# My wife has concerns about my new interest....



## bjanzen (Sep 15, 2007)

I have a very concerned wife. She thinks I have lost mind with my new interest in pigeons. I came home with three 3 week babies. Now she has worries about the family getting bird flu or other avian diseases. She (and I ) has thought of wild pigeons as "nasty" birds and carriers of multiple diseases. She has always been very supportive of my hobbies but this one seems to be pushing her over the edge. 

Help,

Barry


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

Hi BARRY, In OCT27 there is a big young bird show in Louisville Ky this is a young bird show and there will be 2 or 3 thousend birds at this show.Maybe if you live close you could that the family to see the different kinds of pigeons. I am sure that you will hear from others with their ideas What breed of pigeons are you intrested in? She may feel different about show type as they don't look like the street pigeon,so you may need to get a breed like FANTAIL or TURBIT. .GEORGE


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

I had the same problem too but with my family. Long as the birds are in the back yard and not let loose to cause problems its ok.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Hi Barry, and welcome. You have chosen a wonderful new hobby. Your wife's reaction is not uncommon when dealing with pigeons, as they have a bad rep in many places, which fortunately is mostly myth. This site is filled with info on pigeons, and many others who have concerns about health issues. I found a few things that have info from members on other threads (sorry, turned out to be quite a bit of information, and there's much more to read that I haven't added):

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_Feral pigeons, also called city doves or city pigeons, find the ledges of high buildings a perfect substitute for sea cliffs, and have become abundant in cities all over the world. However, they are often considered a pest or even vermin, owing to concerns that they spread disease (perhaps unfounded, see 1), damage property, cause pollution with their excrement, and drive out other bird species. However, it has not been a proven any sort of pigeon to human diseases......
Spread of disease
Though feral pigeons are often associated with the threat of disease, this is actually a fairly recent idea. *Brought about and popularized in part by pest control companies in the 1980s,* the concept of dangerously communicable diseases spread by these city dwelling birds *stands in stark contrast to reality.*[2] To quote Dr. Manuel Vargas of the New York City Department of Health: "*[We have] no documented cases of communicable disease transmitted from pigeons to humans." Pigeon DO NOT spread any diseases to humans, in other words , humans cannot get sick from a pigeon.[*3]
_

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http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/zoonoses/PijZoonosRskAZ.html

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_Certainly, anyone whose immune system is compromised should avoid prolonged or frequent close contact, particularly (but not exclusively) in enclosed spaces, with any birds (whether it be pigeon, parrot, finch, cockatiel....) due to the risk of inhalation of feather dust and animal proteins. What is commonly called pigeon fanciers' lung - though it is not solely contracted by pigeon keepers - is not actually a disease of birds, but primarily due to the foregoing. _

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_Humans do carry, and distribute to other humans, many many more diseases than pigeons ever could. Just in the average day you would be astounded at how many different kinds of bacteria or viruses each person has transferrd to them by both direct contact and airborne paths. Go to the market? Ever think about who last gripped the handle of your grocery cart? And every door handle you touch or telephone you pick up at work is virtually crawling with organisms. Like fast food? You wouldn't want to see what could be cultured from it. Ride on a bus, train or plane or spend time in a building with recirculated air? You are breathing a soup of germs. I could go on and on, but pigeons are WAAAAAY down the list as possible sources of disease in our daily world. But no one gets panicky about door handles. Give me a nice clean pigeon over a nasty disease ridden human any time. _

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_If a pigeon poops in your house, it's nowhere near the danger to you that it is if you go and poop in his house. They've got a lot more to fear from us than the other way around._

_*****
People fear what they don't know or understand. Most people who are not interested in pigeons will not take the time to educate themselves about the many misconceptions of pigeons.

Pigeons have been stigmatized as "rats with wings" by someone in the TV business a long time ago and it's unfortunately stuck in the minds of the masses. Rats are associated with disease and were indirectly responsible for some very serious plagues in human history. Fleas on other mammals are often vectors to transmitting diseases to humans.

