Hello -

When I was only 16 (12 years ago), I worked for a XXXXXXX as a
XXXXXX. When the XXXXXXX closed down due to financial problems, XXXXXXXX

gave me a Moluccan Cockatoo.  Charlie had
been "rescued" twice at that point, but I am finding that his feather
picking has grown steady worse in the past 5 years.  He has actually
started to self-mutilate his flesh and leaves a growing open sore on his
chest. When we put a preventative collar on him, he does eventually heal,
but in the process, he gets very depressed, loses his appetite and stops
speaking. When he came from his original home, he had just jumped from a
high perch (after a particularly bad wing clip), and broke his tail bones.
His tail feathers have never grown in properly and he picks out the pin
feathers when they start to grow in.  He has always been a highly-strung
bird, and although I love him dearly, I feel that he is need of a better
home then I am able to provide.

He is quite loud when he wants to be, but he is a wonderful singer and says
several English words including "hello" and "I love you". He was originally
a handfed baby born in Ontario from wild caught parents (though, he doesn't
have a band), but is quite timid and cuddly with people. He readily comes
up when he is not in his cage. He has never been sexed, but seems to act
like a male.

I am looking for suitable home for him, perhaps in a place where there are
other birds.  He used to be so healthy and vibrant (even with no tail), but
since I moved away to college and then entered the workforce, he has
steadily regressed with my inability to provide sufficient attention.  It
breaks my heart to see him in this condition, but I don't have a lifestyle
that can help him heal.  Each time that I feel we are making progress,
something happens to put him back in self-destruct mode.  I really feel
that he needs to have a home were there are other birds around so that he
doesn't get lonely, and where he can behave like a bird without getting
into trouble for being too noisy.

Would you be willing to consider accepting Charie?  I only want him to
have a good home, even though I love him very much and will miss him.
Please let me know how you usually deal with similar situations. In the
proper situation, I am sure he would thrive, but he has a hard time with
change (moves are particularly hard for him).

You may leave message at my home

 

 

Thanks for your call. I am really struggling with making this decision, and
am having difficulty keeping my emotions in check when I start to talk
about this.   It's much easier for me to use email to communicate for now.
I apologize in advance for the lengthy email, but this is a major life
decision and I want to be as clear as possible.

I want to make sure that you understand that I am not trying to "get rid"
of Charlie,  but I know that he needs to be in a better situation than I
can provide.  I've also put out inquiries to other bird places in order to
determine the best place for him. Are you able to allow us to visit your
facility before we bring him to you?  I understand from the website that
you have security issues, but I am not very comfortable releasing him into
an unknown environment.  I know that I can't ever take him back and I want
to make absolutely sure that he is going to a good place. I would also like
to bring him to you.  We currently share a rather uncomfortable living
arrangement with people who are not particularly sensitive to this issue or
my emotionally vulnerable state and I am having a hard enough time with
this decision without dealing with flippant comments.

He has been to two different vet clinics in the past ten years.  He went a
few times to wild bird clinic at the XXXXXXXXXXXX to check out his
tail and was also tested for a variety of avian ailments. Nothing ever came
up, but that was quite a while ago, before he started picking at his flesh.
He also had a friend, a little Quaker name Smiley who passed away several
years ago (when she was in her twenties), so he was tested at that time
incase she had something contagious (she had a brain tumour).  I got him 12
years ago and I think that he was at least 4 or 5 when I got him - so he
might be as old as twenty.

He had also been to a vet in Waterloo (after the scab started), who
performed some tests and  gave him a collar.  Basically, she said that
there's was nothing to do other than surgery which would have cost at least
$2000 and would essentially be cosmetic and not stop the picking.  I am not
a wealthy person and the previous vet bills were several hundred dollars. I
know that he needs to be seen by a vet again soon, but I don't have the
money. Are you able to provide regular veterinary care for him? I am sure
once he settles into a routine and get proper attention, he will thrive. I
don't think that he's in immediate danger from his picking, but it's not
getting better.  I also want to request that he is never adopted out, since
change in routine seems to be his worst enemy and he was always most happy
surrounded by other birds.

