I think I regret my bird and idk what to do

[bigfellasdad]

I'm not in a position to offer advice but can I just say, after reading your story with Percival (love that name!) how brave and honest you have been in a very turbulent time, I do believe you have come to the correct decision and i'm sure all will agree with your adult approach to the situation.

So well done you, Percival im sure will be fine, and once life is better other opportunities will come. Are you still spending time at the sanctuary? To me that may be just what you need right now. Good luck
QQ, i know you said the sanctuary doesn't re-home birds, but does that rule also apply to you?

 

[Caitcultclassic]

The sanctuary is at capacity for right now for intake, also several hours away so I can’t easily get there. Also it’s run by an older couple and their family, so they have limited volunteers for the meantime to maintain health precautions. They had plans for expansions of outside aviaries this summer but it’s all a bust with the world right now.

I know it’s the right thing to do, but being an adult sucks sometimes

 

[GaleriaGila]

Wow.

If you are
1. Brave enough to reach out so honestly, and
2. Loving enough to want to do right by the bird, no matter what, then...

This will work out, one way or another, somehow.
Good luck, and BRAVO!

 

[MonicaMc]

Sorry to hear you are in such a difficult situation! You never know when you are quite ready to welcome another being into your life. When my previous dog and cat passed, it was months/years before I could get another. My neighbor thought my new dog was my old dog despite the fact they look nothing alike.... they're both happy go lucky, like coming up to the fence to greet people, "about" the same size. My last pup was an akita mix, off-white/cream colored short coat with tan/orange spots/blotches. My current pup is a silver grey/wolf grey husky with medium length fur.

I have occasionally caught myself calling my new pup by my old pup's name.... probably doesn't help that my last pup was Kodi and the husky is Kai. I had Kodi since he was a pup and he passed at nearly 13 years old. Kai I've had since he was just shy of 4 years old. He's 5 now. Kai had several names prior to me, due to having at least 4 different homes and each home called him something different.... didn't like any of his previous names (per-say), so I had to come up with something new.




I know that someday I'd *love* to have a bird like Percival! Unfortunately, I do not have room to set up a cage for a galah... I have a 32x23 cage currently sitting empty... it is my conure's cage. He's currently in my 5' x 5' aviary with my other birds. (not recommended, not ideal, short on space atm...)


Do you think you could keep Percy for a little longer and work on you? Work on your mental health? Speak with a therapist if you are capable of doing so? And try to get a plan together for your future? Then decide if Percy could fit into your life?

Ideally, it may help to have someone foster him for you, which is a lot to ask of anyone... but may help to get your mind straight if there's one less thing you need to worry about. If you don't have anyone who can watch him, even if temporarily, then it's a bit tougher.

 

[Caitcultclassic]

Yes, since I’m now at my parents house we are working together on this. My parents and I have decided it’s best for me to find a therapist and try for a month or so to see how things are going and work it out that way. My avian vet is also in the loop, and we are going to work towards the best solution.

I am just afraid that in this house we will have to trim a few flight feathers :/. I’m normally against it, but he is already getting himself into trouble and the base line of trust isn’t strong enough for consistent recall training. This is what is safest for him at this time, and also takes him off the cats radar (they are only interested when he is doing his circles). It also means I have to rearrange his area to promote walking/climbing exercise because galahs are prone to getting fat easily.

All of your support has also helped me greatly, thank you all so much ��.

I do have one question I can’t find an answer for—he falls over (on purpose I think) but I don’t know if it’s for fun or something to be worried about. He like leans forward and flips over, sometimes just rolling, and gets back up, he doesn’t have any balance issues that I can tell, but since my last bird died of a seizure it really freaks me out seeing him do it. It’s obviously not a seizure, and I do have a video of it I can post. I just can’t find anything else like it, and if I google it just comes up with ataxia.

 

[noodles123]

He falls while standing on the cage or on your fingers?

 

[MonicaMc]

At that young of an age, I honestly can't recommend clipping.... can you keep the cats separate while he's out? Can you work on training through the cage bars before letting him out?

In all honesty.... if you remove his flights, he's going to be in more danger from the cats as he'll have a harder time getting away from them as compared to if he remains flighted.


As for the falling thing... maybe he's just playing?

 

[Flboy]

Hi! I lost my Tango to a dog attack! Had he been unclipped, I think he would have had a better chance!
From what I picture, his flipping sounds like normal goofball antics!

 

[Caitcultclassic]

It’s on a flat surface, like the couch back, on a bed or down my chest. He probably is just being a super goofball, but just seeing him go on his back and stretch out his wings and flip around triggered major stress and anxiety.

The cats are a small problem, they can open doors—but they also have no interest in him unless he is in the air. It doesn’t help that I think he is instigating it (he is obviously swooping down towards them, not dive bombing, and back up). I really don’t get them sometimes. It’s been raining for about 2 weeks straight here so we had about four mice just running around in the kitchen past them. They did nothing!!! The mice were rescued and released farther away, but I just don’t get my cats sometimes.

Percy has also found places in the house that he can get to that we can’t reach, and we can’t really bird proof those areas at the time. And when a bird finds something he knows he shouldn’t do you just know he is going to do it ��. He does eventually return to me, but it’s on his own terms right now.

It’s also something my parents have stated as needing to happen if I’m going to be staying here with them.

 

[noodles123]

It’s on a flat surface, like the couch back, on a bed or down my chest. He probably is just being a super goofball, but just seeing him go on his back and stretch out his wings and flip around triggered major stress and anxiety.

