Dumbest questions people ask about your parrot?

[MandyG]

I apologized, but reminded them that they were warned. They were guests at our trailer ... Lucy and Jessie are part of our family. I said to my husband later that day after everyone left that I wonder if she thought it would be acceptable to lock her annoying kid away in the house while they had company. People have nerve!

What nerve! They're lucky that you were nice enough to apologize when you had no reason to! If that was my child I'd like to think that they'd listen to me enough to respect other people's pets and property, and if they didn't that bite would be a great opportunity to teach them to listen and be respectful.

[Michael]

Wow, people suck. But you know something? I'm not in the least bit surprised. I think you did everything right but of course you get blamed. Perhaps something to add to why parrots are better than children, right?

Here's another story to share. I took Kili and Truman to the park yesterday and some little twerp started shooting Truman with a water gun. Ok, he was already wet cause I showered him in the fountain, but still... The fricken nerve! And where are the parents? Other kids were trying to poke Kili & Truman with twigs. I do let this go on to some extent that the birds aren't hurt or too upset because it's part of their socialization (if they can put up with this, imagine what else they can take!) but I definitely don't appreciate it. I only intervene if the birds are upset and certainly before they can get hurt.

Also Kili pooped on the top of a park bench (the back not the part you sit on, I do wipe it off if it's in a spot people would go). This little kid was watching the birds and for whatever reason must have decided to climb over top the bench and got bird poop smeared all over. I was dreading what the parents would say if they saw this and accuse me for letting my birds poop on their kid. Luckily I don't think anyone but me noticed but it really wasn't my fault at all. I'll have a video of Truman's outing to the park either tonight or tomorrow.

[Giantmoa]

the most common question I get is "aren't parrots supposed to be... bigger?" I'm not sure if thats not so much stupid than funny. I tell them that she only thinks she is big when I'm presenting an animal to the public at the zoo, every time without fail a little kid will ask me if its "real". this happens more with the tortoises and the owls than the parrot though...
When my little cousins visited from New York they were all excited about my bird... unfortunately they decided to poke their fingers through the cage bars when I wasn't looking(despite me telling them not to!). Rainbow is not above chewing on fingers when they are shoved in her face. she was more interested with the bowl of fresh veggies on the other side of the cage however and I did not have to deal with teary children. hoorah. She was even a perfect angel taking food from them later (food and attention being her favorite things).
I can't believe some of the things people have done to your birds D= crazy

[lzver]

What nerve! They're lucky that you were nice enough to apologize when you had no reason to! If that was my child I'd like to think that they'd listen to me enough to respect other people's pets and property, and if they didn't that bite would be a great opportunity to teach them to listen and be respectful.

I know I didn't have to apologize, but what else was I supposed to say. If it had been my own step kids that did that I'd make sure they walked away learning a lesson from it - but my step kids have been brought up with manners and respect people and their property. And the sad thing is they were telling me about the parakeet they have at home. I feel sorry for the bird if that's how it gets treated.

[Kim S]

I hate it when that happens. If people like that have pets at home, it twists my guts thinking about how they must live.

A friend of my bf has a budgie. It probably has polyoma since it has virtually no feathers at all. But the bird lives in a trashcan. Seriously. A not too large lage white whicker trashcan on top of the bar. He has one stick in it to climb up on top to look around. No toys whatsoever, and only a candy stick for food.
My bf told me not to mention it since he really is a very good friend if his. But every time we visit him I go home with a wretchet feeling. I cant stop looking at the bird while I'm there. And everytime he visits our home he comments on the ammount of toys and room they have. "You guys are nuts" he says.

[Rue]

...I also have an issue with people and their kids. I have 3 kids of my own...but man...I'm not sure about this current parenting trend. While my kids are special to me...I don't expect them to be special to anyone else. I get so irritated when parents behave/talk in such a manner to suggest that their children are 'more special'.

That woman should have made her child apologize. The birds are not there for his entertainment.

Having said that...I do lock up my pets when we have company over...it's not worth the potential fuss...

...and yes...with the birds in their cages...I tell all visitors that the birds bite...and I haven't had any problems with fingers in cages...although some of the small kids will jump around and flap at them and scare them...however, that usually scares the kid in return, and it doesn't happen a 2nd time...

[Michael]

My brother and I were at the bird store and this unruly (5yr old give or take) was running around banging on all the parrot cages and my brother told him that he shouldn't do that cause he's scaring the birds. So the father of the kid yelled at my brother to mind his own business and not bother his child.

[Rue]

Oh yeah...happens all the time.

A couple of years ago I watch a dad pick up a bunny from one the bins, give it to his small daughter to pat, and walked off to do his shopping...she patted the bunny for a second, looked around for him, saw he was gone, and threw the bunny over the top of the bin and ran off (she was too short to put it back in otherwise)...

Bunny wasn't hurt...but still...I was livid...

[miajag]

But I love the 'are they messy?' questions...lol...

Oh! If only they knew...I don't even bother putting away the vacuum cleaner unless we have company over...the hose just stays in front of the cages...

I think my experience with this is the opposite. A lot of people, when they've heard I have a parrot, have said stuff like "oh, I hear birds are REALLY messy!" I don't think they're particularly messy when you compare them to other pets like dogs or cats though. Yes, a parrot is messy in its cage and wherever else you allow it to eat and poop, but the mess is generally confined to that small area. I'm not sure if people are envisioning a bird constantly flying around and unloading giant seagull-sized craps on the carpet and furniture all the time or what, but in my experience the "mess" associated with parrots isn't bad at all.

[MandyG]

I don't think they're particularly messy when you compare them to other pets like dogs or cats though. Yes, a parrot is messy in its cage and wherever else you allow it to eat and poop, but the mess is generally confined to that small area.

My Amazon is MUCH messier than my 4 dogs combined! Within 15 minutes of Mojo being out after I've vaccumed he has toy parts and little feathers (he's moulting right now) spread out over a 6 foot radius!