Ideas for a pet

[WillowIX]

Originally posted by Epona: Willow, sorry if I came across too critical of your post. Unfortunately a lot of people think budgies are cute and easy to keep, and alas many end up being released (and likely dying because they don't have basic survival skills) or being dumped because people get fed up with the noise. I've heard such sad stories - some with happy endings tho - like the budgie that was put out with the trash because the owner got fed up with the mess, fortunately it was found and taken home by a bird owner. I love the little tykes, they can make fantastic pets in the right circumstances - I wouldn't have had them my whole life if that wasn't the case! So intelligent and loyal, and very entertaining. My point was just that they're not suitable for a dorm situation - not everyone appreciates a dawn chorus! [img]smile.gif[/img]

No worries Epona. I re-read my post and I didn't clearly state anything, I just stated it. I can tell you I would rather have had a budgie as a neighbour when I lived in a dorm than my actual neighbour. I don't mind getting up at dawn but I do mind not being able to sleep until 4-5am. Anywho, a [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] to your post. One should know what one is getting oneself into before getting a pet. [img]smile.gif[/img]

BABOONS!!!!OR CHIMPS!!!!

[johnny]

Budgies can be fun though, i once had three budgies in a pretty large cage, and they just never seem to stop communicating with eachother. If you can't stand the noise they make, don't take em, but if you don't mind, they're fun to have around. Little party animals, that's what they are.

[pritchke]

Originally posted by johnny: Budgies can be fun though, i once had three budgies in a pretty large cage, and they just never seem to stop communicating with eachother. If you can't stand the noise they make, don't take em, but if you don't mind, they're fun to have around. Little party animals, that's what they are.

Get a male and a female, they are just like people. You can tell when the female is not in the mood.

[Aelia Jusa]

Originally posted by NiceWorg: Gongrats for reaching 3k, Aelia. [img]smile.gif[/img] Well, cat sand is never completely smell-less. And when it´s an adult cat, only makes it worse. They eat a lot and don´t like to live in one room all the time, so that is not really a possibility. Coming from a farm, I have lived with animals my whole life.. just not with exotic pets such as fishes and birds..

LOL thanks

You're right - kitty litter can be smelly. Plus cats are really contrary and annoying - there's a thread here from a few months back where I was asking advice on how to stop my 18 month old cat from peeing on the rug under my computer - sometimes she decides her trays aren't good enough. She also needs 6 trays spread around the house to stop her going in corners - don't believe a word of the 'clean out the tray once every couple of days' rubbish they say . By the way, cats won't keep you up at night either. People think they're nocturnal but they're not - if you show them that night time's sleepy time they'll sleep all night. LOL the first night Tuppence lived here she wandered about my bed all night falling off and climbing back on - I didn't get any sleep. The next night she got the hang of sleeping .

Anyway I know exactly how you feel wanting a pet - and there's nothing better than something warm and cuddly like a kitten or puppy. I'm sorry that you'll have to wait . Perhaps you could try going down to your local animal shelter and volunteering to walk the dogs - they're always looking for people to help out and the dogs will love you forever [img]smile.gif[/img]

[johnny]

Originally posted by pritchke: quote: Originally posted by johnny: Budgies can be fun though, i once had three budgies in a pretty large cage, and they just never seem to stop communicating with eachother. If you can't stand the noise they make, don't take em, but if you don't mind, they're fun to have around. Little party animals, that's what they are.

Get a male and a female, they are just like people. You can tell when the female is not in the mood. [/QUOTE]Actually, it were two females and one male. I created a little paradise for the dude.

[Epona]

LOL johnny!

I've got 2 males - no chicks for me thank you! Bad enough having 2 of them, gawd knows what the noise would be like if they started reproducing.

They are fantastic though, if you're a bird person. If not they'd quickly drive you mad. They chatter all the time, I love it, because I know they're happy. They are such friendly little birds too - so many parrots choose just one person to like, whereas budgies will go to anyone and make friends once they're tame.

I wake up every morning to the sounds of 2 budgies flying around and chattering, and a mad parrot yelling 'give us a kiss' at me until I get out of bed!

[johnny]

I wouldn't mind that at all Epona, it's better than no sound at all. My friends brother-in-law breeds budgies. he has a foliere (sp?) with over 70 budgies, maybe that's a little too much in the morning. His neighbours complain sometimes. But he has budgies inthere with the most amazing colours, i've never seen anything like that.

Now i just have a lovebird (i think that's their name, green with a red head). I think i already told you about him once. he can say a few things, but most of the time he's just making his own typical noise, while he's shaking his head like a rockstar. I can't believe the energy they put in trying to get your attention.

One thing still bugs me though... how can i see if this is a male or a female ? I know how to recognise male/female budgies, but i haven't got a clue what this one is. The end of it's feathers are black, and there's blue in it's tail, is that a clue ?

[ 06-11-2003, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: johnny ]

[Ladyzekke]

I personally say don't get any pet. If you don't have time to care for it much, and don't like bad smells, I just can't think of anything, all things alive need care. Also, iguanas get really BIG, and all lizards need a lot of care re heat and lighting and fresh foods. Fish also require a lot of care (have a lot of experience re fish) re water changes, chemicals to keep the PH level of the water to a certain degree (depending on what type of fish), filter changes, heater monitoring, air bubbler maintenance, and of course feeding (and you can kill fish by overfeeding, so you have to feed responsibly). Hampsters also need to have their cages changed on a regular basis, and the female ones give off an odor when they are in heat, and you can't put two hampsters in a cage together no matter what sex they are, they will either fight or mate or both. Oh, and Sea Monkeys, if I am not mistaken, are just brine shrimp, very very tiny, I can't imagine a more boring pet there LOL...

Get a Neopet! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Epona]

johnny, I remember you telling me about your lovebird.
Even experienced breeders have trouble telling them apart (unless they start to lay eggs), you can get a DNA test done at the vets if you really have to know what gender it is!

But I have only ever heard of female lovebirds talking, never a male. But then female lovebirds also tend to lay eggs to the point where it can be hard to get them to stop, and if yours had done that you wouldn't be asking me how to tell LOL

Whatever it is, (s)he sounds like a great little bird. I am quite taken with lovebirds, but can't manage any more at the moment, or I'd have one without hesitation.