Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    I don't enter much to this conference because I have turtles rather
    than birds. However, with 11 turtles in six tanks, it's a fair exhibit
    if you know what I mean. I had that conversation a few times.
    
    She:	(looking around the room.) Turtles.
    He:		Yes. I've had them for a while now.
    She:	He has turtles. (Hopefully.) These are like frogs, right?
    		Nice, cute, little frogs.
    He:		Not exactly. They're reptiles.
    She:	Like snakes?
    He:		Distantly related.
    She:	(Emphatically.) Like snakes. Well, gotta go.
    He:		What are you doing Friday?
    She:	Washing my hair.
    He:		How about Saturday, then?
    She:	Can't. Gotta dry it. Ciao!
    
    When I found a woman that said, "Turtles! Wow!", I asked her to marry
    me.
    
    stevepo
    

    Your stories made me smile.  I could certainly relate to it.
    When I was single...I'd *always* observe men's reactions when they
    saw my peach-faced lovebirds.  My then-boyfriend, now-husband
    immediately warmed up to the birds and they got to be good friends.
    ;^)  Thats not the only reason I married him - but it certainly
    was important!!!   ;^) 

    In connection with 365.2....maybe try not saying anything at first, but
    observing the reaction when you invite the person over?  The Moluccans
    are very beautiful and impressive, generally speaking.  If yours are
    also tame, they'll "sell" themselves to the right person.  Better you
    should know now, not later, that someone is physically or
    psychologically allergic to your pets, whatever they may be (I used
    to go through this with my cats before I got married...we decided 
    together to get our first parrot).  Good luck in finding someone who
    can appreciate your feathered friends.  The wait will be worth it.
    
    Linda

    I can relate to this note. Being single and having, on a permanent 
    basis, two dogs, two cats and two birds (tiels) not to mention the
    couple of stray cats I tend to feed when they decided to come around,
    can be a bit much for a guy to handle. I have lost dates over this, not
    to mention one of my dogs is a chow and checks a guy out pretty close
    that is sitting beside her mom. Thank goodness the guy I am dating now
    thinks it is funny that I have so many pets and gets a kick out of
    seeing me run around giving each one attention. He and the chow are the
    best of buddies. 
    

    I used to get very interesting responses when I'd introduce a girl
    to my Boa Constrictor!  I sold her last summer to be able to UPGRADE
    to birds, she was 5 1/2 feet then.
    I can tell you, I lost many a date that way, but a few daring
    individuals were very surprised as to how gentle they are when being
    handled (very few :^).
    
    Rich

    Rich
    
    I love snakes
    
    :-)
    
    only I'm married and probably much older than you
    
    there are women out there that aren't turned off by them..
    
    and others that can be persuaded
    
    
    Bonnie

    
    
    
    
    
          I love snakes too! I couldn't handle feeding
    them mice, though. (I like mice, too!) My boyfriend 
    absolutely HATES snakes. Terrified of them. In fact,
    it doesn't seem that he likes any animals, really.
    This could be a problem....down the road he wants to get
    married, and if he marries me he also gets a very 
    affectionate cold-capped conure, a very obnoxious and
    loud (understatement) nanday conure, a quiet but very
    spastic cricket-eating lizard named Lepzig, and two 
    goldfish. He doesn't care about my animals at all. :-(
    I was going to move in with him and he said that my
    birds had to stay in the cellar. NO WAY!! They'd die.
    Is there any way to get someone to like animals?
    
    
    
    
    
          -Jennifer
    
    
    
    P.S. That's supposed to be Gold capped, not cold...oops!
    

Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer

	Looks like you'll have to drop that animal hating dude, and
hook up with ME!

Notice the personal name?  I have many many parrots, a cat, two fish tanks
filled with Cyphotillapia Frontosa' and like the name Jennifer to boot!

I can get along with snakes, but prefer to allow their existance to
be external to mine.  Lizards, on the other hand, are ancient wizards
and I respect them for that.