In any case, all these misconceptions of pigeons being dirty, disease ridden creatures is all founded on human ignorance. So, do your part and keep educating people around you in your life about your pigeons and provide them with some truths! _

*****
_
And you know, I have gotten sick many times from those sick dirty humans that polute their enviroment something crazy and yet I have never gotten sick from a pigeon.
_
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_I have often wished that each person on the globe could be exposed to how sweet and wonderful pigeons can be. Every pigeon we get in fills my heart with joy and love. They are smart, comical, nosy, exuberant, and cantankerous at times and all in all great little guys. I think most people simply don't know them and believe the propaganda that is said about them._

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_
Most humans carry over 250 different bacteria on their bodies. I would think there is more chance of contracting a condition from another human than a pigeon. _

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_
I've had people say to me many times when they know I have pet pigeons, rescue, and rehab them and they say aren't you afraid of getting sick from them. I found no matter what you say to people there are some that just don't get it threw their heads that it's not the pigeon you need to worry about, it's humans and catching something from them. I also say how I deal with pigeons everyday and not once caught anything from them._

*****

_In all the years I have been caring for birds and other animals at home and working in a vet clinic, I wasn't sick once.
This past year I went back to work with humans in hospitals and I was sick three times.
Most germs are species specific and there are only few that are transmittalbe from animals to humans._

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_There were five years I enjoyed with pigeons sharing my house, and during that time period I had no adverse side-effects or health problems whatsoever. Now my many birds live outside and I spend much of my time with them and continue to enjoy excellent health, even more so than many people, due to the therapeutic effects of my pets. Unfortunately, there are many out there who do not respect these lovely "rats with wings" and therefore are biased (and not always honest/factual) when reporting supposed "facts". This includes many humane societies, veterinarians, rescue groups, web sites, and others who may or may not have an animal's best interest in mind. Hopefully our site and members, with all of the knowledge, personal experience, and willingness to guide others, will continue to assist in uncovering the truth about these healthy, lovable, and intelligent birds we call pigeons._

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_You might want to read a book: Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird by Andrew D. Blechman
It may give some insight into the psychology._

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_
Conservation biologist Scott Wilbur, with the Tucson Audubon Society,
echoed Hansen's comments on the program. "Pigeons are no more disease-prone than any other birds," he said. "It is true that it is not healthy to be in areas with large groups of defecating birds, or rats for that matter. Then disease can spread."_

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_Wild pigeons are not extremely clean- but nor are our pet dogs. It is completely untrue that there are 40 diseases which can be transmitted from pigeon to human, as well as that they regurgitate when drinking. I have raised pigeons for a long time. I hand feed their babies, and they are affectionate, intelligent creatures that are naturally clean. Like all birds, they spend a good amount of time preening their feathers, taking baths and trying to keep things in order. It is not the pigeons fault that they live under such conditions - in fact, it is ours. If we were to give them proper places to raise their young, they would raise them in a very clean and orderly fashion.
If you do not recall, pigeons have helped out in the war. You may say, "Oh, but those were domestic pigeons, and the pigeons you're raising are also domestic," but in fact, all pigeons originate from the feral.* I have raised many ferals that I rescued from terrible conditions.* They are loving, affectionate and clean companions. 
And regards to droppings, it's not a bird's fault that they have very fast metabolism. Bird droppings are 100% cleaner than cat, dog, and human droppings. Bird droppings also help to spread plants around. 
Pigeons are domestic animals, and like dogs and cats, will resort to eating garbage if it saves their lives._

*****

And last but not least, an excellent link to many helpful pigeon facts and quotes:

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/zoonoses/ExprtsRePijZoonos.html

Please share some of this info with your wife and hopefully it will relieve her anxiety about possible illnesses or unwanted issues dealing with these lovely, affectionate, and clean birds. Please feel free to ask any questions and to share any thoughts with us.


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## abisai (Jan 30, 2007)

Great Info MaryJane . . .may we all pick up some knowledge we can use from all these truths you have dropped here.

Thank you.


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## bjanzen (Sep 15, 2007)

Thank you verrrrry much. That is a wealth of info. I have read most of it and now I hopefully will have answers for hers and others that have questions.

Barry


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Hello bjanzen,

You need to take yourself and your wife to go see Mr. Alvin Petty. He is a member of the Chattannooga Racing Pigeon Club. His loft and setup should impress just about anybody. He is a very nice guy and I am sure would welcome a visit. If you contact the American Racing Pigeon Union at...

www.pigeon.org

...they should be able to put you in touch with the club and through them Alvin. There is no question that some people's set ups are less than impressive but there are many people who run impecable lofts. The Chattannooga club is very active and should be able to help you with whatever you might need.

