help me talk my parents into a sun conure

[bthomas]

Hello everyone,
Im a newbie here and I have recently found a Sun Conure at a very very nice petco near where I live. He is potty trained and has never pooped on his caregiver, he lays on his back, does headstands, climbs in the guys shirt and many other tricks. I am convinced this is what I want but my parents think other wise. We have had birds before and they have all been non trained mean birds that have just been given to rescues. I know the responsibilities that come with a sun conure and am willing to accept them and i am paying for it alone! i just need someone to post a good review on suns so my parents will let me get this guy (Samba).
Thanks

[Nazir's]

Hmmm... They are SO adorable but on the flip side of that, they can get loud. I want one too! LOL
Tell them how responsible you'd be with the Sun. Ask them if you earn your own money would it be alright? Do great in school. I don't know what else to advise.... Tell them that you promise to graduate if they get one for you. I am just kidding..

Good luck!

[Valo's Moirana]

the first question i have before commenting on suns is, how old are you? the reason i ask is that things change a lot once you're done with high school, you're planning to head off to college etc... suns live 25-30yrs - that's a long term commitment... i have a friend whose daughter got birds - now the girl's off to college and the birds are still at home. i understand your parents' concerns... i'm not doubting your responsibility, but life changes a lot within the next 20yrs and you have to think hard about a commitment like this one
suns are great great pets... our bella girl is wonderful and i wouldn't trade her for anything.... she's loud, as all suns are, but otherwise they're great pets if they get the attention they require.... shredding is a big thing, which has to be accommodated by providing toys... and they need rather big cages (most cages at our petcos here are not sufficient)... they also have a good potential to talk

[Nazir's]

Great advise Valo's Moirana.

[SunConure1]

Hi i own 2 sun conures 1 male & 1 female both hand reared and i can tell you they are very loud, I can hear my 2 from down the street. There sweet natured birds that also require alot of attection. I hoping to breed my sun conures in the next couple of years my male is 2 will be 3 years old end of january my female is just 2 years old. Also it is a good idea to think long and hard about where your life is going to be in the future and how will this affect the bird. Also consider that the bird may act diffferently in your home until he/she trusts you and settles in. Also sun conures can inflict a painfull bite so be sure to read his body languages to try and aviod them. I'm not saying that it will bite but they can if they want too. I've gotten a painfull nip from my guys but they have never drew blood.

[gbird]

We have had birds before and they have all been non trained mean birds that have just been given to rescues.

This concerns me a bit. I've had a Sun for almost 2 years, and I'm 53. I can tell you there are days when he doesn't want to be bothered, and he lets me know it, both vocally and physically.

Like Valo's Moirana so cpmpletely put it. They are wonderful little birds, but they can be moody.

Please, really do your research. Samba is a cute little cuddly baby now, but he may not always be that. They grow up, just like kids do.....LOL

[whitewing]

How are you paying for it alone? With your job/allowance or what? Just because the bird is on sale or something doesn't mean you're getting a break. Will you be paying for the vet check as well? Will you be paying for a big roomy cage for your very active Sunny?

How old are you?

I honestly don't think birds make good pets for children. The kids go off to college and the bird is left to be cared for by the parents. And your parents don't want it (and they actually have bird experience so that means a lot). It would be different if your parents wanted the bird and had no problem taking on responsibility once you, the child, moved on to other things or lost intrest (and don't say that won't happen to you because that's what happens when kids have birds, it does not reflect badly on your character so don't take it personally. It's just the reality.)

As much as I love birds, I tend to side with parent reasoning over child reasoning. No offense.

[birdlady49]

I love Valo's advice. It's exactly what I would have written. A bird must be a family affair and, if your parents are not as excited as you, it would not be a good idea to bring one into your home at this time.

Maybe an option would be for you to get a job or volunteer at that store. You could learn a lot about birds and enjoy the sun conure without the expense and demands.

[Abyssinian1]

Hi. I read your post and had to think about this for a minute. Pets (or as I prefer to think about them, really expensive and time-comsuming non-verbal roommates who don't pay rent and expect 4-star maid, chef and concierge service) are a luxury item in today's world. Or rather, they should be viewed as a luxury item. Not everyone can afford them and not everyone should have them.

From your writing, I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're probably in your teens. Not a bad age to start learning how to care for another living creature, putting its needs ahead of your own at all times. And I mean ALL of your needs. If you take responsibility for the well-being of an animal, that means that the care of that animal comes before schoolwork, before any clubs or activities you have going. It comes before going out with friends, boy or girlfriends, going away for the night to spend time at a friend's house, going on vacation and so on and so on. It comes before a job, and speaking of job, if you get a pet, you are responsible for all of its medical bills, the licensing, the toys, the cage, the food and the grooming tools. Expect to have a part time job to pay fo rthese things and to save up for a pet's expensive medical care. For avians, that can can go into the thousands. Avian vet care is not cheap.

I know I seem to be belabouring the point. When I was a teenager, I kept hoping that once I was out of my parent's house, I would be able to get a dog of my own, as the dog we had rescued when I was little girl had passed away and I really missed her (still do). But by the time I was able to leave (college), I understood that life was going to get very difficult and unpredictable as I tried to find work. I lived in very small apartments with no room for a pooch and very little money left over after paying my own bills for its upkeep. i worked very long hours, six days a week to make enough cash to survive. In short, I could not afford the luxury of a pet, in time or in money. I have the sneaking suspicion that this might be true for you as well down the road, as you transition from being dependent on your parents to being responsible for yourself.

Sometimes being responsible enough for a pet means that you decide not to have one until your life stabilizes enough for you adequately take care of one. I do have a suggestion, though. If you are interested in having a pet bird at some point, the Gabriel Foundation (www.thegabrielfoundaton.org) has an online class you can take called "Birdie Basics". It is a generalized class conducted over a month that will give you a better idea of what goes into taking care of a parrot. The class has a fee and there are some books you need to buy that are required reading, especially the behavioral books by Dr. Friedmann. If you are responsible enough to take the class and then come away still wanting to give over a large amount of your time and money for a companion parrot, then you may be able to handle having a sun conure. A pet deserves nothing less than total commitment and you as a potential pet owner, need to understand what you are getting yourself into. Good luck