. I probably will end up with the pigs. Im not dissapointed, because i do honestly love them like a kid, I just feel like I'm giving up a great opportunity to acquire my dream bird. I don't find them very often. Thanks for all of your help.. Everyone on here says guinea pigs, and everyone in my family and that i talk to in person is telling me bird. Im still torn. Thank you all for your time

To be honest, I don't think it's really fair for your family to try and influence you to make such a big decision like that based on only a handful of factors, especially if they don't actually have that much experience handling larger birds. I'm honestly really glad you decided to ask more experienced parrot owners before making your final decision.

What I think you guys should do, all together (asides from continuing to read this forum thread ), is to go out to a parrot-specific shelter, spend some time touring the shelter and volunteering to work with a variety of birds. That way, you can all get an idea of not only how much work larger parrots can be, but you'll also actually see first hand how serious the consequences of taking on such a massive responsibility can be for both the human and the bird if the human isn't properly prepared.

Also, in the event that you do decide to give up the guinea pigs and take on a larger bird, you might meet one in a shelter that you bond to, and whose personality and needs will match better with your own. With baby birds, you're not guaranteed anything - they will change as they get older. But with most older birds, what you see is pretty much what you get. You're more likely to get a bird with a more stable personality if you adopt an adult bird. That's why I chose to adopt my GCC; she's 2 years old, so she's still pretty young, but she's not a baby. Her somewhat grouchy personality is pretty much here to stay.

Just remember that there will always be other opportunities to get your dream bird. Sometimes it's better not to take the first opportunity that comes to you - it can end up turning sour in the long run if it's not carefully considered first. In the meantime, you can get your 'fix' by volunteering at parrot shelters and maybe at an avian vet's office so you can keep learning everything you can about quality bird care. Continuing to read and post on this forum is good too - some of the best sources on bird care today are people with experience living with birds.

Whatever you end up choosing to do, I hope it works out for you.

[MrCavyMadness]

I understand. I trust you and the rest of this forum whole heartedly.

[marie83]

Any animal deserves a forever home and full commitment. Look after the ones you have. 2 guineas that have each other for company really do not take up that much time if you don't want them to.
As for your parents then they let you have the guineas, they should have known how long they live and they permitted you to have them knowing that you would probably go off to college. They need to take over their care and put up with it even if they don't like it.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but it's my opinion.

We accidently ended up with 22 mice. Kept every single one of them because I didn't want them ending up as snake food or in a tiny cage forgotten in the corner. Now that's hard work, particularly as most of them are boys and they stink. Cleaning them all out can easily take 3 hours +. Spot clean a bit each day and it isn't so bad and they can go longer in between full cleans. Why not use this time before you go to college to learn the quickest ways to manage the guineas and then show your parents it isn't such a massive chore.

[liz]

My 2 cents: pass on a baby dream bird but keep your dream for a future time that you will be in a better position. I think you should get your cockatiel a buddy. You are going to have less time and a buddy bird will be beneficial for your Cockatiel. Look for one the same age.

[MrCavyMadness]

I don't want to get another cockatiel because I want my bird to have this amazing bond to me like he does now. i've heard that adding another bird may change that. He will always be loved and payed a lot of attention to. If it comes to that, before college I may.

[Pajarita]

I don't want to get another cockatiel because I want my bird to have this amazing bond to me like he does now. i've heard that adding another bird may change that. He will always be loved and payed a lot of attention to. If it comes to that, before college I may.

Well, I can understand your wanting a bond with him but, if you think about it, your reason is actually very selfish, don't you think? Because, let's face it, you can't give the bird what the bird needs no matter how much you love him or how much attention you pay to him... no person can, only another bird. So where does that leave the poor little thing? And it's not true that cockatiels cannot bond with people when bonded to another bird. You really need to do more research because it seems to me that you are not digging deep enough, just going with the surface.

[Wolf]

Well I have heard the same stories as you have about the quality of your bond changing, but have had enough experience with enough other animals to not buy into this story, I think that if the bird is bonded to you and you continue to uphold your part of the bond that it will not suffer
Now, I have just given my parrotlet a brand new boyfriend and they are getting along great and their mate bond is developing right now. I have had the female for only about a year, so our bond is still developing, Keep tabs of their story in the Parrot Tales section under the thread Paquita nab Rajah: A Love Story ? It will tell you among other things if Paquita's bond with me suffers from having a mate or not.
You have to learn how to make your own choices for good or ill and as I said earlier regardless of which path you choose we will be here to help you with your birds. That is what we do and the reason we are here.

[liz]

Shadow and Tommy have always been bonded to me even though Tammy and Maggie are not.
Cagney has been coming and tweeting to me but Lacy is still afraid.

[paper_lantern]

I got Chubby (my GCC) my first year of College. I had done two years worth of research and I was sure I was ready for everything. I don't regret getting him, but I was NOT ready and I've had to give up a lot in order to keep him happy. I can't go on long trips unless I find a trusted bird sitting who has knowledge of parrots AND is willing to stay in my home, I had to choose a graduate school closer to home because my dream school was in Canada and I wouldn't be able to take Chubby with me. A lot of my paychecks go towards pellets, fresh produce (fruits, veggies, grains), bird toys, and an emergency fund in case of vet visits. His cage alone cost me $500. Life changes so fast, especially when you are young. At 17 I had a concrete plan for my future, and actually none of my plans ended up working out (probably for the better, I'm happy where I am now). If I had a parrot at 17 he or she would have probably ended up neglected.

People are probably telling you to get a bird because it seems like an easy pet. Trust me, parrots are THE most complex pet you can possibly get. The scream, bite, make messes, need lots of time and attention, require toys, they're destructive, they need fresh foods...and these are the normal, well cared for parrots. Never mind parrots that may not end up getting enough attention or stimulation, those ones sometimes end up plucking, screaming more, become more aggressive, self-mutilate, etc.

My personal philosophy is don't get a parrot unless you are ready to have a child because that's essentially what they are. Destructive two-year olds who never grow up and leave home. Please wait a few years, do research and volunteer with rescue parrots in the mean time. When you're finally ready for a parrot (I recommend waiting until AFTER school), you will be thankful you waited.

[liz]

paper_lantern, you got it right. Destructive 2 year old who never grow up. Myrtle throws tantrums, mocks me and is now defying me when I tell her something.