PH> I came to the decision reluctantly. It's the money factor, more than
 PH> anything else. It's ironic that you mention children...one of the
 PH> reasons why I don't have the spare cash is that my daughter got married
 PH> on April 20th and I had all those wedding expenses to pay. It will take
 PH> my finances time to recover before I spring for a bird. It looks like
 PH> it will be about a year from now before I am ready financially. From
 PH> all that I have seen in Bird Talk, and from sneaking around pet stores
 PH> and such, it looks like I'd be shelling out about 2 grand initially
 PH> for bird, cage, vet checkup, toys, and etc. As you say, they're
 PH> expensive. But I think it will be worth the money...
        Guess the price depends on which bird you choose. I paid $700
      for my gray (which is not out of line if you get one from a
      breeder); $120 for his cage; maybe another $50 for his goodies.
      You can get a bird a lot cheaper from a good breeder than from
      a pet store (they mark them up 100-200%). Even if you have to
      drive a ways to visit a breeder, it's worth it. You can be 
      more assured that the critter hasn't been exposed to as many
      diseases as in a pet store, you can check out its owners and
      environment too. Around here, most of the good breeders offer
      a health guarantee and will pay for your first vet visit. If the
      bird comes up with a condition or disease, they will refund your
      money.
        Hope you still stay lurking around these parts... who knows?
      Maybe someone near you will have a bird for sale that you can
      check out!
           Sue
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