I have so been looking forward to this kind of Forum for the Stories of the Amazons who over the years have blessed our life. Their Stories are the foundation of my Thread in the Amazon Forum, Titled: I Love Amazons.
I must say that I am very concern that this first Story may not be the best choice for my first Story and/or an early Story for this specific Forum. To that point, I would like to recommend that If you have not read my Thread in the Amazon Forum. It would be a very good idea to read it first and also after reading this First Story, Please reread, I Love Amazons.
Oliver's Story is that of a Joyful Amazon. I recommend reading it with a Loved One close at hand!
Oliver’s Story!
Author: Steven, SailBoat October 29, 2016
Oliver, a 37 year old, male Yellow Nape Amazon (YNA) had a truly wonderful life. He entered this World parented, in addition to abundantly hand weaned and fledged by his Breeder.
His new family, first meet him when he was in the final month of fledging. He made it though puberty without loosing his family - apparently they had other mid to large Parrots before and knew of the events of the ‘Right of Passage’ from juvenile to adulthood. For a bit more than 25 years he lived well in his family. Sadly, his aging Humans (parronts) had come to a point that they could little care for themselves, let alone Oliver.
Oliver’s second family was a newly married, young couple that had been neighbors of his for about eight months. With near daily interactions they accepted the offer of becoming Oliver’s new family. Oliver, a well socialized Amazon, fit in well with the active life of this young couple. He took great joy in their travels visiting extended family and friends. As with most Amazons, he loved to ride in the car and greeted near everyone with a cross-section of both Human and Amazon speak. Oliver truly loved to meet People and entertaining was his Claim to Fame.
In his 37th year, his family was expecting a new member and Oliver’s life was about to go seriously wrong. The Doctor was pushing strongly that the Parrot would be dangerous to the baby and should be removed from their home. Both the husband and wife had been heart broken, but bent to the demands of the Physician. Oliver for only the second time in his life lost his family.
The Pet Shop was know for its general good care of the birds that pass through and being pressed for time, Oliver’s family made only one request; that he only go to a ‘good’ home.
Pet Shop life was difficult for Oliver, suffering the loss of this family; he disappeared to the back of the cage and would lunge and scream at anyone that would come too close. Those four months had been very hard on Oliver as the appearance of a self-neglected /detached Parrot lay heavily upon him.
The Pet Shop owner and I had know of each other from our contacts over the years and with his understanding of what types of Amazons we worked with, he contacted me. He expressed concern that this once joyful Amazon was suffering and would I take Oliver in for a while. I agreed to stop by his shop the following day and meet Oliver.
Having had like visits at our Avian Vet’s Office and rehomers’ around the area, I came ready to bring Oliver home. The shop owner and I talked for a while as he told me Oliver’s story. It just did not make sense to me that this once very social Amazon would pull away so completely as to avoid all Human contact.
Meeting Oliver:
True to the shop owner’s description, Oliver was in the bottom cage of a three-stacked cage and in the far back corner. As we both caught each other’s eyes, he lunged forward and then began to sway back and forth. The lunge did not concern me, but the swaying was to be understood, he was not open to anything closer. BUT, other than those two indicators, the balance of his body language was far more open. I elected to chance it and with my index finger touched his beak softly and moved back. Oliver stopped swaying. I elected to try it again and this time left my finger there. Oliver slowly moved his beak to the side of my finger to a point that his facial feathers made contact with my fingertip. Ever so slowly, he began to move his head up and down so as to rub his feathers. While he was rubbing his face on my finger, I asked: Oliver, do you want to Step-Up? Up came his right foot and I repositioned my finger for a lift. I stated Step-Up and he did. I slowly brought him out of the cage and slowly, with a little help of the shop owner stood-up. With my arm at a right angle I brought him close to my body. At this point Oliver began rubbing his head against my shirt. I asked him if he wanted a head rub and he leaned back away from me and lowered his head. I cupped my open hand and brought it to his head and began lightly rubbing his head. He quickly cuddled his head into my hand.
