Help with rescuing my parrot

[verockstar]

Hello. This is a hard post to make, and probably to read as this is a forum for bird lovers. I too love birds, but this situation is beyond me and I'm turning everywhere for help and opinions.

When I was 7 (now 19), I've wanted a parrot. My parents got me one and... it's been really just neglected and abused, especially for past 5-6 years. She doesn't get let out of the cage at all, her cage is rarely cleaned, she hasn't been to a vet ONCE in her life, she's feral, she's being yelled at and chased in her own cage by objects that can stick through the cage whenever she yells or even just chirps to herself because NOBODY is giving her any attention except my mother few mins a day (that cage thankfully is rather big and gets fresh food and water daily, so there's that) and said cage has no toys at all and only one tiny stick on top, another one singular stick where bowls are. She doesn't even have a companion and she's left home alone for as much as 10 hours daily when everyone's gone to work/school.

I've been incredibly sad about this and it makes me feel awful that this poor, beautiful animal doesn't get the proper life it deserves. My dad, me and my brother all agree that we should not keep her. But in comes my mother...
She insisnts to keep her and screams at me whenever I say to give her away to a GOOD HOME. She insists on "no giving away pets like used toys", even though this bird is severely neglected and abused. And she is blaming ME for it, just because a 7 year old me wanted a bird - it's parent's responsibility to say "no", and if you absolutely want that pet, you have to know you'll be the one taking care of it in the end. A 7 year old isn't capable of that. That parrot is feral and hates everyone, only lets my mother pet her for a moment, through the cage's bars of course. She's never let out.

Nobody does anything around the bird, except for me. The thing is, my mother keeps saying it's my bird and my responsibility, but that's only the case when the cage needs cleaning and whatnot - when I want to give the poor thing proper chance at life and a good home, it is no longer my parrot, because "NO, I'M NOT GIVING HER AWAY." - only because my mother will feel bad about it later.

I'm so fed up with this and countless arguments that lead to nowhere. I researched on facilities that rescue unwanted and neglected parrots and I decided to text my dad (that is away abroad at work atm) about it. I will be sad to let her go, but I will be so much more happy knowing that she, the bird, gets a good home she deserves. I'm worried and aware that my mother will be angry and pissed at me, but I genuinely can't do that anymore.

Thank you for reading. I just wanted to let it all out somewhere where I won't be judged.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

You are an adult now and need to take control of this situation. Find a home for this poor creature and wait until you mother is out of the house and r

 

[verockstar]

Yeah, I've found a rescue rehabilitation place for parrots, I will be contacting them once my dad is back home in a couple of days.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Cont'd
Find your bird a new home, a rescue facility even, without discussing it with anyone and wait until mom is out of the house and remove the bird from the house to the new home. Your mother will get over it. The bird wont get over it if she isn't rehomed. Don't bother getting your father involved because what good would it do but complicate things? He's not around and your mother thinks she's in charge.

In the meantime, please clean the cage and give her some toys. Papertowel rolls are toys. Plastic bottle caps strung on a piece of twine are toys. Look around the house for small objects that are bird safe but destroyable. Baby human and dog and cat toys. Go to the dollar store and find baby and dog teething toys. Got to a pet store and buy her a few new natural wood perches. Spend $20 and this poor bird something to do in her cage. I have so many extra perches. I would send some to you but be can't post addresses.

Please stop all people including yourself from abusing your bird. Try to interact with your bird while searching for her new home. Talk to her and tell her you're sorry. Birds are intelligent creatures and will sense your sincerity. Maybe, just maybe, you can reconnect with her.

This sad story is the reason most children under 18 shouldn't be given birds. They're kids and kids lose interest in novelties like parrots. It's part of their normal development. Unless the parent really wants and is committed to loving and caring for a parrot, don't get parrots for your kids! And don't punish the kid who loses interest by punishing the bird by keeping but neglecting it. I hope things work out.

 

[verockstar]

Thing is that I do want my dad to help me with it as I'd need transport and I don't have a driving license nor a car; can't afford either, I'm from Europe as well so it's different than the states.

As for interacting, I do come everyday to her to 'chirp' with her and sometimes try petting her feet or head through the cage, I did clean the cage just yesterday too. She gets scrumbled tissue balls to play with but she seems not interested in these too much. I will try the bottle caps on a string toy and I'll get her branches from outside, she had them before but my mother took them out for cleaning and never did clean them.

I agree to never give a kid a bird. They require a lot of attention and care and children and teens often don't have that time or don't wish to give it. I don't have that much time myself but still do try to give that bird some of it. I'd let her out to fly, but even when I tried to do it and left the door wide open, she never left the cage. Did that when nobody was home, since she's not allowed to free flight because "she poops and destroys things" - hence why I want her to have a proper home. I wish I was able to provide her everything she needs. The fact I am not is incredibly depressing.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Keeping a TV on where she can watch and listen would help to entertain her when no one is around. Don't be discouraged if she doesn't play with whatever toys you provide her. Don't remove them! She's not used to toys so it can take quite a while. Just decorating her cage with toys and new perching spots will go a long way to keeping her environment stimulating. You wouldn't want to live in a bare white room with a small bed and two chairs, correct? Just because you don't play with your home decor doesn't mean it's a waste.

