my moms poor parrotlet.

[Apache4831]

Hey it's me again, the guy who was worried about the parrotlet wing, a little update, her feathers are growing back, but this isn't the problem, before I say anything, THESE ARE NOT MY BIRDS!! THESE ARE MY MOMS PARROTS!!

So I go over to my mom's house because, you know, parents. and I notice one parrotlet, (the one with the clipped wings) is doing fine. the other one on the other hand is not ok.
The first thing I notice is the cage is too small and very filthy (she uses the "bird litter" with no bars separating it, and from personal experience, she only cleans it once a week.) the poor thing looks greasy and the feathers look damaged and are missing a good chunk of her tail feathers.

(i know nothing about parrotlet enrichment, after only just keeping a green cheek conure, whos death still breaks my heart)

the worst part is she just keeps the birds for profit. she just sees them as a money maker. she has sold one for being a female and traded another one who was also a female, for a parrotlet baby who also turned out to be a female. she replaces them over and over until she gets what she wants, a male, she just wants to breed them and sell the babies (which where I live, is ILLEGAL WITHOUT A PERMIT, and yet she still tries) and the poor "mother bird" just sits, usually covered, until she either gets fed or let out.

I try to tell her what is wrong, yet I'm the idiot because, "I don't get it, I'm too young

I wish I could take her in, but after not keeping birds for almost a year now, and still don't plan on, I know I don't have anything for the poor thing, and I would rather be prepared instead of impulsively rescuing a bird.

 

[budgieluv3]

Do you have any friends or relatives who would be willing to adopt the bird and give it a better home? Is she willing to sell it?

here are some amazon lists for everything you need for a bird:

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[Apache4831]

Do you have any friends or relatives who would be willing to adopt the bird and give it a better home? Is she willing to sell it?

here are some amazon lists for everything you need for a bird:

ElleAndTheBirds's Amazon Page

Shop recommended products from ElleAndTheBirds on www.amazon.com. Learn more about ElleAndTheBirds's favorite products.

www.amazon.com

no one in my family likes birds, so that's a quick nope
I mean I never asked her about surrendering it, but Im pretty sure shell just sell the poor thing on craigslist if she gets bored of it, like most of her pets

thanks for the page, I'm still thinking about if I'm ready for a bird. thanks for the help

 

[Zara]

If she is not listening and these birds are suffering or being abused... report her. Tough love.
Once she gets in trouble once for it, hopefully she´ll change her tune. Any number of people could have reported her... visitors to the house, nosy neighbours or even the people who traded birds with her.

 

[Ali]

If she is not listening and these birds are suffering or being abused... report her. Tough love.
Once she gets in trouble once for it, hopefully she´ll change her tune. Any number of people could have reported her... visitors to the house, nosy neighbours or even the people who traded birds with her.

I agree. Sounds like the best course of action

 

[Apache4831]

it's just so dang hard to report her, my city doesn't give 2 heckks about any animal, they'll just say, "its just a bird" and move on. sadly the closest rescue or bird-related store that can help is 300 miles away. I don't need her to find out it was me and make me (and my dad's) life worse for us. it just sucks because there's no win-win, either the bird keeps suffering, or let my side of my family suffer the consequences of my mom's toxic attitude and toxic family. if you confront her about the bird, she'll just say "it's my bird, my responsibility", or "you just don't understand", I just asked her if I could try and take her in to at least help the poor thing, and she said no. I don't want to be too pushy, or else it's not my problem anymore, it is my dad's. every time I go, I at least try and comfort her (she likes when I hum to her). I don't know what to do anymore. I just want the poor bird to be in good hands. Of course, I'm gonna be called an as***le for taking away a bird from an obviously poor living situation. I think I should mention some other things-

- she feeds them expired foods (don't know if it's fine, but a pet peeve of mine, worst one had a best buy of 09/2016, this was in 2019, it also smelled bad)

-she only lets one out for like 1 hour a day, keeps the other one in a cage all day, to my knowledge (also don't know if fine, not a big expert on parrotlet enrichment)

-she uses candles and aerosols in the same room (which i know is a big no-no)

-she never gives them uva/uvb lighting (like i said, don't know too much about, but I used to let my GCC outside when it wasn't like blistering hot)

-she refuses to take them to a vet, despite living 10 minutes away from the same avian vet I went too

I am just stumped on what to do next, I won't be able to get the right supplies to take them in until December, as I have my hands on some hungry frogs, who need to settle into their vivarium. i have the time and will, but I don't have the supplies, as I told myself, ill never get a bird again, after my GCC died, but now, its either I take her in, and adjust to keeping birds again, or she neglects it until she gets bored of "it" and sells her on craigslist (Like her hamster and her dog, which she only had for less than a year).

what do you guys think would be the best way of getting the bird to a safer home? I can try and report it, but my city will just glance over it, like most things.

 

[Ali]

it's just so dang hard to report her, my city doesn't give 2 heckks about any animal, they'll just say, "its just a bird" and move on. sadly the closest rescue or bird-related store that can help is 300 miles away. I don't need her to find out it was me and make me (and my dad's) life worse for us. it just sucks because there's no win-win, either the bird keeps suffering, or let my side of my family suffer the consequences of my mom's toxic attitude and toxic family. if you confront her about the bird, she'll just say "it's my bird, my responsibility", or "you just don't understand", I just asked her if I could try and take her in to at least help the poor thing, and she said no. I don't want to be too pushy, or else it's not my problem anymore, it is my dad's. every time I go, I at least try and comfort her (she likes when I hum to her). I don't know what to do anymore. I just want the poor bird to be in good hands. Of course, I'm gonna be called an as***le for taking away a bird from an obviously poor living situation. I think I should mention some other things-

Where are you?