His scab is getting worse daily, he picks along the edges and makes it
bigger, though he seems to leave the centre alone. We have been putting
polysporin ointment on it twice daily which makes it heal, and he doesn't
like the taste, so he leaves the scab alone.  Putting the collar on him is
a stressful ordeal for everyone, he hates it, I have to wrap him in a
towel, and he won't speak to me or come up on my arm for weeks after I put
it on him.  He also stops using his feet for eating or dancing - he just
sits there looking miserable.  I don't know which is worse - seeing him
happy and talking with a big scab on his chest or sitting with his head in
a cone all depressed.  We have been able to get it healed up on a number of
different occasions, but this is the worst that its been.

He does have his own room, (it's a large bedroom on the second floor) with
a good window that he can look out. He chirps to the wild birds and barks
at the dogs in their yard down below.  My husband visits with him during
the day (he adores my husband), and comes out in the evenings after I get
home from work.  I spend about 45 minutes with him in his room each
evening, singing or cuddling (his choice). He likes to watch the Simpsons
(or sitcoms with a laugh track) on TV with us, and dances to my husband's
music. He is very social and likes to be around people.  He used to sit on
an open perch, but occasionally jumps off (and injures his tail). He sleeps
in a covered cage, since we live on a busy road and the car lights shine in
his window and wakes him up during the night.  He normally wakes up around
10am and goes to bed around 10 pm. He says "hello" in a really sweet voice,
when he's ready to get up. There is a regular ceiling light in his room,
but I was thinking that he might need some better light (like a plant
light) for the winter months.  He's just started to get more natural light
from his window which I think is good for him.

His diet is varied - I used to feed him pellets, but then the
stores stopped carrying it, so I am feeding him hot porridge made of
cornmeal, 7 grain cereal, maple syrup (or honey or dark brown sugar) mixed
with the Hagen vitamin powder. I spoon feed him the first few bites, (that
started when I first put his collar on him), but has a good appetite right
now (the collar is not on). He gets his porridge meal in the evening and a
scrambled egg in the morning. He gets different  combinations of fresh
fruit/veg (bananas, apple, grapes, peach, pears, celery, tomatoes) three
times a day (10 am, 4 pm, 7 pm ).   He gets Cheerios with his fruit -
they're a fun food. He likes bananas to be on the green side and sliced
into round so he can eat the insides of the bananas and toss the rings. He
gets lots of treats in small quantities - pizza, cheese, pretzels,
chocolate, even ice cream, but I worry about the salt and fat content, so
he only gets a little bit. He likes to float things (especially Cheerios)
in his water dish and then squawks when he has dirty water.

He like dry spaghetti, he holds one end in his hand and bites it into
little wee pieces.  I give him about 5-6 whole pieces a day, but I don't
think he actually eats any of it, so I classify it as "fun" and not food.
He likes to pull apart rope toys. He has a "buddy" rope that he preens
every day. He has a chain with some large wooden beads on the end.  I put
empty toilet paper tubes on it and he systemically tears it into little
tiny pieces. I braid a rope toy around the bars of his cage and he unbraids
it.  He also like the leather octopus toys that are commercially available
now. He's not fussy about kongs or things that last longer than a week or
so.  If he can't completely destroy it in a few days,  he loses interest.
He also likes to toss his water dish at the cat when she ventures into his
room.  He always waits for her to go right under that side of the cage and
then he dumps it right on her and laughs wickedly.

I have had to take him with us to four different housing situations since I
moved out on my own, none of which were particularly positive for anyone
involved.  Ironically, he was a major influence for us to actively start
saving for our own house, but that option won't be available for at least
another year, and even then, I don't think our lifestyle will change enough
to be able to make him healthy.

