I have a hard time saying No. It’s a fact. I really like to help out, and I definitely over commit myself at times.
Most recently I’ve been helping out a local shelter with a bunch of parrots that are on a safe hold. The parrots were just cleared to go to foster, so of course I had to volunteer. There were a couple of the birds that I had really enjoyed spending time with when I was volunteering, but of course those were everyone’s favorites and they went to foster while I was away on vacation.
I went to the shelter yesterday to see what they still needed. I kinda wanted to foster a macaw because it seems like a limited opportunity. I’d never go out and get a bird like that myself, but to have one as a foster was very tempting. As soon as I walked into the room with the macaws yesterday, I knew that was a bad idea! They are so loud!
This guy was one I hadn’t spent a ton of time with at the shelter, but I knew him, and I spent some time with him yesterday. He’s a bit shy, but very sweet. He takes treats from my hand and already lets me scratch his head. This morning, I picked him up and brought him home!
So far he is settling in really well. He did almost chew through his carrier on the way home, but we made it without him escaping in the car. I can’t imagine trying to explain to my husband that the parrot ate his car seat or dashboard!
Once we made it home, I put him in the shower for safety while I got his cage set up. I’ve got him near Hector, but not quite close enough to touch. They would have to work really hard to get to each other’s cages. Hector was very curious, but quickly went back to destroying a new cardboard box in her cage. K seems to have little or no interest in Hector.
As soon as he got in his new cage, the very first thing he did was empty both of his food bowls! He yells “Hey” in a cute little voice whenever I leave the room for a minute, but so far there hasn’t been any screaming. He showed me that he can fly and followed me into another room, but thankfully he stepped right up on my hand and let me bring him back to his cage.
Just a couple of hours after being here, he seems very comfortable in and out of his cage. He’s eating, grooming, and even playing with some toys. I hope he continues to settle in easily! My plan is to give him a couple of days to settle and then start working on him with a consistent step up. Stayed tuned for more foster parrot updates soon!
