Last night I got home and just wanted to go to sleep when Brandon the little boy to has been helping me with my birds came knocking on the door with him mum.

 

Brandon had spent the day with his friend who has a young budgie that he got in the past few weeks. Brandon thinks that this bird is very ill but the mother of his friend will not listen to him about it. So Brandon mother asks if I would go down and talk to the family as Brandon is very upset over the situation.

 

So armed with some fresh fruit and veggies (had just cut some up for my guys) some seed, multi vitamins, calcium dot, nail scissors and Ivermectin I head down there with Brandon and his mum.

 

The other boys mother was not happy about us all rocking up on her door step but after Brandons mum did some talking to her I was allowed to see the bird. NOT HAPPY JAN! Seems that someone has told them that all he needs is pellets and shell grit so that's all they have been feeding the poor boy, when he didn't eat eather they just left the pellets in the feed dish which was not covered in the budgie poo and was pretty gross!. (and yes he was a boy not a girl as they also had been told) So I grab some seed attempt to get him to step up onto my finger which he does more out of not having energy rather then wanting to do it I think.

 

I gave him some seed, took him a bit to get interested but then went for it, never seen a bird eat so much and so quickly poor little guy has been starving. It was a little funny as the seed was in my cupped hand the little guy pretty much tried to do a handstand on my hand to get the seed quicker, bit me a few times but not his fault so I will forgive him. At this stage the kids mum is all up in my face saying that she had been told blah blah blah and I finally cracked it and told her to F off and she knew squat and she was slowly starving the budgie to death. The young boy however was more receptive, I explained about feed and water for the budgie, also about fresh veggie and gave him the lot that I had cut up and the reaming seed which should last him for a few days. I recommended for the next few days that he had some vitamins to the water as the poor guy has not been eating but there where no signs of tail bobbing or discharge around the cere. I checked him over and discovered that some little *insert words I am not allowed to use here* had clipped ONE wing and I was told that the budgie kept crashing into things so they now don't let it out of the cage.

 

So I clipped the other wings and thanked the lord that MB had shown me how to do this the other day and I also said a prayer before each feather I cut! The mother refuses to take the bird to the vet as it is "just a bird" and that really annoys me cause they are within walking distance from my avianian vet! GRRRRRR

 

Brandon was all upset and wanted to know how come someone like that could have a bird when he can't have one yet and he knew something was wrong with the bird and the owners did not.

 

I am annoyed and really wanted to walk out with the Budgie but I am hoping that if I keep and eye on him that he will work out. Also I reminded Brandon how he is going to pick his baby from the nest and be able to watch it grow from an egg until the time he gets to take it home so he perked up a bit.

 

I was so mad last night and I hated leaving the poor little guy there but here is hoping that he makes a recovery and gets the treatment he needs. If not I think I will check in on him and if I feel that they are not looking after him right then I will see about how I can get the bird out of the situation.

Wow... what a kid...

 

You can be sure the little chick he picks from your family will be well looked after, can't you!

 

Well done on intervening, but even more on the way you have helped Brandon develop his interest and concern for budgies... he's going to be a great budgie owner/breeder when he grows up!

He has got the bug big time. Today he rocks up at my house at 6.10 in his PJs cause he slept in Very cute he was all puffed and worried that I thought that he was not living up to the task that had been set for him. Really if he rocks up one or two days a week I will be happy so far it is every day!

Av, I am glad that you were able to talk to the family about the health and HOW TO CARE OF A BUDGIE : However I am a bit concerned - Some people care of their pets and some people just have pets - But it is not up to you how people maintain their pets - I am happy that you were able to treat him, But as for checking up on the bird - If i was that women, you wouldn't walk through my doors - Please do not take this to heart, We here all love our birds and others and hate to see them in bad health and care, However sometimes we need to mind our own business If you have concerns for the health or well being of animals that is what RSPCA is for ...