 

[verockstar]

Thank you for all the advice. I agree I wouldn't want a bare room. I didn't get rid of the paper towels unless she eventually tore them to pieces, so I think she got at least some stimulation out of it. Will start on getting her more perching and toys. I went to talk with her for a little while and gently pat her feet.

 

[bug_n_flock]

What kind of bird is she? Not that it matters *so* much, but a 12 year old budgie is different from a 12 year old macaw is different from a 12 year old dove etc

 

[DonnaBudgie]

She's says it's a "parrot" so I assume it's bigger than a budgie or a tiel. I'm thinking IRN?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

She posted it under Indian Ringnecks so that's how I got that assumption.

 

[verockstar]

What kind of bird is she? Not that it matters *so* much, but a 12 year old budgie is different from a 12 year old macaw is different from a 12 year old dove etc

It is a yellow indian ringneck female, hence why I posted here!

As a little update, I got her new perches that are just natural branches from outdoors; no bugs, made sure it’s safe. It’s late but I’m looking into fun toy ideas I can make at home for the cage.

 

[LaManuka]

It is a yellow indian ringneck female, hence why I posted here!

As a little update, I got her new perches that are just natural branches from outdoors; no bugs, made sure it’s safe. It’s late but I’m looking into fun toy ideas I can make at home for the cage.

Welcome to the forums, @verockstar. You are correct, your posts make for confronting reading for a forum full of bird lovers, but you will face no judgement here because that's not what we do. In posting here your story may help others come to the same realization that you have, that your bird is a soulful, intelligent and emotional creature who needs and deserves the best life we can possibly give them, whether under their present roof or elsewhere. You are to be applauded for making positive changes to your bird's life just in the short time since you got here! And although your mother is being unreasonable and obstinate, your bird (whose name I don't believe you've mentioned yet) does consider your home to be her home too, and as an adult you do have the power to make it a better one, and I'm so glad that's what you're doing now. Nothing can be done about what happened in this bird's past, but today and with every coming day you have the chance to improve this bird's future, and I hope you will seize the opportunity to do that, either by rehoming her or taking the advice from the good people here and improving on the life she has with you. I wish you and your beautiful bird all the very best, and I'm glad you found us

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Thank you for all the advice. I agree I wouldn't want a bare room. I didn't get rid of the paper towels unless she eventually tore them to pieces, so I think she got at least some stimulation out of it. Will start on getting her more perching and toys. I went to talk with her for a little while and gently pat her feet.

Many parrots like nothing more than to tear things like paper towels apart, edpwciall6 female parrots that excavate tree cavities to nest in. It's fun for them and they need stimulating fun activities to keep them emotionally healthy. My budgies act like I've given them an amazing gift when I give them something simple to destroy. She will love it if you give her a toilet paper roll with several feet of TP left on it. Push the almost empty roll onto a perch and watch her have fun with it.

 

[bug_n_flock]

I'm on mobile and clicked in from the recent threads thingie on the main page so didn't see that you had posted in ringnecks sorry about that!

Yes, what LaManuka said!

To paraphrase Maya Angelou I believe, "do the best you can till you know better, then do that"

 

[verockstar]

Welcome to the forums, @verockstar. You are correct, your posts make for confronting reading for a forum full of bird lovers, but you will face no judgement here because that's not what we do. In posting here your story may help others come to the same realization that you have, that your bird is a soulful, intelligent and emotional creature who needs and deserves the best life we can possibly give them, whether under their present roof or elsewhere. You are to be applauded for making positive changes to your bird's life just in the short time since you got here! And although your mother is being unreasonable and obstinate, your bird (whose name I don't believe you've mentioned yet) does consider your home to be her home too, and as an adult you do have the power to make it a better one, and I'm so glad that's what you're doing now. Nothing can be done about what happened in this bird's past, but today and with every coming day you have the chance to improve this bird's future, and I hope you will seize the opportunity to do that, either by rehoming her or taking the advice from the good people here and improving on the life she has with you. I wish you and your beautiful bird all the very best, and I'm glad you found us

Thank you so much for such kind words. It made me feel so much better and filled me with hope I have lacked before coming here. The new perches are up in her cage, as well as a toy I made for her! I couldn't put the perches high where she likes to sit on one tiny perch-nub and couldn't put the toy up on the ceiling since she's feral and was attempting to attack me each time I tried to do so, so I put them in the middle where her bowls are and hanged the toy on these - not sure if she'll like it, but she's staring at it from above! Her name is Roxi

The toy I made is from cardboard, paper towels and parchment paper since it's crinkly and birds enjoy noisy toys; so I read. The thread is safe for the birdy too. I ran out of cardboard to make it longer, but when I get more, I will make more toys for her.

Again, thank you so much!

 

[verockstar]

Many parrots like nothing more than to tear things like paper towels apart, edpwciall6 female parrots that excavate tree cavities to nest in. It's fun for them and they need stimulating fun activities to keep them emotionally healthy. My budgies act like I've given them an amazing gift when I give them something simple to destroy. She will love it if you give her a toilet paper roll with several feet of TP left on it. Push the almost empty roll onto a perch and watch her have fun with it.

I will definitely try that. We just almost finished one of the TP rolls, so this'll be perfect. I've also seen people make toys that are 'coin wrappers' - whatever that is, never heard of it, LOL - filled with bird treats and paper!