Quick Rant...

[lnlovesorange]

Hi all, just needed to vent to people that i KNOW understand...
So i went to the pet store last night for some supplies and as always go to the bird section and check out what they have (usually winter in NE, they don't have anything but hookbills) However, they had some canaries...3 to a cage and one his poor head was all plucked and starting to bleed I saw the culprit too, he didn't care if I was tst tsting him or not... he kept going after this poor fellow... Then under them there were a pair of NG Zebs, and 3 Society finches... and i've been wanting society finches for a while now. So, I wasn't going right home, so i told them to hold on, and I would rescue them on Thursday when I get paid.. I asked the kid at the front if he knew anything about them because i really only wanted 2, but I'm the type that if they have been together for a long time I don't want to separate them. You know what he tells me? "well if you want, you can just buy 1, you don't need to buy 2, and yeah i do think those 3 have been togehter for at least a couple months" WTF (pardon my language) but if you are going to seel birds shouldn't it be required that you KNOW what the heck you are talking about? What if i was not me? Or i was me and it was my first bird, and I was like, oh, cool ok ill only buy one, can lyou imagine how lonely and sad that poor Society finch would be? I know it's the same story all the time, but i was so frustrated that he said that, either you are stupid, or ignorant, but either way you should shut your mouth....
That's my rant, why don't these birds we love get more respect? Feeling Disgusted....

[debbie276]

Or he could have thought you already had birds and just need one more?? Though I agree he should have followed up with do you have others and it would be his recommendation to have more then one for company. But in his defense I'm sure the store would not require you to buy more then one.

[lovezebs]

lnlovesorange

I don't blame you for being upset, I've had my moments at certain pet shops.

More recently, I've come to look at these 'moments ', as teaching opportunities.
I strike up friendly conversations with these kids and somewhere along the way I toss some information in their direction. Most take it kindly, some are even grateful to learn something which they didn't know.

In situations, where an individual bird is being chased, attacked, injured, I will usually approach the manager, and mention it. If this individual is not forthcoming to doing anything about the situation, I will stand by the cage, and point this out to other customers, shaking my head, and pointing at the manager. The injured bird very quickly gets transfered to another cage.
In most situations however, the manager, is more than willing to do something about it, when it's brought to their attention that they won't make much of a profit on an injured, bloody bird.

[lnlovesorange]

Good idea lovezebs (about the pointing and head shaking) they had a vet there last night (i think for dogs shots) he walked into the bird room, looked at them smiled and left....which enraged me as well....I stayed to see if he would come back.... he didn't too busy with all the dogs i guess (there were NO DOGS when I was there) Anyway i will do that in the future, Thanks for the tip.. And btw, I do the same thing in a very NICE way share my knowledge you are right MOST people are happy to learn about the birds Most people also think I'm nuts... but at least they are wiling to learn, and if they are in a pet store, then more than likely it will get passed on, Knowledge is power, THEY CAN BE TAUGHT!!!!

[lovezebs]

lnlovesorange

Everyone has to learn somewhere and somehow. I figure that if there is an opportunity, why not make something good out of it.

I would have grabbed the Vet, and chatted him up about the Canary with the plucked, bleeding head.

Then again, Ellen..... I think a bald Canary, is just what you need in your bird room....

[Dave]

lnlovesorange, I love a good rant!

In my opinion, the fault is with the store management. They could provide training for their employees, if they wanted to. You can tell when you walk into a store with a good manager--the employees are happy and they have information. And if they don't know, they're confidant enough to get a fellow employee that does know.

[Animalzoo]

lnlovesorange

I'll be very interested to know if you got the little societies today
.....and how many you came home with! Pictures please

I'm terrible in pet shops when I see distressed birds. It's not hard to spot so although some gentle guidance or instruction is good for the staff, they really need to be observant themselves and if in doubt to ask their managers. I automatically assume staff in pet stores want to be there for the love on animals but I do wonder sometimes. Trouble is it's always the birds who seem worse off. I've kept all sorts of pets in my time so always take a look at the rodents and rabbits etc. They are normally ok. Fish are so so and can fall poorly easily and need a lot of attention so I dont hold too much judgment when they are ill. But a tank with one or two dead fish puzzles me. I can walk around a pet store and with in 5 minutes spot ill or bullied little creatures. Why can't the people who work there 8 hours a day do the same?

