Frito Wants a Corn Chip

Frito is a wonderful, funny and verbal African Grey in our rescue. One of Frito's favorite sayings is, "Frito wants a corn chip." His former owners apparently knew of this addiction to corn chips, hence his name Frito (I'm assuming here but it does make sense). He loves his toys and really enjoys throwing whiffle balls around his cage and trying to chase them. You might wonder why such a wonderful Grey is still in the rescue and not adopted. The answer is simple. Frito is terribly disabled. He was born with Hypocalcaemia due to his egg laying mother not receiving the proper calcium supplements while laying eggs. I won't bore you with the medical explanation to all of this but simply tell you the outcome for Frito. The bones in his legs were so soft that they bent under his own weight at he grew. Multiple fractures occurred in his hip and legs. I cannot imagine the level of pain that he endured in the first few months of life. As his diet provided more calcium, his bones slowly hardened and set. The result is that Frito's left hip sticks out from his body at a 45 degree angle and then bends back forward with his leg turning inward in a horizontal line. His right leg is also skewed and his feet don't fully grip. In short, he doesn't "look" right. 

When Frito came to us, we had a quality of life consultation with two avian vets. We were concerned that he was in constant pain. After Xrays and careful manipulation of both legs and hips, it was determined that he was not in active or constant pain. He was put on a medication that would help with the early onset arthritis he had developed. The problem with Frito and everyday life was two fold. What kind of cage could we put him in. He couldn't really walk. He kind of trundled or rocked on his legs like a weeble and when he is tired he simply grabs the grate in the cage bottom and pulls himself along by his beak. We solved this by adapting a large high quality guinea pig cage on wheels. it gave him a long area to roam in horizontally and was was not too tall so that if he pulled himself up the sides by his beak and luck, he wouldn't have far to fall. We hung toys from the sides so that he could reach them and play. The second problem wasn't as easy. Due to the pain of bones breaking in his early life, he was terrified of hands and being handled. Hands equaled pain and he wanted nothing to do with it. Frito would see hands coming toward him and start screaming and thrashing so hard that he would fall over and not be able to get up. This made changing his cage hard and traumatic. For months, I would end up crying when his cage had to be cleaned. 

I wanted to be able to comfort him and hold him but I had accepted that that time would probably never  come. I spent countless hours on the floor by his cage gently playing a game of touching through the bars and talking quietly and calmly. Some days he bit me, others he would finally put his head down for me to give a two second scratch. Fast forward eight months. One day, I had the side door opened on the cage and he was learning out toward me ---- and he fell into my hands! I was shocked and so was he. I slowly lifted him to my shoulder and loved on him for all I was worth. He let me for 20 wonderful minutes, making little beeping sounds and rubbing his head on my shoulder. I finally shifted to see how to put him back and he panicked, thrashed and screamed. I quickly and gently placed him back in and got a quick fear bite from him. I closed the door and spoke quietly and he stopped screaming. He waddled to the door and pushed his beak through and beeped at me. I wiped the blood off my finger while crying, not from the bite but because after all those months, I had hope.

Hope and a twenty minute cuddle - that is why I do this! Frito will probably always be with me because  I have seen how people react to his deformities. It makes some people uncomfortable. I don't mind because I am madly in love with him, but they sure don't know the courage, humor and love they are missing out on from this little guy.

Here is one view of Frito's left leg.

What? You Mean My Parrot Might Not Be That Into Me??

