Went to visit possible rescue today

PaperLantern

New member
Jan 14, 2012
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Northern Maine
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Chubby - Pineapple GCC // Furbie - Rest In Peace my little baby <3
For those of you who didn't read my previous post about possibly rescuing a 10 year old Umbrella 'too, please read it. I'm thinking of fostering her while I build her strength up and find her a home.

Today I went to visit and the situation is pretty bad. I don't think the owners are doing it to be cruel, but they just don't know any better and don't have the time to change things. The bird is being kept in a dog crate with no toys and no perches, and two metal bowls. She eats peanuts in their shell and sunflower seed.

I took her out and she was super friendly....not very cuddly but she liked to perch on my arm and dance around. I played with her for a good hour. I unfortunately didn't get to hear any of her screams, I was hoping to see exactly how loud she is.

She apparently has never had any problems with biting, and didn't attempt to bite me either. I want to take her but I'm so worried because of all the warnings and horror stories I've read.

This is such a dilemma.

I just wanted to keep everyone updated!
 

mnkeastman

New member
Jan 6, 2012
509
2
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Pixie-White Capped Pionus
what a horrible situation, I would love to encourage you to rescue her, I don't think I could leave her there in that situation. The experience bird owners here though have replied to your previous posts about her so I guess its up to you.

I hope someone does something for her soon though, my heart goes out to her!
 

Tammy

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May 4, 2011
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Pennsylvania
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Orange Wing Amazon
That is a horrible situation. If I were closer I would take her immediately. If she's that friendly, etc., you should be able to find her a suitable home. I'm waiting to move shortly so that I can have more than just Mr. Precious.
 

BillsBirds

Well-known member
Jan 9, 2012
1,371
40
Largo, Florida
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Timneh African Grey (Bailey), Lovebird (Elvis)
Don't be worried. All the stories you hear are all from various birds in different situations. She may not be so basd. I've adopted screamers that were not screamers in my house. Birds react differently to different conditions. My house is a very calm quiet place (relatively), and birds seem to be adjust to their surroundings. See what happens.
 

Mare Miller

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Banned
May 14, 2011
1,260
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2
3
sierra foothills of central California
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13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
Being an umbrella cockatoo owner, I can tell you that they can be very loud...but normally for a reason. They do like to be within sight of you or be able to hear you. If I have Amigo in his back room cage and I'm in the living room, he'll start saying the only words he knows, "Hi There", and if I call back to him, he usually won't get any louder, unless I don't come back there soon enough to bring him out to where the action is. If you are home most days it sounds like you would be doing this bird a great favor by taking him into your care. Oh! When he is ready for bed, (back room cage), he can get very loud! His antics at this time are very entertaining, but I know he's ready to be tucked in. Yes, these birds can be very loud...at times, not all the time.
 

Molcan2

New member
Jul 19, 2011
783
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Lake Co., Florida
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Princess Rome- Moluccan Cockatoo (18yrs old), Rosie - Galah/Rose Breasted Cockatoo (2yr old)
Well... Its hard, I would take the bird in a heart beat. Yes there are horror stories but there always is. Some bite, some don't, some scream all the time some don't. All parrots are a lot of work, Too or not. Feeding and cleaning (with the exception of extra dust from the Too) is the same with all large parrots - it takes up a lot of time. Now onto the Too part, if its a temporary situation then what do you really have to loose by bringing it home? However I think you should prepare yourself for what happens if it turns into a permanent situation.

Chances are if this bird is being kept how you say it is then your not going to have to worry about it coming to you being over spoiled. With that said you don't want to be the one that over spoils it either. My BIGGEST advice to you is to map out your day as it is (or how you would like it to be) and make a schedule. This schedule needs to be concrete, set in stone. Toos in particular thrive off of routine. Don't spend to much time with the Too or it will expect it all the time. Example: my routine with Rome, 7:30 - 8:30 she is woken up and taken directly outside (for some reason if I spend time with her first thing in the AM she screams ALL day if she isn't with me - they each have different quirks). Then at 4 pm she comes in, helps me do house chores, one on one attention and some training work. By 7 pm shes in bed and sleeps for the night. There are some variances to this routine but this is the norm. I was given a very over spoiled Too, she didn't really start to play with her toys until she was here for 6mos, and has just really started to settle into this routine. The other most important thing is TIME, don't expect things to happen quickly with a re-homed Too. They are such sensitive birds, you really wont get to see its true colors until you've had it for at least a year. The one thing that makes re-habbing Toos a little easier than other species is the fact that they crave physical attention.

