This has been bugging me for a while, thoughts?

[Eurycerus]

So there's something called the "discuss" as part of the local rescue, where you get all the emails from all the members. This is helpful in coordinating home visits, phone interviews, whose volunteering where, who can foster, etc. I would say that there's probably two parrots a week (on average) that needs a foster home.

Now I'm all for fostering and doing the best you can to help out, but there's this woman on there, who nearly every time there's a bird that's not a cockatiel or budgie, chimes in "oh I want that parrot! I'll take him!". It's been this way nearly since I joined, except an even weirder bit of information, is I guess there was a falling out between her and the organization right before I joined. Apparently it was reconciled, and I have no idea what happened, but I seem to recall she was begging to be allowed to foster again.

For some reason her incessant need to accumulate foster birds bugs the crap out of me. Even if she's a stay at home woman (she has a husband), there's no way she has the time or energy for the seemingly 20+ parrots she has, unless she isn't giving them the training, love, and affection that she should be receiving.

I don't know why she bugs me so much, but she really does. Anyone who appear to collect animals really rubs me the wrong way... I think I'm annoyed because I feel like she does it for attention and to appear to be a good samaritan, when in actuality it's appears to be for selfish reasons, not for the good of the parrots. Granted I know nothing about her, haven't been to her house, or seen her animals, so I know I shouldn't judge, but I am. :/

[marie83]

I get where your coming from.
I had way too many pets at one point and it was my then bf who was a stay at home "dad" as he had a condition which meant he couldn't work. They weren't even all parrots at that but it was still hard going to give them all time out and attention.

Our pets/rescues consisted of:
-1 budgie
- 1 rosella
-3 cockatiels
-a conure
-an indoor aviary filled with finches, canaries and diamond doves
-3 dogs (5 in all but there were crossovers with old ones/puppies)
-1 rabbit (outdoor)
-2 ferrets (outdoor)
-2 terrapins
-4 chipmonks

I simply cannot imagine having that many demanding parrots, I quickly came to realise we had to start saying no to taking on any more.

[Eurycerus]

I simply cannot imagine having that many demanding parrots, I quickly came to realise we had to start saying no to taking on any more.

I can't either. Also your story is different. You had people coming to you, not going to people collecting animals. That is quite the menagerie! I can't imagine trying to give attention and care to so many critters, but I would try my hardest. How're chipmunks as pets? They're so cute, and sadly don't leave near me, but I've seen them a few times in my life. They seem very high energy. Are they tameable? My boyfriend's family had 6 dogs for a long while, when I first met him, and wow that was a lot of friendly, slobbery animals coming to say hello when you arrived.

[marie83]

Our chipmonks were nuts, they were fairly old from what I could gather and they aren't the cleanest smelling pet. You can tame them to a point if they are very young but these were pretty wild. Oh and they fought quite alot as they are territorial so we had to seperate them into pairs, I'm just really thankful they didn't breed. We had doors at the bottom of the hall way and at the top of the stairs so we would let them out to run up and down for an hour but the only way we could get them back in the cages is by coinciding their out time right before they were fed as they are insanely fast and aggressive when caught. I don't recommend them as pets at all, maybe if you have a big enclosure in the garden but they are far too active for cages.

[pennyandrocky]

the foster home where i went to visit then pick up mya had about 25 birds . 10 belonged to the man doing the fostering. all were very well cared for i only saw 17 because 8 were new arrivals in quarentine. he was in the process of moving some to the main bird area so i saw the other 2 being moved they were friendly so my son was allowed to play with them while i visited with mya. i don't know why she would pass on the or maybe they are easier to rehome. but this is what happens when people continue to buy from breeders instead of adopting foster homes are hard to find so they end up with 20 or more in one home. it does sound odd that she would be banned from fostering then allowed again i don't know any rescue that would give a second chance if it was a case of neglect. maybe she was becoming to attached and didn't want to let any go.

[GreenWing]

While I hope she's not hoarding these birds, it sounds like her heart is in a good place and who knows, she may really care for these birds and they're genuinely being cared for.

Raise your concerns to someone and inquire about it if you feel really bothered, but rest assured others have noticed it, as well. Unless you know the whole situation, don't judge. You would feel awful to judge someone if they really turned out to be a good person, doing a really good thing.

[Eurycerus]

Thanks penny and rocky. Your story makes me feel better, that she might not be a complete nutter. I'm aware of the huge need for homes for unwanted parrots. it's really sad... I think it's just the way that she always broad casts her intentions. When I inquired about some parrots that needed foster homes I did it privately, only to the main person, not the entire group. I think I strong feelings towards people that appear to be using animals for personal gain, which she may not be.

I know that I don't know her, and she might just be a very caring person. I genuinely hope to meet her and dispel my negative feelings.

[pennyandrocky]

i'm glad it helped. before i adopted seeing someone with that many birds would have made me feel the same way.