I need some advice ...

[liz]

I ment an avian shelter to learn different personalities before a person gets a bird.

Rambo, Myrtle, Tommy and Shadow like their beaks stroked with one finger.

You are brave to volunteer at a dog and cat shelter. The only time I can go there is when someone wants me to help them pick a pet. My heart can't take it otherwise. All I can do there is donate food and old blankets.

I was wondering what you meant by "visit a shelter." I thought you were referring to the comment I made about how the cages were very small for the birds and so I should see the kennels for dogs & cats at a shelter. I wish I could adopt every animal that needed a good home. A friend of mine told me on the phone yesterday that I couldn't save every animal and I told him that I could try!! I've never visited an Avian Shelter. I should but then I'd probably try to adopt another bird. I already promised my husband I wasn't getting any more animals till we moved back to Ohio.

And yet another pair of rose colored glasses. Whatever you do don't take them off. I sleep with mine.
The avian shelters I have been in contact with seem very good. They do not adopt out until they find the right family for the birds personality. They bring them back to health and socialize them before adoption. As a matter of fact if you go into rescue you will see that I was denied one that I wanted to adopt. The foster parents said my house was too active for her.

They seemed so well cared for that I abandoned that effort and looked for one that needed rescued from an individual. Myrtle really needed rescued but you sure can't tell it now.

[brfussne]

I ment an avian shelter to learn different personalities before a person gets a bird.

Rambo, Myrtle, Tommy and Shadow like their beaks stroked with one finger.

You are brave to volunteer at a dog and cat shelter. The only time I can go there is when someone wants me to help them pick a pet. My heart can't take it otherwise. All I can do there is donate food and old blankets.

I was wondering what you meant by "visit a shelter." I thought you were referring to the comment I made about how the cages were very small for the birds and so I should see the kennels for dogs & cats at a shelter. I wish I could adopt every animal that needed a good home. A friend of mine told me on the phone yesterday that I couldn't save every animal and I told him that I could try!! I've never visited an Avian Shelter. I should but then I'd probably try to adopt another bird. I already promised my husband I wasn't getting any more animals till we moved back to Ohio.

And yet another pair of rose colored glasses. Whatever you do don't take them off. I sleep with mine.
The avian shelters I have been in contact with seem very good. They do not adopt out until they find the right family for the birds personality. They bring them back to health and socialize them before adoption. As a matter of fact if you go into rescue you will see that I was denied one that I wanted to adopt. The foster parents said my house was too active for her.

They seemed so well cared for that I abandoned that effort and looked for one that needed rescued from an individual. Myrtle really needed rescued but you sure can't tell it now.

I'm glad that they don't adopt to just anybody. I'm sure there's a lot of people who want a bird but don't know hot to properly care for one. I'll be honest, when I bought my 2 Budgies long ago, I had no idea that teflon was toxic to them. I'm sure there's a lot of people who don't do the research before getting the pet. That's how so many animals wind up in shelters or rescues. Not to mention, parents buy pets for kids to have. Kids have no clue how to take care of an animal. I can't stress this enough. I see so many parents in pet shops buying pets for their kids when their kids are somewhere between the ages 10-16. I was 16 and didn't properly know how to care for a pet, how would a 10 year old know how????? Growing up, we only had cats, dogs, "pocket pets" such as hamsters, and rats till I was 16. After my birds I didn't get anything till I was 18 and finally knew how to take care of my pets correctly. That's when I was in love with reptiles so I bought several different lizards and 2 Tarantulas. Owning something as simple as a fish is not a job to be taken lightly. When buying a fish, you're literally having a tiny ecosystem in an aquarium. You have to measure Ph levels, nitrate, and nitrite levels. You have to make sure your freshwater living plants get enough light to grow. It's ridiculous that parents think their kid could possibly take care of an animal correctly. Sure, the kid could throw a few fish flakes in an aquarium, but did the kid check the Co2 levels, did the kid pick out all community fish so that the fish get along?? I bet not. My neighbor who had the Son Conure that I baby sat had a daughter who was 12. I was best friend's with her older sister at the time and her. (that's how I knew the family) Because I had lizards, the little 12 year old wanted a lizard. The mom said no but Dad got it for her anyway. You know what happened to that Iguana?? It got MBD (metabolic bone disease) all because the stupid dad got the Iguana for his 12 year old daughter who is INCAPABLE of caring for anything other than a dog or cat. The little girl had a rabbit before the Iguana and killed it!!! Why would the Dad buy her something else, I have no idea!!!!!!!! Not to mention the mom, I do believe she smoked around the Sun Conure. I remember her being a smoker but am not sure if she smoked around it or not but I know for a FACT that they did not have teflon free cook ware. I am no longer "friends" with that family so I can't say what happened to the bird. Hopefully it got a better home. Liz, you sound like such a wonderful person I find it hard to believe that you'd be turned down haha. I'm glad you rehabilitated Myrtle. Bless your heart!

[liz]

I was really surprise to be turned down. But that means those birdies don't need me.

The woman I got Myrtle from said she never made a noise and would not come out of her cage. When I called to give her an update on Myrtle she brushed me off like she was too busy to be bothered.

Myrtle needed me. I wonder how many others out there could use help from people in the forum.

