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Kumiko
08-03-2007, 04:48 PM
Okay, I have a cockateil named Sonnie. He is 6 years old. Kiwi and him are play mates (whenever they have something to do). This is my mother's bird. He is really sweet and talks non-stop

My cousins. They have 3 cockatiels. They are not really friendly and scared all the time, they have small cages too. My cousins harras their birds and actaully grab them to hold them. They take their whole hand and grab the bird's body.

Our cockateil, Sonnie, knows the "step-up". We never make him get on our finger and he flys if he wants to get away or go back to his cage. We let him be independent and we never make him do anything that he doesnt want to.

So here begins the story:

My aunt and cousins came over. One of them is a bird freak. He owns those 3 cockatiels and a Crown Parrot, Bob. He is my oldest cousin. (18)

Everytime they come over they have no respect for our bird's spaces. I tell them to leave poor Kiwi alone because everytime they come over to his cage, he freaks out and my cousin's try to grab him. They literally chas ehim on the floor while Kiwi trys to fly away.. ON THE FLOOR. I have gotten mad over it and that makes my Aunt upset, and she freaks out that I am being mean to her kids for jsut playing with the bird. Can she not see Kiwi breathing heavily and trying to get away.

They are not so bad with Kiwi though. It is cute Sonnie that gets the most of the harrasment.

My oldest cousin and other cousin makes him fly and fly. Sonnie gets slower and slower and slower. He screams and screams and screams. My father tells him, "Now Michael, leave that bird alone. He doesnt want you messing with him." My cousin still carries on, no even listening to dad, or making a excuse and keeps on diong what he is diong.

My other cousin says, "Just like Bob, he is giong to get tired and fall on the ground." she says this like it is a game.

Sonnie screams. My Aunt says that Sonnie is playing with my cousins. Yah, right. I guess running and flying away and screaming means that he is playing.

Sonnie flew on my head. I said "step up" and he jumped on my finger and I held him on my sholder. He was breathing heavily and his head thing was all the way up. My cousin wanted to hold him. When he came over, Sonnie literally dug into my hair.

I said," Leave my bird alone. He clearly doesnt like you at all."

Well he got mad. My Aunt got mad. And my other cousin was just as guilty as my oldest cousin.

~~~They have no respect for my Family's birds. I feel so sorry everytime they come over because of Kiwi and Sonnie getting chased and they breathing so heavily that you can clearly see that they are so scared.

Everytime we say something, they either don't listen or their mom gets mad. I feel sorry for thier cockatiels.

Here is a picture of Sonnie:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/rebeccak3_suekey/Sonnie.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/rebeccak3_suekey/Sonnie3.jpg

Sorry I typed insanely. I am just so upset when they treat our calm, freindly birds like thiers. I just feel sorry for what they have to endure when my cousins come over.

Pado
08-03-2007, 05:22 PM
Rebecca that is a very sad story. I am very sorry to hear your Aunt and cousins are so disrespectful in your home. I'm also saddened that your parents don't step in and put a stop to this.

Unfortunately this burden has landed on you - and thankfully you are mature and empathic enough to step in on Sonnie's behalf.

Maybe you could sit down with your parents and talk to them about how you feel about your cousins behavior toward the birds and ask them to back you up the next time they visit.

If that doesn't work, is it possible to take both birds into your room when your cousins and Aunt are visiting? and close the door - I know this is a big imposition but since your parents aren't laying down the ground rules I'm hoping you have some power to do something.

The only other thing I could think of is to buy two padlocks at the hardware store and padlock the bird cages closed when they visit and refuse to give them the combination.

BTW Sonnie is a beautiful Cockatiel.

memmey
08-03-2007, 05:36 PM
Your a good person I can tell and I feel for you. Your young and sometimes the young don't get the respect they are due. In this situation I believe you are in the right. I agree with Pado, you have have to take a proactive stance on this problem. Think of how you can remove the birds from the situation well in advance of the next visit. Be ready with a game plan to head them off.
I have always stood by this....people with the very best manners are people who have the ability to put up with others bad manners.
The little birds are helpless and so you have to stand up for them. Good luck and stand your ground...sometimes bullies back down when they see they can't push you around. Be brave.

ArtS
08-03-2007, 05:57 PM
Personally, I wouldn't be as rational as you all are being :mad: ; but my wife says that if I don't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything... It's tough though... I have quite a few choice comments and few are constructive.

Art S.

Pado
08-03-2007, 07:46 PM
Very wise woman - invite your wife to the next Mensa meeting ! :)

birdiemom
08-03-2007, 07:56 PM
When friends or family come to your house they should follow YOUR rules, and when you say "STOP" that's what they should do. You must protect your birds from what will harm them....do whatever it takes.

Kumiko
08-03-2007, 11:52 PM
My Aunt's kids though are... not as diciplined as I am. They do what they want to do. With their mom protecting them. Aunt Penny is very bullheaded and selfish. But She is family and I have to love her and respect her and her kids. It is hard.

Mom and Father don't want to get into a fight with thier sister/sister-in-law, but I have talked to them about it and they never say anything about a solution. They just talk about how disrespectful they are by not listening to them, how my aunt is not diong anything (saying "no" to HER kids, and how our poor birds are being chased and harrassed every stinken time they come over.

They are the type of family that wants more than you. I got a parrotlet, they go out and get a Parrot. We came from Georgia with 2 beautiful cockatiels... they go out one day (2 days after that they found out we had cockatiels) and buys them three cockatiels. 2 of them the same colors as ours *cousins talk, "O! We have those exact same colors and a mouch beautiful one." -- in a snooty tone. I get a hedgehog.... they get a Geani pig.... weird, huh?

I don't let it get in my mind so much, but it is obvious when they talk about "thier" pets in front me and my sister. :confused:
................

Mostly it is petty what they do mostly, maybe because they were raised differently than us, but they are family... I will talk more to my parents about keeping Sonnie in "thier" room, since no one goes in there when Company comes over.

P.S. Mostly when ever cousins come over, little boys, disrespectful kids, and scared ones trying to be tough and scare the birds... the birds always get harrassed.

Our cousins are not really "disiplined" Maybe I am saying that because we were once a MIlitary family. It is mostly regular family DRAMA stuff.

Like I said before, I will talk about it to my parents more to come up with a good plan. Thanks guys!:)

Kumiko
08-03-2007, 11:58 PM
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/rebeccak3_suekey/DaisyandSunny1.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/rebeccak3_suekey/Daisyangel.jpg

This use to be my old bird. She was so beautiful! She loved to cuddle and she would love to ride my scooter on the front handle bars with me and spread out her wings when I would go fast or glide her through the air with her on my finger.

She was Sonnie's mate. She pasted away in June, 2005. She died of blood poisoning by feather plucking. She was my angel.

I am an artist and I am sending im my work of the portrait I did of her and Sonnie. It is in Memory of Daisy.