Went ahead and did the rescue

[JimH]

I posted here a few days ago about wanting to rescue a cinnamon GCC with deformed/mutilated feet. My partner and I decided to go for it, and here she is in her specially adapted cage. What you can't see between the two crossed ramps is a thick, square dowel perch on the second level. She hobbles out there like a pro.

Her new name is Vivvie. Gorgeous colors, but very muted like an old watercolor painting. Taupe, gray, green, blue, pink, and a salmony orange.

Vivvie's a total sweetheart. Very cuddly. The ony time she has bitten so far is when we stop petting her, and it isn't very hard at all. Otherwise she just seems extremely grateful to be clean and loved. She is underweight but eating a variety of foods very well and her poop has changed from an awful watery mess when we got her to a proper, firm dropping.

You can kind of see her feet in the photo. The left one is but a little stump and the right has two mangled toes. She is getting around very well in her adapted habitat and learned the ramps right away. We are helping her with flying a bit, and found that she can land on soft, cushy surfaces with no problem. Hard surfaces? Nope. She falls over. She has already learned a couple of safe places to land and makes the rounds now and then when she's out.

Things are working out well with her and Bishop the Senegal. He can't see her when they are both indoors, but he hears her and has learned to mimic her call already. They have both been outside in their cages within sight of each other, and so far nothing has changed in Bishop's behavior toward us. We have worked out a schedule so they both get plenty of out-of-cage time and both seem happy with the arrangement. I'm really glad I did this!

[Michael]

Glad it's working out and you're happy.

[JimH]

Thanks so much, Michael!

[tacotaco]

AWWW! she is a doll. beautiful cage setup for her needs. i hope all works out!

[William]

Aww this post made me so happy, I'm glad you rescued her. She's so cute and looks very very happy that you guys are her new parents

Oh and I like the cage you made for her, really cool!

[cml]

This thread warms my heart, she looks so happy. That cage looks awesome for her and I am sure she will love her new life with you. She's found a home. There will be challenges ahead, but you will overcome them I am sure.

[EleriDragonfly]

She's adorable, and her cage is perfect for her. I'm glad she's doing well ^_^

[Pajarita]

Good for you and better still for her! You've done a great job with her cage and she looks very content in it! Triple kudos to you!

[paper_lantern]

Oh my God, what a sweet bird. I love GCC's and this story just warms my heart. Good for you, I'm so glad there are people like you in the world. I read the previous post just now, and I can't imagine what this baby's life would have been like if you hadn't come along. Now she has a beautiful new cage suited to her needs, a great diet, toys, and love. I'm sure she will thrive in her new forever home. This story and picture just made my night!

PS. She is just the CUTEST little thing

[JimH]

Thanks, everybody! Haha, I've been off-line for a few days, enjoying my newly enlarged flock in my spare time. I've been working with Vivvie on climbing, landing, and some enrichment/training, and she's doing well. She and Bishop the Senegal now sleep in the same room (caged) and are happy being in side-by-side cages (with a safety gap) during daylight hours.

Bishop seems to like watching Vivvie and calling to her. He used to screech like heck when I would leave the house, but now he's quiet because he's got company. Vivvie has become more noisy and playful since she's got a big brother next to her to watch and call to. My gram scale shows she's gaining weight at a healthy pace. I just wish the two birds liked the same foods! Vivvie seems to love everything Bishop doesn't care as much for, so the grocery bill has gone up a bit. Thank goodness for supermarkets with salad bars!

Thanks for the comments about my cage-adapting skills. If ever there was a labor of love, this was it. Lucky for me this set-up was right the first time, and Vivvie prefers chewing her toys over chewing the wood or the hemp string I used to secure it all. She really is a nearly perfect little birdie. I have been very lucky with both of my feathered friends.