Officially Introducing DeRita

[Nakiska]

Hello everyone!

Hopefully you will remember me from a couple weeks ago when I posted that I was considering adopting a mourning amazon. Well..it's OFFICIAL we are now members of the AMAZON forums! Yay!!!

Soo, two weeks ago I think it was, I was told about this parrot needing a new home, her previous owner had passed away. Apparently the wife of the husband who passed - strongly disliked DeRita and as a result DeRita had plucked herself. The folks that took her in after her owner passed, had her for about a year and felt they were not doing her justice and decided to re-home her.

Now for how things went today.

First off, DeRita has a definite preference to men, as her owner was a man, and she obviously didn't get along with the widowed wife. Although Lisa had a successful relationship with DeRita, she was definitely more bonded with her husband. Knowing this, I wanted to do everything I could to make our first experience a positive one.

When I walked into the house, DeRita was in her cage in the hall way. I said Hi to her and she actually responded! She seemed to be very content to listen to me and talk to me. She says her name, sings it actually! Soo cute...Opera ....Doooooorrrrriiiiiiittttaaaaaaaa. MELT ME!

So then the wife, (Lisa) opens the cage and DeRita steps up very nicely and walks up onto her shoulder, Lisa pets her head and DeRita is comfortable. Lisa wanted me to pet her, but I could tell just by looking at her that if I tried to approach her, I was going to get bit. I mean she only just met me like 2 minutes previously!

Lisa says..."Oh she's VERY GOOD, it's okay!" I replied, "Even with strangers????" "Oh yes, she's great!" Well I raised my hand but NOT toward DeRita, just raised my arm a bit and immediately DeRita did exactly as I expected and lunged toward me.

Lisa says..."DeRita!"

Again, I say, it's OK, I don't need to hold her, really...it's OKAY! Lisa get's DeRita back onto her hand and I could tell that DeRita is starting to get agitated, infact...I was a little suprised she didn't nip at Lisa's hand when she was trying to get her off her shoulder and back on to her hand.

Anyway, I THOUGHT Lisa was going to place her back into the carrier while we got DeRita's things loaded up...but as soon as DeRita was on Lisa's hand, Lisa like - SHOVED her at me, trying to force her on my arm! I had my right arm down at my side and my left arm was resting crossed in front of me.

I was saying...NOOO...and OF COURSE...DeRita lunged out at me and grabbed hold of my forearm and bit me good! Broke the skin through a long sleeve shirt. Then just as quickly Lisa realizes what's happening and jerks DeRita away and scolds her.

At this point...I'm pretty upset, not at getting bit so much...but just because I wanted this meeting to go so well...I wanted to wait to get DeRita home and settled before handling her. Try and build some trust first.

So, Lisa puts DeRita into the carrier I brought and we load up her cage and the very nice play stand, all her food, some toys and what not.

I give my thanks, reassure her that DeRita will have an excellent home with me. Ask DeRita if she would like to go "Bye bye" and off we go.

I talked to DeRita all the way home, my husband helps me unload everything and get DeRita set up in the house I open the carrier door and decide I'm just going to let her come out on her own and check things out if she wanted to.

She immediately comes out of the carrier and climbs on top of it, my husband immediately lets her on his arm and she immediately crawls up onto his shoulder and he immediately sits down at the computer and plays some bejeweled!

I offer DeRita some treats which she willingly and nicely took from me, but I could tell that if I tried to remove her from my husbands shoulder, I was going to get bit good!

So I didn't even try.

I guess I could say, this entire transaction didn't go as I had planned. I feel like DeRita and I got off on the wrong foot, FOR SURE! I am soo bummed for that!

It's selfish, I know, but I really wanted to be the only one to handle and care for DeRita for the first couple days, just so her and I could hopefully develop some trust before she bonded with my husband. (especially after our forced negative interaction within the very first 3 minutes of her setting eyes on me)

Okay, enough of my whining.

On the POSITIVE...Bless this little ones heart! She seems to be settling in here just fine, she is eating good and talking, sleeping and just overall appeared very relaxed all day today. She talks good! Especially in my husbands presence...she is much more chatty.

For me, she talks a little, but she mostly makes this sort of like a purring sound??? It's not a hiss, it's not combined with any aggressive body language that I can tell...it's just a purr of sorts.

She DID take the treats I offered her from my hand without attempting to bite me...so THAT at least was good! Banana chip, almond, peanut, apple slice. She is a good eater, but they had her on a very icky cheap seed diet, probably from walmart or the grocery store. (maybe that has a something to do with her plucking as well as the mourning?)

