rozsimon Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hello, Thankyou for letting me join!! Me and my husband have decided we would like an African Grey, I have been doing alot of research making sure we can look after it etc, but! I have just found out I am Pregnant which was not a problem as a checked with the midwife if there would be any dangers in having a bird and she said it was fine. While looking on the internet I have found lots of adverts where people are selling their African Greys because a new baby is on the way. Are they selling because maybe they need the money or is it something I should be concerned about?? I would never get a pet if I thought I would have to give it up in 9 months. Any ideas on this would be great Thanks xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Unfortunately all to often women find out their pregnant & for some obscure reason only known to themselves they send their greys packing :angry: Expecting a baby does not mean that you have to sell your grey,i think they just either don't have the time to dedicate to the bird & it's a poor excuse for selling it or they get completely wrapped up in the new baby & neglect their bird.There is no reason why you cant have both & im sure many women can find a happy medium between a new baby & owning a grey.Owning a grey is a lifelong commitment & is often compared to having kids,they do become part of the family & require your love & attention just as our kids do.Nice to hear you have been doing your research & if you do decide to get a grey that you wont be giving it up in 9 months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hello Rozimon and Welcome!! Most people do not give the specific reason the expectation of a newborn is an excuse to dump their Grey. It could be for financial, space for a crib, time needing to be split between the Grey and new baby etc. The reality is, you can spend time with both and the Grey would view the baby as a new flock member. It may become a little jealous over a new arrival though that receives the same level of love and attention as it. But, it will get over it as long as you include it in your schedule. :-) Only you know your financial, work, living room and available time. A Grey will require atleast 2 to 3 hours a day of your undivided out of cage attention to thrive and remain happy. Also, expect to spend between 50 and a 100 a month on food and toys etc. Also consider that a vet visit could easily cost 300 or more depending on the circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitt79 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I'm in a similar situation, except that I got our grey (abandoned at my workplace!) right before I found out I was pregnant. I am now 3 months and although I have not considered giving Starbuck up, I've been planning/considering how to handle whatever challenges may come up. Mainly, giving her the attention she needs will be the biggest issue. I don't anticipate it being *too* big of a problem, though, with this particular bird. She is fairly social with strangers and family alike; if worse came to worst, my mom would be happy to birdsit if I get overwhelmed. Starbuck slightly prefers me to my husband, but not so much that she won't happily accept his head scritches ;-). Between the both of us and helpful friends and family, she should get plenty of attention. The issues most people will likely have is with a)noise, and b)mess. Starbuck can be pretty loud when she wants, but she does settle down if you put her in her cage and close the door. When her cage is covered at night, she stays silent as a mouse. She *is* messy, though, and the thought of a baby crawling through bird poop is enough to freak out any new mother. I'm currently looking for some nice durable floor mats to put under her cage and places she enjoys sitting, as well as a second set thereof so cleaning is quick. (The quicker and easier you can make cleaning, the more likely you will be to do it, even when tired from baby!) Most likely, the moms-to-be that give up their birds are just not willing -- or are too scared, which is understandable -- to try to balance cleaning, noise, cost, and time with the bird. I don't blame them really, it's a little daunting. On top of all that... you know that cry, that urgent, ear-splitting, omgmakeitstop cry that babies do? I'm completely convinced that the damn bird is going to think it's the awesomest noise in the world, and repeat it gleefully for hours on end. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Great post kitt, thanks for sharing your personal story ,please update us in 6 months time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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