new rescue in very rusty cage

[brianlinkles]

I have a rescue lca at my home. She is very overweight and also feels very weak when she has sat on my hand. I have been trying to research and as many of you know have been asking lots of questions, thanks by the way for being so patient and helpful! I started thinking about all the reasons for her weakness (she is going to vet tomorro) I am now wondering if being in this very rusty cage could be the problem. My husband and I went and looked at cages for her yesterday however I don't want to buy one until we decide if she will be staying with us. I did scrub the cage very well when we got her home but it is indeed rusty. I cannot find very much info on the effect of rust on birds. I am assuming that she has been in the enviroment for a very long time. The cage looks old as the hills. I don't even see cages like this anymore. I is gold, kind of brass looking and then rusty. Thanks in advance!

 

[mtdoramike]

tHE FIRST THING TO DO IS GET THIS BIRD IN A BETTER CAGE and a vet visit ASAP! Rust can kill birds with long term exposure. If you can't afford a new cage, check Craigslist for your area or Ebay Classifieds. There are usually tons of used bird cages for sale. Just make sure and ask the owner if the cage has been kept outside, if the answer is yes, then move on to the next ad.

 

[brianlinkles]

Yes, I understand totally, the bird has an appt. at the vet tomorrow morning. Since we are waiting on that to decide whether she is going to be our bird I am waiting on purchasing her a new cage. I have chosen a cage at the bird store near us that I would get for her, she will probably be shocked since it is so much bigger than her cage. I am hoping that is will help with weight and defense of her territory to get her in a new cage. I am sure that she will be terrified of being in a new cage. Regardless of her staying with us, I will make sure she gets a new home. I just don't want to spend the amount of money the cage I picked out just to give her back the rescue. I am getting attached to her and the thought of her going back there just is heartbreaking however I have to be realistic, if she is terribly sick then I think it best not to continue. However as I am typing this the thought of that breaks my heart. I have to have faith that she is going to be alright, or at least not sick beyond our abilities to fix her.

 

[Spiritbird]

A rescue org. should be paying any medical bills you have. It could be metal poison.

 

[mele]

I hope everything turns out ok.
Keep us posted

 

[MikeyTN]

Here's the way I see fits, IF it was me, I get a cage regardless if the bird needs to go back to the rescue or not. Go to craigslist, there's good used cages on there all the time if you don't want to go out and spend money for a new one. I think about the bird's welfare first, IF your unable to provide that for the bird, why are you even doing the rescue? IF money was the issue that you feel you can not help the bird even if the vet tells you the bird is very sick, are you willing to take the money and the time to help the bird as much as you can? You'll be amazed by the love and care you give to the bird, they CAN recover!!!! I have a soft spot for sick animals as I have taken in countless sick animals and nurse them back to health. You MUST be dedicated to do this, IF not so, please do take the bird back to the rescue and let someone who can to do the work. The longer you wait, the more worse the condition can get for the poor baby that needed the care!!!!!

 

[mtdoramike]

Here's the way I see fits, IF it was me, I get a cage regardless if the bird needs to go back to the rescue or not. Go to craigslist, there's good used cages on there all the time if you don't want to go out and spend money for a new one. I think about the bird's welfare first, IF your unable to provide that for the bird, why are you even doing the rescue? IF money was the issue that you feel you can not help the bird even if the vet tells you the bird is very sick, are you willing to take the money and the time to help the bird as much as you can? You'll be amazed by the love and care you give to the bird, they CAN recover!!!! I have a soft spot for sick animals as I have taken in countless sick animals and nurse them back to health. You MUST be dedicated to do this, IF not so, please do take the bird back to the rescue and let someone who can to do the work. The longer you wait, the more worse the condition can get for the poor baby that needed the care!!!!!

Perfectly said. It's a shame that folks with big hearts get way over their heads when trying to help a rescued animal. Some times no matter how badly you feel, it's best for everyone including the animal to step away and allow someone else to take over.

 

[brianlinkles]

Here's the way I see fits, IF it was me, I get a cage regardless if the bird needs to go back to the rescue or not. Go to craigslist, there's good used cages on there all the time if you don't want to go out and spend money for a new one. I think about the bird's welfare first, IF your unable to provide that for the bird, why are you even doing the rescue? IF money was the issue that you feel you can not help the bird even if the vet tells you the bird is very sick, are you willing to take the money and the time to help the bird as much as you can? You'll be amazed by the love and care you give to the bird, they CAN recover!!!! I have a soft spot for sick animals as I have taken in countless sick animals and nurse them back to health. You MUST be dedicated to do this, IF not so, please do take the bird back to the rescue and let someone who can to do the work. The longer you wait, the more worse the condition can get for the poor baby that needed the care!!!!!