Ooops, soory, thats me going on a rant now!

Anyway, keep us posted with the latest....and how the canaries look today too!?

[lnlovesorange]

lovezebs Funn you mention that, I was going to ask you how a single canary would do in a room full of finches. I've heard that male canaries do better in cages alone, or with a female then with other males (which was proven at this pet store the other day) But I didn't know how a single canary would do in a room full of finches.... Kind of feel like he would be that old saying Surrounded by people but still alone.... but in his case, surrounded by finches, but still alone.... So.... I know that you have a mixed bunch over there, and was wondering how you cage the canaries. I know, now, that you have more than one or two canaries. Luchi still ok right? I did remember reading that you lost his mate though.. (Sophia was it?) which I'm so sorry, it's never easy losing a Kid..... But how did the canaries do with the finches (Also, I've seen them mixed in with finches in other flights....smaller than my bird room) But was wondering more so about the lonlieness factor... will he communicate with finches? So any input on that would be great, thank you my dear. Animalzoo It's so easy to go on rants about pet store sometimes! Youd don't mean too, and then POOF you are b&*$#%ing about the conditions or what have you. The other thing that really bothered me is they had a single Parrotlet, and OMG he looked JUST like my Marshall, so much so I checked his band to see if I could see my Breeders initials!!! LOL, but the poor little guy was trying so hard to get up on a perch but they had clipped his wings so much so that every time he tried to take flight he just couldn't get the air underneath him to make it to that perch... It was pathetic and honestly a little tough to watch.... I know they are great climbers, and he did get up to the food and the perch climbing but of course, my heart still went out to him... And please don't get me wrong my P'Let's wings were clipped when I got him... and I thought about clipping them again when he was really flying off (he got out once.. UGH, worst day of my life trying to get him out of a tree... long story for another day.... ) so I don't have a problem with people who do this, i understand that it is controversial (like anything else I guess) But it wasn't right for me, so I didn't continue with the clipping of the wings, and my bird is SOOO reliant/dependent on me you would think his wings were clipped, but he is just emotionally attached to me, and has separation anxiety with me BAD... but another story for another day. So i'm not saying anything negative or bad about wing clipping because I do truly believe there are GOOD reasons for it especially if you have a bird that's apt to fly away outside... that being said, my heart just went out to this bird cuz he REALLY wanted to fly to that perch and just couldn't, and there was another perch WAAY higher that he didn't have a chance in to get at. So that's my Pet Stor sob story. It's just nice to have this place to talk about these things because to other people it's... "no big deal" or what's more common, is that people just don't know... So, as everyone has mentioned, it's necessary for us, who know, to "spread the knowledge" as best we can and someday... hopefully our feathered friends will get the respect and treatment they truly deserve.

[lovezebs]

lnlovesorange

Hi Ellen,

A lone Canary can be kept with finches, without any problems (although I would not house with Green Singers).

The only time I had problems, was when an obnoxious Zebra boy was bullying a small Society girl, that Luciano had a liking to (Luciano, just about took him out permanently).

Other than that, I have housed Canaries with Societies, Zebras, Gouldians, Red throat Parrot finches, Waxbills, and have never had any issues.

Yes Luciano, is still very much with us. He did lose his mate a while back, but is doing fine interacting with his kids. I did have to separate one of the boys (as he was getting too rambunctious ). He's now housed with an infertile female Siena for company.

So off to the Pet Shop with you girlie, you need a a Bald Headed Canary! (at a discount ).

[Animalzoo]

lovezebs
You're terrible Elana! First a baldy Gouldian and now a balding Canary. I'm seeing a trend here

[lovezebs]

Animalzoo

Everyone needs at least one bald bird in their life..... tee hee hee....