Parrot days at semi-local pet store!

I just found out that on Sunday a pet store somewhat near me is having a parrot day when three Congo African Greys come to visit the store!

I am so excited! I have checked with the owner and Sammy will also come.

I will go there tomorrow to check out the store to see if there is something i want to buy on Sunday and also get to know the owner of the store. Sammy will join me then, too.

If your petstore allows random parrots to just meet and possibly infect each other .. I would certainly not take my bird there!


That is just as much asking for trouble as taking your parrot to a birdy-market; although with those it is proven diseases are rampant there, not really sure about your petshop - but if they are *that* devil-may-care I suspect the worst.

Even the parrotcrazy-people here who come together for parrot-outings demand recent testresults before the parrot is allowed to join.


Go meet some greys, have fun but when you get home leave your shoes & clothes at the front door and then straight into the washingmachine and take a serious shower before even saying hello to your bird again.

ChristaNL said:

If your petstore allows random parrots to just meet and possibly infect each other .. I would certainly not take my bird there!


That is just as much asking for trouble as taking your parrot to a birdy-market; although with those it is proven diseases are rampant there, not really sure about your petshop - but if they are *that* devil-may-care I suspect the worst.

Even the parrotcrazy-people here who come together for parrot-outings demand recent testresults before the parrot is allowed to join.


Go meet some greys, have fun but when you get home leave your shoes & clothes at the front door and then straight into the washingmachine and take a serious shower before even saying hello to your bird again.

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It is always a valid concern when parrots meet. I have weighed the risks and have decided to bring Sammy.

The person bringing the Greys is very active in the parrot association near me.

Due to the very small number of birds and how hard it is to get them here (meaning that almost only very committed people will have parrots) I am positive that the risk involved is minimal.

I think that Sammy seeing Greys and getting accustomed to them is worth the (minimal) risk.

I think that we come from very different worlds when it comes to parrot meet ups and the preparations for them. As it is here now the owners are trusted to only bring healthy birds.

Salty does play dates with Jim's Amy and BeeBee and they thoroughly enjoy seeing each other. What was a funny point is that Salty and Amy started calling to each other when we were a block away! Amy was protective of Salty too. However both Amy and BeeBee are healthy parrots and I trust Jimtokeep his birds that way,as he does me with Salty. I would a little leary of bringing my parrot into general contact with other strange parrots, unless they had recent visit t their vet and had documets stating the health ofsaid parrots.

You said you've "weighed the risks" and are still bringing your bird, but that obviously means that you haven't "weighed the risks" at all...Parrots are not like dogs or cats, or even rodents, as they hide illnesses for as long as possible, sometimes for months and months. So you will have no idea if any of the birds there are sick or not, nor with their owners! You cannot look at a bird and know whether or not something is wrong with them...And we're talking anything and everything, from a bacterial or fungal infection to incurable diseases such as PBFD, to other viral infections/diseases that can kill your bird quickly, such as Polyoma, Borna Virus, etc. Again, it's not like taking your dog into a pet shop. Most Avian illnesses, specifically the viral ones that kill them quickly and that will cost you thousands of dollars to even try to treat, Can only be contagious to your bird if you expose them to other birds! And that's exactly what you're talking about purposely doing! This should be a no-brainer to you...

So you're willing to expose your parrot to all kinds of bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases and infections that can be specifically contagious to him, simply because you want to? I mean even the most irresponsible and unknowledgeable parrot-vloggers on YouTube have a rule to not bring their birds around other birds, specifically to the many bird-marts, bird-expo's and shows, etc. that they often go to and Vlog from...You'll never see a parrot-Vlogger who is constantly going to bird-shows and bird-shops/pet shops EVER have their birds with them while their Vlogging from these places...Why? Because they know that this would be purposely exposing them to infections and diseases that only birds can contract, and they'll have absolutely no way of knowing if any of the birds present there are sick, nor whether their own bird has contracted something and is sick, not for weeks to months until their birds are so sick that it's often too late to help them...That's what you need to think about when you're "weighing the risks", because honestly the "Pros" to bringing him with you are few, basically only because that's what you want.

