Читать книгу Birds For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 63

IN THIS CHAPTER

Choosing a gender (and telling the difference between the two)

Paying attention to a bird’s health

Deciding between bird babies and adults

Knowing the pros and cons of pet stores, breeders, and more

Making sure you’re protected by a contract

From all the plumed possibilities, you now have in mind your pick of potential pet birds — hands-on or hands-off, small or large, noisy or relatively quiet. Your homework complete, you’re moving marvelously closer to sharing your home with the bird of your choice.

But where do you find that special bird?

Perhaps you believe the selection process is simple, a matter of going to the nearest pet store or checking craigslist. If only choosing wisely were that easy! Unfortunately, Brian sees evidence to the contrary in his practice every day — birds too sick, too young, or too wild to be good pets. Some of them pay with their lives for the poor choices their owners make, suffer from illness, or become unwanted because they weren’t the pets their owners expected.

What can you take away from other people’s sad mistakes? Two words to remember: Buyer beware!

All sellers are not the same, which is why you need to arm yourself with knowledge and take your time before plunking down your cash, whether the outlay is a few dollars for a budgie or several thousand for a more exotic bird. The shopping experience offers all the security of a minefield. Take our hands, and we can walk you through it, safe and sound.