Advice on convincing my parents?

[Greencheek13653]

Hello, I have been trying to convince my mom for the past week of why I should get a green cheek conure, but all I have been getting is negative feedback from her. The reason she said she would not get me one was because she doesn't think i will be I would be a good owner. I don't know why she thinks I would be a bad owner I am not a irresponsible , I am taking classes above my grade level and still get really good grades. I don't do irresponsible things and take care of the stuff I have. Plus for the past couple of weeks I have been researching parrots like crazy so I know almost everything you need to know about owning my parrot (except for my current problem with finding a good cage) so I don't know what I could do to convince her. Please help I would love to have one of these beautiful animals as my companion!!!

[Wolf]

This is an area that I would not get involved in to any degree. All that I can tell you is if you are sincere about this then you have to make your case to your mother in an honest and non arguementative manner. And that is the limit of my involvement in this.

[Greencheek13653]

This is an area that I would not get involved in to any degree. All that I can tell you is if you are sincere about this then you have to make your case to your mother in an honest and non arguementative manner. And that is the limit of my involvement in this.

Thanks!

[paper_lantern]

You sound very young, to be honest I agree with your parent's decision. I don't know you personally, and you may be VERY responsible. But a few week's worth of research is NOT enough. Give yourself at least another year or two. Read books, read online, talk to parrot owners, maybe even go volunteer at a rescue or parrot sanctuary. Having a parrot is like having a small child with a can opener on it's face, one that never grows up and leaves home. Your life will change in the future with school, career, moving, building a family and a life, finances, are you 100% sure you're completely able to fulfill this parrots emotional, mental, physical, and nutritional needs for the rest of its life?

I researched green cheeks for 2 years before getting one, and sometimes I still feel overwhelmed. Having a bird means no weekend trips, budgeting money for vet bills (yes they need checkups from an AVIAN vet, and that can get expensive), new toys, fresh fruits and veggies, a high quality pellet, a good cage, etc. It means less free time for you since the bird needs time out of his cage and lots of time playing, interacting, training, and cuddling. It means having to put up with bites, screaming, messes, poop, and mood swings.

Please wait and re-think, do more research, and make sure you're 100% ready. There are way too many unwanted and neglected birds out there..

[Pajarita]

Oy! This is also a request I cannot help you with, my dear. And I'll be 100% honest with you: I firmly believe that young people should not have parrots. Not even when they are in their twenties! A parrot needs a VERY stable environment to be happy and young people simply cannot provide it. And it's not a matter of responsibility, lack of love for the animal, money, dedication or anything, it's a matter of life changing too much and too often for young people. We are talking college, friends, jobs, career, moving, girl/boyfriends (notice the plural form!), marriage, children, travelling, etc - to make a long story short, all the stuff that young people are supposed to go through in order to grow up is not good for a parrot. I've taken in several from young people who got their birds when they were young and whose birds ended up biting and/or screaming because their owners could not spend enough time with them. And it's not fair to them.

[paper_lantern]

I agree with you, Pajarita! I got Chubby at 22 years old, I'm now almost 25. I thought I was prepared due to research and spending time around parrots. I love Chubby to death, but I wouldn't recommend anyone my age get a parrot, you have to make too many sacrifices. I've had to cancel plans, re-arrange goals, etc for Chubby. I took him in, and it's my responsibility to see that he has a good life. I'm currently doing a PhD in Literature, my dream school was in Canada, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go because the process of bringing a parrot into another country is too much. Not to mention the fact that I would never be able to visit home because I wouldn't be able to bring him back into the US. As such, I picked another school.

I don't view Chubby as a pet, I view him as a child. You don't give your child away to suite your own wants. So, I agree with you, early - mid twenties is still too young to have a parrot. Life is still very unpredictable at that age!

[GMV]

michael is in his 20's, are you saying he should not own birds?????

[paper_lantern]

Let me re-word that. MOST people in their twenties should not have parrots.

[Pajarita]

michael is in his 20's, are you saying he should not own birds?????

Actually, yes, I am. His life is not settled yet, he is very young and he doesn't know what his life will become at this point in time but he might be the exception to the rule - there are those but it comes at a HUGE sacrifice on the human's part as Paper-lantern said. He is a good trainer and with the few years of experience he has had with birds, he obviously has a feeling for them but been a good trainer is not the only thing that parrots require to be happy. As a matter of fact, training is not even a requirement for their happiness, it's more for the human's benefit than the bird's.

[shiraartain]

I recommend against getting a bird if your parents themselves are against having a bird. The only reason birds at my house have been able to live at my house happily is because my parents were bird people since before I was born. There are sacrifices they are willing to make (such as household aesthetic) that other parents would not be.

Ex: Weather suddenly turned to Fall weather yesterday, it was chilly. My mom immediately made space for him in another room, as the room he lived in throughout summer became chilly and having him there, esp w/ the regular baths that he requires, would essentially be a death sentence. I have seen parents dismiss these sorts of things because rearranging the house for the bird is an inconvenience, and they feel that animals are "just" animals. It seems like a small thing (moving the cage, not that it would be a death sentence), but these sorts of minor things will have a negative effect on your parents' view on the bird which they will just see as a burden and it will just make everyone unhappy. There are a lot of lifestyle adjustments and contributions which need to be made to keep a bird content.

Also THE ATTENTION commitment is HUGE. I live with 5 other people and we all play/spend time with Fajr directly after coming home (and washing our hands ). The only time he spends in his cage is when guests are over, and when we're all out of the house. When we first got him, leaving him alone for even a few minutes was almost impossible, as he would become frantic.

GCC's have a pretty long lifespan, and college is a thing that does come about. With your parents not agreeing to this, you have no guarantee that your bird is going to have a home once you leave for college. You might give it to a friend to take care of, but one thing I have learned is that you can never trust a person to take good care of a bird. You'd need to find someone who is experienced with birds, and even then they might have incorrect ideas about bird care and would most likely brush off all of the instructions that you had given them.

I know I sound preachy, but as someone who started convincing her parents to buy her animals at the age of 12, I'm trying to warn you off of my mistakes. Pets that your parents do not love or care for will not be happy in your home and that was a major factor for me whenever I considered getting an animal and worked on persuading my parents.

I don't want to leave you completely without hope, and so I will give you a tip in finding a pet that your parents will see the reason in:
Instead of looking for a pet which you feel is the most entertaining and wonderful, try looking for a pet which which best fits your lifestyle first and narrow it down from there. Know the amount of time you spend at home (outside of doing homework/chores) and instead of thinking about how great the pet will be for you, think about how great you will have to be for the pet to consistently be happy.