Although I agree that he should take his toys and dishes, I would like to
keep his cage.  I have an idea (my husband thinks I am being sentimental)
about adopting a parrot sometime in the next 5 or 10 years,  when I am in a
more secure living situation (though I have sworn to never keep a cockatoo
or a grey). Hindsight being what it is, I should have never taken
responsibility for this beautiful creature.  I was only 16, still living
with my parents, before college, before boyfriends let alone marriage - and
absolutely overwhelmed with the offer to take care of this beautiful and
fragile bird. (I have suspicions that my ex-boss chose to give me a
"valuable" bird in order to keep me from suing him from the back wages that
I was never paid - without particular regard about how it would affect
either one of us long term).  After all, I was in no position to make that
kind of decision at that age, it was like accepting an infant into my care
at 16 years of age.  Although I loved him then and now, I am painfully
aware of the time commitment and emotional commitment that it takes to keep
a companion bird in a family. I do not make any decision lightly when it
involves another life on any level. Mr Mollie will leave a real void in our
family.

Please let me know if you will let us tour your facility or meet with you
in person before I choose where he should go. Even photographs or a
detailed description will be helpful in making the decision.

I will be staying at home for the majority of the day, and will not be
accessing my email, so if possible please call me tomorrow before noon.
Thanks again for your time.

 

Here's a pretty good link from Colorado -
http://www.featheredfamily.com/featherabuseinformation.htm

I've read similar theories about pluckers.  The one about the endorphins
being released is just like how an autistic child will strike herself
because the pain releases endorphins, which in turn, makes her feel better.
(XXXXXXXXX is a high-functioning  autistic and compulsively pulls out her
eyelashes when she is stressed out - sound familiar?) I personally think
that it's a combination of many factors - including genetic heredity and
taught behaviour. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX- it made me realize that I have a
lot to offer Charlie in the way of love and care and he is really not in
bad condition.

Steve and I are really grateful for all of your advice. Just considering
giving up Charlie was causing me a lot of grief and angst. I kept
thinking about it and weeping uncontrollably (and no one but Steve seems to
understand).   When we came to your house for a visit, Steve (who has no
previous experience with parrots), was greatly inspired by your set-up. I
think that he also saw what a great bird Charlie really is. By seeing
your birds, he realized that it's okay for Charlie to make noise and
destroy things - but after all, isn't that what parrots do? Yes, he yells
loudly and rips things up into little pieces, and yes, he picks at his
chest.  But he is mostly a well-behaved, well socialized bird with some
unfortunate past history.  He rarely bites, and when he does, it's well
warned and probably deserved.  He loves to talk and sing and dance. He's
also smarter than a lot of people I know...

Instead of finding a new home for him, we've decided to try a change in our
lifestyle to see if we can make our life more Charlie-friendly.  Steve has
re-modeled the big perch (just like the centre piece in your living room)
so that Charlie can watch TV with us and try to out-yell Steve at the
basketball games (guess who wins that one!). He laughs at all the right
places in the sitcoms and sings along with the commercials. He has a couple
of games that he plays with us (we're still learning the rules) that
include a bottle cap and a cup.  Steve  is changing the rooms around so that
Charlies cage is in our main living area.  I used to be concerned that if
he was up too late at night (or had different bedtimes), then it would be
bad for his well-being.  After my discussion with you, I think that the
benefits to having him around the family at all times vastly out-weighs any
mis-conceptions about maintaining a rigid schedule.  He's already looking
happier, and I didn't even have to put the collar on him.  I keep thinking
about how he could live another 30 or 40 years - Steve  and I are in a
position that we could keep him for the rest of his natural life.  Most
parrots don't spend so long with a single human family - I saw one cockatoo
in my research that was 10 years old and had 8 different homes!

We couldn't find any liquid St John's Wort, so I am trying out the
capsules. I don't think that he likes the taste too much, but if you put
enough sweet stuff in his porridge, he'll eat anything!  Based on the
weight difference between an adult human and Charlie (who's about 3lbs),
and taking into account the faster avian metabolism, I stir about a fifth
of a capsule into his porridge at night (a human would take three capsules
per day).  He's noticeable stopped picking at his scab, but it's still got
a long way to go before he's healed up.  I've found another supplier of the
the pellets, so we've added that to his regular feedings. Bob
has been diligent about putting ointment to aid in the healing and we are
waiting for some warmer weather so that we can give him a proper bath and
sit out in the sun to dry.