While still cuddled into my hand, the shop owner and I finished our discussions and agreed that Oliver would be better out of his shop. Oliver’s family had been paying for his care while at the Pet Shop. He stated that he would contact Oliver’s family and update them and we agreed to get back with each other in a week.
The Trip Home:
Oliver loaded into the carrier without a second request. Once in the car and sitting in the front passage seat, he stated ‘Out’, ‘Come Out’? With caution and a couple of second thoughts, I opened the carrier door. He waited and when I requested Step-Out’ -on to my finger he came. Once clear of the carrier, he started jabbering away. Over the next couple of minutes he opened-up with a cross-section of words, songs and Amazonisms, he clearly was enjoying just being in the car! After about ten minutes, it was clear that this was not a typical Amazon, but a well socialized and behaved individual. He sat in none of the neglected classification of Amazons that I have brought home to date and since! He quickly settled and I felt comfortable that the ride home would be safe with him out of the carrier.
The ride home was to say the least entertaining and heart-warming. Commonly, the first trip in the car is rushing to our Avian Vet with an Amazon that is barely hanging-on and entertaining would have been far from one’s mind. Once home, he step-back into the carrier and into the house we came. Once indoors, he stepped back out as if we had been doing this for years. I set him on top of the cage near the food and water dishes. He quickly made way to the food dish and buried his head into the chop.
First two days with Oliver:
We have had our far share of Amazons, but we found ourselves totally unprepared for the likes of Oliver. Joy was never so well packaged as it was in Oliver! With in hours, it was like he had been with us for decades. His first shower that late Saturday afternoon was a splash feast beyond measure. It took me longer to towel the shower and bathroom down than the extended shower itself. He played peek-a-boo with the towel, as he would peek out and hide back under. Then it was drag the towel around the bed and finally it was naptime. For this first nap he choose my dear wife’s shoulder as he hid himself under her hair for the next hour.
Oliver was as near to perfection that an Amazon, let alone a guy could get. The remainder of Saturday and all of Sunday was nothing less than a joy for everyone. He was as comfortable self-entertaining as he was entertaining us. When we had been out of the house, he would nap, play, and would be beside himself with happiness when we returned from the normal Human disappearing acts!
I must say that I am very concern that this first Story may not be the best choice for my first Story and/or an early Story for this specific Forum. To that point, I would like to recommend that If you have not read my Thread in the Amazon Forum. It would be a very good idea to read it first and also after reading this First Story, Please reread, I Love Amazons.
Oliver's Story is that of a Joyful Amazon. I recommend reading it with a Loved One close at hand!
Oliver’s Story!
Author: Steven, SailBoat October 29, 2016
Oliver, a 37 year old, male Yellow Nape Amazon (YNA) had a truly wonderful life. He entered this World parented, in addition to abundantly hand weaned and fledged by his Breeder.
His new family, first meet him when he was in the final month of fledging. He made it though puberty without loosing his family - apparently they had other mid to large Parrots before and knew of the events of the ‘Right of Passage’ from juvenile to adulthood. For a bit more than 25 years he lived well in his family. Sadly, his aging Humans (parronts) had come to a point that they could little care for themselves, let alone Oliver.
Oliver’s second family was a newly married, young couple that had been neighbors of his for about eight months. With near daily interactions they accepted the offer of becoming Oliver’s new family. Oliver, a well socialized Amazon, fit in well with the active life of this young couple. He took great joy in their travels visiting extended family and friends. As with most Amazons, he loved to ride in the car and greeted near everyone with a cross-section of both Human and Amazon speak. Oliver truly loved to meet People and entertaining was his Claim to Fame.
In his 37th year, his family was expecting a new member and Oliver’s life was about to go seriously wrong. The Doctor was pushing strongly that the Parrot would be dangerous to the baby and should be removed from their home. Both the husband and wife had been heart broken, but bent to the demands of the Physician. Oliver for only the second time in his life lost his family.
The Pet Shop was know for its general good care of the birds that pass through and being pressed for time, Oliver’s family made only one request; that he only go to a ‘good’ home.