Recently, I have begun to draw parallels between rearing kids and fostering/raising parrots. I don't do this to minimize or marginalize parenthood. I am definitely still a parent and it is the hardest job ever. I love it almost 99% of the time! The same is true about parrot rescue and parrot ownership. Sadly we have all been led astray with the "fairy tale" version of bird ownership. You know the one...the bird instantly loves you, never poops on you, loves everyone it meets, never gets hormonal, never bites and has a vocabulary of 1000 words. Your neighbors never hear the bird or they think that his/her evening calls are like sweet music.  <queue the violins here for a crescendo> The bird lives sixty years and you both pass gently away together, ending the perfect bird/human relationship. WAKE UP!!! That just doesn't happen! Birds are unique creatures, each with their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Just like toddlers, they have good days and bad days. Recently my Jardines parrot has been in a "mood". I have been very busy, my mom was in the hospital, we had new parrots come into the rescue, my daughter had the nerve to sound like me (which got her bitten.) My son, Michael, happened to catch Jasmine biting me for the first time in years. He was shocked and offended! "You have fed her since she was a baby, you clean her cage, you take her outside, she gets to eat near the dinner table. She doesn't even realize how good she has it." I wish I could have recorded that, seriously. I stared at him a minute and I said, "everyone has a bad day once in awhile and Jasmine is just tired of me right now." He paused a minute, looked at me and said, "Your bird just isn't into you right now? Is that what you mean? That's kind of pathetic, mom. You and the birds are making me crazy." He strolled down the hall to the kitchen where he proceeded to eat the food that I had made and put out.

Jasmine my Amazing Jardines

Just as I don't take it personally when my teenagers/young adults say thoughtless things (with no malice intended); I try not to take it personally when one of the birds that live with me are having a bad day. The good Lord knows I have had plenty of them. Sometimes, just sometimes, I get tired of certain people too.

I have seen birds end up in rescue because their owners are convinced that the birds no longer "loves" them. This is so sad. All parrots and people go through seasons (hormonal and otherwise). Try to remember, it's not always personal. Your love-bug might have gotten up on the wrong side of the perch. Hormones may be raging through your bird that would make a teenager's hormones look tame. Sometimes birds are getting sick or having a physical problem that they are masking and their only communication option is to act like a jerk. If this has happened to you or you feel like it is happening, reach out to other bird people for help, ideas and encouragement! Don't give up! Even when it hard and all the birds are throwing their expensive, organic fruit and veggies on the floor like its the worst food ever (which two of mine are doing right this minute!) Start asking questions, watch for clues, because maybe it's just not about you.

Parrots don't get the whole - My mom is in the hospital

The parrots have been rather irritated this week because I have been up at the hospital with my mother a good portion of the time. Now, don't for a minute think that this means they haven't had hot breakfast, treats, popcorn, and other delicious food options. They have also had toys, foot toys, videos and company from my daughter. I am still getting the stink eye when I walk by. I have explained several times the situation but all I get is the birdie version of, "so? how does impact me? where is my oatmeal?". As I was sweeping late last night, I glanced behind me to find Lulu Goofy Goffin digging food out of her dish and pitching it out one little foot full at a time. Poppy the Grey was in the corner of her cage glaring at me and Old Man (our old rescue Goffins) was just screaming at me every time I opened my mouth. This story has a happy ending...the birds are well cared for and will eventually get over their irritation with me. It is, however, a cautionary tale about Parrot's expectations and love of routine. I have help and support and a large family to help with my mom and my birds. I cannot imagine what people do with health crises and no assistance. This is one of the core reasons that we receive birds into the rescue. Change in circumstances (whatever they may be) that lead the owner to realize they cannot do it all. This week I am having some serious compassion for those former owners - it really is hard sometimes. Sometimes I want to simplify my opinions on why people give up birds; I have to acknowledge though that one reason is simply that we are only human and we don't always have the help or support we need to make it through trying circumstances.

Yay it's Friday!! Wait, I Still Have to Work on the Weekend.

Yep, a central truth of birds in general is that they don't know the concept of weekend unless it just means a little more face time with you. I forgot that for a really short minute this morning while I was surveying the carnage in the bird room. I swept it last night before I covered them. This morning it was already decorated with pellet, toy parts, paper and water. I hadn't even uncovered them yet!!! How do they get this out from under their sheets?? I think it is a coordinated effort to remind me that wake up time is not to be ignored. They keep a close eye on the clock (their internal clock!). So, oatmeal, apple, banana and cinnamon is delivered and my Goffin's Lulu and the Half Moon Conure decided they weren't into that today, so they launched it out at me. Lovely. Trust me, you don't want to try and scrape off dried oatmeal from the floor or cage - Nearly Impossible! Am I only one who feels guilt over date night with the hubby? I feel like I come home and they all give me the stink eye. It's important to have time away from the critters though, for me and for them! Do you have any weekend stories about your birdies or the early alarm birdie call? Share them with us!

