Update on Adoptions (Sept '09)

[FoxersArtist]

Boy oh boy has it been a busy summer here at M&C Rescue! We have had the honor and pleasure to work with quite a few parrots, large and small, and have spent a lot of time preparing our foster flock for potential adoptive families. Finding loving families who are well qualified or willing to learn can be a challenge, but something that we have learned is that these families ARE out there and we just have to be patient when it comes to getting to know folks who show an interest in the birds. As always, it is most important that the bird chooses his or her new person and it forever amazes me that there is usually a strong preferance that each bird shows with strangers. I love it when suddenly a new person will spark that excitement in a parrot like no other person has. They light up and it warms my heart and the hearts of others. Here are some updates on some of the birds we have that have recently been adopted or who are going to be adopted soon.

Some of you may already know that blue and gold macaw Markey, now renamed "Marlee" found a wonderful new home right here on Birdboard with Lori D. Marlee really needed to find a special home with someone who already had a macaw, preferably one that was lonely for a feathered companion. Finding another macaw that would love and accept Marlee, but also finding a family who would choose not to breed Marlee seemed like a bit of a stretch. When I learned about Lori's Callipso, I just knew he could be perfect for my little Marlee. I knew Lori would be perfect too, took the leap of faith and sent Marlee out to find her future. Marlee and Cal love each other and when Lori sent pictures of the two preening each other, it really warmed my heart to know that I was just a little part of helping these macaws find the happiness they have been looking for for all these years.

Marlee right before she left:



Moluccan cockatoo Little Beau didn't really have a chance. His new mom knew she was in love from the second she saw him and insisted that he was her new baby. The real decision would have to be up to the bird but Beau really lit up around her, maybe because of her strong and vibrant personality. Coming to visit seemed to kill his new mom and we received lots of casual phone calls wanting to know how her baby boy was doing. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you choose to look at it, we continued to torture Beau's new family by having them visit to make sure that everyone remained consistant, before making a final decision. Beau's mom was so happy when I finally told her "yes" that she leapt up and down (despite having an injured ankle at the time) and hugged the life out of me. This story has a really silly happy ending as once he got home, Little Beau decided that he actually prefered to be a mans bird and bonded with the husband of the family. The husband, who was raised with companion parrots and is just as fond of them, is absolutely thrilled that the bird loves him. He still lets mom love on him, but only when dad is off at work! Beau is a spoiled rotten only bird in his new home, but I have a feeling that he may end up with a wife-loving sibling at some point.

Beau with Mommy:


The little blind lovebird Marlon seemed to attract everyone because of his handicap of being born with no eyes but we knew that Marlon would have to go to an extra special home who would love him for more than the fact that he is unique. One of our regular volunteers fell in love with Marlon but wasn't sure if the other half of her family would be open to adopting the little bird. My volunteer was excited that her family was open to adopting this special little fellow and the family member that Marlon chose was first described to me as "a woman on a mission to feed the world." Marlon is chronically unerweight and getting him to eat more than millet has been a challenge. Sure enough, this saint of a lady walked in with figs and apricots and other goodies, sat with Marlon and HE ATE FOR HER, every little bite! Well, that settled it. Marlon's stomach had the overriding decision in this adoption. The little bird's new parents adore their "only child" and Marlon has really come out of his shell. They describe him as silly, sassy, and full of words. They have reported that Marlon is even trying to fly, despite his disability. We are thrilled that he has found such a loving home where he is enjoyed and cherished every day.



The brightly colored and full of life little caique named Papaya has caught the eye of just about every family that has come to visit. Papaya is pretty easy going except for one thing - those who handle her must be assertive OR ELSE! Papaya wooed a family from the very start and though they came to visit her multiple times, they were very new to birds and became a bit shy and Papaya responded by starting to bite. Confidence was lost and it is likely that the family lost interest in adopting a bird that might require daily bandaides. Things always happen for a reason and shortly after, a very delightful young couple came into the picture and fell in love with this little treasure. Even though they are also fairly new to birds, they took to Papaya right away and when she realized that they weren't afraid of her, she developed a crush on them, too! Papaya has really attached herself to the husband but I am sure she will also let the wife love on her when he is away from the house. The couple is head over heels in love and was able to bring their new baby home today. I do not think they could have been happier, and papaya was bouncing off the walls to go to her new home. I am eager to hear how she settles in, but there is no doubt that she will be well loved and cared for. These folks are A+ parronts.