Pet Shop life was difficult for Oliver, suffering the loss of this family; he disappeared to the back of the cage and would lunge and scream at anyone that would come too close. Those four months had been very hard on Oliver as the appearance of a self-neglected /detached Parrot lay heavily upon him.
The Pet Shop owner and I had know of each other from our contacts over the years and with his understanding of what types of Amazons we worked with, he contacted me. He expressed concern that this once joyful Amazon was suffering and would I take Oliver in for a while. I agreed to stop by his shop the following day and meet Oliver.
Having had like visits at our Avian Vet’s Office and rehomers’ around the area, I came ready to bring Oliver home. The shop owner and I talked for a while as he told me Oliver’s story. It just did not make sense to me that this once very social Amazon would pull away so completely as to avoid all Human contact.
Meeting Oliver:
True to the shop owner’s description, Oliver was in the bottom cage of a three-stacked cage and in the far back corner. As we both caught each other’s eyes, he lunged forward and then began to sway back and forth. The lunge did not concern me, but the swaying was to be understood, he was not open to anything closer. BUT, other than those two indicators, the balance of his body language was far more open. I elected to chance it and with my index finger touched his beak softly and moved back. Oliver stopped swaying. I elected to try it again and this time left my finger there. Oliver slowly moved his beak to the side of my finger to a point that his facial feathers made contact with my fingertip. Ever so slowly, he began to move his head up and down so as to rub his feathers. While he was rubbing his face on my finger, I asked: Oliver, do you want to Step-Up? Up came his right foot and I repositioned my finger for a lift. I stated Step-Up and he did. I slowly brought him out of the cage and slowly, with a little help of the shop owner stood-up. With my arm at a right angle I brought him close to my body. At this point Oliver began rubbing his head against my shirt. I asked him if he wanted a head rub and he leaned back away from me and lowered his head. I cupped my open hand and brought it to his head and began lightly rubbing his head. He quickly cuddled his head into my hand.
While still cuddled into my hand, the shop owner and I finished our discussions and agreed that Oliver would be better out of his shop. Oliver’s family had been paying for his care while at the Pet Shop. He stated that he would contact Oliver’s family and update them and we agreed to get back with each other in a week.
The Trip Home:
Oliver loaded into the carrier without a second request. Once in the car and sitting in the front passage seat, he stated ‘Out’, ‘Come Out’? With caution and a couple of second thoughts, I opened the carrier door. He waited and when I requested Step-Out’ -on to my finger he came. Once clear of the carrier, he started jabbering away. Over the next couple of minutes he opened-up with a cross-section of words, songs and Amazonisms, he clearly was enjoying just being in the car! After about ten minutes, it was clear that this was not a typical Amazon, but a well socialized and behaved individual. He sat in none of the neglected classification of Amazons that I have brought home to date and since! He quickly settled and I felt comfortable that the ride home would be safe with him out of the carrier.
The ride home was to say the least entertaining and heart-warming. Commonly, the first trip in the car is rushing to our Avian Vet with an Amazon that is barely hanging-on and entertaining would have been far from one’s mind. Once home, he step-back into the carrier and into the house we came. Once indoors, he stepped back out as if we had been doing this for years. I set him on top of the cage near the food and water dishes. He quickly made way to the food dish and buried his head into the chop.
First two days with Oliver:
We have had our far share of Amazons, but we found ourselves totally unprepared for the likes of Oliver. Joy was never so well packaged as it was in Oliver! With in hours, it was like he had been with us for decades. His first shower that late Saturday afternoon was a splash feast beyond measure. It took me longer to towel the shower and bathroom down than the extended shower itself. He played peek-a-boo with the towel, as he would peek out and hide back under. Then it was drag the towel around the bed and finally it was naptime. For this first nap he choose my dear wife’s shoulder as he hid himself under her hair for the next hour.
Oliver was as near to perfection that an Amazon, let alone a guy could get. The remainder of Saturday and all of Sunday was nothing less than a joy for everyone. He was as comfortable self-entertaining as he was entertaining us. When we had been out of the house, he would nap, play, and would be beside himself with happiness when we returned from the normal Human disappearing acts!