This is my Half Moon, Looney Mooney. One of the messiest birds I know!

Crazy is as Crazy Does

ARGHHHHHH!!! Whew! Got it out. Now back to the normalcy of life. or not. This morning is another morning of I wish I had gotten up an hour earlier. By the time everyone was uncovered, treated (with a nutriberry), told how amazing they were and then medicated, I was already behind. Then I brewed coffee in the Keurig without a K-cup inside so I got hot water and no coffee. Rinse, repeat - get real coffee. Cook long grain wild rice, veggies, cinnamon, oatmeal, pureed fruit and mix it all together. Get that delivered to the birds, while talking to my daughter who is headed out the door to her college classes. Still have to jump in the shower and get ready to take my mother to the doctor. Hmmm, how to also spritz the feather pullers??? Yep they are going in the shower with me to get lots of steam and kill two bi--- Yikes!!! Got a little carried away with the figurative language. I know I am running around like a wild woman and I feel like Kovak (cone head) African Gray is staring at me like I am really not all there. You know, that stare they have that makes you feel inferior. I can only imagine his mental dialogue. "Wow, Carole is totally out of control this morning. She hasn't even brushed her hair yet. I think those are the shorts she had on yesterday. The dog is still running around wearing his leash. She isn't even calling everyone by the right name. I prefer my name to be pronounced with a russian accent but all I've gotten today is KOOOvack in a very southern drawl. Hmphhh! Where are my veggies? Where? Oops, she didn't get to the phone in time. Here comes the cell phone call...wait for it, wait for it...yes! Now she can't find the cell phone. Ahhh, the amusement provided by the humans..they just can't seem to relax. Ummm, where is my rice?"

Well, must run friends - I am almost late to pick up my mom. Oops, where is my coffee??

Budgies are NOT DISPOSABLE!

Anger. Questions. What is wrong with people? We received a call from someone who wanted us to take a lame budgie. I won't bore you with details but when the bird was taken in, it had been attacked and had two mangled feet. The injuries were old enough that skin had healed around an exposed bone on his foot.   We were horrified. The woman who surrendered her to us couldn't even remember the bird's name and had to call her son to get the name. Every nuance of this woman's actions make me sick and angry. Just because you can purchase a budgie for less than 20 dollars does not mean that they are disposable! This little bird was suffering for several weeks! The vet found three areas in his feet with exposed bone. Our bird vet is attempting to trim the exposed (dead) bone and create a semblance of a flat foot for the bird to use to stand on. Additionally, there will be a toe amputated and some other corrections. This bird, even with all its injuries, was trying to chirp and whistle this morning while we were on the way to the vet. What a will to live!! I feel like making it this far qualifies the little guy for some serious Rocky music. Photos to follow.

Ugh! Today is Apparently Grumpy Parrot Day

I thought today was Thursday but apparently it is really "grumpy parrot" day. Well, at least for several of my birds and one of the foster birds. I try to find the joy in small things on hard days and today was no exception. I amused myself by creating a dialog for my grumpy Goffin's Cockatoo.

Me:    Lulu, please put down my iPhone.
Lulu:  I can't hear you, I'm eating your iPhone.
Me:    Lulu, look! I have an almond!
Lulu:  drops phone on couch, flies over and takes almond back to the couch and sits on the iPhone.
Me:    Lulu, you know there are rescues for a reason. I give her a very stern look.
Lulu:  Looks around at all the birds, the toys and treats. Yeah right mom!


Yes, she knows me well. Nobody is going anywhere but I do allow myself an occasional threat. Not that it changes anything but sometimes it does lighten the moment.