Dan


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

My wife thinks that I am a Nerd. I hope to heck that I win some Futurity money this year so I can buy her something nice. I figure she likes gifts and I like birds. I think she is a bit jellous of the birds. So the moral to the story is that you should not care what she thinks, do what you want. Oh yea make sure you win her something so she does not leave you. Just tell her that you are trying to decide between the birds and getting a second job as a bouncer at the local strip bar. Tell her you need something to occupy your spare time. 

All kidding aside. We have all faced opposition whether male or female about this hobby of ours. Have her sit down with you and go on a site like Pigeonparadise where she can see the history, the nice garden lofts, the huge houses these guys have bought with pigeon money and the thousand dollar birds. Get on a page that shows all the breeds. 

The bottom line is that it is a great family hobbie. One that some of us have to keep in the closet because of what others think. One that is not glamorous. One that fills many of our thoughts, desires, and emotions. She can always call my wife.


P.S. Make sure you scoup the poop.

Randy


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Hi Barry!

Sometimes, starting with the show type pijies will help.

How does your wife feel about parrots or other exotic birds? I'm not suggesting that you go the exotic route. Just wanting to know how she feels about birds in general...Is she just against pigeons? 

Time and the right bird(s) can help make a tremendous attitude adjustment.

Good luck! 

Some excellent suggestions by our members too!

Shi 
& Squeaks (who changed my life! Because of him, I met the nicest people who became friends and "family.")


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## bjanzen (Sep 15, 2007)

learning said:


> Hello bjanzen,
> 
> You need to take yourself and your wife to go see Mr. Alvin Petty. He is a member of the Chattannooga Racing Pigeon Club. .............. The Chattannooga club is very active and should be able to help you with whatever you might need.
> 
> Dan


Dan,

Too late.....I was there today.....hence the problem. All was fine until I showed up with three birds in a carry cage  

He is a great guy.....and I think he will be able to help me get a good start. 


Barry


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## bjanzen (Sep 15, 2007)

mr squeaks said:


> Hi Barry!
> 
> How does your wife feel about parrots or other exotic birds? I'm not suggesting that you go the exotic route. Just wanting to know how she feels about birds in general...Is she just against pigeons?
> 
> ...


Well.....she tolerate my daughters Cockatiel but that is in the house. I thought the backyard would be fine. Now she thinks we will be the bird flu virus.


Barry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

bjanzen said:


> Well.....she tolerate my daughters Cockatiel but that is in the house. I thought the backyard would be fine. Now she thinks we will be the bird flu virus.
> 
> 
> Barry


BUMMER!

HOWEVER, there is enough information around that indicates PIGEONS are THE LEAST of our worries regarding Bird Flu! 

When a pigeon has actually been given the virus and still doesn't get Bird Flu...well...

Since they won't be house birds, will that make a difference in her attitude??

Shi


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## mousiemoua (Sep 18, 2007)

my wife thinks i'm crazy too. she says i spend more time with them than my son. My son cant play with the pigeons because he's a two year old. He squeezed one to death once...never again..


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## bjanzen (Sep 15, 2007)

Just let me feel this one out. I am not sure what is going on in her head. Maybe time will work it out.

Barry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

bjanzen said:


> Just let me feel this one out. I am not sure what is going on in her head. Maybe time will work it out.
> 
> Barry


I hope so, Barry!! Pigeons are wonderful birds! I'm sure they can help change her mind. 

Communicatiion is a MUST in situations like this... 

Sometimes rooting out just why someone feels the way they do can help reach a solution. Genuine caring concern can make a big difference in discussions. 

Many people feel the way they do because of a bad experience, negative publicity, how others will think, a fear of birds, etc. 

Best of everything. I'm sure all will be well...

Shi & Squeaks


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## bjanzen (Sep 15, 2007)

mr squeaks said:


> I hope so, Barry!! Pigeons are wonderful birds! I'm sure they can help change her mind.
> 
> Communicatiion is a MUST in situations like this...
> 
> ...


This morning she came out with it.......

She gets extremely jealous at the start of a new interest. I have seen this in the past. I had suspected this but she wasn't saying this. She was displacing it to the birds. She still can't get her head around my "why" but she says that if I would spend 10% of the attention that I spend on my hobbies, she would be happy. I just need to keep a better balance........