Perfectly said. It's a shame that folks with big hearts get way over their heads when trying to help a rescued animal. Some times no matter how badly you feel, it's best for everyone including the animal to step away and allow someone else to take over.

Wow! I do have to say as much as I have enjoyed and appreciated all of the wonderful help here I am a bit sad at these responses. I am only waiting to see if she will be staying with us. If she is then the cage that I am choosing is large and is expensive, if she is not going to be staying with us then (as I stated above) I will be getting her a new cage however it will be a more modest home (still much bigger than her current cage) I have been involved in dog rescue for years and pride myself on the care and love that myself and my family give our pets. I have as expressed on previous posts wanted a parrot since I was 24 (I am 50 now) money is not the issue here we are very capable of taking good care of her. I have posted before that I was about to purchase a hahns baby (or a cog) I was leaning towards the hahns. It just happened that I wandered into a rescue last Sunday and there sat our current rescue that had just come to the rescue the day before. The rescue is not clean and my heart went out to this 15 year old lca. I visited her all week, brought her healthy foods and felt like I might want to adopt her as opposed to the baby we were planning on. My children keep telling me that she deserves a second chance at a loving home. I feel this way as well, and surprisingly my husband is really bonding with her. He has never been around birds and I thought that he would be a hard sell on this. I am however a realist and find that adopting a parrot with issues may be out of my realm of knowledge. I am a reader (have bought two books since aquiring her) and a researcher. Everyone here has been extrememly helpful. So I guess I am sad because I feel very judged right now, please dont take this wrong but I have scrubbed out this cage within an inch of its life so that she would not be ingesting as much of the rust. I am just waiting until this morning when she goes to the vet to decide do I go for the very expensive cage (I am an interior designer and I am sure I will here about this but it is important to me that the cage goes in our home) or a more modest but safe home to return her in. That said, the thought of returning her breaks my heart. Trust me I love and enjoy being on forums and do not want to sound snarky just hurt a little. I do appreciate your enthusiasm for birds however.

 

[merlinsmom13]

I think you are doing great. Rescues take a little extra effort, but I think the birds are worth it. Of all of the amazons, the LCA are the gentlest, I think being a female will help too. But it is going to be difficult, & potentially heartbreaking if she has a major health problem. If you think this little girl has chosen you, go for it. The rusty cage does need to go, if you keep her or not. Good luck @ the vet.

 

[Abzeez]

If you choose to wait to decide what cage to get, I say another week in the rusty cage isn't going to cause anymore damage then the many years the parrot has been in the cage already, but I wouldn't wait to long. I am glad this parrot found you.

 

[Molcan2]

Try not to take comments too personal. However the 'rescue' that you got her from doesn't sound very reputable and I would be very concerned about sending her back to that particular place. If it were me, I would take the bird on, if it doesn't work then I would find her a proper loving home on my own. A reputable rescue has all the birds they acquire vetted upon entry. Their not going to see that the bird has a problem, not take care of it and then keep it in an inappropriate cage. The whole idea of a rescue is to take the bird out of an improper environment and get the bird back to its ideal state. No reputable rescue would keep the bird in a rusty cage, never get blood work done, and tell you 'oh shes overweight and we still feed her seed.' A proper rescue is going to do what it needs to do to get the bird healthy. Also a proper rescue would NEVER re-home a bird that doesn't have a clean bill of health (unless there is some stipulation that the potential adopter is aware of - i.e. on going problem thats currently being treated, some type of permanent health issue etc.). Is the rescue you went to an actual rescue? It sounds like the birds they have for 'adoption' need to be rescued still. It sounds like a very shady place and I personally wouldn't feel comfortable returning a bird back to that situation, it doesn't sound like they have the birds best interest at heart (otherwise the bird would have already been vetted and would be in a proper cage).

 

[brianlinkles]

If you choose to wait to decide what cage to get, I say another week in the rusty cage isn't going to cause anymore damage then the many years the parrot has been in the cage already, but I wouldn't wait to long. I am glad this parrot found you.

