K.C.
New member
I am the unplanned (sort of) caretaker of what is either a Harlequin or Catalina macaw. I'm not experienced enough to tell which. We will call him "M" on here, since he's not technically mine. It's a long story if you're interested.
Last spring my husband and I decided we were finally ready for a family dog for our blended family. My oldest daughter's bio-dad is extremely competitive, and decided to outdo our family decision by buying our 12-year-old daughter "K" a parrot (when we got a cat, he got a dog, when we got a dog, he got a bird; I'm getting nothing else--he might get a giraffe next).
I thought it was a bad idea to throw a youth in at the deep end of the bird pool, but I have no control in his household. My only bird experience is from a my mother's parakeets in my childhood, and rescuing wild birds occasionally to take them to a wildlife rehab. My daughter has no prior experience.
"M" was 15 last spring, and this is what I know of his prior life: He was raised with a mate. His owners were an elderly couple. The female mate was the primary pet; M was the companion bird. The man died; his wife wanted only the female. M went through multiple owners in a very short time before he came to my daughter. He was stressed and terrified when she met him. She didn't know anything about birds, but is very instinctive when it comes to animals, and quickly made friends with him. M and K are now as bonded as I've ever seen a person and bird bond. He ADORES her. She is his person.
K started coming home very concerned about M in the fall. She said her dad would reprimand him for preening (Why?!) by slamming his hand onto a table to startle him. M has 1 toy and a large cage. Her dad uses water spray bottles for a punishment if M tries to bite. Then her dad took a job that makes him travel constantly, and since K's primary residence is my house and she's only at her dad's on weekends and 24 hours midweek, it all equalled a very depressed bird that sat in his cage quietly and quit caring for himself.
So, K started working on the idea that her dad would let M come with her here when he's out of town, but we still had no cage and no spare big bucks to shell out for one. Then, a ray of hope broke through, and my out-of-state sis offered a medium-sized parrot cage. It was too small for a large parrot, but the situation seemed too desperate to not try it until something else can be had.
We got the cage after an all night drive to and from Michigan. It was full of toys and gadgets! We in faith bought some parrot food and bigger perches at our local Petco. We put perches on the outside and took out the bottom of the cage to make plenty of "tail space." We got a small heater for my daughter's room to keep it a little warmer like the bird was used to.
K then crossed her fingers and called her on-the-road dad and asked if M could visit while he's out of town. He finally said yes!!! We went and got M. He was more stressed and bedraggled than I'd realized. I knew the transition was hard for him, but was too worried the alternative depression was going to kill him. It seemed a risk worth taking.
M spent 48 hours with us the first visit. After 24 hours his inner raucous macaw started showing. He roamed over the medium-sized cage like a jungle gym. We don't close the cage door. He goes in if he feels like it, but prefers the outside perches and whatever room my daughter is in. He started dancing and expressing delight and disdain for things. I never thought I'd be happy to see and hear a bird scold loudly when my daughter walks away, but at least he's making himself known and not sitting in a silent huddle! I much prefer the loud, crazy M!
My daughter got him to take his first shower since he's been hers! He LOVED IT! Since water has been used as a punishment, she felt such a sense of pride in getting him to enjoy it! She sat him on the shower rod and took her own shower. He observed and decided it looked pretty interesting, and after some initial scolds and fear, really climbed in and got a good soaking!
He came for another 48 hour visit, and is now on a 1-week visit! Yay! He's started eating regularly again, and enjoying making a giant mess in doing so. He loves to shred paper and make balls to throw on the floor. He's been busy dismantling the toys of the former parrot. He likes the Rio kids movies with birds and music. He likes rainforest sounds. He likes when my daughter does her schoolwork at her desk by his cage. He preens quietly and is looking magnificent! He's fixed all the ratty-looking feathers. We've got a rolling parrot gym ordered to give him an easier place to play wherever my daughter is. He's like a loud, grouchy toddler in the evenings insisting he's not tired and trying to prove it with lots of activity...until he crashes asleep.
There's so much to learn! Not going to lie, it's a little overwhelming. No, it's a LOT! There SO much information out there about parrots, but some of it is contradictory and some of his behaviours I've found nothing on.
Example: he does some type of display where he hangs off his cage by his beak only, fans his tail, and flutters his wings a bit. It almost looks show-offy? But I can find nothing on it. Is it bad to never close his cage? Are we creating something bad by not doing so? Is it mean to stop him from regurgitating to "feed" my daughter? She shifts his position to distract him when he starts. I know he means well, but no, she really doesn't want your smooshed bananas and nuts, Bud. Does he need a cover at night? He doesn't sleep inside the cage, but on top as near to my daughter as he can stand. Our parakeets years ago had a cover over the cage at night, and I worry he'll be cold.
Since I've always heard birds are 1-person pets, I'm a little distrustful of his seeming to like me. He extends a foot asking me to hold him anytime I'm near him. I usually don't comply because then I can't get him off me once he's on. I'm just worried he's luring me in to bite me, even though he never has. A macaw wasn't in my plans, so bear with me as I adjust to his magnificent, crazy self. I'm currently content to let him be K's baby, but do see the need to be able to care for him as a backup. Any good suggestions about reliable info sources are appreciated. This forum is my first reaching out to the bird community, but even this is overwhelming I admit. There's SO MUCH here! I'd like to know what his display means. There's lots more I could say, but this is a long introduction and a good place to start dipping my toe in for information.