Anyway, she is some what plucked on her back, her front is naked and she has absolutey NO tail feathers.

I have no idea what type of Amazon she is, if anyone can help me out with that, it would be great! It doesn't show up very good in these pictures I took of her today, but she has blue on her forehead around her yellow, and a big yellow patch on the back of her neck...is that the yellow nape?

Even though things didn't go as I dreamed they would today, and it may not sound like it..but I am SOO EXCITED to have DeRita home. I have all the time in the world now to build a relationship with her, what that is going to look like, I don't know yet, but what ever it is, I already love her and as long as she is happy, I will be happy. Period!

So here are a couple pictures I took of her today, hopefully I can get some better ones soon. And HOPEFULLY one day, I will be posting pictures of her fully feathered again! That's my goal.

Off to bed for now though, it's late, I'm tired.

Any advice now that I have DeRita home is greatly appreciated.

I NEVER EVER thought the day would come that an Amazon, who TALKS would live in our home.

Yayyyyy us!

Toni

 

[RavensGryf]

Yay Toni!! I know this got postponed a couple weeks, and I was waiting to hear about DeRita again! I can completely understand how and why you wanted it to go as planned, and the disappointment when Lisa messed that up for you. Overall, I don't think the first meeting will make a difference in the long run. I look forward to hearing updates! She's a Yellow Naped Amazon.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Welcome home, DeRita!! I'm so glad to see she's in your care now! And sorry to hear that Lisa literally physically tried forcing her on you. (WHO would do such a thing???)

Please don't let DeRita's nipping/biting you discourage you in any way, shape or form. She may eventually come around and decide to make you her favorite person. There's no way of telling right now.

Loved hearing that she immediately took to your husband (yeah...even though you would have preferred nobody handle her at first). For DeRita it must have been quite comforting to have that male figure in her 'new' house whom she can make herself comfy with, and apparently she took to your husband straight off the bet.

And yes, she's a Yellow Naped Amazon. And I'm certain she will thrive in your care!

 

[4dugnlee]

Oh I'm so happy you decided to bring DeRita home! I can't believe her previous owner would try to force her on you like that...that's crazy! I bet in no time she will be coming to you on her own! Good luck and keep the pictures coming!

 

[SailBoat]

I am very happy to hear that DeRita is now in your home!

Over the years I have pick-up many Amazons from their owners and I can only recall two that went at all well. The combination of the family's stress that their Amazon is in fact leaving will preset an automatic emotional load and Amazon's pick-up on that so quickly. Even after I tell them how I want to handle the transfer way back at the front door. I commonly get a ball of unhappy Amazon and just as commonly a good bite. I have come to accept that as first blood and state, well at least we got that out of the way!

My first Amazon was little more than a ball of skin; a head with a very sharp bill, a couple of bare legs, a couple of bare wings and a rump. If the LCA had more than a dozen feathers it would have surprised me. It was nearly four years before I could confirm that she was a LCA and six years before we had an Amazon with enough feathers that flight (well, a smooth glide) was possible.

Amazons are the come back kids of the parrot world. Although, it cannot be assured that her feathers will all come back, loving her for what she is will only bring joy when a few do show-up. There is nothing wrong with showing joy when new feathers come in and stay around.

When they become comfortable in their 'place' in their new family, they quickly mellow. Our DYH Amazon loved my wife from day one. Now twenty months later, I had moved quickly from the none trusted bite pillow to gaining a second officer's rank. They quickly pick-up when biting does not work and that the second officer is the only way they get around.

I strongly recommend that you keep your Amazon off the floor until there is a working relationship between all of you. Feet just never get any respect.

Keep notes on your progress and losses. Setbacks happen, take it as part of the progress. Take care when you read posts from the puppy love members with their baby parrots. It can be disheartening, especially just after you recently got bitten. However, rehoming an adult Amazon is all about 'Adults' developing a relationship. Once a respect for each other is developed along with a set of ground rules - the relationship becomes unbounded and deeper because of the starting point.

Amazons like a two year old (and as my dear wife will point out, 'your husband'), they are easily out-smarted by using miss-direction. See 'bad hand towel' (held in left hand full extended from you body), step-up on my right hand and I will get your away from 'bad hand towel'.

Amazon's Rule! Enjoy!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I strongly recommend that you keep your Amazon off the floor until there is a working relationship between all of you. Feet just never get any respect.


Oh Boy!! I can relate to that!.. DONT GO BAREFOOT! <I say this while I rub the top of my left foot>!


