Stupid things People have said?

[eman]

I once went to a pet store and I saw a guy recommending a mirror and a treat bell to an elderly lady... I seriously wanted to say something but I kept my mouth shut:/



I also found a bird-care guide on a website from a chain pet store business near me but.... let's just say it wasn't the best.(link's here: https://www.petandpool.co.za/

This was the advise:

"essential items for budgies:

• Good sized cage: at the very least 45cm in width, 45cm in breadth and 60cm in height
• Bottom grate / grid for the cage
• Perches of different lengths and textures
• Cage liners
• Playthings to hang in the cage e.g. swing / a mirror
• Variety of toys
• Ladder for exercise
• Bird net
• Food and water bowls
• Bowl for bathing or mister / spray
• Grit
• Tools for cleaning the cage (only use these to clean your birds’ cage)
• Cuttlefish
• Mineral block
• High quality seeds
• High quality pellets
• Millet spray
• Vitamin supplements for water
• Light cover to put over the cage at night
• Parasite powder, ask in-store for assistance
• De-wormer"
  
  
  ok, what?? why do they sell cages smaller than their minimum??
  
  A MIRROR?? GRIT?? VITAMINS?? de-wormer and parasite powder?? like omg
  
  The other pet advise was also bad it said that rabbit diet should be made out of 90% pellets(????!!) and 10% veg (they also recommend hutches/cages )

What is this! Unfortunately many people don’t about the negative impacts of the mirror.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

I'm a member of my local parrot club and we used to do displays before Covid-19. We would hear the funniest things while Displaying in malls and what not.

Examples:

**Lady having conversation about how Finches were SUPER LOUD** . That got the Cockatoo owners giggling!

Random person walks by our display, with PARROT CLUB OF MANITOBA in full color on our poster.
Person: 'Are these parrots?' (Pointing to the budgies, lovebirds and cockatiels) .

 

[Rozalka]

I've just reminded myself about a funny thread on Polish parrot forums - a lady created a thread about the most silly thing she's found on Facebook. I think, it's ok, if I translate few, the most funny ones
(Breeding)
1. How can we recognize if a bird is pregnant?
2. I've seen few times how the male was fertilizing eggs in the nest
3. I have a question - how does a female is fertilized because I've heard that there's no sex, they just kiss each other and he hugs the female with his wings.

4. In the flight, they feel the best because they can freely breathe then breathing the air in their lungs which have an outlet, so literally the air flies through them, so they don't get tired (this one I had to modified a bit because it was so hard to translate)

(medical help)
5. Take a photo of the poop and upload it in the post, maybe somebody will recognize the disease
6. Q: The lovebirds were flying in their cage in the morning and now they are half alive on the bottom shaking. What to do?
A: First of all check if there are no toxins in the air! It's the first thing to do. More important than going to the vet.
7. *Somebody asked how to deworm*
Answer: Pickled cucumbers water and sauerkraut juice*
*Theses are Slavic things, from what I've heard in other countries such things sound so disgusting. Anyway, they are not for parrots!

 

[BirdyBee]

(Breeding)
1. How can we recognize if a bird is pregnant?

Ok I get this one, not a lot of people know how to tell if a female is carrying eggs

2. I've seen few times how the male was fertilizing eggs in the nest

That's... not how fertilization works...

3. I have a question - how does a female is fertilized because I've heard that there's no sex, they just kiss each other and he hugs the female with his wings.

This is the funniest one, whoever told them that was probably not very smart or a child.

4. In the flight, they feel the best because they can freely breathe then breathing the air in their lungs which have an outlet, so literally the air flies through them, so they don't get tired (this one I had to modified a bit because it was so hard to translate)

Ok WhAAaT?

(medical help)
5. Take a photo of the poop and upload it in the post, maybe somebody will recognize the disease

Umm...

6. Q: The lovebirds were flying in their cage in the morning and now they are half alive on the bottom shaking. What to do?
A: First of all check if there are no toxins in the air! It's the first thing to do. More important than going to the vet.

That's just sad

 

[Cindylynn]

About my macaw: Why would you want an animal that could bite your finger off?
Reply: You do realize that your dog can bite your hand off if he wants to, don't you?

 

[Cindylynn]

One of my daughter's friends, while Pancho was being snuggly said "I didn't know birds could be affectionate". Well, now ya know 😃

 

[Terry57]

I'm a member of my local parrot club and we used to do displays before Covid-19. We would hear the funniest things while Displaying in malls and what not.

