Negligent sister keeps endangering my conure's life

[kiwijunior]

Hello avenue,
I live with 3 other siblings, 3 budgies, and 1 green cheak conure. The oldest sister bought these birds but never took care of them so here I am picking up her slack. She was diagnosed with depression so fine I understand you can't take care of birds when you can barely take care of yourself. But she brings Kiwi (my GCC) into her room with the ceiling fan, leaves a teflon pan on the stove (ON HIGH and unattended), and her most recent offense, taking him into her room with a LIT CANDLE INSIDE. Her response to my safety concerns? "Oh we've been doing this for years and nothing happened! The birds are all fine!".
All of which are repeated offenses despite my protest. As I write this she is holding him hostage. I keep asking for Kiwi back and she keeps screaming and punching the damn door. She even threatened she will kill me. Kiwi is in there, breathing those chemicals, screaming as well, and I can't do a damn thing! Which is why I am here. Should I call the cops for animal abuse? I worry they won't take me seriously. We live in the same house and I worry for Kiwi's safety. She really doesn't care what happens to him. It's as if he is a toy she can just play and discard later.
If any of you doubt this crazy post I'm making, go ahead. I know this sounds insane. But I need options.

 

[Rebel]

Look up animal protective services in your area.

 

[April]

Oh goodness I'm so sorry your going through this right now. Do you think there's anyone in your family that could talk to her and get her to hopefully calm down and give Kiwi back to you?

 

[kiwijunior]

Oh goodness I'm so sorry your going through this right now. Do you think there's anyone in your family that could talk to her and get her to hopefully calm down and give Kiwi back to you?

My youngest sister is working right now she doesn't have her phone. She hates my father and my mother is at work too. My brother is scared and I don't want to pressure him. He observed there are knife marks through the door.

 

[kiwijunior]

Look up animal protective services in your area.

They're not available at this hour. A good idea though.

 

[Mizzely]

This is a situation I don't know if there is a right answer. Are you able to call your parents at work?

Otherwise, I'm not sure the police will care much about your conure (sadly) unless it's a more tangible harm like physically assaulting him. You could try though.

If she is putting any humans at risk of being hurt, including herself, you, or your brother, I would definitely call if you can't get the situation under control.

 

[kiwijunior]

This is a situation I don't know if there is a right answer. Are you able to call your parents at work?

Otherwise, I'm not sure the police will care much about your conure (sadly) unless it's a more tangible harm like physically assaulting him. You could try though.

If she is putting any humans at risk of being hurt, including herself, you, or your brother, I would definitely call if you can't get the situation under control.

I am scared about calling the cops because she has already been sent to the ward. I still care for her and I don't want her to resent me for doing so. I keep thinking to myself if I had a son locked in a room, forced to inhale cigarettes, what would I do? The right answers seems anything I can do to protect the child. But even if I do that, it seems she has the knife on the ready. I approached her door again, asked for him back again, and she kept stabbing the door.

 

[Shezbug]

The mental health issue and knife are the issues needing addressing the most right now by the sounds of it. I beg you to involve a parent, and try to involve all the family so everyone is on the same page to get your sister the help she needs. Being emotionally unstable enough to take a knife into your room then to use it to stab the door because you are not happy with the people or requests from the other side of the door are quite concerning and unusual- I would be shocked if your parents, medical professionals and the police ignored the behaviour. If you can get your sister the help she sounds like she desperately needs then I believe your birds will be much safer.
Using violence and weapons to get your own way or to keep others away who are not actually putting your life in danger is really quite an extreme thing to do... please involve your parents much more in this issue and consider what is best in the long term for your sister and the rest of the living beings in your home rather than her immediate feelings towards you- her resenting you is irrelevant if she is threatening others and behaving oddly.

 

[Emma&pico]

Do you live with your parents? Or just you and her ?

I 100% agree with @Shezbug I would at very least be phoning your parents if she as a knife in her room for your safety hers and other living beings that live in your home
Mental health concerns only escalate without help
I don’t know where you live but Is she under a mental health team ? does she have a mental health support worker that you could maybe ring ?
She definitely sounds like she needs help you aren’t and can’t responsible for her action’s whether or not she resents you now or in future you are doing right thing getting her help she definitely sounds like she’s having a manic episode and really needs help

 

[Emma&pico]

Just a thought but is her taking kiwi or another bird into her room only way she gets a reaction from you ? If it is I know it’s hard to try not to react try not to fuel her fire by keep knocking on her door asking for kiwi back maybe she will calm down and get bored (probably wrong wording) without a reaction and let kiwi out when she’s not getting her desired response from you I know this doesn’t help poor kiwi at the minute but your main goal at minute is diffusing the situation for everyone concerned

 

[kiwijunior]

@Mizzely @Shezbug @Emma&pico
Thank you all so much for the replies. I am considering calling for help now. She sent a threat of beating me up today if I anger her and said "I won't stop torturing Kiwi until you get off my back!". Kiwi is now in my room because my younger brother saw the message and wants to protect him too. I doubt she wants to do anything to the budgies because she can't bring them to her room like Kiwi allows.

@Emma&pico I figured that as well. She is so hurt and angry at me for what I've done. Whenever the sisters bring the birds into their rooms, I would always follow them and make sure the fans are off and the candles aren't lit. I would even stand outside their door to listen to their conversations about me being "anal". Those actions probably are overbearing. I never wanted to do them though. Life would be so much easier not having to worry if they're endangering Kiwi's life with such a careless attitude. The whole reason our conflict escalated as it did was because I refused to empathized with them. Maybe I'm saying that because part of me believes I can control the situation. Maybe it was shizz luck that their mental health was in shambles yet they kept blaming me for it.
They have trauma with my father because he was always controlling. Which I understand, I share the same dislike for him as well. My issue is they equate his overbearingness with me. "Because of you I stay in my room starving myself ! I hate you!".
But gosh darn! All they had to do was NOT endanger his life!

 

[Zara]

I am glad your bird is safe and you sister seems ok. If she sees a therapist, make a point of contacting them to let them know what has been going on. If she doesn't have a therapist, I think that you should definitely find someone for her together as a family.

 

[Emma&pico]

@Mizzely @Shezbug @Emma&pico
Thank you all so much for the replies. I am considering calling for help now. She sent a threat of beating me up today if I anger her and said "I won't stop torturing Kiwi until you get off my back!". Kiwi is now in my room because my younger brother saw the message and wants to protect him too. I doubt she wants to do anything to the budgies because she can't bring them to her room like Kiwi allows.

@Emma&pico I figured that as well. She is so hurt and angry at me for what I've done. Whenever the sisters bring the birds into their rooms, I would always follow them and make sure the fans are off and the candles aren't lit. I would even stand outside their door to listen to their conversations about me being "anal". Those actions probably are overbearing. I never wanted to do them though. Life would be so much easier not having to worry if they're endangering Kiwi's life with such a careless attitude. The whole reason our conflict escalated as it did was because I refused to empathized with them. Maybe I'm saying that because part of me believes I can control the situation. Maybe it was shizz luck that their mental health was in shambles yet they kept blaming me for it.
They have trauma with my father because he was always controlling. Which I understand, I share the same dislike for him as well. My issue is they equate his overbearingness with me. "Because of you I stay in my room starving myself ! I hate you!".
But gosh darn! All they had to do was NOT endanger his life!

I am sorry your going through this a hope you all find a situation that works for you all to have happiness and peace