I'm usually very open with my parents, but when it comes to birds I am worried to ask my mom because if I talk about it too much then she would want to get rid of them. That's why I don't feel comfortable asking her.

I'll try to ask my father and hopefully he can help me ask my mom. I am willing to pay for it. I don't really care how much it costs. I'm just scared that she will think I am obsessed with them and that I'm not going to be anyone but a bird owner and then she's going to threaten me than she's going to get rid of them

I still let Bio and Marshmallow roam in the aviary. Marshmallow tries to make the best of it and Bio try's to whoo him the whole time so they basically running after each other the whole time

I have a very different view of the situation. Your birds are helping you develop qualities that will serve you very well later in life. To be a good birdkeeper you have to do research on what needs to be done, and you also have to be responsible enough to actually do it. Do you know how many mothers are mad because their kids promised to take care of the pets and then didn't do it? Your mother should be dancing with joy at how responsible you are, and the ability to figure out what needs to be done and then do it will carry over into your job, your family life, and any other aspect of life that you can think of.

You're also learning to be aware of the needs of others and to take care of those needs even if it means making some sacrifices yourself. There aren't nearly enough men with those traits, and you're basically setting yourself up to be a desirable partner in future relationships. Even the fact that you have money to buy a big bird cage when you need one is a good indicator that you know how to use money well, and can save up and budget for the things that matter to you instead of blowing every nickel you get your hands on.

I don't know whether you have any idea yet of what you'd like to do in the future. But birds can be an introduction of sorts into the world of science and medicine. Reading up on cockatiels teaches you about topics like genetics, instinct, and natural behavior, plus the types of illnesses and accidents that can occur and what to do about them. If you know how sex-linked mutations work then you already know more about genetics than most people in the world, and you can go a lot deeper if you want to.

Talking to people on bird boards helps teach you how to figure out the difference between good advice and bad advice, and also the power of productive social networking where you learn from more experienced people and you become a teacher of less experienced people. This ability to work with others has huge applications in the workforce. You have also learned that if you breed birds and do it right you'll be lucky to break even, so bird owner isn't a career option it can only be a hobby lol.

If you can express the idea to your father that your birds are a positive, productive habit that is helping you grow as a person, maybe he can convey it to your mother. There's a significant relaxation factor in having pets, which is important because you have a lot of stress and need some relief from it. There are way too many teenagers who get 'stress relief' by getting drunk, doing drugs, and/or getting in trouble with the law.

Check your PMs, because I'm going to send you a link to my son's website as an example of what can be accomplished by a perfectionist who loves birds and had them in his bedroom until he graduated from high school - a public high school that was considerably better than average but still a public school.

I was about to write a similar post to the one Tielfan just posted, so I won't add to it... she is much more eloquent than me

One thing I wanted to say, though.
I have noticed a defensive attitude, as if you feel ashamed of caring for your birds, as if you actually feel that the people who belittle you are better than you, or in the right (not your parents, I was thinking more of your cousins and the eldest of your family).
I can be completely wrong because after all I don't know you, but I have this feeling.

Some kids (and adults lol) have fixations with cartoon characters, UFOs, movies, girls... every person has their hobbies and their quirks. I am very suspicious of people who don't have any.
Someone loves astronomy, or trains, or ducks; whatever it is, it's healthy as long as it doesn't interfere with vital activities.

You don't have to feel ashamed of your hobby. You have every reason to be proud of it. Think for a moment what your mother would think if she found out that you have tendencies towards violence, or drugs... That is something to worry about, not taking good care of your pets.
I am sure she knows that, Baruch, maybe you think she doesn't but I am sure that she appreciates who you are more than she shows. Moms worry, that's their job after all

PS your avie is adorable!

With the kids who make fun of your birds, I wonder if there's a little direct jealousy there. You have something cool that they don't have, so they put it down to act like they don't care.

Or maybe they're not jealous but it makes them feel insecure that you're not exactly like them. How dare you be different! There might be some people who think this makes you cooler than them! (It's true, actually, although I'd think they were a lot cooler if they didn't act like jerks.)

I don't think we are going to get it

My parents want them to live in the aviary and I have nothing to back me up. For them it's "as long as their living they are fine"

They said that the F040 was just two of the finch flight cages combined

They asked how they were going to survive in the heat and they said that the raccoon didn't do anything to the aviary. There will for not letting them live in the house is too strong! I think the best thing we should do I regime them to a loving family that will care for them! Sussane Russo lives 20 minutes away from me. Do you think I should ask her?

That's too bad, I hoped things would turn out better than that. I didn't expect them to say no to the bigger cage. Is it possible to at least keep the birds in the garage at night? Because that's probably when the main danger is. The aviary might be strong enough to keep the raccoon out but he can still try to break into it, and prolonged night frights can be deadly.

Don't decide anything right away, the birds are safe for the moment so you can take some time to think about this and also to let your parents absorb the idea. Then sometime when the time is right tell your dad that you're worried about their safety, and see if your parents are more receptive then. If they aren't then let them know this means you have to make a terrible decision, to either keep the birds in spite of the danger or to rehome them to keep them safe.


They're right, it's sort of like that. But it's intended as an indoor cage not an outdoor cage. And even though the square footage per bird might be fairly similar, each bird can travel around more than they could in a smaller cage.

And if the birds are killed because your parents wouldn't let you keep them in the house, how are your parents going to feel then? You can ask them that question (nicely) if a time comes when it's appropriate. The first raccoon attack was a surprise but now everyone knows what's out there in the dark. Maybe your parents don't know about the dangers of night frights, but you could educate them by showing them roxy's thread on TC where she lost half her flock to a night fright.

Just so you know... if worst comes to worst Susanne might be a good person to ask if she knows someone you could give your birds to, but she probably couldn't take them herself. She only has a small number of birds due to health issues and she has very specific goals for them. Your birds probably wouldn't fit her breeding program, and it might be hard for her to take care of extra birds.

Get your parents to read all of these postings...
Then ask what they think.
Start with your dad.
Ask them nicely, maybe that will help some.

Start with the very 1st post. they will get to know how you feel and how us members feel too.
Try it please!