What kind of Bird is best for my 7 year old daughter?

Question

Her dad has bad allergies and says that birds are smelly and take a lot of work. I don't think a small dog would bother him much and he says that it will and he shouldn't have to take a pill everyday for the rest of his life in order for our daughter to have a pet. I know she would love a cat. I would love a cat too. I don't know what to tell her. Help??

Answer 1

parakeet. i've grown up with them all my life. 1 of my parakeets "talked" to you. literally, she would. she would also fly to you when you called her, and was obsessed with pop cans/cups. if she saw one, she would automatically fly to it. the parakeet also loved to talk to itself in the mirror and her eyes would get all crazy-- it was cute. after that bird died, my family decided to get another 2. they turned out to be the stupidest birds ever. they were so boring. it was just another chore for us to do. feed it, and clean it. so sometimes you luck out, sometimes you don't.

Answer 2

My husband has severe allergies and he is allergic to fur, dogs, cats etc and his allergist recommended he doesn't have any pets except birds. We have four budgies (birds) and they are in our daughters bedroom which is next to ours. My husband can hold them and play with them and they don't set off his allergies. They are not smelly but they do require their cage to be cleaned at least once a week. Because I have four I clean their cage every evening. They don't smell-they have a bird bath and at first they didn't bathe and were a little smelly but I just gave them a fine mist spray of water and that got rid of the smell until they got used to the bird bath. Now they have lots of fun bathing everyday :-) A cat would be low-maintenance also and require even less care. Cats sleep most of the time and if you get one that is already litter box trained then you're all set. But regardless of what anyone tells you -your house will have a bad smell that you will get used to but other people will smell the instant they set foot in your house. Of course you could always spend lots of money and change the litterbox really frequently but most people with allergies are really bothered by the cat's fur and dried saliva on the fur. My husband can go to my cousins house and play with her cat but if it goes longer than a few hours then he gets sick so maybe you could spend the day at a family members house with their cat and see if your hubby can tolerate the cat the whole day first before you get one? 'Just a thought. I hope I helped. :-) PS I really love cats too-I had a beautiful one when I was a teenager-he always slept with me :-)

Answer 3

They say puberty is starting younger nowadays, but 7 is very young. If you're noticing breast development, it is more likely a case of diet and exercise. The pulling in her belly couldn be growing pains, a stomach bug, muscle aches from gym class or many other things. As for the crying and not listening, well... she IS a girl! My daughter is also 7 and I'm noticing that this seems to be the age when she is exposed to more mature girls at school. She has been "trying out" some unusual behavior like back-talk and attitude. I just make it clear that I won't stand for it. I also limit what she watches on TV; some girly shows promote that type of behavior. You might want to make sure everything is all right at school. But assuming all is well, I would doubt that puberty would start this soon. Give her time to grow out of this stage. If she doesn't consult the doctor.

Answer 4

I can relate to this - I have bad allergies and LOVE dogs but can't have one. To answer your question - I don't believe ANY bird is a good pet. Reason - birds - unlike dogs, cats and other domesticated creatures are never really domesticated. They are caught in the wild or bread in captivity. They are meant to soar the skies - not be kept in little cages (or even big ones). I have seen cute canaries, little parakeets, beautiful majestic macaws, clever parrots etc. etc. all hopping around their droppings, gnawing on the cages and then flying around hopelessly if 'released' in a close room for a short period for 'exercises'. My former boss's very intelligent cockatoo hurt herself when trying to fly out of big glass windows.
So, I suggest, considering your dilemma, your daughter's needs as well as your husband's allergies, try an aquarium. A salt water aquarium is more difficult to maintain and a bit more expensive but the fishes are gorgeous. A fresh water one can have equally beautiful fish, cheaper and easier to maintain. If you do have the $$ to spend and the wish to indulge your little one, I suggest you look around for wall mounted aquariums - they are very well designed, a delight to the eyes and aquariums in general can be very educative - considering the variety of flora and fauna that can go into an aquarium - as opposed to one single caged bird.
Good luck and do hope you will consider this in all fairness.

Answer 5

Birds are NOT smelly ..... I keep parrots and, to be blunt, even there poop doesn't smell. As for the work part, it isn't as bad as one might think if you do the right things. They are a responsibility in that to thrive they need attention (they are flock animals and will quickly consider people their flock) but all in all they make excellent companions. You may want to start with just a budgie or sun conure or a smaller bird but if your daughter does well with it you may consider a cockatoo for her when she gets older. They are the most loving of creatures but be warned .. their life spans can come close to that of humans so you would be getting her a life mate.

Answer 6

parakeets r great birds i had 4 they last alone time if takin care of right adn can be train to be hand held. they dont small but with get feather all over the place in the melting times but its not alll bad there ever a net u can put alound the cage that stops alot of that. what about a turtle or lizard of some sort?

Answer 7

Birds really aren't good pets for a child that age. How about a pet mouse? They make great children's pets. Much better than hamsters, gerbils, fish, or birds.

Answer 8

Chicken is nice and healthy to eat without skin on. I would not advise birds as pets because they can cause respiratory diseases.How about fish as a pet?

Answer 9

The only bird to have is the type you keep in the freezer until it's time to fire up the rotisserie. Mmm... crispy skin.

Answer 10

for a bird get a little parakeet they are small and only cost about $20.00.Or you could just get her some fish,then again you couldnt pet them.