The cats are a small problem, they can open doors–but they also have no interest in him unless he is in the air. It doesn’t help that I think he is instigating it (he is obviously swooping down towards them, not dive bombing, and back up). I really don’t get them sometimes. It’s been raining for about 2 weeks straight here so we had about four mice just running around in the kitchen past them. They did nothing!!! The mice were rescued and released farther away, but I just don’t get my cats sometimes.

Percy has also found places in the house that he can get to that we can’t reach, and we can’t really bird proof those areas at the time. And when a bird finds something he knows he shouldn’t do you just know he is going to do it ��. He does eventually return to me, but it’s on his own terms right now.

It’s also something my parents have stated as needing to happen if I’m going to be staying here with them.

I would get those things the slide over door knobs to prevent kids from turning them-- you have to squeeze and twist, otherwise, they just spin and the door won't open (assuming your doors latch properly and can't just be pushed open with brute force). Another thing to consider would be one of those mesh type nets that they use to keep mosquitoes out of people's homes when the door is open to possibly discourage your bird from flying out into the space where the cats might be...it might discourage them as well, but obviously either could get through it when the door was open.

 

[Ira7]

If he’s only going to be 13 weeks old, I suggest you suck it up a little and work with the bird.

You claim that you can’t take his neediness from you. Like that’s a problem you can’t deal with for a few months?

You’re looking for ways to throw away the best human-parrot bonding experience possible, because it’s inconvenient for the human.

 

[jeffer]

If he’s only going to be 13 weeks old, I suggest you suck it up a little and work with the bird.

You claim that you can’t take his neediness from you. Like that’s a problem you can’t deal with for a few months?

You’re looking for ways to throw away the best human-parrot bonding experience possible, because it’s inconvenient for the human.

The OP is going through a difficult bout of depression along with some unpredictable life changes. He is not throwing the bird away, he is trying to understand what would be in the bird's best interest. I applaud him for that.

Taking care of the needs of a baby parrot is hard, with depression it is quite overwhelming.

 

[noodles123]

If he’s only going to be 13 weeks old, I suggest you suck it up a little and work with the bird.

You claim that you can’t take his neediness from you. Like that’s a problem you can’t deal with for a few months?

You’re looking for ways to throw away the best human-parrot bonding experience possible, because it’s inconvenient for the human.

The OP is going through a difficult bout of depression along with some unpredictable life changes. He is not throwing the bird away, he is trying to understand what would be in the bird's best interest. I applaud him for that.

Taking care of the needs of a baby parrot is hard, with depression it is quite overwhelming.

It's not a good experience for everyone-- especially if you aren't mentally or physically prepared. The fact that he acknowledges that he isn't sure does make him a heck of a lot smarter than those who are oblivious to the fact that are not ready, but I do think we have to cut OP a heck of a lot of slack and high five him for his honesty and introspection.

 

[saxguy64]

Well said noodles and jeffer. While it's not a great situation, it is what it is, and the OP is trying to do their best to deal with it a while keeping the best interest of the bird in mind. That's the important thing here. It serves no purpose to make the situation more difficult. Let's lend a bit of support for someone trying to do the right thing.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Caitcultclassic]

First of all, thank you to everyone else.
Second of all, judgmental posts like that are exactly why many bird owners have to preface there posts with something like “be nice please” or “I was scared to post”

This is 100% me, and each day it’s getting better. You don’t understand how textbook prepared I was for this bird (save for the areas of the house we didn’t even know would be a problem). I had a vet appointment lined up before I got him, I had spent near thousands (when I had the money to) on the best cage set up/toys/food and replacing my families cookware with everything non-stick. I saved for years for him, and was evening planning on getting a second bird around this time even when my Quaker was alive. You don’t understand how much I wanted to love this bird dearly, and each day is different. So please don’t think I’m dismissing him, I’m not lessening the care or the affection he gets. I still ply music and dance with him when I feel like being balled up in a corner, I still make sure he gets the best chop when I want to either eat nothing or only junk. I still ensure that he can make several laps each hour flying down my hallway and back while I’m attempting to lock the naughty cats in a room. It’s all 100% me and, despite what I am doing, if that love is hollow or I can’t continue this care due to my financial changes with an uncertain future it’s necessary for me to figure out what is best for him.

There is also a difference between being tired of neediness and being stressed over being able to provide proper care.

As for the door locks, we have the long handles that you press down—I’ll look around to see if any will fit those. I’m attempting to lock them in rooms and keeping it closed with my body/chair/broom and it’s just not the best lol

 

[noodles123]

If they are pushing or pulling them open, this is pretty cool

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJO6-ZK2lI"]Baby Proof with the Door Top Lock - YouTube[/ame] <--can be used by shorter people w/ the cord extension

 

[GaleriaGila]

CCC, I already applauded your bravery and sincerity in bringing this matter to us, and I will repeat it!
This thread is a great venue to discuss some very important issues.
I thank you!

 

[bigfellasdad]

The only experience of mental bad health is through work and my x wife's post natal issues. Both over come with help and both not permanent as long as the signs are recognised and dealt with.... like all lifes problems I've met. Stay positive...

 

[bigfellasdad]

I'm probably talking bollox, but recently I've found enzo to be something I need to be strong for recently. Strangely more so than my 2 boys who are in a good place at present. I'm on my own during lick down which hasn't helped

 

[Caitcultclassic]

So it seems Percy and my father (and kind of my mom) have bonded extremely well. I’m going to primarily take care of him while I teach them about bird care and best practices. Also get them involved in training.

This was an outcome I didn’t expect. My dad hated my last bird, and now he is smitten. I suppose this is also for the best, because it turns out the countries I’d mostly likely be moving to (Australia or Korea) does not allow their entry, or the spaces of apartments are extremely small and don’t allow pets.