terrified citron crested cockatoo

[ljeanne]

someday, i think i might. i still have 2 greys and an amazon and my sweet senegal. but i would love to have a cockatoo someday. perhaps after i learn more about them. and gain more confidence as a parrot parent.

[liz]

ljeane - you loved Rudy and cared so much for him that you were willing to give him up so he would have a better life than you could give him.

You can't do better than that.

[ljeanne]

Thank you Liz , you are so kind . i was scared you guys would yell at me for rehoming him . thats funny, a 53 yr old scared of being ostrsized. well, again , thank you friends and good luck
missing my

[liz]

I am 62. It took me a week to tell the forum that my Twinkle died and I don't know why. 2 months later I came back from a trip and found my Lemone' crumpled up in a corner dead. It took 2 weeks that time.

There are so many things that we have no control over. That does not relieve our guilt for not seeing the problem before it happened.

Sometimes rehoming is the greatist sacrifice we can make. The guilt and pain cannot be helped.

Rudy is alive and well and on his way to living a happier life.

I had a pet chicken from her first day of life. I know it sounds strange but I loved that chicken and Chick Chick loved me. She thought she was a dog because she grew up with dogs. She came when I called. I would ask her if she wanted her waddle tickled and she would stretch her neck for a tickle. Thank heaven she never figured out the doggie door but my aunt bought an expensive sliding glass door for the sunroom with a door in it that she could come through. In the morning I opened the door and it was her job to go out and kick up every leaf in the back yard natural area. Her food was inside so she came in to eat and drink. At night fall all my critters come in or I can't sleep. She did not roost like other chickens at dusk but waited to be called in for the night like the dogs. She had a 2 foot high little pen to stay in and never offered to jump it. I loved her.

When she was about 5 I became overwhelmed with my mother and aunt who are both invalids. I was not giving my Chick Chick the attention she was used to. I sent out an email SOS to my friends and one of them came up with the solution. A lady in the church had 4 hens that she called her girls. She treated her girls the same way I treated Chick Chick except they had a heated and air conditioned hen house. The woman took her in and added her to the girls.

That was years ago. I am sure she is gone by now. I still miss her and wish I could cuddle her again. But I did the best for her.

[ljeanne]

liz you are a dear, sweet person and i would be honored to call you my friend. i am sure Chick Chick loved you and we can't know when fate will call one of us home. i had 4 parrakeets that i keep for my 3 year old grand nephew, one evening i was cleaning all the water dishes and found 1 of them dead. her name was Chu. i freaked out and made my husband deal with her little body. when Andrew came back from a family cruise, i told him that Chu sang so sweetly that Jesus called her home so he could hear her . Andrew informed me that " he was going to go to church and punch Jesus and make him give her back!" i still cry when i think of how upset he was at her passing. well...now he is so worried that another bird or god forbid a person he knows is going to go to heaven. he told me i have to take very good care of his 3 birds so they don't die.
i am hoping to get some pictures from Rudy's new mom soon, maybe then i can figure out how to post pictures...

[snickers]

ljeanne, I have never talked on a forum before.But a couple of weeks ago I was looking for some advise on my trition cockatoo, and stumbled on this forum. I found myself couldnt wait to get on it in the mornings so here I'am a memeber now. I was so interested in your cockatoo Rudy. I also am having problems with mine who I just am fostering. Such a wonderful bird. He is not sure of me and seems very afraid. He likes my 13 year old daughter and will sit with her and cuddle. I work with him everyday trying to gain his confidence in me. I talk to him but the moment I try and touch him he runs away from me and opens his beak somewhat. He has not bit anyone. I have only have had him for 22 days. But I have decided to stick with him and keep trying after reading your blog, but I do get fustrated. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

[terri]

ljeanne, I have never talked on a forum before.But a couple of weeks ago I was looking for some advise on my trition cockatoo, and stumbled on this forum. I found myself couldnt wait to get on it in the mornings so here I'am a memeber now. I was so interested in your cockatoo Rudy. I also am having problems with mine who I just am fostering. Such a wonderful bird. He is not sure of me and seems very afraid. He likes my 13 year old daughter and will sit with her and cuddle. I work with him everyday trying to gain his confidence in me. I talk to him but the moment I try and touch him he runs away from me and opens his beak somewhat. He has not bit anyone. I have only have had him for 22 days. But I have decided to stick with him and keep trying after reading your blog, but I do get fustrated. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Keep reading all the posts they apply to your bird.It can take a long time .Im going to give you a guess.Be consistent may take 3 months to see progress.Dont give up

[snickers]

Terri, Thanks for the encouragement. I need all the help I can get in teaching him to step up. I will keep trying .