Blue Indian ringneck Bindi Sue was one of my secret favorites, so I was sad to see her go. Her new mom came looking for a lovebird but fell in love with the little Bindi instead. Bindi did very well with her new person each time she came to visit and though ringnecks can be a bit of a challenge, I had really hoped that this relationship would bloom into a beautiful love affair. As it seems to be with many ringnecks, Bindi was an absolute angel until several days after her adoption. It was time to test her new mom to see just what in the world she could get away with. Bindi has been biting her new mom every time she goes to take Bindi out. I tried to reassure the new mom, letting her know that ringnecks love to test their people and to presist with Bindi. I gave her some suggestions, and am eagerly waiting for a progress report. If Bindi's new mom is really willing to try with her, I know the relationship can still be what everyone was hoping for.

Here is Bindi Sue with her new mom:


Dolly, Dolly, Pretty Dolly! This silly Moluccan endd up under our care some months ago when her owner gave her up for reasons of her own safety. Dolly is showy and full of life and attitude. She needed an owner who would give her a lot of patience and TLC. She needed an owner who was used to the antics and volume of cockatoos. She needed and owner who would never fear her. When Glenda from bird board expressed and interest my heart knew right away that this could be a dream match. Dolly's old owner agreed that Glenda was one in a million for Dolly and that we would probably never find another person quite like her. I held my breath again and took another leap of faith. We were overjoyed to watch this new door open for a very lucky Dolly, who is now loved and accepted, pampered and spoiled as she has been used to, and not phasing her new family with her antics. Despite some testing, Dolly is fitting in wonderfully with her new family and we feel that this was a beautiful match.



Indian ringneck JellyBean is a shy little guy. Most people have passed up the beautiful little one because he is a little more nervous than some of the others. I was delighted one day when a family showed up and JellyBean really seemed to show interest in all of them. Husband, wife, and kids too! They thought he was a doll and fell in love with his unique personality. They will be adopting from out of town so visits have been slow, but each time they come, Jelly has responded with love and willingness to socialize. The family is set to adopt JellyBean late this month.



Continued...

[FoxersArtist]

Umbrella cockatoo TJ has been boarding with us now for quite a few months. TJ is here for behavioral work as he is a super shy bird. When he first arrived, we made quite a bit of progress with him but he quickly reverted when we had to medicate him for an ongoing infection that was causing him to lose weight. I left TJ alone for quite a while after that to let him readjust to the idea of being handled but he has really been resistant, especially with me. I have done some target training with him and that has gone well. Last week TJ made progress by walking across the kitchen counter to take some food from my hand (his favorite, oranges). Today he took some food from my hand when I offered, but would not come to me. He keeps hopping down and running back to his cage. I believe that with very slow correction, TJ could become a tame bird but I am very concerned about his happiness. TJ is depressed most of the time, has poor grooming habits, and does not eat well. TJ seems very interested in the other cockatoos and seems to pine for them, even when they show no interest in him. If TJ was a rescue bird, the solution would be simple - find TJ a companion who feels the same. Unfortunately, TJ does not belong to us and we are not in charge of his future. I am not sure at this time what I should tell his owner about his care but I feel it would be appropriate to wait to see how TJ acts with his family the next time they visit.



Sun Conure Bubba, who was rescued from a neglectful situation is doing well. We put the little guy into foster care with a family with the hopes that this family might bond with the bird and decide to keep him. Our little plan worked and the family is totally in love with their little Bubba. Recently, the family infomed us that the little guy did not seem to be feeling well. They are still fostering so I had them bring the little guy back to me and I had him vetted. Bubba was showing signs of bacterial infection so we treated him with anitibiotics for 5 days. We have had the pleasure to learn a bit about the little guy while he is hear. Bubba is stubborn and does not like to come out of his cage, but once he is out, he is a real softy. A few nights ago, Bubba hopped from his play perch and into my shoulder when I sat down at the table for dinner. He wanted some too!!! I was delighted to share my meal with such a little cutie and after dinner, Bubba climbed into my shirt and curled up on my chest. Who wouldn't have melted? Now i knew the secret to Bubba getting his foster mom to agree to adopting him. While staying at our rescue, Bubba took a crash course in pellet eating 101. He was somewhat overweight with having an all seed diet and we do not want him to end up having a heart attack like his sister, Teka. Bubba learned how to eat pellets so quickly that we were able to remove an all seed diet only one week from the start of weaning. This must be a world record and Bubba's family was happy to hear that he would be ready to come back home so soon. Bubba's official adoption is set for the end of this year and we will wish him good health and lots of cuddles for many years to come.


