Goodbye All

We have had a great run of Budgies, Budgies and Hedgies, and Budgies and Friends. You have all been great (except for the recent spammers). It has been really hard to give up the budgies. I have only one more task; find Mia a new home since her adoptive family don't want her anymore. My terrible allergies have resolved since getting rid of the budgies; they were definitnely the cause of my severe itching, though I could never admit it. It is terrible to miss the budgies so much. This happens particularly when I see lovely greens in meadows or in the supermarket which I know they would love. I also miss them when I read about birds, see their pictures, or talk about them. I hope that they are all happy in their new homes. Someday when I have a different living situation, where I can have an outdoor aviary, I hope I can get some budgies again.

A quote From Victor Hugo (via M. my cousin)

"Be like the bird, who halting in his flight...on limb too slight to bear his weight, feels it give way beneath him...yet sings, knowing he hath wings." Victor Hugo

Goodbye to the budgie family?

K and J are returning to the DC area. We need to find friends to adopt our beloved Budgie family.


JULIET

'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone:
And yet no further than a wanton's bird;
Who lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
So loving-jealous of his liberty.

ROMEO

I would I were thy bird.

JULIET

Sweet, so would I:
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
Good night, good night! parting is such
sweet sorrow,
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

Thanks Hannah (comment, last post)

Hannah made some very good comments re: the last post. Not all pet stores are tarred with the same brush. Some (in my experience, like Petco and Petsmart) do not treat their birds kindly; others, like Hannah's, are very good to their birds.

Hannah also points out the hassles of adoption. This was addressed in an earlier post in this blog; it is just ridiculous how high the bar is set for adopting a budgie, or any animal. First, they made me visit the bird. Then, one of their animal adoption people come check out my house (who do they think they are to check out MY house? eh?) and then, I can finally come get the bird. For a $30 adoption fee. Talk about disincentive! A budgie can be bought from a budgie bin, such as at Petco, for about $20. No wonder adoption lists of available animals are long, and birds continue to to sold via budgie bins.

Maybe it would be good if I would promote pet stores which really cared about budgies and other parrots and animals generally, and maybe also it would be good if some common sense prevailed at these adoption shelthers. That way, people who bought birds would have well socialized birds, and ideally, really get some education about them, which would reduce the birds up for adoption.

Stop Selling Budgies in Pet Stores!

Jan 1, 2009, Petco (and many other pet stores) stopped selling rabbits in pet stores. However, they continue to sell budgies and other parrots (and birds). They stated that it was "good for animals, good for business" and cited their relationships with animal rights groups as an important component in the decision.

Budgies and other parrots are highly intelligent, arguably sensitive, animals. There are also a significant number available for adoption. Mary Ann was adopted, for example, via the Montgomery County (Maryland) animal shelter. At the time she was adopted, there were eight other budgies waiting to be adopted (granted, six of them were in a "custody dispute").

There are many wonderful, healthy birds out there; a search today on Petfinder had 1624 hits for adoptable birds. Searching only for budgies, I found 88 available for adoption.

My impression is that birds in pet shops are often inbreed (ref Lola and Mia), raised in tiny miserable cages, get little interaction, and as such, become psycho. I think budgie interest groups could serve a great function if they would undertake a campaign to convince pet shops to stop selling birds, and push for adoption, first. One of the problems with rabbits was that people would get them and consider them "disposable", and just get rid of them when they got tired of them. This is the same situation budgies are in now in pet shops. It makes me sad; and it makes me, and should make you, gentle reader, mad as well.

I belong to a facebook budgie interest group--I will raise this issue with them and see what they have to say. If every one of the budgie fanciers on facebook contacted Petco at http://www.petco.com/content/contactsubtopic.aspx?PC=contactcompany&nav=17#top I bet it would make a difference.

(photo from lili.chin flicker collection, available to anyone photos--thanks lili.chin!)