One more thing: very important to remember - its a misnomer that Toos require 'more' time than other species of parrots, what Toos do is demand more - there fore people generally give in and give them more. Toos can be independent just like other parrots, but you have to encourage that type of environment (foraging toys, a lot of space to move around, absolutely NO acknowledgement for screaming etc.). You need to be firm or your Too will own you. You give them an inch one day and the next they want the whole country, give them that then they demand the world.
 

MissyMe83

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Nov 29, 2011
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Indiana
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Tate ~~
White Capped Pionus -
Violet ~~ Yellow Naped Amazon - Jupiter ~~ Baby B&G Macaw (coming soon)
Sounds like you've really already invested yourself too much to walk away. I would say to go for it. Rescue her and like you said, if anything, find her a good home eventually. Sounds like she really needs someone to take her in : (
 

Mare Miller

Banned
Banned
May 14, 2011
1,260
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2
3
sierra foothills of central California
Parrots
13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
Great advice, Molcan2! Mi Amigo is outside so much that I don't have to deal with the all day long, living within close confines, cockatoo scene...most days anyway. When he is in all day, it works out fine. I agree, a routine schedule is important.
 

usamimi

New member
Oct 30, 2011
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North GA
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Kevin the Congo African Grey (DNA'd F) and Ra the Sun Conure
If this girl's dad is willing to kill this bird, I'd get it out ASAP. Even if it doesn't work with you, you can always work towards a better home and hopefully under good care, this too will learn some manners (should it decide to misbehave when you get home!)
 

MikeyTN

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Feb 1, 2011
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Antioch, TN
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"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
If you read my recent post that we just adopted a u2 last friday. He was a model citizen until few days ago when he flew to attack my partner then turns around and bit me on my hand cause I was in the way. But he let go pretty quick but im already bleeding....he walked back over to me wanting me to pick him up. I placed him back in his cage and told him I was mad at him. He caught on...They turn 360 very quick!!! He's better with me when we're alone. They can act one way when you visit then act another way when he's home with you. But girls are usually better then boys. My girl too is a sweetheart compared to him. As she don't attack either one of us.
 

Mare Miller

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Banned
May 14, 2011
1,260
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2
3
sierra foothills of central California
Parrots
13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
I think that when they are scared, insecure, these birds will act out. Not sure if all birds do this but mine will. Mi Amigo will also be unsure when he's not comfortable with people around him. What denotes that? Not sure.
 
OP
PaperLantern

PaperLantern

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Jan 14, 2012
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Northern Maine
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Chubby - Pineapple GCC // Furbie - Rest In Peace my little baby <3
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I think one of my biggest fears is the biting. This was my first time actually playing with a cockatoo and when she got close to my face I felt very uneasy. But of course, she never bit, and the entire family swears she never bites..don't know how true that is though.

Dust is also a consideration, is there a way to cut down on it? Do air filters really make a difference?

Thanks everyone for all the advice and moral support, I tried talking to some non-bird people but they don't understand why I see this as such a big decision!
 

Mare Miller

Banned
Banned
May 14, 2011
1,260
Media
2
3
sierra foothills of central California
Parrots
13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
You might get bit, you might get bit big time. Don't let her near your face. I, still, feel fear with my 'too around my face...even though I've never been bitten by him, he would like to cuddle around my face, I know what he's capable of. Try, with all your might, not to feel fear when handling her. Someone told me once, if you THINK you're going to get bit...you're going to get bit. Be brave!