Please again do not take offence to this it is just my opinion - You could always print out a flyer and put it into their letter box

Edited July 21, 200817 yr by Neat

Neat I have not taken offence. I know that Brandon will continue to see his friend so I know that I will hear about the Budgie and be able to check on the bird in a third part sort of way. brandon is a smart kid and I think that if he feels the Budgie is seriously ill then I would say that it is. If I feel that they are not taking care of it and it's life is in danger then I will contact the RSPCA and let them step in. I am not going back the house because as you said it is none of my business in a sense. I have done everything that I can do, I have attempted to educate and have given them tools to start them off but here is hoping that they continue.

Did you ask them which shop they got it from? If you ask me they are at fault here as they are the ones that have misinformed the woman

You go girl!!! I hope the little guy makes it, or even better, i hope they give him to you as they don't sound like "pet people" and they don't the the right to treat a living creature that way

 

I agree with Neat though, be careful - they could get very upset with you.

Did you ask them which shop they got it from? If you ask me they are at fault here as they are the ones that have misinformed the woman

 

They got him from a breeder which is sad and makes me think of Budgie farms

 

You go girl!!! I hope the little guy makes it, or even better, i hope they give him to you as they don't sound like "pet people" and they don't the the right to treat a living creature that way

 

I agree with Neat though, be careful - they could get very upset with you.

 

Yeah i know that is why I am going to monitor from afar. i did tell them last night that If they want to give the bird to me I would be more then happy to take him and even pay for the cost of the bird, the mother mumbled something and we left so you never know my numbers might grow but not counting on it.

You also need to remember How did we all start learning with pets - We were either Told, or we researched

 

Firstly she is feeding PELLETS and not seed So she has been ill informed from the start -

The fact that they left PELLETS in there with poo all over it and lack of fruit and veggies the fact that one wing is clipped and GRIT ....totally been feed the wrong information - So really it isn't their fault, and we need to think how would be feel if someone came and took our Pet away -

 

The only way I can see any good come out of this is : Firstly Supply them with the correct information, Give them a copy of our website, a copy of how to care for budgies ( FAQ) also the Budgie First Aid kit also in FAQ's

That way they are armed with the correct information - and you have done all that you can .

 

We can not go around asking people to give us their pets just because we know how to look after them . We are better off teaching them the right way to care and treat pets rather so that they too can enjoy their pet and not just jave a pet ...

Neat I have given them all the information that I can and if they close to follow it then that is up to them. A few times when I was talking to the boy the mother was making comments like "this seems like alot of work" "Never knew it was going to cost x, y, z" "If I had known this in the first place he would never have gotten the dam budgie" so I gave her an out to give me the bird, she may or may not take it.

 

I am more mad at the fact that someone gave her the wrong information in the first place. I get that they did not know and I am hoping that what I have told them will help them learn but the mothers attitude worried me, all of a sudden an cheap and easy to care for pet had become alot more complicated and I am not sure she was prepared for that.

 

They had not clipped the wing that was done by the "breeder" and I use that term losely. My first gut reaction was to take the bird away from them but I did not. I attempted to educate and help. Yes I got mad at the mother but that is cause she was not listening just telling me I was wrong and she had been told X. I was tired and mad and could have handled the situation better but that is what happened. I understand that owning pets is a learning curve and however bad it may be some poor animals will die to allow humans to learn how to care for them. I have done the wrong thing with my budgie in the past and have learnt from it, so I get that people need to learn and grow but I don't feel like the mother will do that. In fact I think she will convince the kid that it is all to much effort and decided to give the bird away, my fear is they will just let it go and with his wings clipped that would not work in the birds favour at all!

 

They where told things like, only clean the cage once a week, if it does not look to dirty then once every two weeks is fine. Just feed the bird pellets just top up the dish when empty no need for anything else, new water every few days is fine.... etc... so the pet has gone from a do x every few days to do y on a daily base and I am not sure how the kid or the mother will handle it. This is why I offered to take the bird if they wanted. it's hard to explain I just have this feeling that I might end up with another bird if I do fine if not then hopefully they will take my advise on board and look after the little fella.

