Your Oldest parrot

[Kumiko]

For all of you that have many years of experience, How old is or was your oldest parrotlet??

[AndreaFahy]

Not too old here - Sinbad (Mollucan cockatoo) is at least 17 (some what unknown) Marco (African grey) is at least 12 (also some what unknown!)

I have a ten (or older) year old pair of pacific parrotlets :)

[nar1122]

If we are going to go off just parrotlets, (LOL)
Then:
My Cockatiel- 9 Years old.

I don't call raising him "high levels of experience"...just "Practice"
If you catch my drift...
I think 9 years is still not close to being an expert, unless it's not your first bird. (Birdie is my first bird, so I don't consider myself an expert, or that experienced.)

[Kumiko]

Well Sonnie is 6 years old, but Kiwi is only about 5 months old. Sonnie is actually the oldest bird in our family, But my father's father use to have a parrot named Sam. Best bird ever! Had a foul mouth too which is hilarious! He was about 16... then Grandpa got rid of him... He is still living I would think.

[AndreaFahy]

Why did he send Sam away if he was the best bird ever??

[nar1122]

LOL.
I didn't catch that myself.
:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[AndreaFahy]

Sorry, I prod and stir things up constantly :)

[Kumiko]

Well, not to get into family life BUT my grandparents use to be BIG TIME smokers. They said they were to get rid of him for 3 reasons.... thier smoking, his constant screaming, and his aggressiveness over the time they had him (ever since he was a baby- 1yr.)

I think the reason why he became so aggressive and screaming was he was crying out for socialization AND no one would give him socialization.... the smoking was, I think, an excuse.

Why he was the best bird ever was he was a talker and, like ever other pet I cam across from a different family, liked me a lot. He actually flew on my sholder every time I walk in the door and said, "guess what... I took a sh**" then he'd make the evil laugh. There would be other episodes too. LOL.

I lived 12 hours away at the time... and never knew that they got rid of him... they didnt even tell me. I woudl have taken him even though I was 10 years old at the time. He was such a good bird. He loved when you rub his head and he would say, "F*** off" I would say that was his love chirp. LOL. I knew he didnt mean it, but grandpa was a foul mouth too.

[AndreaFahy]

Well, change can be a good thing - and seems to be the case here :)

(tobacco thread: http://www.talkparrotlets.com/showthread.php?t=601&highlight=tobacco)

[Kumiko]

yah, but I wish he would hav given Sam to me. I miss that bird...

But here is the thing... they got another bird soon after. A grey bird with a red sash on its neck. Named Kensia. I went to pet it and it bit me and grandpa had to pry her off of me. I had to go to the hospital becuase the bird hit my bone and the bleeding wouldnt stop. I despise that bird... I wasnt feeling bad and upset when that bird left the property... Maybe I just could get over not seeing Sam anymore.

But I think he is in a better place:)

[AndreaFahy]

You would have been a good choice for Sam :)

Aw, I know you were upset about being bitten, but just put yourself in the bird's "feathers" (can't say shoes) and think about what he/she wanted, not just that you wanted to pet him. Some birds just need a lot of space and time to get to know you - I bet if you did that bird would have liked you too :)

[Kumiko]

Thanks.:)

It probaly would have. Now that I am older... I can relise how bad a bird's stress levels can be, and, from younger years, how they can express it.

[AndreaFahy]

I was talking about just that with some friends recently - how when we were younger were we more brave? or were we less respectful of the birds needs/wants? I think it is a combination.

[memmey]

EMPATHY...it is the only way to train a bird or a dog or even a little child. EMPATHY, if you don't understand the concept then you will NEVER EVER be truly successful in training your p'let or for that matter successful in life period.
Being young is no excuse either you embrace the concept or your don't.
It is the greatest gift a parent can give their child , everyday teach them to have empathy, for animals or people... any living creature.
The frustration with the posts for me comes in the lack of empathy I have seen. If anyone had to spend one day in a cage ......well...... they would then understand empathy.

[nar1122]

It's not her fault that the parents didn't teach her empathy when she was younger.

At least she realizes why the bird bit her, and she knows much better.
I don't think she really did anything wrong, not just because of the fact that she was young, but because of the fact she didn't know better, and now she does. And that's all that matters; now she knows what not to do, and why what happened, did.

[Kumiko]

Sorry, but... I know that Empathy is to understand someone's feelings, motives, and situations....

My parents did teach me Empathy. That is why I got my first pet... I was 12 years old. That is why now I relise, when i look back... why the bird bit me. When I was younger.... mom and dad said, "Respect others... feel pity for them for what their actions are towards you." They told me this when I was young. They taught me this about humans like elders and bullies, etc.

When I got Rikki Tikki, he lived in a very small cage. About a year later.. I found a hedgie forum.. My experience sprouted. He was in the minimum cage size for a hedgie... I thought and thought... pondered. Today Rikki lives in a 7ft cage taking up half of one of my walls (my room is 14 x 14).. He was my first pet. My mother and father got me him to teach me repsonsiblility and to treat him like family.

Kiwi will be no different........

I am much older now and understand now why the bird did what it did. I was ten or probaly much younger at the time.... 8-10 years....

Memmey... I do have Empathy... Kiwi will be long commiment. I will do my best for him. Just like rikki Tikki.

[memmey]

Kiwi my response was not directed toward you . I mean what I say for anyone that needs to be reminded of the commitment they had made when they bring them home.
I don't know if any one has been on any other bird sites but if some of these posts were on the other sites, well they would rip the posters apart. This is site is laid back and I like that but it's killing me to sit here and read things on here and not comment anymore.

[catfish]

A lot of those boards also scare people away. The poster gets attacked and then they resign or just quit going there... sometimes never learning a thing at all.

Now there are some people that don't learn a thing.... they just seem they are there for causing tension. They are free game imo... ;)

[nar1122]

So who is everybody referring to?
If I may ask...
:confused::confused::confused::confused::o:o:o

[Kumiko]

Sorry, I thought that is was referring to me and others, but using me as an example. :o

Sorry.

[catfish]

I like this site. I check this site quit a bit throughout the day and there really is nothing I would change... this board IS much more tolerant than many other boards (which is a good thing).

I know I'll be checking online a lot while in class. There is only so much you can take at one point in time... I have a class from 9am -3pm on Tuesdays.... it'll get better when the semester begins, but in the beginning I'll be pulling my hair out from boredom.

I think the main problem ALL of us have with certain things is that so many accidents and/or behaviors can be prevented by thinking and planning. People just don't always think ahead and our pets pay the price in the end.

[nar1122]

I also like this site very much.
I come on many times throughout the day too.
Sadly, thats going to end, because I am back to full time work starting tomorrow (mon-friday; 8am-5 pm)

I agree with Catfish

[Kumiko]

School. :(

Sorry, I am just bummed out tat school started. High School is so different than Middle School, but it seems fun.... I just don't like the eyeballs. If you get my drift.

[catfish]

oh i hated high school. College is much better imo. You'll like it.

[Kumiko]

My sister is giong to College tomorrow. I bet it will be great to her. The only thing I am looking forward to is my new car... but that will be 2 years from now. :rolleyes:

[BUUZBEE]

For all of you that have many years of experience, How old is or was your oldest parrotlet??


my p'lets are pretty new to me.. both under a year old.

My oldest is one of my conures, he's about 16 now.