Some sad news

It is with a heavy heart and tear filled eyes that I tell all of you that I have made the decision and found Iggy a new home. I know how many of you feel about rehoming parrots, since it is far too common, and I apologize if any of you find me in the wrong for doing this. It has been a very difficult decision that I have wrestled with and cried over for several weeks now, but in the end I think it will benefit both of us. Right now our relationship is not a healthy one, with Iggy spending much of his day in his cage due to his constant screaming. Also, with the second year of vet school starting in a few weeks, I think it will only get worse.

I have tried so hard over the past 7+ months to work with Iggy and you have all been SO amazing at supporting me and offering me suggestions. Perhaps I was not patient enough, or did not put enough time into him. Thank you to EVERY ONE of you for all the time you have spent trying to help...I feel like something of a failure.

Iggy has been my baby for 5 years, and we have spent endless amounts of time together, most of it pleasant. It is very hard to even type this. So, as stated in an earlier post, this decision has been as difficult as deciding to give up my child for adoption. I hope that makes me somewhat of a better "parront".

The woman who will be opening her heart and home to Iggy lives in CT, and was going to adopt him a year ago, before I moved. She has a female Eclectus and a senegal. I think Iggy will really like being in the company of other birds. His cage will be downsized, but he doesn't use much of the space in his mansion sized one right now as it is, so I think it will be ok...She seems to really take care of her birds, lots of showers and fresh vegetables...she had a cockatiel that lived for 26 years! She is VERY aware of why I am giving Iggy up, and is still up for the challenge. I have also made her aware of the fact that if for any reason it doesn't work out, he is to come right back here to me. I feel comfortable with her, and know that she will allow me to visit him, and will send pictures and updates. So at least it won't be a cold turkey thing.

As for me, I am really going to miss having a bird in my life. I am thinking about volunteering at a parrot rescue (soon), maybe eventually fostering birds or getting a much smaller bird (not anytime soon). These are such amazing animals and deserve so much respect and appreciation, I am just sorry I have not been able to give it to them through Iggy. I would really miss all of you if I left this forum altogether, as also said in an earlier post, you have become my family. I think I'll stick around for awhile if it's ok with all of you, although I may not have much to add, or what I do have to add may not be very valuable as I will no longer be a "parront".

Again, I am so sorry if I have disappointed any of you, I certainly have disappointed myself. I hope that you can find it in yourselves to forgive me and try to understand why I have made this decision. Thank you so much for welcoming me so warmly into this forum in my darkest hours with Iggy, it meant more than you will ever know. (And sorry for such a long post).

Lindsey :smile016:

Oh Lindsey, I am sorry that you had to make that decision. I know that if you didn't think that it would be best for Iggy that you wouldn't have done it, which does not make it less hard, but does show how much you really love him. I am happy that you have found such a good home for him and will be still in contact. I don't think that you gave up. I know through your posts and rants and questions how hard you tried and maybe this was the best solution. I hope this does not mean you will disapear. I need help keeping Tex in line

Lindsey, you are welcome here with OPEN ARMS infact, we would be offended if you left us!

(((Lindsey))) ... I am crying right now for you, in your obvious loss, and cannot write much. Only, right now I can say you've let no one down ... there is no forgiveness to ask for. I hope you do stay around the Forum as you have so much, so so much to offer all of us.

I understand your decision ... there is no explanation needed.

Lindsey,
I hope you understand that your doing a good thing. If you truly feel that you can not provide Iggy with what he needs right now, regardless of the reasons why, then your making the right decision!
I'm sure if we could put it into words that Iggy could understand, he would appreciate your going to veterinary school and not mind the times you didn't get to spend with him, or your frustration over his loud voice.
Your NOT a failure.
I had an Umbrella Cockatoo (Boca) that I loved very much. She and my Goffins Cockatoo (Baby) were both female and the best of friends. Boca was a screamer. She had been raised poorly and I didn't help matters when I got her away from her bad home by not socializing her properly and not pushing my mother to get along with her better.(she was very bonded with me and became insanely vicious whenever anyone, especially my mother, came near me)
She started laying eggs and trying to breed with baby all the time. She was setting the eggs and seemed very depressed. I had 7 parrots at the time and she wanted ALL the attention, which wasn't fair to everyone else. I decided what she really wanted was to get married and have children.
I knew someone who had a great bird store (raises most of the birds himself and only sells to people he thinks will make good owners.. can't get much better than that!) and bred cockatoos and he had a lonely male Umbrella named Ben who never got along with any females.
Well, he and Boca hit it off and they are working on making babies now My little Goffins had started laying eggs too and since he also had a little boy Goffins, she got married as well! They are both much happier now but MAN do I miss them. It's hard to do the right thing!!
I don't know you as I'm new here but I hope you'll stick around. I'm so glad you'll get to keep in touch with Iggy.
Hope you feel better soon!!

Thank you all so much for such kind words, I really need them right now...I cry just reading your replies I consider myself so lucky to be able to have all of you as my friends, my support system...

Christy, don't worry, I'll stick around and make sure Tex doesn't get too rowdy around here. Thank you for reassuring me in my decision.

Deanna, I'm sorry that I made you cry over this as well, but thank you for such compassion and understanding, it brings tears to my eyes...gee, I guess we just egg each other's tears on!