I think that reporting would be worth a shot, is there anyone you could ask do do it for you?

 

[Apache4831]

I think that reporting would be worth a shot, is there anyone you could ask do do it for you?

no, no one can do it for us. i could try seeing if you can report anonymously, but I don't think that's an option

I am from a large city west of Houston (I'm pretty sure you can find it, starts with san)

 

[Ephy]

Your mom wont change. You wont take the bird in. You know of nobody that would adopt it and you wont report it.

Not really sure what help you are hoping we can provide? Its a shame, for that poor bird.

I knew of someone that i would visit in my teens that had cockatiels. It seemed like I was the only one that cared about them. I would give them fresh water which was always dirty and filled up their food dishes, clean their crusted poop paper while visiting because I felt horrible for them. At first, I always asked permission, eventually i stopped asking and just did it.
Those birds lived a sad and horrible life, today, 20+ years later, i still regret that I did not do more

 

[laracroft]

I'm sorry that both you and the poor bird are in this situation. Thank you for trying to help. I think your options are to report her or try to change her mind, either about the care she is giving or about keeping the birds. Either way, if you're trying to change her mind being confrontational isn't likely to be helpful. She'll just get defensive, as it sounds like you've already seen. Try to see it from her point of view (I'm not saying agree with her! I certainly don't. Just examine her thought process and priorities.) Base your arguments around her point of view. For instance, maybe point out that breeding parrotlets is not a good way to make money? It's a lot of effort and investment for low profits, she's not going to get rich doing this.

 

[Apache4831]

Your mom wont change. You wont take the bird in. You know of nobody that would adopt it and you wont report it.

Not really sure what help you are hoping we can provide? Its a shame, for that poor bird.

I knew of someone that i would visit in my teens that had cockatiels. It seemed like I was the only one that cared about them. I would give them fresh water which was always dirty and filled up their food dishes, clean their crusted poop paper while visiting because I felt horrible for them. At first, I always asked permission, eventually i stopped asking and just did it.
Those birds lived a sad and horrible life, today, 20+ years later, i still regret that I did not do more

I AM willing to report it and I AM trying to find a good home for the poor bird, I just don't need my mom finding out why I reported her. she knows how to manipulate people into making things go HER way. she WILL make my life a living hell for as long as I live, just because I reported her. she will then spin it onto my dad being a s****y father and blame him for raising such an ignorant, unloving son. I know how it goes, its been like this for around 13 years now. she just believes I'm an idiot and still thinks I'm 2 years old and can't make out any obvious neglectful situation, she'll try her hardest to twist it onto you're wrong, she's always right because she the adult here, right? I keep trying to tell her what is wrong, and to take the poor bird to the vet, but then all of a sudden, shes broke, while living in a high-end area of our city, and spending money on new shoes, or her new husband, taking him out to places and cant even give her a busted up, rusted cage. sorry about that, I needed to vent a little

i just tried reporting her, but the systems are down, ill see if I can text them

 

[Apache4831]

I'm sorry that both you and the poor bird are in this situation. Thank you for trying to help. I think your options are to report her or try to change her mind, either about the care she is giving or about keeping the birds. Either way, if you're trying to change her mind being confrontational isn't likely to be helpful. She'll just get defensive, as it sounds like you've already seen. Try to see it from her point of view (I'm not saying agree with her! I certainly don't. Just examine her thought process and priorities.) Base your arguments around her point of view. For instance, maybe point out that breeding parrotlets is not a good way to make money? It's a lot of effort and investment for low profits, she's not going to get rich doing this.

see above comment about confronting mom, even if you talk nicely, she'll just see right through you, it's just a lose-lose situation.

she wont care if i try to explain to her about breeding birds, she just sees the profit, even if it is low. she used to have finches in those same little cages, and sold the babies too. i know i sound a little guilt-trippy too, its just the way i talk, even if i don't mean to sound like it

 

[Khizz]

Your mom wont change. You wont take the bird in. You know of nobody that would adopt it and you wont report it.

Not really sure what help you are hoping we can provide? Its a shame, for that poor bird.

OP is trying, and we shouldn't be so hasty to judge somebody else's delicate home situation. They did say that they tried to get their mum to hand over the bird:

I just asked her if I could try and take her in to at least help the poor thing, and she said no.

I don't know if you intended for your comment to sound harsh, but I'm sure OP is genuinely concerned and turning to AA is a logical step. I wouldn't want them to go away feeling judged in such a difficult situation.

I personally can't help (way too far away!) but I hope one of our members can advise you. At the very least we are able to lend a sympathetic ear

 

[Zara]

I just don't need my mom finding out why I reported her.

Quite so. It is best she does not know who reported her to avoid family problems.

 

[Apache4831]

hey again. the parrotlet is still with my mom and I have yet to hear anything about the report. all I can do is buy Oscar (the bird in question) a new cage and a big box of toys and perches. i will ask if I can take them to the closest avian vet and give them like a bird wellness check-up. mom is firm about not surrendering the birds and is also firm about the diet (this and millet). she did give up the aerosols, which is a good step. i tried my best, but now its between my parents, and that's not good. i will keep trying to make the birds life better, and not forcefully steal them, because that would just make everything worse. (will elaborate if needed)

 

[Zara]

all I can do is buy Oscar (the bird in question) a new cage and a big box of toys and perches

I´m sure this will improve the birds quality of life

she did give up the aerosols, which is a good step.

That is good

Thankyou for trying your best to help the little guy out!