I'm not trying to be harsh or rude to you, but rather trying to get you to think long and hard about exposing your Sammy to multiple other parrots that you've never seen before, that you've never met the owners of, that you don't know the medical history of, etc. I don't want to see you posting here on the forum in a month or two from now about Sammy suddenly being sick and you having to pay your CAV thousands of dollars for diagnostic tests and the CAV having to keep him in the hospital in an oxygen incubator, etc. This is exactly where you need to practice "Preventative Avian Care and Medicine"...

I appreciate all the replies.

It is interesting to see different perspectives. Although I do think that being quick to assume things isnt the correct way to go about - but that's just my opinion.

We will follow the safety procedures that the Finnish and Swedish parrot organisations have.

As previously stated we will go to meet the Greys. The Greys and Sammy are literally the only 4 birds that go places within a 2 hour radius from me. I think it will be a successful trip, and I hope it goes just as well as when Sammy last saw some Greys.

A bigger risk is just being outside with him, all kids of birds and pathogens are outside. Again, something that I am willing to risk to enrich his life.

Again, due to how scarce parrots are in the nordic countries the risk of a disease spreading is next to none because a parrot has to actually carry the infection to be able to infect others. It's obviously always a risk, but it is literally unheard of parrots dying of diseases here.

The situation is no doubt VERY different in areas (countries) with larger parrot populations and subsequently more diseases.

I really can't comment on how and what people living in other countries should and shouldn't do as safety precaution as I'm not familiar with their situation, but what I DO know is that I follow Finlands (and Swedens) parrot organizations safety protocol when brining Sammy outside or to meet other parrots. Hope this clears up any confusion!

SammyAndy said:

I appreciate all the replies.

It is interesting to see different perspectives. Although I do think that being quick to assume things isnt the correct way to go about - but that's just my opinion.

We will follow the safety procedures that the Finnish and Swedish parrot organisations have.

As previously stated we will go to meet the Greys. The Greys and Sammy are literally the only 4 birds that go places within a 2 hour radius from me. I think it will be a successful trip, and I hope it goes just as well as when Sammy last saw some Greys.

A bigger risk is just being outside with him, all kids of birds and pathogens are outside. Again, something that I am willing to risk to enrich his life.

Again, due to how scarce parrots are in the nordic countries the risk of a disease spreading is next to none because a parrot has to actually carry the infection to be able to infect others. It's obviously always a risk, but it is literally unheard of parrots dying of diseases here.

The situation is no doubt VERY different in areas (countries) with larger parrot populations and subsequently more diseases.

I really can't comment on how and what people living in other countries should and shouldn't do as safety precaution as I'm not familiar with their situation, but what I DO know is that I follow Finlands (and Swedens) parrot organizations safety protocol when brining Sammy outside or to meet other parrots. Hope this clears up any confusion!

Click to expand...

It is tempting to generalize based on local protocols and truisms, but seems the situation in Finland is somewhat unique. Hopefully the small number of parrots in a carefully controlled situation will enable great socialization with minimal risk. Enjoy, let us know how parrot day turns out. Pictures please!!

Pictures https://imgur.com/a/gIVAcJB

Only two of the Greys could come as the youngest one had hurt his foot and had surgery a few days ago. He is doing well and will make a full recovery but stayed home today.

Sammy was a intrigued for a bit and then decided that they weren't a threat and that he didnt really care about them, which is a good attitude for him to have!

It was so nice to see the Greys. They are about the same length as Sammy but are so much more muscular compared to him. They weigh almost twice the amount as he does (and he isnt that small for being a Jardine).

It was a fun day and this event got me even more excited to bring come my own CAG, in about 6 months or so.

Glad you and the birds had a great time! Really nice pics!!