All will be okay.....just have to step back and slow down a little. I haven't slept in two weeks thinking and reading and learning. Yes I can get very obsessed. 

Barry


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Barry,

Give it some time and have patience, and make sure you spend quality time with her too. Be respectful of her needs and she should be involved in all decisions made that effect her too.

My husband is just as nuts about my birds now, as I am. He didn't have a clue as to what the heck I was doing in the beginning.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

New interests are supposed to consume us  We end up balancing everything out in time. My entire family thinks I'm nuts, so welcome to the looney bin


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

bjanzen said:


> This morning she came out with it.......
> 
> She gets extremely jealous at the start of a new interest. I have seen this in the past. I had suspected this but she wasn't saying this. She was displacing it to the birds. She still can't get her head around my "why" but she says that if I would spend 10% of the attention that I spend on my hobbies, she would be happy. I just need to keep a better balance........
> 
> ...


Hi Barry,
From time to time my husband would get the same way over me & my birds. I am similarly obsessed when I'm learning about something new, and at first he was pretty jealous. Every time I mentioned the thought of getting more birds he would get angry. (I started with just one little dove and now I have 8 birds altogether - still planning to get a few more, as my new aviary has quite a bit of room.)

We had lots of discussions - some of them heated. But he has calmed down a lot now. I think it is because he knows the birds are vital to my happiness and that is not going to change. I am also very careful to keep the aviary clean and I keep the birds from messing up the house when they do come indoors. One of the fears that he voiced was that we'd end up with a "filthy house full of animals" like the lady who lived down the street from him as a boy who had over 100 indoor cats. (believe me that's the last thing i want - yuk)

The other side of it is that he has his own hobbies that have historically absorbed quite a bit of time that I've wished he was spending with me. So in my case, reminding him of that helped a little too.

Anyway - I'm sure things will work out. And hopefully your wife will end up enjoying pigeons as much as you do!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

*The Looney Bin Has More Than One Nut!*



TheSnipes said:


> New interests are supposed to consume us  We end up balancing everything out in time. My entire family thinks I'm nuts, so welcome to the looney bin


Well I'll ditto that. [not that you're nuts but that most everyone I know think I'm nuts. ]


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

If my family doesn't find me in the house or the back yard, they know I am most likely in the pigeon coop.

Good luck to you.

It will balance out given time.

My last baby grandson grew up around pigeon(s) and he is 6 now...all is good and he is excelling in grade K and swim class!

I just recently introduced my 5 month old grandson Drakie to my pigeons, and he is fascinated with them.

Oh, and my 10 year old grandson Alex (aka Coolpigeon here) is my assistant pigeonkeeper too!


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

If you can get her to spend time with the little squeakers, pet them...feed them...hold them...I'm sure she'll love them in no time! They are adorable, so I don't see why not!


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

My girl friend calls me a bird nerd. The way I see it my kids are gonna love the birds when they get older and my 2 year old already loves to watch them and just keep saying BIRD!

Anyways she is just cranky that my new loft is going to take up a quarter of our new backyard and that all my time is not focused on her.

As for your wife, the disease thing has got to be one of the worst excuses not to like pigeons. Ask her how many people she knows of that have ever gotten sick from a pigeon. You have a better chance of getting rabbies from a stray cat then anything from a pigeon.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Barry,
Hopefully, slowly but surely, your wife will recognize the true beauty of pigeons. They're wondrous birds.  

I consider myself extremely lucky, as Chuck loves the birds as much as I do & supports me in anything that needs to be done.  

My Mother, who, sadly, I lost last year on Nw Year's Day, always asked me how the 'birdies' were doing when I would call her, at least every weekend. 
I thought it would be fun to send her one of my 'Feathers & Fur' calendars last year for Christmas. She LOVED it. I find comfort in thinking she took all those images with her.  

Cindy


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I'm sure things will work out, Barry, given some time, patience and communication...

I would also be willing to bet that one of these days, the "right" pigeon will come along and your wife will be "hooked!"

I have heard - many times - people say, I don't like - cats, dogs, pigeons, etc. - until that FATEFUL day when everything changes due to ONE special cat, dog, pigeon, etc...

Shi 
& Squeaks (who completely changed MY life!)


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