Should I rehome or Euthanize? (looking for advice, not judgement)

[macawpower58]

True! My first bird was an impulse buy. A Goffin Cockatoo.
27 years later and she's still here.

 

[Blueberry]

I would rehome vs euthanasia. There are some many accounts of birds just needing the right home. Please call RuffleFeathers Rescue Gil can give you advice and maybe take your birds in.https://ruffledfeathers.org/

 

[Nancy B]

Wow I'm wondering what happened to make Mango change overnight. That's frightening. We had 1 lovebird that had bonded with me, he needed to be with me constantly so I got him a mate. The mate turned out to be a female (we didn't know what she was, and the breeder thought she was a male). I told him based on their behavior between them i knew she was a female and was sure of it. He didn't believe me until I brought him the 3 babies they had. Rascal (the dad) was very sweet as well as their 3 sons. The only nasty one was the mom, Olivia. She was never able to be handled and i figured out over time she liked having control. If she felt you were in control of her, she would bite. I would hold her on a hand held perch and talk to her, i figured out i could do anything with her, but no touching. She could only be touched by her mate. And she wouldn't allow her mate to be touched by others either. The babies she didn't care about if we were caring for them she didn't have to work as hard, and I think she figured that out. She had a family of 5, and she was the boss. I'm wondering if this is a similar situation. There's something she's not happy about. If she's territorial I wonder if it's her mate she's territorial about. When I figured out Olivia, she stopped biting. We needed to interact with her on her terms. I'm sorry about this situation. There is a solution, it's a matter of finding what works. But I understand your feelings, the attacks have to stop, and it sounds like an emergency situation. I would make sure any bird is not out of their cage while the object of their attack is around. You might not be able to handle Tutu now that he is bonded to Mango. My Olivia was very mean to him and to us if he was handled by anyone. Does she attack Tutu?

 

[Blueberry]

Any updates?

 

[webchirp]

If it were me, anyone ninja flying for evil intent would get a light clip. I think you are in the midst of hormones as well. What about a large aviary and no out time? There are people out there who will take in those with issues like this. You can also put sheer curtains up to block from those you don’t want to get attacked but still give them the feeling they are getting out of cage time.

 

[StellaLuna]

I would not euthanize. It seems like Mango has become a territorial/defensive female now that she is bonded and it's pushed your home life past the point of pleasant. You said you don't have a rescue nearby, that's totally understandable. But there are other options. I would advertise them in local groups, call any nearby zoos or similar facilities. There's bound to be someone who wants them.

And in the meantime, if my bird was flying to severely attack me and regularly drawing blood, they would absolutely get their wings clipped as a safety measure. I've found that a couple of my birds are significantly less bitey when they are clipped. They no longer feel like they have free reign to control the household. Your quality of life matters, too. I know that's not everyone's shared perspective, just my two cents.

We have experienced the same with our CAG. At certain times, especially if she is hormonal, she will fly across the room at us and try to strike us in the head. It's very unnerving. I don't know why clipping her wings changes that, but it does, and almost immediately. The rest of the year she is perfectly pleasant to us, and we leave her wings alone then. (We only get modified clips, only by our avian vet, and only when we are at our wit's end).

 

[Blueberry]

Here is a link showing what a new environment can do Zeb on TikTok

Please do not euthanize them. Please rehome.

 

[Gigi’s Mom]

Hi All,
I have a question about rehoming or euthenizing my bird, and I want no judgement! I am really asking for advice.

I have 2 conures. A green cheek (male named tutu) and a yellow sided (female named mango). Tutu is 2.5 years old, and he was bonded with my husband when Mango came (Mango is 1.5 years old). Tutu was abused before he came to us in the breeder's house. So he was a difficult pet. Since at that time, my husband worked feom home, he bonded with him, and never had a very good relationship with me. He bites me and anyone other than my husband all the time. He draws blood as he bites very very badly. My husband was the one handling him all the time.

When Mango came, she came from a good breeder and ahe was mentally stable. Tutu and Mango took some time to bond, but they finally did bond, and they even laid eggs this spring (I boiled the eggs because we didn't want them to have babies).

Mango was a very easy bird. Super cute and great. However, she has recently become super jealous. If he sees my husband, she flies to attack him as hard as she can from wherever she is. She bites him very bad, much worse than we thought she could and she does it non-stop. I have to hold her in my hands so she cannot fly, if my husband is around. And God forbid, if she sees my husband with Tutu, she does everything to get to them and bite my husband non-stop. She is showing the same behavior towards everyone except me.

IIt has become very difficult and almost impossible to handle them. I cannot handle Tutu and my husband cannot handle Mango and is regularly and severely attacked by Mango. I have tried everything to stop her attacks, but they haven't worked.

I have not found any solution other than rehoming or euthanizing them, and I don't know what to do. If I rehome them, there is guarantee that they will be in a rehoming cycle for ever, as they cannot be handled by anyone. So I am thinking of euthanizing them. But they are relatively healthy birds that I should euthanize and I cannot get myself to do that.

What would you do if you were me? What else can I do?

I would check out bird sanctuaries / rescues over rehoming or euthanizing. They may have more time and resources to train the birds or find suitable homes.

 

[tka]

This user hasn't logged in since early June and hasn't responded to later posts. I'm not sure that we will get an update.

 

[Pixiebeak]

This was hard to read. Euthanasia for healthy young birds??

Unfortunately its a very real problem, of unhappy parrots and unhappy people, yet the unwillingness to re home. The claim of love, or no one would care for them like I would is one I often hear.

Yet myself, many members, and untold others , do . We take in the unwanted or " problem birds " and provide loving and understanding homes, and are often able to overcome any problems, or work around them.

There are times we take the wrong job, we are in the wrong significant other relationship, ect...and we are willing to let go. Not everything in life is the right fit. Yet we end up married to someone else's ex and they are perfect for us. Our exs also go to find their right person.

My plea to any with pets and especially parrots who are in a terrible relationship with them that you are unable to resolve. Please do find them a home. Be honest about the issues, be prudent about choosing the new home. But give them the chance to find happiness.