[brfussne]

I was really surprise to be turned down. But that means those birdies don't need me.

The woman I got Myrtle from said she never made a noise and would not come out of her cage. When I called to give her an update on Myrtle she brushed me off like she was too busy to be bothered.

Myrtle needed me. I wonder how many others out there could use help from people in the forum.

I'm shocked that she would brush you off like that. It seems like she never really cared for poor Myrtle. I update the Chinchilla resuce I got Jackson from every 3 months or so and send them photos of Jackson.

[brfussne]

I got to visit the YCM this afternoon. I asked a girl associate if I could see my Macaw and the Macaw wanted nothing to do with anyone. As soon as the girl stuck her hand in the cage it immediately went on a nipping spree and the girl could not get it out. I then tried and failed as well. My husband who came with me, put his jacket over his fingers and eventually the Macaw hopped up on his hand and we were able to set it down on a perch. It took me over an hour to get the macaw to even let me touch the top of it's head. I would bring me hand close, it would try to bite then stop, once it stopped I clicked the training clicker and removed my hand. After an hour of this I was able to touch the top of it's head with 1 or 2 fingers! I made a break through!! I'm so proud! All this Macaw needs is A LOT of patience and time with a person to bond with and be rehabilitated. My worst fear was confirmed today with the Macaw, it's screech was really loud. Being a Miniature Macaw, I was well aware it could scream but I was praying it would be a quiet bird. No, it's favorite game to play with my husband is the "head bob" game where my husband would shake his head up & down. Then the Macaw would squat real low on the perch, spread it's wings, bob it's head and scream. It was so cute!! But my husband thinks it's way too loud for our apartment & that it would disturb my neighbor upstairs. I was so confident that this was going to be a quiet bird. Today is my third time visiting it and this entire time it has been quiet minus a few chirps here and there and the occasional whistle or hello. Today, I found out it was a screamer. I don't know what to do now? I was really hoping to rehabilitate this Macaw but I can't if it is a screamer. I think i'll just remove my deposit from it, keep visiting it and see if there's any changes in it's behavior. (what I should have done in the first place) Any suggestions anyone? I don't want to let the Macaw go but I don't know what I can do. I was able to get pics of the poor thing today.

Here's the poor fellow










My husband whistling to it

[liz]

If I looked that bad I would have an attitude too.

If it was me...
I would not give up on it.

[animal_lover]

Have you research a Meyer's?? I bought one from a breeder (a baby) in Sept and we are all in love!. My family (me,husband, 13 yr old, 11yr old) can all handle him. He is a great bird...not too noisy...loves to play. I too would love to have a bigger bird like you but know they would require an extreme amount of attention. One of the reasons we got a Meyer's is the fact that they make a "good family bird" and will generally allow to be handled by everyone. So, even though Jojo loves my husband the most he still wants to spend time with the rest of his flock! Good luck!

[brfussne]

If I looked that bad I would have an attitude too.

If it was me...
I would not give up on it.

I know, the poor thing looks horrible. I'm going to keep visiting it to see if it's behavior changes. Hopefully, yesterday was just a bad day for the Macaw and so it will be quiter. I didn't even know the entire back was bald also, until today. It's worse than I thought.

Have you research a Meyer's?? I bought one from a breeder (a baby) in Sept and we are all in love!. My family (me,husband, 13 yr old, 11yr old) can all handle him. He is a great bird...not too noisy...loves to play. I too would love to have a bigger bird like you but know they would require an extreme amount of attention. One of the reasons we got a Meyer's is the fact that they make a "good family bird" and will generally allow to be handled by everyone. So, even though Jojo loves my husband the most he still wants to spend time with the rest of his flock! Good luck!

I've heard good things about Meyers!! I've heard that they're pretty quiet as well. If this poor Macaw doesn't work out, I was planning to look at Meyers or GCC. Except I kind of want to stray away from Conures, all because the Sun Conure is loud & nippy, it makes me worry that all Conures are that way ... This Macaw is pefect, except it's way too loud for our apartment. I'm not worried about handling, and training, it's just the noise I worry about.

[liz]

When my windows are open in the summer - the neighbors say it sounds like two kids playing. Only the neighbors beside me can hear them and that is with the whole sunroom open.

Are there kids in your apartment complex?

[brfussne]

When my windows are open in the summer - the neighbors say it sounds like two kids playing. Only the neighbors beside me can hear them and that is with the whole sunroom open.

Are there kids in your apartment complex?

I live in a giant complex in San Diego ... In every building there's only 4 apartments. I live on the right side, down stairs, then there's my neighbor upstairs, and I have no clue who lives on the other side. Then to the right of me in another builing is 4 familes. One is a business woman who is gone most of the weekdays. The top apartment is this family of 5. It's a grandpa, grandma, mom, and her 2 kids. That family, and my family do not get along because their son is around the age of 18 and is a little prick. He decided to take it upon him self to park in 1 of our 2 parking spots and block in our SUV in one day. He also likes to blast his rap music very loud, drive 100mph in our parking lots and he poured Coke on my cactus. I'd be worried that family would file a noise complaint because they don't like us even though we have never even spoken to them let alone done anything to them. They're just really rude people. But to answer your question, yes, there's quite a few kids in our apartment complex. Even a baby or two.