Thank you! The bird farm/store by us that is just gorgeous (where we were going to get the baby) is open today (they only open three days a week to the public) I am waiting to hear what the vet says and then we are on our way to get the cage! I feel a little funny about going there and telling them that we have decided on a rescue. I know that I discussed her with them when we looked at cages on Saturday and they are very, very leary of rescues. I know that they see these situations go very wrong all starting with good intentions. They are very knowledgeable people but I think they feel like I am making a mistake. (they have waiting lists for their babies so it isn't that we are not buying from them) Well I am about to make my list of questions for the vet and then off we are to the vet! Once again I will be doing something to poor Kiwi that she hates! I hope someday she forgives me! (this is as close as I can get to a bird that looks like her!!)lol

 

[brianlinkles]

Try not to take comments too personal. However the 'rescue' that you got her from doesn't sound very reputable and I would be very concerned about sending her back to that particular place. If it were me, I would take the bird on, if it doesn't work then I would find her a proper loving home on my own. A reputable rescue has all the birds they acquire vetted upon entry. Their not going to see that the bird has a problem, not take care of it and then keep it in an inappropriate cage. The whole idea of a rescue is to take the bird out of an improper environment and get the bird back to its ideal state. No reputable rescue would keep the bird in a rusty cage, never get blood work done, and tell you 'oh shes overweight and we still feed her seed.' A proper rescue is going to do what it needs to do to get the bird healthy. Also a proper rescue would NEVER re-home a bird that doesn't have a clean bill of health (unless there is some stipulation that the potential adopter is aware of - i.e. on going problem thats currently being treated, some type of permanent health issue etc.). Is the rescue you went to an actual rescue? It sounds like the birds they have for 'adoption' need to be rescued still. It sounds like a very shady place and I personally wouldn't feel comfortable returning a bird back to that situation, it doesn't sound like they have the birds best interest at heart (otherwise the bird would have already been vetted and would be in a proper cage).

I could not agree with you more! This is why I swore that I would never go back to this rescue but for some reason last Sunday I found myself walking in there. I keep thinking that it was meant to be. Not only is she in a rusty cage, she hasn't been to the vet, I had to give them a non-refundable $100 to keep her over the weekend (her total rescue fee is $450) This is why I am sure she will find her home with us. The carrier I brought her home in/that I have to return was filthy. I took it apart and scrubbed it. The cage was filthy, I scrubbed it and the bird was dirty, I didn't scrub her but would have liked to!! I am sure everyone thinks that I am crazy but my heart is breaking for her!

 

[Molcan2]

Everyone is going to have their own opinion about rescuing. The bird farm/store is going to be leery about you getting a rescue because they want to sell you a baby. They don't make a profit by you getting your bird from someone else. Also individual people who don't feel that they themselves can take on a rescue (or who don't like the idea of not 'raising' it) are going to dissuade you from doing it because they think that it is feeble to even try. Rescuing is very rewarding. There is an over abundance of parrots because everyone wants a baby, then the bird either outlives the owner or the owner looses interest. There is nothing wrong with providing a home to a bird that would of otherwise still be sitting in a dirty, rusty cage, and continuing to eat an improper diet. If you ever feel like you have gotten in over your head, that you feel like you've hit a wall, well there are other options. You could always consult a behaviorist (there are bird trainers that come into peoples homes and will work with you and your bird) or someone else with rescuing experience. Rescuing is the most rewarding thing you can do. If you feel like you want to take on that responsibility, then by all means do it. Anyone who is leery of you rescuing you can remind them that they are not the ones taking it on, you are. At the end of the day it is you taking care of the bird, not the people who feel that they are incapable of doing so.

 

[Molcan2]

Also if the rescue is in the conditions that you describe it to be in, then I would report them and see if something can be done. I know, that I personally can't hand a animal back over knowing that its not going back to an ideal situation. Prepare yourself, she will more than likely have some imbalance or health issue. You will more than likely have something wrong with this bird that will require treatment. If she is sent back, I highly doubt they would even treat her for her problems. If they don't care enough establish that she is healthy, then they probably are not going to treat properly and less likely that they are going to repeat blood work to make sure that the treatment is working. It is expensive to rescue properly - there is no profit and usually more money goes into the bird than what you will get back. Its done for the love of the bird and has a spare no expense mentality, otherwise the bird suffers.

