JR>-> It's not so much supply/demand as it is education of the public.
JR>-> People need to learn to ask questions-- like WHERE did the pet-store
JR>-> bird they're considering come from, was it hand-fed, is it
JR>The 21st century public, I believe, is generally an educated public..
Not when it comes to birds and bird care. Most of the general public is
still stuck in the 1950's when bird seed came from Hartz Mountain, all
parakeets came from Woolworths, and when one died, you just got another
one to stick in there before the kids noticed...
Even with many people who have multiple birds, the knowledge isn't
there. I just ran into someone on the internet whose various conures
started laying eggs. Now a conure isn't a particularly cheap bird, and
not something you normally buy just on impulse. They knew NOTHING about
feeding their birds correctly, believed that the eggs were laid with the
intact babies already INSIDE (had they never eaten a chicken egg?), and
were basically clueless about basic bird care. And I see this ALL the
time--so many people just don't KNOW about birds.
I think that the public could benefit from some major advertising of
bird foods (like the dog & cat food companies do). Those ads, while they
are pushing a product, are also often informative and educational (the
ones about heartworm pills, nutrition and flea products come to mind).
And they reach a wide audience because of the various media they use
for the advertising. If the bird product makers advertised half as much,
the public would at least realize there is more to bird keeping than
sticking it in a cage and throwing seeds from the grocery store in the
bowl once a week.
JR>who see the opportunity to make a couple of bucks...People are willing
JR>to buy...thus supply and demand...I think folks go into these situations
JR>with their eyes open thinking they can beat the odds of getting a pet
JR>that is not healthy, etc.
I believe the opposite--most people don't realize they CAN buy a pet
that isn't healthy, etc., from a pet store until it happens to THEM.
They don't consider the prospect of "AKC registered" little Fluffy
having hip dysplasia because he really came from a puppy mill, and they
don't think about the cute cockatoo possibly having Beak & Feather
Disease because they just don't know about the disease itself.
Too many people trust the pet stores to provide them with perfect,
healthy pets. While many stores DO go out of their way to make sure
their animals are well and healthy, many also do not. Buyers don't think
about this until they've already fallen in love with that cute furry or
feathered face, and by then it's too late. While no amount of education
will fully protect a person from their own emotions in this type of
situation, hopefully the knowledge of potential future problems might
temper the emotions enough to make a logical decision instead of an
impulse purchase.
Did any of this make sense? 
--Kathy
 * SLMR 2.1a * Detroit--where the weak are killed and eaten!
--- Silver Xpress Mail System       
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