Devin25

Yes, you are right Dan I do need to think of Dave's feelings as well. I just guess I would kind of like to be the one that comes home to Sundance instead of going over to someone else's place to see her. In the beginning I wanted a bird with behavior problems and was leaning towards a plucked parrot with the intention of fixing the problems. Yes, Sundance is special needs in her own right in that she only has one leg,. she has no behavior problems and doesn't pluck at all, which is good, but she still technically qualifies as special needs in my book. I have been reading up on what goes into owning a bird like her and now with more hands on interaction my confidence is really growing which makes me want to get her to her "real" home even faster. I will wait it out though and try to be more understanding of what Dave is going through, and for now I will just have to be content with our "visits" that involve pressure washing her cage, reading her stories, and feeding her out of my hands.

Although, Sundance is not officially mine yet I do feel like I can speak to this topic in a meaningful manner. Sundance has added a deep level of sensitivity to my life thus far. She not only always manages to brighten my day, but she has heightened my emotional awareness. She has a spirit unlike that of any other being that I currently involve myself with. She may belong to another momentarily, but when the time is right I am confident she will be mine. Yes, I know anything can happen between now and that much anticipated moment, but I feel I am getting closer to having Sundance as my one official pet. I have considered getting a friend for her in the way of another grey, but I want to take it slow, because Sundance isn't mine quite yet. Her current owner is having a hard time accepting the fact that he is unable to meet all of her needs. I visit twice a week now and with each visit I feel we are really establishing a bond and Dave (her current owner) is starting to take notice. I am contemplating whether or not I should just lay it out there and tell him to just let me take her home with me with full visitation priveledges. I am rather sure that he will not take the initiative in this matter and I feeling that soon I will be forced into this scenerio.

I am wanting to find some good books to read to my potential new companion grey, Sundance. I have been reading some Curious George books to her, and I would like to get some suggestions from you guys as to what books you read to your greys.. and just kind of get a feel for what is popular in the grey book world. Sundance seems to like adventure books so I would like to kind of stay in that genre if possible, but I am open to others. I am relatively new to greys, but I am learning and I look forward to your replies.

I had a chance to meet with Sundance and Dave (the current owner) and it went great. She is a very social grey and took to me right away B) She even danced a little, which was cool. Although she was too shy to talk. Dave is very attached to his baby girl, but he feels that with his failing health he needs to start facing the reality that she might be better off with another owner. I didn't push it. I just pretty much chilled out with them and we talked about stuff. Sundance even took a few almonds from me, but she threw all the fresh fruit I gave her :evil: , but thats okay. I guess she is more into nuts at this stage in her life. I read her some children's books and she seemed to like that. She especially liked the stories of the adventures of Curious George. We have another visit planned for next week and I cant wait.

Hello again. I have come across a couple of special needs parrots that are in need of forever homes. One is a CAG named Tyson. He is only three years old and he started plucking after his family abandoned him in their foreclosed home. He has also stopped talking and he bites :evil: I haven't been able to visit him yet and there are a number of people who are interested, so he is a long shot. He is currently staying with a woman who does private parrot rescue. The other grey is a Timneh called Sundance, because she likes to dance when the sun comes up, which is pretty amazing because she only has one leg. She has feathers and doesn't pluck or bite. She doesn't know she is special needs, but of course special attention to detail in regards to the set up of her cage with perches, toys, ect. must be taken. Her owner is not capable of caring for her anymore on his own and has decided it is best to put her up for adoption. He has had her up for adoption for over a year and is screening pretty intensely, because he wants to be sure all of her needs are met. I am going to try my best to set up a time to meet with them to see if we can arrange something even if it means just visiting her once a week to help the guy out with cleaning the cage and just bonding with them both.

Thanks Ben! I think I will have to check out that rescue. I would only be able to volunteer, because I wouldn't meet their adoption requirements --- live too far away from their location. I need more experience with handling some special needs birds. I am guessing I will probably find the right bird simply by word of mouth and I'll just keep doing my research and start taking some bird quizzes to check myself. :evil: I want to be ready to respond right if my future bird is a biter. :evil: I am pretty much decided on the fact that I want a plucker and I want one that has "serious" behavioral problems, because I am sure I can fix it by being very patient and gentle, even quiet. I will probably even clicker train my bird so I won't ever have to man handle it to get it to act right whatever right ends up being. I cant wait to give that extra special needs bird a chance at an extra special life in a forever home.