 

[henpecked]

Hey Brianlinkles,this is a public form and no mater what you do you won't make every one happy.Don't stress about it.I 've given up on trying to save the world and just throw my best advice out there.I can find no fault in any of your actions and support you 100%. See what the vet and his test tell you and make the best decisions for YOU and the bird. PS please keep us filled in no matter the outcome.I would hate to see you lose this valuable resource over a few misguided comments.I for one am not a favorite person on here because I'm a breeder,so i put my thick skin on before getting on the computer and try to help people with their companion birds, my goal is to break the cycle of rehoming,rehoming and although it might become necessary to take the bird back,let's cross that bridge when we get to it.

 

[MikeyTN]

Here's the way I see fits, IF it was me, I get a cage regardless if the bird needs to go back to the rescue or not. Go to craigslist, there's good used cages on there all the time if you don't want to go out and spend money for a new one. I think about the bird's welfare first, IF your unable to provide that for the bird, why are you even doing the rescue? IF money was the issue that you feel you can not help the bird even if the vet tells you the bird is very sick, are you willing to take the money and the time to help the bird as much as you can? You'll be amazed by the love and care you give to the bird, they CAN recover!!!! I have a soft spot for sick animals as I have taken in countless sick animals and nurse them back to health. You MUST be dedicated to do this, IF not so, please do take the bird back to the rescue and let someone who can to do the work. The longer you wait, the more worse the condition can get for the poor baby that needed the care!!!!!

Perfectly said. It's a shame that folks with big hearts get way over their heads when trying to help a rescued animal. Some times no matter how badly you feel, it's best for everyone including the animal to step away and allow someone else to take over.

Wow! I do have to say as much as I have enjoyed and appreciated all of the wonderful help here I am a bit sad at these responses. I am only waiting to see if she will be staying with us. If she is then the cage that I am choosing is large and is expensive, if she is not going to be staying with us then (as I stated above) I will be getting her a new cage however it will be a more modest home (still much bigger than her current cage) I have been involved in dog rescue for years and pride myself on the care and love that myself and my family give our pets. I have as expressed on previous posts wanted a parrot since I was 24 (I am 50 now) money is not the issue here we are very capable of taking good care of her. I have posted before that I was about to purchase a hahns baby (or a cog) I was leaning towards the hahns. It just happened that I wandered into a rescue last Sunday and there sat our current rescue that had just come to the rescue the day before. The rescue is not clean and my heart went out to this 15 year old lca. I visited her all week, brought her healthy foods and felt like I might want to adopt her as opposed to the baby we were planning on. My children keep telling me that she deserves a second chance at a loving home. I feel this way as well, and surprisingly my husband is really bonding with her. He has never been around birds and I thought that he would be a hard sell on this. I am however a realist and find that adopting a parrot with issues may be out of my realm of knowledge. I am a reader (have bought two books since aquiring her) and a researcher. Everyone here has been extrememly helpful. So I guess I am sad because I feel very judged right now, please dont take this wrong but I have scrubbed out this cage within an inch of its life so that she would not be ingesting as much of the rust. I am just waiting until this morning when she goes to the vet to decide do I go for the very expensive cage (I am an interior designer and I am sure I will here about this but it is important to me that the cage goes in our home) or a more modest but safe home to return her in. That said, the thought of returning her breaks my heart. Trust me I love and enjoy being on forums and do not want to sound snarky just hurt a little. I do appreciate your enthusiasm for birds however.

I didn't want to come out to be mean about it, but I was upfront and honest with what I believe in.

None of the birds I own, except two were planned!!!! 2 Canaries were given to me by a friend, 2 Parakeets I rescued from outside during winter time, 1 Parakeet took off a lady who couldn't care for him anymore, 6 Cockatiels from homes that were allergic to them (I re-homed two to a friend's mom who wanted Cockatiels badly, they're spoiled rotten, especially now when her husband just passed away, she talks to them all the time now), 1 Blue & Gold Macaw where the owners beg me to take him because I was the only person who he likes other then them, 1 Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoo whom it belong to a friend that kept her in poor poor condition with feather plucking problem and he asked me to take her, she would of died the following week IF I hadn't take her, he was soldering in his garage and the fumes got into the house and killed his other two birds. Then down to my pair of Soloman Island Eclectus that my partner wanted for many years, they were the only ones I went looking for! So sometimes things just happen the way they do without planning.

