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Look who stumbled into my life

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  • Look who stumbled into my life

    Mr. Mathnerd and I seemed to have gained a bit of a reputation in the local parrot rescue community for our transformation of our macaw. Before we took her, she had been considered too aggressive, to unsocialized, and too far gone to ever be rehabilitated. We actually had to use protective gear to even get close enough to feed her at first. Now, while she still has a long way to go, she's Miss Snuggle Bug to Mr. Mathnerd, and tolerates everybody else. So because of that, I get notified when "lost cause" birds are looking for homes. I've generally been saying no because I didn't think Charlotte was ready for the stress of meeting a new bird. She does great with the birds that were already here when she got here, but introducing a new one was something I haven't thought she was ready for. I've also been kind of sort of wanting to add a new bird to my flock since Cookie (my elderly cockatiel) passed away in September, and have met a few birds, but none seemed "right", so I haven't taken them. I was actually looking for something small like a lovebird or a parrotlet, but refuse to buy from a breeder, and those guys actually don't show up in rescues or rehome sites very often.

    Anyway, last week I found out about a 12 year old Goffin cockatoo in need of a new home. He'd been with one human since he was a baby and that human passed away. He went to the humane society who adopted him out to a family who really did want him, but found out quickly they were not a suitable home for a bird. They just had too much else going on. He hadn't been handled in the two months he'd been there (which means no baths), was on a terrible diet (they probably didn't know better), and were changing the paper lining in his cage, but the toys and other stuff were just caked in bird poo. He seemed like he wanted to be friendly but was scared. Birds aren't domesticated like dogs and cats and can revert to "wild" pretty fast, and he was well on his way.

    Well, there was just something about him. I visited him a second time and while still not sure I wanted to put Charlotte through the stress of a new bird, I told them if they ran out of options to call me. Wednesday they called me. I went and picked him up. So far he's doing great. He started stepping up fairly easily Thursday morning (but demands an appropriate amount of head scritches first), and is responsive to informal training attempts. He needs to learn boundaries and he is afraid of any and all fresh foods, so converting his diet is going to be a challenge. He's not sure about this "bath" thing, but tolerates it, which is good because he reeks of dog and has so much dandruff he snows whenever he moves.

    So, meet Oscar. He's here for the long haul.





    At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

  • #2
    Quoth mathnerd View Post
    He started stepping up fairly easily Thursday morning (but demands an appropriate amount of head scritches first)
    So, all of them. All of the head scritches ever.

    I enjoy seeing how well rescuing birds is going for you. I'm considering doing the same once I have the time and space for it, and if I can, there's a bird rescue not too far from me that I'd like to volunteer at. I just have to get my own life in order first.
    The fact that jellyfish have survived for 650 million years despite not having brains gives hope to many people.

    You would have to be incredibly dense for the world to revolve around you.

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    • #3
      All of the scritches. Yes. He's a bit of a scritch addict.

      And rescue can always use help, even if it's just a half hour a week!
      At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

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      • #4
        He's adorable!

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        • #5
          Cutie! Congrats!
          When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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          • #6
            Pretty bird!

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            • #7
              Awww adorable. So glad the bird has found a good home with you. They can be amazing animals, though I tend to prefer mammals myself, which is good because cats seem to be showing up at our door a lot recently.
              Last edited by WishfulSpirit; 01-01-2017, 06:06 PM.
              "I try to be curious about everything, even things that don't interest me." -Alex Trebek

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              • #8
                What a lovely bird! I hope he adjusts well and has a long, happy life with you.
                I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
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                • #9
                  Oscar is a very handsome bird!

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                  • #10
                    He looks quite content. Kudos to you for taking him in.

                    My grandfather once caught a lost cockatiel (or something similar) and confined it in his garage overnight (it was summer, just for the record). I think he left it some fresh fruit, which it seemed to like.

                    Alas, when Grandpa went into the garage the next day, he found the bird had savaged the seat on his bicycle. He was seriously pissed off.

                    The poor bird was probably just stressed and/or bored. Luckily we found its family and it went back home -- hopefully they took extra care that it didn't get loose again.

                    I think Grandpa just put a cover over his bike seat.
                    Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
                    ~ Mr Hero

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                    • #11
                      WishfulSpirit, birds in need just sort of find me. If I took in every bird I've been asked to take I'd have around 20.

                      Pixilated, birds can be destructive like that. Ours go after the walls and baseboards if left unsupervised!

                      Thanks guys. We are really enjoying him. It's just been a few days but he's really friendly and cuddly, and apparently likes old fashioned country music. Now to teach him boundaries, fix his diet, and get him to like showers.
                      At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth mathnerd View Post
                        and apparently likes old fashioned country music. Now to teach him boundaries
                        Definitely! Even though he likes listening to Johnny Cash, he needs to keep his beak off the CDs and let a human load them into the player - after all, he can't do it without damaging them.
                        Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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                        • #13
                          I'm not sure who's playing in the background, but it's at least old fashioned country western style. Mr. Mathnerd listens to a LOT of different music.

                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdONdQ0fh3Y
                          At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

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                          • #14
                            Quoth Aragarthiel View Post
                            ... there's a bird rescue not too far from me that I'd like to volunteer at. I just have to get my own life in order first.
                            Please don't let that stop you! Take it from a confirmed procrastinator, there will always be something else you have to do first. Just say "Eff it" and get over there! Hopefully there will be training and then you'll get to work with the pretty squawkies!!

                            For years, I said "I will volunteer at the shelter as soon as..." Well, there was always something else at the end of the sentence. One day I just signed up for the orientation class, and I've been there basically once a week for over five years now. And it is so very worth the time.

                            All my other stuff isn't in order, but that's not important.

                            So please, learn from my experience and just start volunteering!
                            “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
                            One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
                            The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers

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