Jim

 

[Allee]

Congrats, Toni! I'm so happy for you and DeRita! The transfer could have been handled far better by Lisa but I think DeRita will forget quickly, she will have a lot of positive changes to focus on in her new home. She's beautiful, I know you two are going to be so close. Looking forward to progress reports and more photos.

 

[Nakiska]

Good Moooorrrrrrninggggg!

Oh my gosh, I can't believe how EXCITED I am to have DeRita! After all that agonizing over if I should, or if I shouldn't and all the "what if's" ... all that "worry stuff" is..ALL GONE!

Soo funny to me how a new parrot on the house is like bringing home a new born baby. I think I slept with one eye opened and both ears on high alert for ANY sound coming from DeRita's room!

Then this morning, I was up at daybreak, but I didn't want to wake her too early, so I soaked in a bath and read "bird talk" and browsed through super old Amazon posts here on the forums.

Even though all was quiet in the house, I decided it was time to start our day. I opened the door and...just like a new mommy would to her child...in that cooing happy voice "goooood Mooooorrrning DeRitaaa"

She said "Hello, Hello...Doooooooorrr IIIIIIII taaaaaa!" She then did the ringing phone sound and I gave her some breakfast fruits and she went right to indulging.

So, opinions please....about her cage...it's a hexagon...it's big (approximately 2 1/2 or 3 feet across point to point and ohhh...i don't know probably 3 feet tall (living space), but I've always known round style cages are frowned upon. I have her positioned in a corner with a slight view out our office window. When she sits on her top most perch she can see out the window and everywhere else she has a more "protected" feel. DeRita is VERY comfortable in her cage an the one feature that love about it is that it has the swing out feeder/water doors. (None of my larger cages have that feature) I also clamped a treat dish onto her swing open main door. That way anyone taking care of her does not have to put their hands inside the cage.

I do have a very large rectangular cage, but it's not my favorite because it is difficult to clean as it does not have the slide out tray and of course, no way to feed water without putting arms inside cage. It came with a pair of cockatiels I rescued years ago and just a month or so ago, after kicking it around the house I finally I folded it all down and stored it away.

My husband came in to say good morning to DeRita, opened her cage door and offered her his hand to step up and come out and she did without any issue! She didn't stay on him, more anxious to want to wander around the top of her cage, so that is what she is currently doing.

Yes! I hear you on the no floor advice! THANK YOU! I did read so much about that that I already decided, cage top, play stand or human...no floor.

Anyway, I will check back in with you folks this afternoon.

I am probably going to make you all go into "OMG, not HER again burnout" with all my excitement!

I think what excites me the most about having DeRita is that, well...first off...beyond anything...Amazons have always been my favorite...I just LOVE the sound of their voices! I NEVER thought in a million years that I would happen across one like this and one who is already speaking some words is a major bonus!

I have Charlie, a rescued cockatiel...he talks soo good (and my Chicken Little - cockatiel -(RIP) was such am amazing talker and picked up so fast) and our conure Frankin has a excellent vocabulary for a green cheek especially...and I always said to my husband..."you think these guys are good...just imagine what I could teach a Amazon or an African Grey!" Now my dream is here!

And on that note...I am off to drool over DeRita!

Have a great day everyone!

Toni

 

[Terry57]

Congrats Toni and DeRita! I am thrilled she joined your family, and I'm sure she is going to thrive with you. She sounds amazing, looking forward to some videos?
Nope, no burnout here, I LOVE reading how excited you are!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Toni, your excitement is contagious, I swear!! And I LOVE seeing it!!

Could you post a few pictures of her current cage? I don't think you need to make a 'new' cage your priority right now, especially if she's used to and happy/content in hers. I also wouldn't recommend putting her into a cage that is/was meant for smaller birds like the cockatiels.

I've got my YN in a 36" wide X 28" deep cage and my DYH is in a 40" X 28" cage. My DYH uses every square inch of his rather big adobe, and Hunter is quite content in her smaller version. Bar spacing on my cages is 1".

 

[RavensGryf]

Toni, I'm so happy for you! It was nice reading such a positive post first thing! Sounds like you're off on the right foot regardless of yesterday .

I noticed you're now spelling it DeRita. Did you change it from Dorita, or did you find out that's the way they were spelling it?

 

[Nakiska]

Well...good evening all...DeRita has been with us for a whopping 32 hours now!

I swear I feel like I could do back flips I'm soo excited to have her...it's like a little void I didn't know I had is now filled with this little half naked bird.

I spend every moment thinking about all the stuff I want try and teach her, songs, words, phrases, maybe even tricks. Maybe she will learn, maybe she won't...only time will tell.