At anytime you have doubts or regret, then don't do it. In order to do this, you must do it from your heart regardless the cost or the care that they need. I easily paid $1000 vet bill on a sick dog the first month I got him knowing he is sick. And cleaning up after him for a year with constantly diarrhea every so often isn't fun either, but I did it. Not many people would put up for it, but I did! I had to let him use bathroom away from the other dogs and I walk him on the leash constantly everyday, he had a contagious parasite. I give him multiple meds twice daily, with food cause he gets sick and throws up easily. I took on knowing he's sick and I did it from my heart. That's ONE of the many I've done it with. If you really do care for the poor baby, try to find it in your heart what he/she really needs. A used cage isn't that expensive, and a new cage isn't that much more. I bought a nice new cage for my ekkies for $300 because my friends knows the vendor that cut me a deal. I've seen great parrot cages for less then $300 on craigslist all the time, I'm sure there are some in your area or close to you.

 

[mtdoramike]

Try not to take comments too personal. However the 'rescue' that you got her from doesn't sound very reputable and I would be very concerned about sending her back to that particular place. If it were me, I would take the bird on, if it doesn't work then I would find her a proper loving home on my own. A reputable rescue has all the birds they acquire vetted upon entry. Their not going to see that the bird has a problem, not take care of it and then keep it in an inappropriate cage. The whole idea of a rescue is to take the bird out of an improper environment and get the bird back to its ideal state. No reputable rescue would keep the bird in a rusty cage, never get blood work done, and tell you 'oh shes overweight and we still feed her seed.' A proper rescue is going to do what it needs to do to get the bird healthy. Also a proper rescue would NEVER re-home a bird that doesn't have a clean bill of health (unless there is some stipulation that the potential adopter is aware of - i.e. on going problem thats currently being treated, some type of permanent health issue etc.). Is the rescue you went to an actual rescue? It sounds like the birds they have for 'adoption' need to be rescued still. It sounds like a very shady place and I personally wouldn't feel comfortable returning a bird back to that situation, it doesn't sound like they have the birds best interest at heart (otherwise the bird would have already been vetted and would be in a proper cage).

I could not agree with you more! This is why I swore that I would never go back to this rescue but for some reason last Sunday I found myself walking in there. I keep thinking that it was meant to be. Not only is she in a rusty cage, she hasn't been to the vet, I had to give them a non-refundable $100 to keep her over the weekend (her total rescue fee is $450) This is why I am sure she will find her home with us. The carrier I brought her home in/that I have to return was filthy. I took it apart and scrubbed it. The cage was filthy, I scrubbed it and the bird was dirty, I didn't scrub her but would have liked to!! I am sure everyone thinks that I am crazy but my heart is breaking for her!

I think it was meant to be. That is why you went back to that deplorable rescue. It sounds to me like they are more into making money than the best interest of the birds. This is why I'm not fond of rescue centers. I'm sure there are goods out there, but the few I have seen and heard of seem to be more interested in "DONATIONS" than the welfare of the birds. If they had just gotten the bird in, they should have given the bird to you since they hadn't spent a dime of this DONATION (and I use that term lightly) MONEY. But I don't want to come across and judgemental or chritical.

But I do applaud you for doing what ever you can for this bird and I hope it works out for you and you can keep her or him.

 

[mtdoramike]

Perfectly said. It's a shame that folks with big hearts get way over their heads when trying to help a rescued animal. Some times no matter how badly you feel, it's best for everyone including the animal to step away and allow someone else to take over.

Wow! I do have to say as much as I have enjoyed and appreciated all of the wonderful help here I am a bit sad at these responses. I am only waiting to see if she will be staying with us. If she is then the cage that I am choosing is large and is expensive, if she is not going to be staying with us then (as I stated above) I will be getting her a new cage however it will be a more modest home (still much bigger than her current cage) I have been involved in dog rescue for years and pride myself on the care and love that myself and my family give our pets. I have as expressed on previous posts wanted a parrot since I was 24 (I am 50 now) money is not the issue here we are very capable of taking good care of her. I have posted before that I was about to purchase a hahns baby (or a cog) I was leaning towards the hahns. It just happened that I wandered into a rescue last Sunday and there sat our current rescue that had just come to the rescue the day before. The rescue is not clean and my heart went out to this 15 year old lca. I visited her all week, brought her healthy foods and felt like I might want to adopt her as opposed to the baby we were planning on. My children keep telling me that she deserves a second chance at a loving home. I feel this way as well, and surprisingly my husband is really bonding with her. He has never been around birds and I thought that he would be a hard sell on this. I am however a realist and find that adopting a parrot with issues may be out of my realm of knowledge. I am a reader (have bought two books since aquiring her) and a researcher. Everyone here has been extrememly helpful. So I guess I am sad because I feel very judged right now, please dont take this wrong but I have scrubbed out this cage within an inch of its life so that she would not be ingesting as much of the rust. I am just waiting until this morning when she goes to the vet to decide do I go for the very expensive cage (I am an interior designer and I am sure I will here about this but it is important to me that the cage goes in our home) or a more modest but safe home to return her in. That said, the thought of returning her breaks my heart. Trust me I love and enjoy being on forums and do not want to sound snarky just hurt a little. I do appreciate your enthusiasm for birds however.