I just came from Amigo's vet a couple days ago and she recommends misting and bathing my bird 3-4 times a day for the dust. I'm getting ready to move into air filters because going to move into adopting a macaw.
 

nikkinuts

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Oct 5, 2011
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Go for it, she obviously trusted you to have come straight to you and not bite and the more that builds up the better it will get, as the others have said even if you rescue her and then look for a better home. Yes they can be very noisy and destructive but plenty of attention and stimulance will help to rectify this. good luck and keep us updated
 

ann

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Feb 18, 2011
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USA
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1 nanday conure Black Jack, 1 Brotogeris parakeet Whiff, 1 ring neck dove Eliza, and 6 society finches (3 are tame). RIP my parent pairs of societies and my little gouldian finches
Sometimes the bird pcks you and it looks as if she picked you, it sounds like she needs you I think you should go for it you could also target train her it works wonders, or try birdtricks.com
 

Molcan2

New member
Jul 19, 2011
783
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Lake Co., Florida
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Princess Rome- Moluccan Cockatoo (18yrs old), Rosie - Galah/Rose Breasted Cockatoo (2yr old)
I agree with Mare Miller, be brave but not stupid. You have to be aware of your surroundings when working with large parrots. Any large parrot can 'flip' and change ( a lot of times we miss subtle clues that can lead to a bite). Rule of thumb is not to allow them on your shoulder until you develop a solid relationship (years). Few reasons: one - should you get bit it wont be your face or ear, two - it can be seen as a dominant figure on your shoulder ( theres a lot of speculation on that one), three - a lot of times when birds are flocked together the ones up top watch for predators, these birds make the call when everyone needs to fly off - if you are on 'top' then your bird is more likely to be calmer and move off of your cues instead of directing you ( another area where there is speculation).

A bite is a bite, dealing with large parrots - its the risk you take. If you can read body language really well then you are more likely to prevent it escalating to a bite. Each bird is an individual and should be seen as such. For every bad story theres a good one, bad news travels fast and normally has more of an impact. My Too has never bitten or even offered to try, she is on the other end of the spectrum - she preens my eyelashes.

Take each rehome on a case by case basis. Allow the bird to settle into your home before trying to establish a relationship with it. Take baby steps. For the first month dont even expect to be able to touch it - allow the bird to establish how fast your relationship will form and you will be decreasing the chance of being bitten greatly. A lot of times birds bite because they feel threatened. Usually they show physical signs first. If your bird wants to get off of you or doesn't want to step up, don't push it. Especially in the beginning when it doesnt know or trust you yet. If you push beyond what your bird is comfortable with you risk getting bitten. Something that has worked well for me is to have one designated spot outside of the cage where you pick the bird up from. I never reach into the cage to get my birds (that is thier sanctuary where they can feel secure). I have the cage door open and when the bird comes out onto the cage door then I pick it up. Having one designated spot outside of its 'sanctuary' will give the bird a stronger sense of security, this further establishes to the bird that is has a safe place. Any time your bird is uneasy and wants to go back to its safe place - allow it to. Keep in mind that these are highly intelligent animals, they aren't like cats and dogs. By respecting your birds space you will build a better relationship which lessens the risk of being bitten.

As for the dust, unless your allergic it just means a little extra cleaning.
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
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Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
My adopted U2 bit me real good last night after being in my house for over a week. I don't allow him to get anywhere near my face nor any of my big parrots except my ekkies....its very dangerous! I don't even let my other too on my shoulders after 7 years. My partner does, not me. But she loves my partner from day one. I play safe as I've seen what they could do with their beak.
 

roxynoodle

New member
Dec 1, 2011
4,499
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I guess I can't really advise not having had a 'Too, but I read the information others posted with interest.

Did you talk to your neighbor about the noise? The bird definitely needs a better home. You could always get her out of there and then re-home her if you need to, provided your neighbor understands.

My vet kept saying about Pete, "Thank you for rescuing him!" It wasn't exactly a rescue situation as he was well loved by his previous owner. The PO was just uneducated. His cage was much too small, he was eating seeds and peanuts and lasagna, and had no toys. But, despite that he seemed to be a happy bird. The PO was also convinced he would never eat a pellet. But, there were some in his seed mix that he had gotten from a friend with a Grey. I saw Pete eating them. So it was just a matter of my figuring out what pellets they were and then converting him. He now plays with toys a bit, and eats veggies, fruit and other healthy things.

Go with your heart.
 

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