I am fully in the know when it comes to having to pay for a parrot. It would be a rare case to get one for free. I am willing to pay whatever the rescue charges. Rescues dont make a profit like breeders. They are just trying to stay afloat and pay their vet bills, overhead, ect. and of coarse, that means they have to charge a donation fee, which is fine by me. They all have pretty strict rules about who they will adopt to as I am finding out. You have to take classes, have home visits, sign contracts. Its no joke. They want to prevent these birds from being further traumatized by being passed around from one home to the next which of coarse is not good for the birds well being. I have a friend who has a parrot. I think it is a Amazon and he bites, and I have handled other parrots in the past and have been bit by some of them too. :evil: I know what I am getting into. I am man enough to handle whatever comes my way. I dont believe in paying for companionship so I have decided to stay on the rescue bird course no matter how long it takes to land the right bird. I dont even care if the bird talks or not. If I was looking for conversation I would talk to a person and not a bird anyway.

Thank you Carol. I have decided to not go with a boa. What kind of life is it for a snake having to live with all the nonsense any way, and I thought they just needed a rat thrown in their enclosure once a week to keep them satisfied. Boy was I wrong. I think that they would be better off lving outside. I don't want to end up getting tired of it and then just have to set it free out in the woods later on. Im pretty sure it could fend for itself, but I know I am a better fit for a grey. I am still looking. I have decided that I want a extra special needs grey. I have been checking on petfinder and there are quite a few greys with missing legs + plucked and that sounds like the kind of bird for me. Yeah and newly weaned greyz look cool too, but I feel up to the challenge of helping out a special bird.

Of coarse I will have to pay something for my future companion. I plan on finding a grey that is more like in their 20s or maybe even 30s - really the older the better. All I need to do is exert a little effort and search in the classifieds to find a parrot needing a home. Of coarse I will pay for its vet visits and cage, ect. I know that people have to charge something for their parrot because otherwise someone might just lye to them and say they are going to give it a "forever" home and then turn around and sell it for profit. I am against the idea of people making a profit off of companion animals. It is a personal thing. Again, I would not be at all bothered by its presumed problems (being that it is not fresh out of the egg) based on that it is older. I might even prefer one that plucks, because I lead a quiet and calm lifestyle which is more conducive to a recovery process based on my research. I am childless and single, so no kids running around here stressing it out. I know my situation might change. Change is inevitable, but i will not allow drama loving peoples into my space, because not only will it stress me out but it might stress out my future companion (s) I might still get both a boa and a grey. Still doing all the research. Any1 know of any rescues? snake and/or bird?

I'm not the type of guy to buy or pay for companionship that is why whatever I get will be needing a home, but not for sale. Judy, you are probably right about boas and their weaning process. I have mostly been researching greys, because they sound cooler so far. plus, i am already 25 and if I get a baby anything especially a grey and it lives to be 60 I will probably be dead by that time, so i want an older grey if I get one. I dont really care if the one I get is a biter or a plucker. I will still love and care for it and let it fly around where it wants.

Does anyone know where I can check out some greys in a rescue setting? I dont want to deal with an unweaned bird. does anyone know of boas needing homes, because I dont want to deal with an unweaned snake either. :evil: I live in the great white north, Minnesota, and will travel anywhere within the state.

Having a grey sounds kind of like it would be a chore and I just want to be shure that the rewards would make it worth my while. A boa would be happy just hanging out on a branch or chumping down a rat with only an occasional neck wrap, so I am still unshure. Would you say that having a grey is really worth all the effort that goes into keeping them healthy and happy? and please dont jut say yes because you have one, just b honest. Thanks!

I'm thinking about getting a grey, but I want to make sure that a grey would be a good fit for me. Otherwise, I am going to get a pet boa. Possibly both, but I am leaning more in the grey only zone right now. I am a single guy with lots of free time to devote to a pet. I like greys because they have cool personalities and I like the fact that they have the ability to fly. Boas are cool because they eat rats and slither and look cool wrapped around necks. I am stil undecided on which to get, but I would like to hear input from people who have greys already and I would like to hear from anyone who has both a boa and a grey.