I didn't want to come out to be mean about it, but I was upfront and honest with what I believe in.

None of the birds I own, except two were planned!!!! 2 Canaries were given to me by a friend, 2 Parakeets I rescued from outside during winter time, 1 Parakeet took off a lady who couldn't care for him anymore, 6 Cockatiels from homes that were allergic to them (I re-homed two to a friend's mom who wanted Cockatiels badly, they're spoiled rotten, especially now when her husband just passed away, she talks to them all the time now), 1 Blue & Gold Macaw where the owners beg me to take him because I was the only person who he likes other then them, 1 Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoo whom it belong to a friend that kept her in poor poor condition with feather plucking problem and he asked me to take her, she would of died the following week IF I hadn't take her, he was soldering in his garage and the fumes got into the house and killed his other two birds. Then down to my pair of Soloman Island Eclectus that my partner wanted for many years, they were the only ones I went looking for! So sometimes things just happen the way they do without planning.

At anytime you have doubts or regret, then don't do it. In order to do this, you must do it from your heart regardless the cost or the care that they need. I easily paid $1000 vet bill on a sick dog the first month I got him knowing he is sick. And cleaning up after him for a year with constantly diarrhea every so often isn't fun either, but I did it. Not many people would put up for it, but I did! I had to let him use bathroom away from the other dogs and I walk him on the leash constantly everyday, he had a contagious parasite. I give him multiple meds twice daily, with food cause he gets sick and throws up easily. I took on knowing he's sick and I did it from my heart. That's ONE of the many I've done it with. If you really do care for the poor baby, try to find it in your heart what he/she really needs. A used cage isn't that expensive, and a new cage isn't that much more. I bought a nice new cage for my ekkies for $300 because my friends knows the vendor that cut me a deal. I've seen great parrot cages for less then $300 on craigslist all the time, I'm sure there are some in your area or close to you.

I know what you mean, I found a dog on the side of the road once that had been his by a car and just left there. That poor dog looked up at me as I passed by so I turned around and went back only to see this dog trying to get up and come over to me, but it's hips were crushed. I scooped him up and took him home and asked my wife to run him to the vet since she was off that day and I was late for work.

Long story short, the vet couldn't do anything for the dog. He suggested putting him to sleep, but when he found out we weren't the owners, he said that he couldn't even do that. After pleading with the vet, and paying him $150.00, he agreed to put the poor dog out of his misery. This was back in the middle 70's when $150.00 was almost twice what I made a week. It would probably equal $1500.00 today. Oh, might I add that she spent our rent money for this. So I had to go to the landlord and explain why we were going to be late on the rent. Fortunately she was a dog lover.

 

[brianlinkles]

Hi! I am so happy to report that Kiwi got a good bill of health! I had posted pic's of her swollen area around her crop on another thread, they actually took fluid out of it to see what it is. The vet said that it isn't an infection and usually (not always cancer cells will come out whole) These cells were not coming out whole (I hope I have it correct) He said it leads him to believe although he cannot be one hundred percent sure that it is a type of fatty tumor. I have made an appt. to bring her back in one month so he can check it further. He may have to remove it at some point however we dont want to distress her more than she already is. She was very, very good at the vets. She went over and hopped right on his hand. ( I think she really likes men) I spoke with my husband about everything and we decided that in the long run this rescue will be more expensive than the baby we originally planned for however that we are meant to have her, and her us. There was a reason that I went back to a place I swore I would never go to again on that Sunday. I just came back from getting her her new cage, you should have seen her investigating her big beautiful home! Then she came to the door and let me pick her right up! She has also been talking to my 14 year old daughter all night! I think she knows she is loved and she is home! I'm sure we will have lots more questions, thanks for all the help so far!