Anyhow, how do you feel about 'toys'

chet


< Note 365.7 by BARTLE::BELMORE >
                           -< He hates them :-( :-( >-

    
    
    
    
    
          I love snakes too! I couldn't handle feeding
    them mice, though. (I like mice, too!) My boyfriend 
    absolutely HATES snakes. Terrified of them. In fact,
    it doesn't seem that he likes any animals, really.
    This could be a problem....down the road he wants to get
    married, and if he marries me he also gets a very 
    affectionate cold-capped conure, a very obnoxious and
    loud (understatement) nanday conure, a quiet but very
    spastic cricket-eating lizard named Lepzig, and two 
    goldfish. He doesn't care about my animals at all. :-(
    I was going to move in with him and he said that my
    birds had to stay in the cellar. NO WAY!! They'd die.
    Is there any way to get someone to like animals?
    
    
    
    
    
          -Jennifer
    
    
    
    P.S. That's supposed to be Gold capped, not cold...oops!
    

Well, there are really two issues, one deeper than the other.  

You can try to *teach* him to like animals.  I think this is one of those
trials of patience.

But you may want to focus on getting him to respect the things that are 
important to you, be they birds, family, music, whatever.  He may never
actually *like* birds or snakes, but he could understand why you do and
not make you feel badly for it.

--bob

Before I got married, my now-husband hated cats.  My family has this snotty
cat that has always been very standoffish and will even bite when she has 
the mind to.  I didn't even try to get him to like this cat, but once he got 
a feel for her personality he actually liked her.  He had hated all my friends
sweet kitties, but loved this rotten cat.  She was prety funny... when you 
held her she would push away from you with her front paws and turn her head
away with and expression like "eeeeuuuwwww...".  When you put her down she'd
go clean herself.

My point is that birds are a lot like cats in that you can't really enjoy them
until you have a feel for their personalities.  What do your birds do that 
you find endearing?  People in this notes conference talk about birds giving 
them funny looks and such things that would never be noticed unless they were 
very familiar with the bird.

Just exposing him to the birds enough (without any pressure) may do the trick!

 
Roseanne

    RE .7
    	Jennifer, I've got the EXACT same problem!  I love all animals and
    won't be content until I either live at a Zoo or a (large) pet store!!
    My girlfriend, on the other hand, has no desire to associate herself 
    with rodents/reptiles/canines/felines/birds/etc/etc/etc!  Although,
    I must admit, for someone who HATED (notice past tense) snakes, she did
    grow very attached to my boa for one summer (while it was still not too
    long, ~3ft).  To this day she still won't admit to anyone that she used
    to LOVE to take Bazzle out of her cage whenever she came over my apt.
    before she even said "hi" to me!!  It did take a year before that 
    happened tho.
    
    	If you find a way to CONVERT your SO to be an animal lover like us,
    PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW!!!  I bet many folks in these notes files would
    be very interested in finding out, too.
    
    RE .10
    
    	I believe the initial problem as stated in .0 by Bob is that he
    (and others) can't seem to keep people interested long enough to get 
    used to the pet, and is searching for a way around this, right?  Sorry,
    Bob, I still don't have an answer for you.
    
    				Rich	(Currently: 2 birds (mine) 1 cat 
    							         (roommate's)

Well, the general problem is that many of the people I meet are not very
open minded about anything, it's not just the birds.  

I am probably the very model of ordinary.  Conservative?  You bet.
Traditional?  Yup.  I own a standard house in the suburbs, and work at a
normal job as an engineer.  So I've got one itsy, bitsy little quirk in
that I like birds.  I happen to think that cuddling with one of my Cockatoos
is very peaceful and fulfilling.  

Regardless of one's overall normal persona, any unusual aspects seem to 
generally be met with intolerance.  (She's got short spiked hair: Don't even
*listen* to what she has to say.  He hugs his bird: Don't even *try* to
appreciate how this can be rewarding.)

*sigh*  Anyway, the whole issue would appear to be moot for me now.  After
several years of companionship, I am now forced to give up my two birds.
A combination of personal and allergic changes in my life have been forcing
this issue for months.  It's taken me a few months to get up the courage,
(and I *still* may chicken out) but I'm giving them to a breeder next week.
This may very well kill me. :-(

--bob