Does sex of owner have any role in treatment of parrots?

[Michael]

Do you think this is a case of parrot experienced person vs parrot inexperienced person instead of difference in sex? Could it be that the firmness is developed with experience rather than sex?

What about when you come across first time parrot owners? Does sex play a role? What about in how they interact with parrots? The voice they use, the things they say? What about the propensity to spoil? Do women tend to give more abundance of toys than men? Are men more likely to leave the parrot alone for a few days than women? Are women more likely to take a parrot to a vet in case of trouble? Are there sex based differences in these things or is it made up?

[GlassOnion]

In my case, it has to do with human nature and the amount of experience in handling birds.

[Kim S]

I see a lot of first time owners as a breeder. I notice that the woman are more unsure about how to aproach and are more, for lack of a better word, 'fearfull' of biting or flying away. They ask more questions. Want to know more about the birds personality, their quirks, their good and bad behaviours. Most are better informed than the men. Woman will pick the bird on information, they need the perfect picture: pretty apearance, good behaviour, the right charachter.
Men are more hands on from the start. They dont ask questions, they just want to hold the bird and will ask when the ussue comes up. They prefer to learn by the experience in stead of learning ahead of the pick up. They will pick a bird on sight, or on the first step up. If it feels good, thats the one.

Funny thing: Men always want a bird that will whistle or even talk. Woman want a bird that will cuddle.

[kaylayuh]

Do you think this is a case of parrot experienced person vs parrot inexperienced person instead of difference in sex? Could it be that the firmness is developed with experience rather than sex?

What about when you come across first time parrot owners? Does sex play a role? What about in how they interact with parrots? The voice they use, the things they say? What about the propensity to spoil? Do women tend to give more abundance of toys than men? Are men more likely to leave the parrot alone for a few days than women? Are women more likely to take a parrot to a vet in case of trouble? Are there sex based differences in these things or is it made up?

First time parrot owners tend to be nervous regarless of sex, in my opinion. I've seen so many people treat their first bird like fine china. Experience has tended to change that, at least from what I've seen.

I've not seen very many men interact with or talk to their parrots in person to really judge this. But I can use my boyfriend and his cats. He's just as likely to play with his cats and use "baby talk" or talk to them in silly voices as I am to my birds. I have a feeling many men wouldn't let themselves (or otherwise post) videos of them talking all goofy at their parrots, but not that they don't do it.

Propensity to spoil is based on the individual owner. I'm one of those crazy people that loves to buy bird toys. This isn't because I'm female as much as it is that I think it's fun to buy them. In the same way, my boyfriend is as likely (probably more so) to buy toys and supplies for his cat. He'll sooner buy a $300 cat tree than I would buy an equally priced bird tree. I tend to by cheaper (as in price, not quality) toys. I prefer to shop for bargin qualities and get a larger quantity. He seems to want to buy quality, no matter the price.

I also can't say whether men would leave their birds alone for a few days more often than females, but I have left my birds here (pre-Cheney Bird) with the aid of a pet sitter. My boyfriend has suggested that I should leave them all here for a few days while we go camping, and I'm secretly horrified by that. They wouldn't be harmed by me being away for a weekend, but I'm not a fan of that idea. In the same way, he won't travel ANYWHERE without his cats.

I don't think sex makes a difference in whether someone takes a bird to the vet or not. This is an experience thing. I'd take the bird to the vet no matter what if I wasn't sure what was going on. I'd like to think men would do the same thing. Any owner that takes in an animal, regardless of what it is, should do so.

Overall, I think there's experienced owner vs. inexperienced owner differences and individual people differences. I think it has to do more with the owner's personality than it does their gender.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Oh boy. Are you sure you wish to open that can of worms?.

Just 'cause you don't open the can doesn't mean it's not full of worms!

I've conveyed to Michael privately and I'll say it publicly -- I think there is absolutely no good that can come from making these kind of sex-based generalizations and the potential for harm is great. I'm not going to play this game.

[Michael]

It is your choice not to participate but I think that not being open about opinions is only more harmful than being too open. By having the discussion we can either reach stronger conclusions that there are sex based differences in parrot treatment or dispel the notion that there are. Members are free to discuss either side and talk from their experience. It is up to the readers to judge and decide if it seems there is or isn't sex based difference in parrot treatment based on all of this.

Most of the differences that could be suggested are pretty meaningless but just illustrate approaches being different based on sex. Or it could turn out that most people don't think these exist at all or are actually based on something else. I don't think any parrot treatment based on sex is being judged as bad (perhaps ineffective isn't to be ruled out entirely), just a different way of doing it.

[patdbunny]

I'm not going to play this game.

[Natacha]

If women are "softer" in the way they handle parrots, then I guess I'm an exception. I seem to advocate for a tough, firm stance.

What I have to say I'll say here.
I agree with what is above and it applies to me as well.

I'm the firmer one in my relationship. My boyfriend is much softer.

And guess what? I find it's the same with my parents - my mom has discipline, my dad is soft. And ironically enough, it was the same when it came to raising my brother and I.

But, I've seen the inverse be true as well.

So no, I don't think the sex of the owner has anything to do with it. I really think it's about the individual.

[pchela]

I am basing my opinion on my childhood development classes from college in which we learned that males and females play very different roles in child rearing. I would assume that some of those behaviors spill over into pet rearing since it's still a nurturing type relationship. Of course, there are always exceptions.

That said, I think it is still mainly based on what you know and learn about parrots that effects how you treat them. So, I guess I'm somewhere in the middle.

[HungryBird]

I think if the owner is too busy having sex they may forget to feed their birds, so yes, sex can have a role in the treatment of parrots.