That makes me soo mad! It annoys me that people think that ANY animal is cheap and easy to look after. It doesn't matter what animal you get the fact of the matter is that it is a living creature and will require daily, weekly, monthly and annual care. Animal care is not cheap especially after hours or specialist care where consultation fees alone can be well over $100. Most people don't realize that there is no medicare or PBS scheme available to animals like there is humans and therefore get charged what you would had you not been offered these services by the government. My biggest gripe has always been with pet shops who have inadequate training and knowledge about the animals that they sell giving information out to the general public. Too often you walk into a petshop and it is below the standard of care and hygiene that it should be and when you ask a question to staff they seem to only give you very minimal information or say 'I don't know' without directing you to someone who will know. It is so sad that in a day and age where every household has at least 1 animal in it and where animals are starting to take the place of children so to speak that there is still no set standard by a government body. I believe that anyone who owns or manages a petshop should have had some formal training into animals and should have the animals they recieve from breeders vet checked. They should also offer some contacts to new owners for forums like this one, veterinarians and sites that have been approved as a good source of information. There is an organization known as pet industry association of australia (PIAA) who seem to be doing a good job. Fortunetly there are sites like this one that are able to offer advice and share information from personal experinces and people like us who really do care and will continue to learn all we can about the creatures we own. I think it is fab that little Brandon is getting into birds and recongnizing the signs of ill health and what is not normal. I would be so very proud of him if he was my son and what a top bird owner he will be! I do hope that this women will listen to the information she was given by you and hope that she doesn't think that the person who sold it to her is a 'professional who knows what they are talking about'. And if you hear that this women has not changed her habits I would not hesitate for a minute to call the RSPCA although like NEAT said it's probably not her fault she was given the wrong information but now that she does have it heres hoping that she does take this information in as the bird deserves better. Also nearly all products sold in regards to diet will have a directions for use corner which clearly states how to introduce the food slowly and not to starve the animal. I would have actually asked the owner if she would eat soiled food as well but than again you'd probably have a harder time convincing her that what she is doing is not right.

Well i just got a call from the mother... seem that she might want to give me Charlie as she thinks that it might be to much work. I said I was sorry for being short with her last night and I would like to help her and her son take care of the bird and am willing to offer guidence and support. She sort of huffed down the phone at me and said that she did some research and it not sure her son is ready to take on a pet that takes this much time and money.

 

I again said I was happy to take the bird and offered to pay for him, i also said that her son could come visit Charlie in my avairy with Brandon at any time. we just had a chat and she said she will think about it. I told her that I would give Brandon some more seed to take to school tomorrow to give her son and also some millet so that will tide them over till they decided what they want to do.

 

I feel sorry for the budige and hope that they do decide to take my advice on board and keep them and treat him right but in the end it is up to them.

 

Will keep you posted.

Seems Charlie Died. Brandon told me today when we where doing a check on the birds today. His friend said how the mother had spoken to the "breeder" and she had told them X and they decided that was the information to follow and the poor baby passed on. Brandons friend ask Brandon if I had any babies that he could purchase at which Point Brandon begged me not to give them one and I would not anyway. I tired to educate and inform I know I was short to the mother on the first night but after that I was very diplomatic but in the end the poor bird suffered. They went back to feeding it pellets only and I would say it starved to death.

 

RIP little one. :angel1:

some people just don't listen - Poor little guy

Poor guy At least he is at peace now...

 

Sometimes Av, People don't want to be told the best way to do things, and this is the end result... Poor guy Suffered!!!! That makes me MAD!!!!!!

The real issue here is that unless he does get another chance to care for something he'll never learn :mad:

 

I can get a hold of some more leaf insects which might be a better starter pet for him as they are free to care for and only live for less than two years so they aren't a long term commitment.

I had thought the same thing MB I have some about to hatch I think so will see if they are reptive to the idea of them.

The lady who gave me mine always has squillions of them hatching and she is happy to just give them away so if you need me to get some let me know :hap:. Also if they cover the bird cage securely with flywire mesh(and cover the door seperately of course it will make a good insect enclosure