Sarah, thank you for sharing your experience with me, hopefully Iggy will be as happy with this change as much as your toos were with theirs. He won't get married, but perhaps he'll make best friends instead! I wish that I could explain to him what's happening in words that he would understand, that would make this so much easier to do...I'm really afraid that he will feel betrayed by his own family...but he seemed happy while I was in Utah and he got to see the other amazon so maybe he'll forget to miss me rather quickly.

Hopefully I will be able to post pictures of him and the Eclectus happy together once he is settled in and I ask for pictures...he is scared of the color red though, and she is red...do you guys think he will react the same to the color if it is on another bird? I guess we'll find out.

Thank you all for the wonderful support, I know these will not be the last tears that I shed over this, but I have to remember this is for both of our well-beings...Oh, and he'll be with me for a little while until his "new mom" :smile040: finds a new cage for him to settle into, just to give you some sort of time frame, however vague. Thank you again :07:

AWWW - we won't hold anything against you - Unlike most you've obviously done your research and sometimes birds will find owners that better suit them as will owners find birds that better suit them. (If that makes since) All I'm saying is that unlike the post about the other amazon I am all for you- you are doing what is best for you and Iggy and don't feel like you don't belong to this forum anymore. You will have to keep us updated about Iggy as you here things about him and yes with time I think it would be great for you to get a smaller less likely to be crazy hormonal bird. I'm sorry that you have to give him up but am proud that you went to all the trouble and found a scenario that will work for both you guys. Sending hugs your way.

I'm so sorry to hear you had to make that decision. I too had some tears in my eyes, its hard to let go of something so precious. And as everyone else said, we wont hold anything against you, we know how hard you worked on Iggy this past couple of months, and wishing you a good year at vet school and also a good live for dear Iggy, i'm sure his gonna enjoy his red diva!

(((((Lindsey))))

I am also sitting here crying my eyes out reading this but you have done what you can and you obviously love Iggy to bits. You've done the best thing for him and you can still see him. Please stay around, there is no need for you to not be here. Also, just because you don't have a bird doesn't mean you aren't a parront, it just means your between fids. Even if foster fids which there are not only far too many out there, but they have gobs and gobs of love to give. You did the right thing. You are always welcome here.

((((Iggy))))) Iggy, I hope you will be happier in your new home.

Lindsey,

You've not let ANYONE down, and your certainly NOT a failure, you have tried everything in your power to help him.

You had better stay around, otherwise I'll estalk you. You have so much to offer everyone here so I'll be looking out for ya. I promise to remember the time difference before I start stalking ya.

This is a sad day for us all, I know that this lady will look after and love Iggy and I know that you wouldn't have let her look after him if you didn't think she was the right person.

You have a mountain of knowledge Lindsey, and that knowledge can and will help others.

Oh I'm so sorry that you have to give Iggy up for adoption. You're not a bad parront because of it at all. I (since I can't speak for everyone here) only dislike the people that give their birds up as soon as they exhibit any kind of bad behavior, and don't even work with them on it.

We all know that you have done absolutely everything in your power to deal with Iggy's behavioral problem, so noone here has any reason to think ill of you.

That's great that the woman will keep in conact with you about Iggy and his progress. Just make sure that if he does make any 'progress' there, you don't think of yourself as a failure just because he may be more well-behaved in a different environment. But still, that's great that you get to keep in touch with him. I e-mail Gigi's previous owner every once in a while about him and send pics too. She really likes hearing about him.

And of course don't be a stranger to the board.

Again, thank you all so much for all of the kind words, hugs, support, and stalking threats, I now truly know you are like a second family to me I'm so grateful that you all are being so understanding, having any of you think ill of me would make this so much more difficult. I took Iggy for a nice long walk today, and he behaved beautifully, talking, singing, and laughing. He loves being outdoors. I'm just going to try to make the time I have left with him as much fun for both of us as possible, so that we part ways feeling good about each other. And as long as he is happy in his new home and is loved as much as he is here, I will feel good about my decision and just be grateful that he is in a good place.

Thank you for still welcoming me here as well, I really love being a part of this forum and look forward to coming here every day.

and stalking threats,

Click to expand...

:04: :04: :04: I've always wanted to be a stalker, :04:

Big Hugs Minzer
Doing this for Iggy takes so much courage, I feel for ya at the moment

Doing this for Iggy

Click to expand...

And its that right there that makes you the perfect PARRONT.

<------ My New Stalker outfit.

Aw, you guys are all the best friends/stalkers a gal could ask for...And thanks for giving me a heads up as to what to look for, Peta

Yeah. Peta may have given away her disguise, but notice the rest of us haven't --- mawhaahahaaahaaa!!

Oh darn it, you weren't supposed to look at that it was private. Now I'll have to think of a brand new disguise.

We may need to change the name of PF to STALKER TALKERS soon,

We love ya gal and if that's what it takes to make ya stay with us, then so be it. Stalkers Galore.

(((((Lindsey))))))

O M G ! I have been away for two days and I missed everything!

I am sure everyone here understands you and the reasons and all the struggle you have made to make things work out with Iggy!

I only want to ask you one thing!

PLEASE STAY AROUND ! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE US!

or I will keep Peta company in estalking you!