She still hasn't offered to get up on my hand yet and I'm not pushing the issue as of yet, everything is still soo new. We did open the cage door and she came right out and hung out this evening while we ate dinner. We each offered her bites of dinner and she willingly took everything we offered from our hands and ate with us...content as could be.

Then she preened a little bit and took a little snooze on one foot.

She did lunge at my husband when he tried to put her away in her cage, we ended up getting her back in using a stick and she was good with that.

It's funny, I have - like- this renewed appreciation for all our birds, how well adjusted, out going, sweet, funny and healthy they all are. Our little Franklin (green cheek) seems even tinier then he did before, because DeRita is so big even without most of her feathers!

So I included some pic's I took of DeRita today, including the cage she came with. PLEASE excuse the mess in the background, we were re-arranging and hubby took the closet doors off to fix a roller thing or something.

Anyway, I am debating if or for how long I want to let DeRita stay in this cage or if I want to get her into our other larger cage sooner rather than later. The only thing I don't like about the larger cage I have is that it does not have slide out tray for cleaning, it sits within the oversized tray...the cage is like 4 F wide x 4 F High x 2 F Deep, 1 inch bar spacing and large drop down doors, and there are no slide open feeder/water doors. I like that feature on this cage.

The cage is set up exactly as it came with her, I plan on adding some different stuff and enriching her environment a bit. I just don't want to do too much too soon.

Yes, I am spelling her name DeRita instead of Dorita...only because Lisa had texted me about her and that is how she spelled it. Apparently Lisa is looking for DeRita's documents a health certificate, hatch date and from what Lisa said she has paperwork that confirm she is female...so I am guessing he was DNA'd before sold???

Well, it's late, we are winding down for bed. I know I am forgetting to address something, but I guess it will come to me later.

Thank you EVERYONE!! Your support, advice and shared excitement means the world to me!

Have a great night everyone, enjoy the pics.

Toni

 

[Aquila]

Awww, I just want to rub her poor little belly! Don't worry, she'll be happy and healthy in no time!

 

[JerseyWendy]

I agree with you, Toni. After seeing the cage, I'd get her into the other one rather sooner than later.

IMO her current cage is MUCH too small.

If you are concerned about DeRita acting/reacting aggressively if you do cage maintenance in the larger cage that doesn't have the swing out feeder doors I'd just take her out before doing any cage maintenance. Easy as pie.

 

[akrrm]

She's very pretty. Congrats on your new family member.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Toni...Congrats with the amazing progress you and DeRita are making!!
Here is a picture of Amys' home..it also has the swing-out food bowl doors,which I love,cause there are times when she WILL follow me around it while she is inside and STILL lunge at me! <"MY HOUSE!! STAY AWAY!!">
She likes the swing-out doors,sometimes that's how she exits from her house lol,then she sits on her nummy bowl to chow down,and it does has pull-out trays,but a major PITA to keep clean
And it is plenty big enough for her to climb around in.
And it does have a play top with food and water bowls!

Jim

 

[Nakiska]

Thank you all on the cage advise and pic's too!

I think I am going to do a little cage shopping and see what I can come up with other than the one I currently have, which is PLENTY big enough for her, I just don't like the drop down doors and difficulty of cleaning without the slide out tray.

And it's not because I am afraid of her, but my husband travels A LOT for work and occasionally I get to go along for shorter trips. I like the peace of mind of knowing that who ever house/pet sits for me doesn't actually have to risk being attacked to feed and water/clean the cage for me.

Right now, DeRita is having an afternoon nap, she melts me! She grinds her beak like my cockatiels do...I just love it! She also leans left when she sleeps.

I forgot to mention too...that Lisa rescued Chihuahua's...she had like 15 of them when I went to pick up DeRita, they were yapping and freaking out when I showed up. I noticed today that DeRita a few times makes a sound exactly like two dogs having a tiff or snapping at each other then she jerks her head and acts like she is going to attack her wing or foot. She doesn't appear to hurt herself, she just replicates the sound and noise of a crabby chihuahua putting another in it's place.

It's funny to watch her really, but I am trying to discourage it because I am not sure if that is a pre-curser for her plucking. Infact, I'm wondering if all those dogs is a reason why she never got better at Lisa's house.

I think I am seeing some fine feather hairs growing in on her stomach area already. I haven't seen her actively pluck herself yet...so I am encouraged!

Have a fantabulous day all!

Toni

 

[RavensGryf]

Crossing fingers that in DeRita's case, the plucking is an easy fix! I'm glad you're thrilled with her. Your excitement is contagious Toni!