What this forum is all about

[The Outlaw]

We have created this forum for those of you with special needs birds and for disabled humans who have tips to help make caring for birds easier. If you have any thing that you'd like to contribute, please do.

[grandma]

Oh Nancy, right up my alley.

My disability has never gotten in the way of caring for my pets.
My pets have actually been very therapeutic for me.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and registered a low positive for Lupus. This was all in 1996.

This all was very devastating for me as I had always been very active: Had my own motorcycle (and not a little one), was an avid speed walker, loved to roller blade, horseback ride…

Then, in 1997, was diagnosed with Agoraphobia, arthritis and severe depression. The depression has been pretty much controlled with meds. The agoraphobia I have to conrol myself.
Also had a major surgery every three years for one reason or another. And now this one as well.


After Hurricane Charlie hit us, (2004) I started takeing walks with my dog Turd. We would go twice a day, before daylight and after dark. Two reasons for this. 1) It was cooler than walking during the day. 2) Turd, for some unknown reason, likes to poop in the middle of the street. Although we don’t walk as often now, it has been very therapeutic.

Since I am home alone five days a week. Libby was the only one I had to talk to…more great therapy. Someone to listen and not judge. Now I have four friendly ears to talk to.

I am very lucky because three of my four grandkids live within walking distance. They visit often, but, not too often. They have given me so much joy and happiness.

My husband Dan, and my three adult kids (and their spouces) have been very supportive.

As I said in my profile…I live for my babies, all nine of them.

And now, I have all of you as well.

[The Outlaw]

Susan:

That was lovely. I am a cancer surviver. After lots of surgery, I have some serious deficits in the strength department and I also have arthritis, both osteo and RA.

I have to plan my days very carefully. I make it as easy as I can on myself by having clean dishes ready to go in the morning. I keep my spray bottles full and handy so that when I feed and water the fids, I can also spray the cage papers. When they have finished breakfast, I simply pick up the damp papers after I've deposited them to their play areas.

I line my grates. My birds don't play on the bottom of their cages. This is a HUGE help, for it makes cleanup much easier.

When I'm done with my newspapers after they are read, I open them up and lay them flat. When I'm ready to re-line the cages, its so easy to grab 4 layers and fill in the blanks. Saves a lot of time.

I try to remember to keep a basket at every staircase. I live in a Cape Cod style house. The laundry room and the toy shop are in the basement, the sewing room and the bathtub are upstairs. All of the birds are on the main floor. Anything having to go up or downstairs is deposited in baskets at either end of the staircase. Saves lots of extra trips.

My arthritis is very bad in my feet now. Standing and walking for long periods is brutal. I now try to prepare foods in large quantities about once a week and freeze everything. I can bring a bar stool into the kitchen and get a lot of chopping done while sitting. I highly recommend that to anyone with lower limb problems.

I also keep a creature reacher handy. I can't climb up on chairs or ladders to chase naughty fildren. All are taught to step up on a long handled T perch I made out of PVC.

I have my own special bird seed mix done at Topper Ranch. They are such great folks to deal with. They will kindly re-bag my 100# order for me into 25#
bags. That's a real life saver. Fifty pounds of dead weight from a box on the floor is very hard for me to lift anymore.

I highly recommend a steamer for anyone with disabilities and more than one or two birds. It will cut your cleaning time in half.

[Tiki]

I know we have quite a few people here with disabled birds too. Please feel free to ask questions in here, some of our members have lots of experience and are happy to help out!

[birdcrazy111]

hi this seems like a great fourm keep up the good work outlaw !

[birdcrazy111]

let me tell you a story ok here it goes : when my mom found out she was having me she was very happy! until somthing happened while she was pergnent not sure what though well i was born 24 weeks early and put in the nicu i had too many problems the doctors said i had 1% chance of living well i was in the hospital for 3 monuths and at another for 5 days and i made it ! at age 3 i walked for the frist time in my life grew hair talked well one day i guss when i was 6 i was tipp toe walking like barbie and found out i had mild cerebral palsy and being born early i only see out of my right eye and im in specail ed so i have been thogh alot as u can see

[The Outlaw]

Most importantly, look how far you've come! Your are a winner and a survivor. You will know no limits that you cannot overcome. You might want to share what an average day for you is like. It will help us to understand your challenges and maybe we can even help you find easy solutions. In any event, you are God's creation and perfect in every way. You are the perfect you.

[birdcrazy111]

well my disablity does nt really affect my day it affects somthing simple like riding a two weeler i canot do that but can ride a bike that has training wheels a good site i know of is http://www.fatwheels.com/ i feel like this forum was made for me

[The Outlaw]

Well, its made for you and for pets that also have disabilities. We want to make it easier and doable for everyone and every bird to be able to know the joy of companionship. I've long believed that deaf people would be perfect homes for sun conures and very loud cockatoos. Their disability would enable them to enjoy everything else these amazing and beautiful creatures have to offer without being annoyed by their natural bird noises.

And, if you are wheelchair bound, a flightless bird is an ideal pet. It will happily stay with you all day long and be glad to be there. You see, there is a match for all of us if we just use what we have and overlook what we lack. Frankly, every one of us has some disability or the other and all of us will get to that point when we get old. So, its good for all of us to learn now how to make it happen.

This forum wasn't my idea at all. It was the idea of Lisa B, who has a disabled or shall we say, unusually abled grey parrot named Emma Lynn. She is the sun that rises for Lisa. They are ideally suited for each other because they compliment each other. It was DUE to her deformity that they even came to meet in the first place.

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

This forum wasn't my idea at all. It was the idea of Lisa B, who has a disabled or shall we say, unusually abled grey parrot named Emma Lynn. She is the sun that rises for Lisa. They are ideally suited for each other because they compliment each other. It was DUE to her deformity that they even came to meet in the first place.

Nancy, I have tears in my eyes because of what you said...She is the sun that rises for Lisa. Because Emma is 100% my sun...I dont know what I would do without her.
Thank you.