Should I keep Anna or give her away?

[cassiesdad]

I helped to rescue a Congo African Grey, named Mister. His owner chose to give him up. The hardest thing we all had to deal with was his calling for Myrtle. He screamed for her for days. He couldn't be pacified with any other person. We worked with him, played with him, put up with his constant potty mouth. In the end we lost him, breaks my heart everytime I think about him. The only thing he ever wanted was his Myrtle. He with her now, she died shortly after she gave up all of her birds.

I do remember Mister and his time at the clinic...his story was one of the saddest ones I ever saw.

They do become part of the family...

 

[Distaff]

Perhaps I am unusually jaded and mistrusting, but seriously?

Employees work there, and employees come and go. For may of them, it will simply be a job. Furthermore, once she is no longer yours, that place will do with her whatever they wish, and it could involve some very poor judgment on their part, or an act that is astonishingly self-serving. Agreements are nothing more that, you really have no assurance that anyone there will do the right thing by Anna. Things could go badly wrong, and even if you become aware of the situation, you won't be in a good position to fix it.

Also, nature park? She's is not a wild bird anymore. She lives as part of a family. How would you feel? If you are dead set on parting ways, at least find her a real home.

 

[Birdbabe]

I'm going to add my 2cents, the clinic where I volunteer at, takes in a few rescues. I helped to rescue a Congo African Grey, named Mister. His owner chose to give him up. The hardest thing we all had to deal with was his calling for Myrtle. He screamed for her for days. He couldn't be pacified with any other person. We worked with him, played with him, put up with his constant potty mouth. In the end we lost him, breaks my heart everytime I think about him. The only thing he ever wanted was his Myrtle. He with her now, she died shortly after she gave up all of her birds.
Talk to neighbors, find out if it bothers them Anna calling, don't give on her, work with her daily, but don't give her up.

I remember him too..

 

[SandraK]

@rocky'smom Is there a link to his story?

 

[Nancy B]

I also hope you can keep Anna. If you have to talk with them about building a proper aviary, it sounds like they don’t know much about parrots. Also, if she’s the only one, she’ll be lonely and she’ll miss her flock, which is you. I think it’s very hard on a bird to leave their home and it’s sounds like she really likes you. Do you have a place for her inside? She’s probably being loud because she wants to see you, and she might be quieter if she was inside where she could watch you when you are home.

This is true. My Freddy spends all his time with us when we are home. He has places to play in each area of my house. We are teaching him what he can chew, and what he cannot by redirecting. It is working SO FAR. We have only had him 9 mos so I know he is emerging little by little. But whatever he is in the future, I will be keeping him because I just love him so much. I do hope you keep her, especially since you are attached to her. Try to make an area inside the house that is HERS. Somewhere she gets to see and interact. Freddy calls and calls me if I am home, until I let him out. She wants to be with you, I believe that.

 

[Barcann]

Thank you all for your wonderful replies. They made me laugh, they made me cry, and they certainly made me think again and again about giving her away. I do think she and I are bonded and I know I would miss her. I talked to my husband last night, and he, who is always saying that damn bird is driving me crazy, said even that he would miss her. He told me to do what I think best.
so for now she stays lol
btw, the nature park is a very small intimate setting. not really like a zoo... but still...
and did I mention I am 76 years old? much too old to be taking care of a cockatoo lol
but in my will I will make sure she has a good home, since I know she will probably outlive me. LOL
thank you all so much. You are wonderful people who love their birds so much.
Anna says thank you too.

 

[lexalayne]

Awe

 

[Clueless]

Yay!!!!!!

 

[Birdbabe]

We are all getting older, now is the time to look to her future,,,thank you for keeping her.

 

[sunnysmom]

Sunny, our cockatiel, was left to my fiancé in someone's will. The woman was in her early 60s. Sunny was 15. I'm pretty sure that she never thought that Sunny would actually outlive her, but he did. We never know what may happen. So love and enjoy your time with Anna. I think all of us, no matter what age we are or our bird is, need to make arrangements for our birds in case something happens to us. We just never know....

 

[cassiesdad]

Anna, you are loved...by your Mom and Dad (even though it might not seem that way with him )...and by everyone here on the Avenue...

 

[faislaq]

Anna, you are loved... by everyone here on the Avenue...

And by Milton? Does he call her "pretty bird"?

 

[cassiesdad]

And by Milton? Does he call her "pretty bird"?

Actually, Milton HAS called Anna a "PRETTY PRETTY BIRD" because he saw her picture here awhile back. He only says "PRETTY PRETTY BIRD" when he sees other U2s on the computer...

 

[Max83]

keep her. don't give up with her if she's happy with you, you could regret it very bad! they miss their person.

maybe the neighbrood don't notice her so much if they haven't complained yet. can't you keep her inside sometimes?

 

[Nancy B]

I'm so glad you're keeping her. My friends U2 was bought as a baby to a middle aged woman who lost her husband. Because of this, Jefferson says a lot, the type of conversation you can have with him you can tell he was this woman's companion. She lost her life to cancer (I think) and gave him up two weeks before her death. He's 21 and just magnificent. They say he's nippy but I haven't seen it yet. He comes and steps up for me and makes my friend cringe lol. He's 22" tall I think they told me. Anna is so beautiful. I'm sure she can also be great company! I would be lost without my Freddy

 

[Bokkapooh]

Personally, it sounds like she would be better off in a family home where she is inside with people who enjoy and love her for her screams and her natural cockatoo behaviors than locked outside all day alone or at a nature park in relatively the same environment. If you were to rehome her, I highly suggest a family home that can provide her the needs and wants that an umbrella cockatoo should have.

 

[melissasparrots]

Go to your neighbors and ask them point blank if the bird is bothering them. If they say no, then ask them to please come see you if she ever does. If she isn't bothering the neighbors, then don't get rid of your bird because you think she is bothering the neighbors. Also, could you possibly set up an indoor play gym or cage for her to come in for part of the day? I do this with my social Harris hawks. They are outside for part of the day, but I bring them in to socialize with each other and me for part of the day. Its a happy medium for all of us. It might help the screaming if there was a very loose routine that the bird knew at about a certain time of day on most days, it would come in the house.

 

[Nikomania]

Does she stay outside all the time? If so, then that's likely why she's calling out so much.

 

[greys4u]

We are somethin else, babies just get in our hearts and never let go.

 

[camelotshadow]

Not going to work as a adornment to the lanai...They want to be with us for at least as much as they can...Some hours outside but always outside then you might as well not have her as she does not have you. I can see why she can be unhappy & scream...toos most of all are very social...all birds are social but toos....would be better off with someone who wants them in there life & to be part of the family.

It's not good for the bird to have all that stress & frustration wanting to be part of the gang. They start plucking & mutilating at the drop of a dime & luckily so far your bird is still OK...Not many will want them when they are severely plucked. So if its your plan to leave the bird outside then maybe its is best to find a more suitable home.

 

[JenBirds]

how about get another one for company? I mean it would keep her happy and you can feel less guilty keeping her in the big cage
Birds in nature live in a flock, just saying. I have two German shepherds and 2 love bird parents who just had 4 babies,. I can't imagine how boring it would
be for any of my pets to be totally alone