Bree the Pineapple Green Cheek Conure! California

[chloe.millar]

This is an incredibly difficult post to make, and it has taken years to come to this decision.

I’ve posted in this forum multiple times requesting advice on if I’m the best home for my green cheek conure. I got Bree when I was 14 (currently 19) and I wasn’t able to truly grasp what I was getting myself into. I did extensive research for months before adopting her, and I really thought that I was a parrot person. I went through some intense mental health issues a couple of months after getting her, and my mother gave her away. My mother continued to give my parrot away as a punishment, and I was officially reunited with her at age 16 when I moved out And got legally emancipated. I was determined to keep her, and I have! She rented with me, lived with my adoptive family and I, and most recently, she’s lived with me at college.

Now, I’m going into my final year at UCLA and I’ve finally came to my personal conclusion that parrot ownership unfortunately isn’t right for me. I absolutely adore and love Bree, however, I have Autism Spectrum Disorder, something I wasn’t diagnosed with until after getting her. I can’t go into my room after school because I can’t handle the noise. My roommates also dislike the noise, which makes me incredibly anxious. I have a busy schedule, and I will continue to have a busy schedule. She isn’t getting the training or attention she deserves, and I’m struggling to function/decompress in my home environment. I am constantly guilt-ridden surrounding the amount of attention she gets. I’m going to be in school with very little money for at least the next 5 years, and I plan to move abroad.

The point - I’m looking for a new home for Bree! My only ask is that you already have a parrot, or you’ve had a parrot in the past. My dream is to get Bree a companion, however, it isn’t in the books for me anytime soon. I currently live in Los Angeles, I’m willing to drive her anywhere in California. If you live further, let’s talk more about logistics.

About Bree - My vet told me that Bree is one of the most rambunctious green cheek conures she’s ever met. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a sweetheart. That being said, she’s not the world’s easiest bird. She is quite temperamental (per the species) and most definitely has a nipping problem. She was hand-fed, and she is step-up trained. (Depends on her mood though.) She is on a primarily pelleted diet. If seems like her hormonal issues have never completely subsided at about 5 years old, which I believe is where her aggression comes from. My vet suspects she’s actually a male. She’s a pretty typical green cheek conure, but I really want to make sure you know what you’re walking into. I want her next home to be her last. Positively, she doesn’t seem to be easily stressed. She loves meeting new people, travels extremely well, and obviously bounced between homes without notable detriments. I am looking for: 1.) someone who can spend loads of time with her, she deserves it OR 2.) someone who can provide her a companion bird.

If this sounds like you, please let me know. Feel free to send this post along to anyone you know who could be a good fit. I’m not in any kind of rush, I want her to go to her forever home. If you’ve gotten this far, thank you so much for reading.

 

[PrimorandMoxi]

Oh good luck to you and in finding the best home for Bree.

Do brilliant in school, finding something you love to do that will never feel like work.

 

[hiriki]

I'm in Illinois, so I can't be Bree's forever home, but I wanted to say good luck! I completely understand your reasoning. The constant noise in my home is something that I barely notice anymore--but my sister has ASD, as well as one of my wife's friends, and it seems like even a moment in the room with the birds sends them into overload. There's certainly also NT people who struggle with parrot noise, but sensory overload is something unique. I have adhd, which is also associated with sensory overload, and luckily the parrots don't set it off for me but I've experienced it in crowds and with certain textures.

Anyway, that rambling was just to say that I totally get you. It's clear that you love Bree, but your mental health is not compatible with a shared life with Bree. I'm glad you were able to come to this decision and I hope it doesn't come with too much guilt. You're doing the right thing.

 

[chloe.millar]

I'm in Illinois, so I can't be Bree's forever home, but I wanted to say good luck! I completely understand your reasoning. The constant noise in my home is something that I barely notice anymore--but my sister has ASD, as well as one of my wife's friends, and it seems like even a moment in the room with the birds sends them into overload. There's certainly also NT people who struggle with parrot noise, but sensory overload is something unique. I have adhd, which is also associated with sensory overload, and luckily the parrots don't set it off for me but I've experienced it in crowds and with certain textures.

Anyway, that rambling was just to say that I totally get you. It's clear that you love Bree, but your mental health is not compatible with a shared life with Bree. I'm glad you were able to come to this decision and I hope it doesn't come with too much guilt. You're doing the right thing.

Thank you for understanding! I really wish that the noise was something I could learn to cope with, however, as you mentioned, it isn’t possible for everyone.

 

[hiriki]

Depending on whether you get any positive hits in this thread, you may also want to call around to shelters in your area and offer to foster if they put Bree up for adoption through their organization.

This organization posts their birds on pet finder which means Bree will reach many more eyes! https://www.califidparrotandexotic.com/

The nice thing about going thru an organization is that they do the background checks for you. I love the people on this forum but if someone from the forum said they wanted to adopt Bree, you probably wouldn't ask for video of their home or pics of the cage... rescues usually do ask for those things. Like I said I'm not in cali so i've never used the above organization and I can't speak for them but if you send them an email I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you their adopter selection process.