| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 710.1 | My opinion | GERBIL::MAGEE |  | Fri Jul 17 1992 15:25 | 42 | 
|  |     
    
    Well I think I have two primary thoughts here.
    
    1- We should be careful not to make judgements
       about why the bird is going. Obviously there
       could be other factors involved eg: medical
       reasons, bad advice, worries about time
       constraints, needing more room... the list 
       could go on and on.
    
       I know that I'll probably take a lot of flack
       on this but I do believe that people come 
       before animals. I love all of my pets but if
       I had to make a decision between making my 
       family life better or more difficult based upon
       birds my family would win! A new baby is the
       ultimate pet. It is priority- it does change
       your life.
    
       I'm sure anyone who has made a difficult decision 
       about giving up a bird has not done so without
       careful consideration.
    
     
    2- I think that birds,(& pets in general), are great 
       things for kids to grow up with. They help to teach
       kids about love, responsibility, gentleness and
       most importantly about life and death!
    
       You could talk to a kid all day about the above
       things but they need to experience them. I would
       rather have my kids experience the death of a bird
       that they loved- and go through those emotions-
       before they have to deal with grandma or papas' death.
    
       It also tends to make discussions about the 
       Birds & the Bees easier! 
    
       I could go on and on but I think you get the point.
    
    Providencial Blessings-Chet
 | 
| 710.2 | Divorce | ROYALT::PULSIFER | UNHAMPERED BY FACTS AND INFORMATION | Mon Jul 20 1992 08:12 | 20 | 
|  |     I agree that in general a new baby coming should not necessitate
    getting rid of birds, but there are some good reasons.
    
    Birds Bites and is uncontrollable
    Small apartment
    realizing time is at a premium, divided between bird and baby.
    tight budget
    Stress between partners(husband/wife/so) over bird
    others......
    
    It is better to realize in a advance that the bird should be put up for
    adoption rather than to find out after the fact(baby born). If the
    owner waits until after, the bird may already be traumatized before
    going to a new home, by neglect or verbal abuse. It is also hard for
    another person to judge without being the actual owner as some ot us
    have Cuddly demanding birds and others have birds that are not attached
    to any one person and don't care who gives them food and water.
    
    Nobodies perfect, just look at the number of divorces and human
    children that are adopted, or go from foster home to foster home.
 | 
| 710.3 | Can't always be helped | LACV01::BUCHANAN | Read my lips - No More New Term! | Mon Jul 20 1992 10:51 | 7 | 
|  |     Sometimes circumstances conspire against you.  In my own case, my
    obstetrian requested that I have someone else care for my birds while I
    was pregnant.   Fortunately, I was able to find someone who would 'bird
    sit' for the number of months required and that the birds were
    comfortable with; otherwise I would have been forced to get rid of them.
    
    BJ
 | 
| 710.4 | bird helps with baby | WELCLU::KINGI | Ian King | Wed Oct 07 1992 07:59 | 6 | 
|  |     We have had a budgie for well over a year, and have also just had a
    baby about 3.5 months ago. We never even considered getting rid of the
    bird, and he has become very useful when our little boy is having a bad
    crying spell because the budgie has this calming and hypnotic effect on
    him helping us to settle him down. They are both young and inquisitive
    and will study each other for long periods.
 | 
| 710.5 | Thanks | CSOA1::DIRRMAN |  | Wed Oct 07 1992 14:38 | 2 | 
|  |     Thanks for the input! But now that I think of it - the bird would have
    a calming effect. Great!
 |