Crappy experience at a Pet Shop, feeling rattled.

[paper_lantern]

We have two pet shops in the area. I haven't been to one of them in years because they sell animals, which I try not to support. The other pet shop just sells supplies, however I needed some rocks for my fish tank and for some reason their "fish" section is very sparse. They mostly have cat, dog, and bird stuff.

I decided that just this one I would go to the pet shop that does sell animals. I took my mother with my as we were running errands. While I was there I decided to just go see the birds. I noticed two parrotlets in a cage. One seemed fine but the other one was fluffed at the bottom of his cage, his eyes closed, and his feathers looking greasy. I just happened to whisper to my mom "I'm not buying anything here that bird looks sick."

I'm VERY paranoid about bringing some sort of illness home to Chubby. As I was leaving one of the employees came up to me and very rudely said.

"Uh, by the way, our birds aren't sick."

"Okay, it's just I have a bird at home and I think you'd understand that I can't be too careful."

She then told me that "he only looks like that because he's a couple of months old." She then proceeded to tell me again that the bird wasn't sick and that I need to "watch my mouth".

I left feeling very rattled. I live in a small town and I'm scared the employees may harass me over this. Can they bring any legal action against me for whispering this to my mother? The employee seemed VERY upset.

Also, that poor bird

[Michael]

I once saw a Grey laying at the bottom of a cage, eyes closed, not moving and thought it was dead. Turned out it's just so young that it can't stand up all day long and rests that way. So what might apply as common "illness" signs to adult parrots may not be relevant to babies.

[paper_lantern]

Right, I realize I could have been mistaken. The reason I'm so upset is the fact that these coworkers overheard a whispered conversation between my mother and I and completely took it overboard. I just feel that as a parrot owner I have a right to be concerned, especially when it comes to sick parrots which could potentially spread disease to mine.

[marie83]

Generally I've never known any small parrot of a couple of months old do that, however there are possibly exceptions within a species and I don't know about the parrotlet species specifically.

I would have steered well clear too.

[Dasphatness]

With all due respect towards the birds in that shop, id make a bit of noise if some low ranking pet shop employee popped off with me in such a mannor. Where I can kinda see their point, but thats hardly any way to speak to a customer. "watch your mouth". Yep, ya handled it better than I would have. Hope the birds were ok.

[Eric&Rebecca]

If the brd can't stand up or support itself it shouldn't be in a pet shop. Regardless of whether it is sick or young. 8 weeks old still isn't very old. George, our baby tiel still sits like a baby occassionally but its become less and less. Baby birds do wierd stuff!

Nevertheless you are quite justified! Sick or not if the bird can't rest up properly and sits in the corner like a baby or sick bird it shouldn't be there! It's about whetehr the bird is sick or not.

I hate pet shops! As you may have gathered! LOL.

The closest we have ever come to a pet shop is an exotic bird centre which is a large place housing several breeders different parrots and the like. This is where Eddie came from. They had the younger birds away from the main floor. We went back to look and I did see a few doing this but it was explained that it's because they are young and they remain here until the parents have raised them to stand. The parent birds were in the neighbouring or the same cage as these birds.

Good on you for being cautious though.