Last spring my husband and I decided we were finally ready for a family dog for our blended family. My oldest daughter's bio-dad is extremely competitive, and decided to outdo our family decision by buying our 12-year-old daughter "K" a parrot (when we got a cat, he got a dog, when we got a dog, he got a bird; I'm getting nothing else--he might get a giraffe next).
I thought it was a bad idea to throw a youth in at the deep end of the bird pool, but I have no control in his household. My only bird experience is from a my mother's parakeets in my childhood, and rescuing wild birds occasionally to take them to a wildlife rehab. My daughter has no prior experience.
"M" was 15 last spring, and this is what I know of his prior life: He was raised with a mate. His owners were an elderly couple. The female mate was the primary pet; M was the companion bird. The man died; his wife wanted only the female. M went through multiple owners in a very short time before he came to my daughter. He was stressed and terrified when she met him. She didn't know anything about birds, but is very instinctive when it comes to animals, and quickly made friends with him. M and K are now as bonded as I've ever seen a person and bird bond. He ADORES her. She is his person.
K started coming home very concerned about M in the fall. She said her dad would reprimand him for preening (Why?!) by slamming his hand onto a table to startle him. M has 1 toy and a large cage. Her dad uses water spray bottles for a punishment if M tries to bite. Then her dad took a job that makes him travel constantly, and since K's primary residence is my house and she's only at her dad's on weekends and 24 hours midweek, it all equalled a very depressed bird that sat in his cage quietly and quit caring for himself.
So, K started working on the idea that her dad would let M come with her here when he's out of town, but we still had no cage and no spare big bucks to shell out for one. Then, a ray of hope broke through, and my out-of-state sis offered a medium-sized parrot cage. It was too small for a large parrot, but the situation seemed too desperate to not try it until something else can be had.
We got the cage after an all night drive to and from Michigan. It was full of toys and gadgets! We in faith bought some parrot food and bigger perches at our local Petco. We put perches on the outside and took out the bottom of the cage to make plenty of "tail space." We got a small heater for my daughter's room to keep it a little warmer like the bird was used to.
K then crossed her fingers and called her on-the-road dad and asked if M could visit while he's out of town. He finally said yes!!! We went and got M. He was more stressed and bedraggled than I'd realized. I knew the transition was hard for him, but was too worried the alternative depression was going to kill him. It seemed a risk worth taking.
M spent 48 hours with us the first visit. After 24 hours his inner raucous macaw started showing. He roamed over the medium-sized cage like a jungle gym. We don't close the cage door. He goes in if he feels like it, but prefers the outside perches and whatever room my daughter is in. He started dancing and expressing delight and disdain for things. I never thought I'd be happy to see and hear a bird scold loudly when my daughter walks away, but at least he's making himself known and not sitting in a silent huddle! I much prefer the loud, crazy M!
My daughter got him to take his first shower since he's been hers! He LOVED IT! Since water has been used as a punishment, she felt such a sense of pride in getting him to enjoy it! She sat him on the shower rod and took her own shower. He observed and decided it looked pretty interesting, and after some initial scolds and fear, really climbed in and got a good soaking!
He came for another 48 hour visit, and is now on a 1-week visit! Yay! He's started eating regularly again, and enjoying making a giant mess in doing so. He loves to shred paper and make balls to throw on the floor. He's been busy dismantling the toys of the former parrot. He likes the Rio kids movies with birds and music. He likes rainforest sounds. He likes when my daughter does her schoolwork at her desk by his cage. He preens quietly and is looking magnificent! He's fixed all the ratty-looking feathers. We've got a rolling parrot gym ordered to give him an easier place to play wherever my daughter is. He's like a loud, grouchy toddler in the evenings insisting he's not tired and trying to prove it with lots of activity...until he crashes asleep.
There's so much to learn! Not going to lie, it's a little overwhelming. No, it's a LOT! There SO much information out there about parrots, but some of it is contradictory and some of his behaviours I've found nothing on.
Example: he does some type of display where he hangs off his cage by his beak only, fans his tail, and flutters his wings a bit. It almost looks show-offy? But I can find nothing on it. Is it bad to never close his cage? Are we creating something bad by not doing so? Is it mean to stop him from regurgitating to "feed" my daughter? She shifts his position to distract him when he starts. I know he means well, but no, she really doesn't want your smooshed bananas and nuts, Bud. Does he need a cover at night? He doesn't sleep inside the cage, but on top as near to my daughter as he can stand. Our parakeets years ago had a cover over the cage at night, and I worry he'll be cold.
Since I've always heard birds are 1-person pets, I'm a little distrustful of his seeming to like me. He extends a foot asking me to hold him anytime I'm near him. I usually don't comply because then I can't get him off me once he's on. I'm just worried he's luring me in to bite me, even though he never has. A macaw wasn't in my plans, so bear with me as I adjust to his magnificent, crazy self. I'm currently content to let him be K's baby, but do see the need to be able to care for him as a backup. Any good suggestions about reliable info sources are appreciated. This forum is my first reaching out to the bird community, but even this is overwhelming I admit. There's SO MUCH here! I'd like to know what his display means. There's lots more I could say, but this is a long introduction and a good place to start dipping my toe in for information.