Examples:

**Lady having conversation about how Finches were SUPER LOUD** . That got the Cockatoo owners giggling!

Random person walks by our display, with PARROT CLUB OF MANITOBA in full color on our poster.
Person: 'Are these parrots?' (Pointing to the budgies, lovebirds and cockatiels) .

I have taken in several finches whose owners said they were too loud. They weren't even Zebras, they were Lady Goulds. I have never heard them make a sound.
Also took in a male canary because he sang too much. It really shows how little people even do their basic research.

I also helped with the shows for my parrot club, and the first question as they were trying to stick their fingers in the cages was "Do they bite?"
It never failed, before I could say anything they were bitten. I then pointed out the massive signs we had up saying that the parrots may bite ands do not touch without owners permission.
After they walked off whatever parrot it was got a treat

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

I thought this would make a nice thread. Share anything stupid a non bird owner has said to you.
I’ve gotten…well, where do I even start? Here are some of them:
-“Nice parakeet” and “cool toucan” (about my zon)
-“Stop keeping them in cages” (while the birds literally fly around my entire house)
-“Why do you feed veggies, I thought those could kill them?”
-“What’s the difference between a macaw and parakeet?”
-“I think your bird is injured. What are those sticking out of its head?” (pin feathers)
-“Can you put a blanket on the cage or something? He’s SO LOUD”
Have fun, I’d love to hear what you have to say

I thought this would make a nice thread. Share anything stupid a non bird owner has said to you.
I’ve gotten…well, where do I even start? Here are some of them:
-“Nice parakeet” and “cool toucan” (about my zon)
-“Stop keeping them in cages” (while the birds literally fly around my entire house)
-“Why do you feed veggies, I thought those could kill them?”
-“What’s the difference between a macaw and parakeet?”
-“I think your bird is injured. What are those sticking out of its head?” (pin feathers)
-“Can you put a blanket on the cage or something? He’s SO LOUD”
Have fun, I’d love to hear what you have to say.

I know this isn't exactly about bird education itself but I still feel this is rather stupid, and this is

I thought this would make a nice thread. Share anything stupid a non bird owner has said to you.
I’ve gotten…well, where do I even start? Here are some of them:
-“Nice parakeet” and “cool toucan” (about my zon)
-“Stop keeping them in cages” (while the birds literally fly around my entire house)
-“Why do you feed veggies, I thought those could kill them?”
-“What’s the difference between a macaw and parakeet?”
-“I think your bird is injured. What are those sticking out of its head?” (pin feathers)
-“Can you put a blanket on the cage or something? He’s SO LOUD”
Have fun, I’d love to hear what you have to say.

I know this isn't about parrots directly but I still feel this was rather stupid, especially coming from a Michigan bird rescue.
"One bite and an autistic child or adult will kill the bird"

Still makes my head spin to this day and wonder how one can be so ignorant to say something like that.

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

'Are you sure you want that one?' (Yes I want Pepper)
'Have you stared at you parakeets this weekend' (My Spanish teacher, who knows English VERY well)

And things I've overheard:
'Would this (small budgie flight) cage be suitible for my SCC (Sulfer Crested Cockatoo)?' (F*ck no go the f*ck away)
'Mom can I get a parakeet? They're so cuuuuute!' (Said by a 16 year old in Petco)
'You know budgies should be kept in cages, it's too dangerous to let them free roam!' (Thanks but no thanks)

The small budgie cage for the cockatoo 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I own a cockatoo and it's common sense that a budgie cage is not made for a cockatoo.

Even a non parrot owner would figure that one out. Well, seems like it 🤷

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

What is this! Unfortunately many people don’t about the negative impacts of the mirror.

Unless you have trained your bird to pass the mirror test (Which is possible) then yeah, no mirror

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

About my macaw: Why would you want an animal that could bite your finger off?
Reply: You do realize that your dog can bite your hand off if he wants to, don't you?

I've had people say about how parrots can mutilate you and give you stitches. I say this to them
"Would you rather I bite you? 🙂"

I decided to look up human bites after comparing toddlers to parrots in a public setting and my golly human bites are worse than parrots bites and happen 250,000 times a year.