We want to keep in touch with you, as your advice has been wonderful.  We
were feeling at our wits ends for a while; when you have health and family
issues, it's hard to put emotional energy anywhere else.  Charlie seems
to be so sensitive to those types of stress. You've really inspired us that
with a little extra effort, we are capable of keeping our beautiful Charlie 

with us.  We really like the idea that there is a place where he
could go if our situation requires. It's comforting to know that we do have
options if things get too hard to handle. That in itself makes it easier to
think about the next few years. I think it also helps that we have found
some experienced bird-people to talk about things.  Since XXXXX
closed down, I have only had minimal contact with people who
keep large parrots (and they are breeders, a practice of which I have mixed
feelings). I've always loved birds (all types) and feel an affinity for
them. We are even considering (sometime in the next couple years), of
getting a little companion for Charlie - maybe a little green cheek
conure, or a lovebird to fly around and drive him crazy. I think that he
still misses Crowe and Dimitri from the old days... maybe after we find our
house, we could apply for a bird adoption!

Again, we appreciate all the help that you have offered to us.  We are
looking forward to staying in touch with you and "talking birds". I want to
take regular pictures on him so that we can track his progress. I've
attached a picture of Charlie from December 2002.  Even without his tail,
he's still gorgeous!

Take care and keep in touch...thanks again!  :o)  

 

 

 Hi XXXXXX,

I just came across some more information on plucking that I thought I would
share with you.  I cut and pasted it from another email.  Read below.

 

I am so grateful for your support with this! What you do is definitely
worthwhile!   I know that it takes a great deal of time and emotional
energy to care for a bird like Charlie, so when life occasionally gets
hard, it certainly helps to get feedback and inspiration from others.  Bob
and Charlie were fast friends since they met, but I think that Bob

didn't realize what kind of living environment Charlie really needs to
thrive.  We decided that we are going to put the collar back on (for the
summer only), since we are planning on moving to our own house in the fall.
Hopefully, this will give him enough time to heal up, and we won't have to
worry so much about what the stress of the move will do to him.  I hate to
see him unhappy with the collar on, but he has done it before.  By the way
- I've been experimenting with different porridge recipes that have the St
John's Wort in it - I think he actually likes it now!  Oatmeal, couscous
and maple syrup with a full capsule of the St J W.  I make a big bowl of it
and keep it in the fridge for a week.  When it's supper time, I give him a
hot bowl full with four or five froze blueberries mixed into it....he loves
it!

I don't mind if you want to post my email about Charlie - I would prefer
if you removed the name references, though. I am concerned that the people
who may XXXXXX might recognize our names and
have a negative impression about XXXXXXXX.  I wasn't the only one who
XXXXXXXXXXX...so there might still be some resentment still out
there after all these years.  I still remain amicable with XXXXXXXXX,
even though I have some frustrations with the responsibility that was given
to me at a very young age. XXXXXX XXXXXX now and rather old fashioned in a
lot of ways - he thinks that now that I am married, I should stay at home
and take care of babies (birds and humans).  I don't want to stir up
anything....so I'd appreciate it if you could remove the references to the
XXXXXXXXX

 

Anyway - I look forward to keeping in touch....I will send you more pix of
Charlie  as he learns not to pick.
Happy bird-loving!  :


                                                                                                        
                                             

I am so glad that you have decided to keep him.  If visiting us made a
difference in Steve  then I am so happy for you.    Tell him I am very proud
of him!!

I would love to keep in touch with you and see update pictures of Charlie.

When I saw the picture I thought to myself he doesn't look that bad!

Believe me I have see so much worse.

Now maybe it's just me but I don't care if a bird is plucked as long as he's

 happy and enjoying life.

As for the St. John's Wort you can try a health food store or a naturopath
as they usually carry it in the liquid form.  I have never used the capsules
but if it works then wonderful!!

I would like to ask you a favor.  Your letter is so wonderful and really
did bring me to tears.  Can I post it on my website as a reference story,  I
would love to put the picture of Charlie up there also and even show his
progress.  I can make sure there is no name reference if you prefer.  But
it was so beautifully written and these are the exact results that I really
strive to achieve.

You  have also made me feel that what I am doing is worthwhile.
If I find anymore useful information I will definitely share it with you.
I really do hope that you can all live happily every after.