If I am HALF as strong and active as my mom at 70 I will be thrilled. She runs circles around me. She digs as a archaelogist volunteer and vols. at a museum. She and Dad work all the time. Historians, writing books, they taught school for years. I sure hope I can be like that. I think health is more imp. than age. May we all live many healthy years. I just have one Parrotlet and my little doggie . I like to keep things simple.

Well... I know for sure my best friend would take my dogs and cats if I kick the bucket, we've discussed it. I have another friend (bird person) who I am pretty sure would take the birds and either keep them or find homes for them; I NEED to discusss it with her in the near future. And from there the plan is to make all my future friends fall in love with my birds so that they have back-up options just in case.

50! 50! 50 is not so old. 70 is getting there but not quite. As long as you can get a friend, relative or, hire someone to do the heavy cage cleaning....I should think a bird would do more good than be a burden to the elderly. Heck, I haul the two big cages outside to clean them and you know what they weigh. At any rate...my fids are all going to my granddaughter if something should happen to me. Katie is nine and already knows how to care for them.

BTW; I re homed Baby (my Miligold) in September because my 89 year old mom was coming to live with us. Not, because I'm too old to care for her. The last time mom was here, she couldn't take Baby's squawking and would spend the day in her room because of it. It was a choice of re homing my Baby or, my mom. On the other hand; The fids I do have amuse her.

Well, I have definitley thought about what would happen if something were to happen to me. I have one close friend who I know would never let anything happen to them. He is a bird lover as well. He is quite a bit older than me though, so perhaps I should look into other things.

As far as my fids outliving me, or getting to old to take care of them, at this point in my life is not an issue. When I'm 50, my youngest Fid will be 27.

I haven't really thought about it. I know my mom could take care of Winkie. Then there's the problem if I get another bird. Maybe I should stick with 1.

The problem is not so much our getting old and the physical changes that come with age but the impossibility,for normal people, to keep their lives exactly as they are now so that their birds don't end up being rehomed. It's easy to love and play with that bird now but ten years from now school, marriage, job, children, aging parents, moves, divorces, illnesses, etc would have happened and they would have made it impossible for a normal human being to continue the same level of care the birds need. And that is when you rehome "for the good of the bird". Not that I am knocking rehoming a bird if the guardian cannot pay enough attention to it, of course not!, our rescues are full of such birds and we understand how it is: these birds were very much loved for 5, 8, 10, 15 , 20 years but, it reached a point that the owner just couldn't do it any more. Sometimes it's circumstances but, in most cases, it's them. It's just too much for too long. A normal person cannot keep up. And that is when the overpopulation problem will hit you real hard. There are very few good forever homes out there now and, by the time you'll need to rehome your birds, there will be even less and the good rescues and sanctuaries will be even more crowded. It's a problem that grows exponentially, never stops and it will touch the greatest majority of you because most of the birds on this board will be rehomed. I am not trying to be mean or the voice of doom... it's statistics, personal experience and common sense. And the ones that suffer the most is the birds that will miss that guardian forever and ever. It's really quite cruel what we humans do to these magnificent creatures by keeping them as our pets.

This is such an important question...One thing I do is donate money to two sanctuaries annually. I know if I really need them, they will take my birds. Then I have 5 sons. 3 of them have volunteered to take our birds. Unfortunately, my darling psycho BG macaw Francesca, whose chest is plucked clean and goes from sweet to vicious for no apparent reason, has no takers - I just love her, in a way she is my favorite - so fragile, damaged and fundamentally sweet natured. I do worry about her. I think the best course of action, if you don't have family members willing and able, is to select a sanctuary and start supporting them now.

As some one who is seriously ill, I have not had to re home my bird, nor will I until my death. I'm currently in the hosp for a month at a time and that is hard on Eve, but he manages. I've been on Oxygen and much to my surprise eve didn't chew through the O2 tube. I'm on Immunosuppressants so cleaning can be a bit of a risk for me, but I wear gloves and such, my energy is about that of a 70 year old woman, and I can say my bird does not suffer for it. I will not get an second bird because I can not handle two all the time. So Poe Eve's BFA friend comes to visit on the weekends. There are always options, I've moved constantly and still have my bird, I've been homeless in NYC and still have my bird, and I am now seriously Ill and still have my bird. Yes life happens and changes, I'm no stranger to that, but I also believe my bird is my kid and I would not re home my kid. And when I pass, when ever this illness finally does me in, lets hope not for a long time, Eve already has a sanctuary spot at foster parrots. To me life is about priorities and you always hold on to your main priority no matter what happens. Eve is my priority.

Lots of very interesting replies here, more food for thought. Thanks for the discussion. I think its very good information for people to think about as they add to their flocks. Life has dealt me a road full of hurdles. I have managed to clear them, but Im getting tired. I fear my fids will suffer that my body is not being kind to me. Im fortunate to have a wonderful husband who supports me. But I have learned the hard way, that you can never ever assume from one moment to the next, that things will be ok because one is young, or because today is a good day. We must always be prepared to care for the lives that depend on us to survive. As we complicate our lives, we complicate the ones we take responsibility for. This is a heavy, and very deep topic for me.