Meet Tammy

Tammy is a Nanday Conure who is about 20 years old. She had a very unfortunate life. She was kept in a canary cage -- much too small for a conure! By the time she made her way to us, she was very starved. I have met budgies who weighed more than Tammy. We weren't sure she'd make it through the night. A few more days (maybe only one), and she probably would have starved to death.Tammy has many health problems stemming from her horrible care. She has severe arthritis from poor diet (when they bothered to feed her) and having only one dowel to perch on in her cage.

Parrots need several perch choices available to them. If they are offered only one, smooth perch, they can develop problems when the foot is not allowed to rest in different positions. That's part of the reason why dowel perches are not recommended for parrots. Natural branches, which mimic what parrots would see in the wild, are much better.

Tammy probably has gout. She went to the vet upon arrival, but she was in such a poor state that we opted to not take blood from her, as she needed to put on weight first. She is scheduled for a vet visit this week, and we will try to remember to post her results on the blog.

For the first few days she was with us, we barely saw her face as she was making up for lost time with her beak in her food dish! Even now, in this picture, that's where she was.

Despite everything she's been through, Tammy has a wonderful personality. As she regains strength, that may change, but we doubt it. She has been very sweet and we are determined to give her the last years of her life that she deserves.

Tammy is not yet available for adoption. We need to get her healthy first. Because of her age, and depending on what her blood tests reveal, she may become a resident unless we can find an appropriate retirement home.