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.

Mia the Lovely and Untame

Mia is a lovely bird. She is from a budgie bin, and was in a tiny cage full of "rare budgies". There is really no such thing as a rare budgie, she is simply a budgie that is unusual looking. We don't know yet if Mia is female or male. She seems rather young and it may be too soon to tell. She is not terribly picked on, other than a bit by Boo, who is a bit stroppy because she is 1.so adored 2. so fearless and 3. a teenager. The others tolerate, and sometimes (especially, Magoo and Sutcliffe) even like her. Because the male, and possible male like her, we are guessing she is a She.

Perhaps it is inbreeding, or perhaps, life in a budgie bin, but, Mia, like Lola, is a very skittish bird. She is virtually untame-able, at least so far. By this time, Sutcliffe was eating out of our hands. Not Mia! Any human presence near the cage results in frantic flying, and even falling off a perch. If she is caught, she screams bloody murder, really alarming to the other budgies. But, she is indeed a great beauty.