by Pajarita » Mon May 13, 2019 9:56 am
Well, in my personal opinion, the answer is to regulate both breeding and keeping them so there is no overpopulation and, when a bird is kept as a pet, there needs to be rules, training and annual inspections. They do it for birds of prey so they can certainly do it for parrots. Of course, it would be much better if parrots were not kept as pets at all but I don't think that is a practical goal. And, in truth, if they are kept the right way, they don't suffer, it's only that keeping them the right way is VERY complicated as it requires not only the right infrastructure, long term commitment and dedication, it also requires knowledge and skill in so many different areas of their husbandry that the greatest majority of people simply cannot do it.
But I don't think it's fair to blame people like Michael for our mistakes. It's not as if Michael is promoting that any Tom, Dick or Harry keep a parrot, he is simply trying, in his own way, to help other people achieve a good relationship with their bird. And he warns EVERYBODY about how hard it is! It's up to the individual to analyze their lifestyle and personal situation and see if a couple of parrots would 'fit'... The problem is that nobody really thinks about these things in detail and in advance, we all think we can do it just to find out later how really hard it is! I am one of those people... When I took in my first rescue, I never even thought about the possibility of me not being able to give her a good life - I thought it was a given because I love animals. But it's not because love is not enough, you need infrastructure and impeccable husbandry. And I have changed my mind a million times about a million different things that affect their lives and I have changed my entire life to accomodate them - and I am sure that I will continue to change my mind and adjust my lifestyle even more as I learn more and acquire more experience. But it's not easy...
In any case, my offer stands. If a vacation can help, I am willing to offer your birds a foster home for a while so as to give you a chance to regroup and relax without the stress of having them there.