I didn't think we'd bite each other that much, but I guess ya gotta use your teeth sometimes 🤣

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

To add to the chain pet store discussion…
Whenever I go to Petco or PetSmart I go to the bird mirrors, happy huts, and dowel perches and throw them underneath the shelves lol
And once I tried stealing a zebra finch from PetSmart…and failed

I'm not one to steal but when it comes to stealing animals from crappy situations, I'm all in for it. I have a cat I stole from a really horrible farm that abused all of their animals and lets the dog tear up the live cows.

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

Fox I have no idea why people are so terrified of birds dogs are more dangerous than even the biggest bird.

Finally someone else said it 🎉

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

I remember once, while waiting for the vet, I saw a cockatoo with singed tail feathers. Of course I asked what happened and they said it was because the bird touched the stove and acted like it was his/her fault. WHO LETS THEIR BIRD OUT WHILE COOKING

Another time somebody had a GCC that was so tangled up in cotton rope, it was in the bird's mouth and digging into his skin, and he kept trying to flail around but just got more and more tangled

My cockatoo has been out when I cook but he's really not much of a flyer despite not being clipped, he either stays on his cage, the cat tower we have, or walks on the ground. It's like having another person in the house.
(Sorry if that sounds stupid, that's just my experience)

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

I'm a member of my local parrot club and we used to do displays before Covid-19. We would hear the funniest things while Displaying in malls and what not.

Examples:

**Lady having conversation about how Finches were SUPER LOUD** . That got the Cockatoo owners giggling!

Random person walks by our display, with PARROT CLUB OF MANITOBA in full color on our poster.
Person: 'Are these parrots?' (Pointing to the budgies, lovebirds and cockatiels) .

Not everyone knows that budgies are parrots.
One time I was in an after school meeting with my robotics team, I was talking about parrots amongst my team members as we were building our robot, and I brought up parakeets and our coach said
"A parakeet isn't a parrot"
Then I went on to explain that they were and how they are a part of the parrot family

 

[bonitabird59]

I work at a chain pet store so I hear the dumbest of dumb. Thankfully I don't sell them the budgies when they ask the most absurd stuff.
I think one of the worst ones I heard wasn't a question, but a guy standing by our budgie enclosure w/ his family and saying: 'We could get one of these, just put it in the cage and never let it out again." I had to stop myself from roundhouse punting the dude into a wall.
Another common one I hear is 'do they fly?' No they just run on their wings everywhere. OFC THEY CAN FLY THEY'RE FLYING IN THE CAGE. A lot of times, people return their birds the day after they get them because they didn't immediately step up. Most people don't want a bird once I tell them about how sensitive they are to things like nonstick pans, avocado, the cold, etc. Maybe for the better.

 

[Percival the great]

My little cousins always ask if they can HOLD my budgies not let them perch on their finger hold them in there hands! And then continue to chase the poor fella’s around with huge stalks of millet, but they can fly lucky for them so they get away then my cousins ask “why do they keep running away”cuz your chasing them!
Some younger kids came over to see my sennie, they started screaming in excitement, then my sennie joined in the screams, then they covered their ears and ask/scream “why is he screaming” !?!? Oh children!

 

[Rozalka]

I know this isn't about parrots directly but I still feel this was rather stupid, especially coming from a Michigan bird rescue.
"One bite and an autistic child or adult will kill the bird"

Still makes my head spin to this day and wonder how one can be so ignorant to say something like that.

According to this, most of my fids should be dead

 

[BirdyBee]

My little cousins always ask if they can HOLD my budgies not let them perch on their finger hold them in there hands! And then continue to chase the poor fella’s around with huge stalks of millet, but they can fly lucky for them so they get away then my cousins ask “why do they keep running away”cuz your chasing them!
Some younger kids came over to see my sennie, they started screaming in excitement, then my sennie joined in the screams, then they covered their ears and ask/scream “why is he screaming” !?!? Oh children!

My cousins are very gentle with my birds. Other than sticking their fingers/hands in the cages, they do nothing wrong. They won't grab my birds. They ask my if they can hold them but they mean having the birds perch on them.

 

[HeatherG]

I had a (strange) neighbor who was very confused after seeing my puppylike Lucy Quaker with me. He bought a pair of budgies and totally traumatized them trying to hold them.

I wish he’d asked me; i would have told him that most parrots don’t act like that and if he wanted a cuddly pet right away to get a puppy or kitten. (Yes the budgies ended up with me eventually. The remaining budgie fell in love with my lonely canary.).

People always ask me if my bird recognizes it’s name. They think birds are dumber than dogs or cats. Which is ridiculous. I always enjoy when my bird says something clever or rude to such person.