Pet Store Blues
Kellie
this week after not going in for a long, long time. Boy has
it gone downhill. It stinks... the puppy's cages in the
front are clean, but the tanks aren't. And the budgies.
Oh. The Budgies. It's not health issues although I don't
doubt that they exist - they seemed healthy enough- but
these birds have been inbred so badly that they just look
wierd. They are a collection of wierd washed out colors.
One particular individual seemed perky and lively, but bless
it's heart- it's feet were huge and it's head was tiny... a
completely bizarre body shape. The birds were all on the
small side, but a few were ... well ... just short of
deformed in their profiles. So sad. A clear example of
irresponsible breeding. They also had two lutino cockatiels
that looked great, but... the poor budgies!
--
Kellie
Final Portrait * A Novel by Kellie Sisson Snider
Kass Arts Publicity <http://kassarts.bizland.com>
missy
colors? The newest parakeet that I bought has very light pastel colors. In
fact, I will put up the link to see it this evening.
Kellie <res0...@gte.net> wrote in message news:38EE7280...@gte.net...
Jennifer Mullen
:There's a "pet shop" (more like a torture facility) in my neighborhood that
:sells mostly fish and related stuff, but they have a "bird room". OMG what a
:disaster. I once saw about 2 dozen keets in there covered by scaly stuff,
:little growths, yuk. There's sometimes a Macaw with dirty water and no toys,
:various other birds all in small cages looking very unhappy and badly fed. HOW
:does this place avoid being shut down by the DEC??! I don't GET it. I can't
:go there now, I'm literally afraid of taking some deadly disease home to my
:birds, and I'd NEVER purchase anything from them. The guy who owns the place
:gives me the creeps; most of the time, he keeps the lights turned off! HUGE
:store in the dark, very weird.
Assuming you're in the US, try reporting the store to the local USDA Animal
Health officer. They're usually much more effective than the SPCA.
-J.
--
Jennifer Mullen | "I used to dance. Then I learned
arat...@home.com | HTML and my dancing gene vanished."
http://members.home.net/aratingae/ | --UserFriendly
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MarkW
I always hate what I see at so many pet stores and most of all the
advice they give. Not long ago I asked what cages one suggests for
finches. I know they need flying room and a cage that is large
horizontally and they suggested this tall skinny cage. Then another
pet store tells me (when I talk about what to feed parakeets) that
birds eat seed and that is all you should ever give them, no veggies.
I've seen keets with diarhea in other stores. It is just so sad!
On Fri, 07 Apr 2000 23:42:28 GMT, Kellie <res0...@gte.net> wrote:
>Sigh. A pet store I used to go to years ago... I went in
>this week after not going in for a long, long time. Boy has
>it gone downhill. It stinks... the puppy's cages in the
>front are clean, but the tanks aren't. And the budgies.
>Oh. The Budgies. It's not health issues although I don't
>doubt that they exist - they seemed healthy enough- but
>these birds have been inbred so badly that they just look
>wierd. They are a collection of wierd washed out colors.
>One particular individual seemed perky and lively, but bless
>it's heart- it's feet were huge and it's head was tiny... a
>completely bizarre body shape. The birds were all on the
>small side, but a few were ... well ... just short of
>deformed in their profiles. So sad. A clear example of
>irresponsible breeding. They also had two lutino cockatiels
>that looked great, but... the poor budgies!
Linda Ambrose-Bates
such disgusting conditions. In fact, just the other day, I saw a
similar setup with budgies such as you saw. All the birds were so
lethargic and sad looking. Most of them were elderly female budgies
that have been hanging around this particular store for quite some time.
They never seem to get sold, so the same pathetic lot of budgies are
there week after week, probably until they die or are eventually sold
for a few dollars. I feel so sorry for these little dears, wish I could
do something other than look and walk away with a very heavy heart.
--
Linda
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
MarkW
I have to add something else. I don't know why but I was in Petco
today and couldn't believe what I saw. This lady was looking at
parakeets and wanted a suggestion of which one to get. The lady
working there points out this fluffy one that wasn't moving at all and
was fluffed up and obviously sick and says "that fluffed one looks
pretty. Why don't you take that one?" Like I said in another msg. I
went looking at finches at a store like that once since I wasn't able
to find finches at the shop I usually deal with. I asked for a female
and then the lady starts pointing out all these males asking if I want
it and obviously didn't know the difference and these were zebra
finches. Just as well I saw a finch in that same cage with it's tale
missing and I saw deformed beaks as well as having it suggested as
well as that cage that I get two females or two males instead of one
of each. I just hate seeing places like that.
On Fri, 07 Apr 2000 23:42:28 GMT, Kellie <res0...@gte.net> wrote:
>Sigh. A pet store I used to go to years ago... I went in
>this week after not going in for a long, long time. Boy has
>it gone downhill. It stinks... the puppy's cages in the
>front are clean, but the tanks aren't. And the budgies.
>Oh. The Budgies. It's not health issues although I don't
>doubt that they exist - they seemed healthy enough- but
>these birds have been inbred so badly that they just look
>wierd. They are a collection of wierd washed out colors.
>One particular individual seemed perky and lively, but bless
>it's heart- it's feet were huge and it's head was tiny... a
>completely bizarre body shape. The birds were all on the
>small side, but a few were ... well ... just short of
>deformed in their profiles. So sad. A clear example of
>irresponsible breeding. They also had two lutino cockatiels
>that looked great, but... the poor budgies!
Kellie
indicated poor breeding. Their colors were not just light, but looked like mud-
dull and not particularly attractive. But the colors were just from
indiscriminate breeding. OTOH, I know that crested budgies have short life
spans so these really could be in bad health, but I don't know that.
I also have a light pastel blue budgie but she is gorgeous and nicely shaped.
missy wrote:
> Are light colors a sign of inbreeding in 'keets? Or is it just certain
> colors? The newest parakeet that I bought has very light pastel colors. In
> fact, I will put up the link to see it this evening.
>
> Kellie <res0...@gte.net> wrote in message news:38EE7280...@gte.net...
> > Sigh. A pet store I used to go to years ago... I went in
> > this week after not going in for a long, long time. Boy has
> > it gone downhill. It stinks... the puppy's cages in the
> > front are clean, but the tanks aren't. And the budgies.
> > Oh. The Budgies. It's not health issues although I don't
> > doubt that they exist - they seemed healthy enough- but
> > these birds have been inbred so badly that they just look
> > wierd. They are a collection of wierd washed out colors.
> > One particular individual seemed perky and lively, but bless
> > it's heart- it's feet were huge and it's head was tiny... a
> > completely bizarre body shape. The birds were all on the
> > small side, but a few were ... well ... just short of
> > deformed in their profiles. So sad. A clear example of
> > irresponsible breeding. They also had two lutino cockatiels
> > that looked great, but... the poor budgies!
> >
Jennifer Mullen
: Their colors were not just light, but looked like mud-
:dull and not particularly attractive. But the colors were just from
:indiscriminate breeding.
Those pale pastel-colored budgies seem to be all the rage. When I worked
retail, those budgies sold faster than other colors - people seemed to find
them prettier (yes, I know that none of us would ever advocate buying a
bird based on color, but that's the way things are where I live).