Off to a New Life

As I write this post, Katie, Gabby and Snowball are on a plane heading to the Seattle, WA airport.  They will be picked up by Lori Rutledge, who runs Cockatoo Rescue & Sanctuary, where the three birds will be living out the rest of their lives.  They will be living in huge flights with their own kind.  Katie and Gabby are Moluccan Cockatoos that have lived with us since 2000 and 2004 respectively.  Snowball was a surrender who is not interested in living among humans.  It is a great day for the girls and Snowball - they will finally be able to live as close to being in the wild as possible in captivity.  I am so happy for them.  But I've been crying since they left this morning.

Katie has been my girl for 13 years.  I love that bird so much.  We've been thru hell together.  She bit me so hard in the chest when she first came to us it took me a month to heal.  She learned to trust, she learned to like men.  She loved to go on PR visits with us.  But something was missing because a couple years back she started to mutilate.  The syndrome is actually called Moluccan Mutilating Syndrome, although it can happen with any type of bird.  She'd get better and then go two steps back.  About 10 days ago, on a Friday, I went to check on her and there was blood all over the cage.  She opened herself back up again.

Lori Rutledge told us that the mutilators usually heal up once they are in a flock environment.  I've been talking with her on and off about this for about a year or more.  When I saw Katie on that Friday I knew the time had come.

Gabby is also a mutilator, and she and Katie have lived next to each other for a long time.  So we decided it was best that they go together.  Gabby didn't like to leave the shelter, if we tried to take her out she would instantly start to chew on her neck.  She took a liking to Jess, who is one of our volunteers extraordinaire, and loved when Jess would come and play with her.  She also loved Steve, another volunteer, who would bring her treats on Saturdays.  However, again, after all these years she was still mutilating as well.

I'm sure Jess and Steve and a lot of the other volunteers are grieving today cuz we're missing our best girls, but we all know in our hearts it was the right thing to do.  Have fun, girls, and we expect reports from Lori in a few months that you're all healed up and loving being in a flock of birds for the first time in your lives.

Lori Drew
 

Katie and Gabby

Katie and Gabby will be going to Cockatoo Rescue & Sanctuary this coming Tuesday.  Katie and Gabby are both mutilators who we've had under control for several years.  However, the last month or so, both have been picking themselves again, so we made the difficult decision for them to go and live with their own.  They have shared a double cage for some time now, and it feels good knowing that they will be going together.  We've had Katie since November 2000 and Gabby since July 2004, so this really was a very difficult decision.  I love Katie as if she were my own.  Many tears have been shed.  However, it's the best thing for the girls, and that's what it's all about, isn't it?  What's best for them.  So Tuesday is the big day.  Prayers for a safe trip and I hope in a few months we'll see pix of them all healed up.  That would make it all worth it.

Saturday Review

Charlie the Jenday Conure was adopted today, as was Peepers the Senegal.  Millie, the Patagonian Conure, went into foster-to-adopt care.  We're hoping that Millie has finally found her forever home.  We had five birds surrendered as well:  an older Red-Lored Amazon with corkscrewing nails; a Meyers Parrot; and three Cockatiels.  Trish and Tom worked on cleaning up the small bird cages and Carolyn and Jackson pressured washed for us today - all the dirty cages from over the winter are now sparkly clean and disinfected.  We didn't expect them to do that today, so it was a very welcome surprise.  We really truly have some awesome volunteers - don't know what we would do without them.  Have a great Sunday everyone!

Paco Goes Home!

Tuesday was a great day for our Alexandrine Parakeet, Paco.  She went to her new home.  Her new owners previously adopted a Pionus and a naked Alexandrine

, so they know the ropes.  Congrats to Kim, Kurt and Paco on their new life together.

Malakai Goes Home!!!

Malakai (Kai Kai), an Umbrella Cockatoo who has lived here at CARE since March 1, 2011, went to his forever home today.  He's going to be living in the Madison area.  We are just thrilled for him.  Oh boy is he going to be spoiled.  What a great way to start the week.

Saturday at CARE

Josie, the yellow-sided Green Cheek Conure, went to her forever home today.  She's been here awhile.  She's one of those birds that we have no reason why she didn't go home sooner - nothing wrong with her at all.  But she's going to a green cheek conure-savvy home.  Surrenders today were a blue-headed pionus and green cheek conure who live together in a HUGE cage - they will be adopted out together in the HUGE cage; a little peach-faced lovebird named Rosie who's mom had emphysema; and six budgies from the same home.  Total birds surrendered to date in 2013 is 97.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Saturday at CARE

Pepper, the female cockatiel with the horrifically trimmed wings that was terrorized by children, went home today to one of our volunteers from a few years back.  Pepper loved her and was actually cuddling with her - there were a lot of teary eyes around here.  That bird has been tortured and now she has found a very loving and knowledgable home.  Maui, the white dove, also went home on Thursday.  That was one tame dove.  We have four doves coming in on Monday, two ringnecks and two pieds.  Their cages are ready and we can't  wait for their arrival. Have a great weekend everyone!

Phred Goes Home!

Phred, an approximately 30 year old Umbrella Cockatoo, went  to his new home today.  Phred has been with us since April 24, 2012, almost a whole year.  He was surrendered due to his owner having lung disease, not behavioral or medical problems.  Umbrella cockatoos, all cockatoos actually, usually are here for awhile - they are hard to place cuz of their loud calls and being like velcro to their owners.  Phred went to a family with lots of bird experience - we are so happy for him.  Great way to start the week!