Umbrella cockatoo Chloe is a really hard case. She looks like she has been passed around and around and is very touchy when it comes to letting people into her world. "Moody" is one way to describe her but Chloe also has a heart of gold and is very gentle in nature, once you get past her fearful side. The funny thing about Chloe is that once she decides she likes someone, it is instant, passionate, and very real for her and her new partner. Chloe's love is more valuable than gold and she will not share it with just anyone. Some months back we put Chloe into foster care with a family of her choosing. She liked the husband so much that we had hoped that Chloe would be able to stay with them permanently, but we also wanted to take things slow and Chloe's old owner had not yet surrendered custody of her. Sadly, Chloe's foster family decided that they could not keep her and had to bring her back to the rescue. It was only several days later that Chloe was released into our custody by a very broken hearted caregiver, but his family was unable to give her what she needs in the long term. I was amazed when only a few days later, a very responsible young man came looking for his forever cockatoo. Before evne meeting Chloe I told him that I thought I had just the one for him. Chloe took to him right away and he was able to step her up and love on her. He was looking for a bird to love exclusively and she was looking for a person to love exclusively. Chloe's new dad is so in love that he cannot stay away more than a few days at a time. He will not be able to bring Chloe home until the end of the month, but Chloe and her new Daddy are both very eager to start their new lives together.
Chloe sitting on her "hoop" in the aviary:


30 year old patagonian conure Sheba is a jewel but she is so old and crippled from years of mistreatment that we were unsure of her chances of being adopted to a loving, local family. There has been some out of state interest from wonderfully loving individuals, but I don't think Sheba could handle any more of a journey than across town. Not long ago, we were contacted by an individual who was interested in adopting an elderly parrot. Her reasoning was that someone has to love the ones that no one else will because they deserve a chance too. I was impressed with her kindness toward the birds and we allowed her to adopt elderly cockatiel, Scooter, who has been looking for a new home since February. Scooter is enjoying his new home and his new mom has also fallen in love with sheba and comes to visit often. We will be doing a home visit tomorrow and if everything goes well, Sheba will be able to go to her new home very soon!

Sheba getting some cuddles from her new mommy:


We have also enjoyed adopting out several of the cockatiels we were fostering including Scooter, Merlin, & Punkin. One of our pairs was set to go to a home where they would have a huge flight, but when we found out the family uses both non-stick cookware and corn cob bedding and refused to acknowledge such things as a danger to their birds, we just could not bring ourselves to put our babies into a home where the safety of the birds would be placed lower than convinence to their owners. Merlin was adopted out to an adorable Doctor who also has a heart for older birds. She is just learning about parrots and already Merlin is giving her a run for her money, but with a little guidance about his behaviors and her reactions, I think Merlin will stop trying to take advantage of his newly assertive mommy. Punkin is enjoying himself as a family bird in a home with a son who adores cockatiels. I know he will do really well and will always know love.

Thanks so much for reading our update. We love to share all of the joys of adoption with others! I am eager to see where the rest of our current foster flock will go. Each new home is special and unique, just like the little feathered ones under our care. Please keep us in mind if you are looking for an organization to donate to. We are always in need of adoptive families, food, toys, dollars for medical care, and words of encouragement or prayers.

-Anna

[kellywess]

Great stories... how is Ziggy doing?

[sailorkelly]

I love to hear about you finding homes for all these great birds. It makes me so happy that there are people like you out there to take care of them.

[Emmilyy]

I love your updates and stories! Glad all these birdies found homes!

[hollyhawkz]

That's what it's all about! Tears of horror and disgust being replaced by tears of happiness and hope!

Thanks Anna!

[kellywess]

Isn't that the truth!

[r2rusmc]

How about an update on all the greys.

[FoxersArtist]

An update on the still adoptable guys like Ziggy & the Greys is coming soon - just as soon as I have a free moment to sit down.
-Anna

[RubyMuse]

Those are truly wonderful stories. What an amazing thing to give these wonderful birds a chance at the life they deserve. Awesome!!!