Almost became a grey companion... Rehomer backs out...

[FirstPenguin]

I've been a lurker of sorts for a while now. For those that haven't seen my posts before my girlfriend and I have a Senegal parrot and have strong opinions on the state of avi-culture and various other hot button topics. We've been planning for a while to get a grey as our second bird. We came across the perfect rehome situation on craigslist. Someone not too far away that needed to rehome for health reasons. The grey is well socialized, full feathered and for the most part well cared for. Not only that, this bird had never been clipped. EVER! Our Senegal now about 2 and a half, has had 2 trims ever once lightly by the breeder and once by our vet. All before her first birthday. After that we said never again. So we wanted a grey that would not be nervous around our sennies acrobatics. She's as fearless and agile as a fighter pilot.

 

So we were very excited but wanted to do things right. So we made arrangements for the grey to see our vet and get lab work done since he had never seen an avian vet let alone gotten a lab work up. His current owner seemed agreeable to this since he really cared about the grey and wanted him to go to the right home. So only two days after we met him and his grey, and after a few days and countless email threads. I received this.

 

Ryan,

 

I regret to tell you that (Grey In Question) will be staying with us indefinitely and is no longer available.

 

Best Regards,

 

(Indecisive Guy)

 

No explanation. We rode one of the commuter trains 50 minutes each way just to visit this guy. Spent 40 dollars in train fair between the two of us. After asking why, he writes saying his son, who looks to be barely out of high school, is going to take him. How many college age kids do you know who will put their social life ahead of the needs of a congo? I should of known this guy would pull a politician's flip-flop. When we mentioned that our vet requires tests even to board there he volunteered to take the grey back if we were ever away for longer vacations. Clearly a guy not ready to let go. My girlfriend and I made it clear this was most likely not in the best interest of the Grey's own psyche.

 

We really want to adopt, but we're not in a position to take on a really needy bird and this turns us off to the process that much more. I just had to vent about this. It upsets me to no end. Maybe this son of his is up to it but I highly doubt he could do better than myself or his father for this grey.

[Luvparrots]

I am so sorry. But leave this indecisive guy on a positive note. When I was looking for a Congo Grey I had to wait for over a year because they are so few in my area. When I finally found a breeder in my area all the babies were sold. I asked the breeder to please keep my number just in case someone changed their mind. Well someone couldn't come up with the money and I was called. So stay positive perhaps the son might have second thoughts when he finds that making a commitment to a parrot is not that easy. Stay positive, your grey is out there!

[Barbara2]

That is bad news. If the son was such a good option why did they advertise on Craigslist in the first place? I hope your grey is still out there waiting for you to find him/her.

[birdhouse]

I know how hard it would be to let my guys go, especially to a stranger. I'd like to think I'd do what was best for them, but I wouldn't know that unless it happened. I sincerely hope I'll never, ever have to find out

 

The owner may think it's a better arrangement because he knows his son & can stay connected. This way he can still watch out for his fid. It may have been all he could handle when it came down to it.

 

Since it is less than likely to will work out, it might be a good thing to keep your connection open, like Janet said. The owner may be more likely to recognize things aren't working w/the son if he knows there are options. And he will have gotten some distance from his fid, too. Maybe help him to finally part w/him.

 

I am sorry this happened, for all concerned. Admittedly, rehoming isn't w/o challenges. But they really are worth it & I hope this won't change your mind.

[FirstPenguin]

Thanks for the encouragement. We really want a flighted bird and sometimes it feels like we'll never find that in a re-home since so many rehomes are generally from those evil stores that clip heavily and advise to continue clipping. The venom is working it's way out my blood but when I first got that email it was nothing but. Crossing my fingers for 2012.

[Eshana]

After asking why, he writes saying his son, who looks to be barely out of high school, is going to take him. How many college age kids do you know who will put their social life ahead of the needs of a congo?

 

*is a 20 year old college student*

 

I'm just saying, it's not an impossibility.

 

I think it was wrong to list the bird...my family once adopted a dog from a newspaper ad that said they could no longer take care of the dog. We had the dog for a week, became attached, then the owner came knocking on the door saying she made a mistake. It hurt, incredibly.

 

Good luck in your search! The right AG will come your way! That's what I'm waiting for.

[Dave007]

I've been a lurker of sorts for a while now. For those that haven't seen my posts before my girlfriend and I have a Senegal parrot and have strong opinions on the state of avi-culture and various other hot button topics. We've been planning for a while to get a grey as our second bird. We came across the perfect rehome situation on craigslist. Someone not too far away that needed to rehome for health reasons. The grey is well socialized, full feathered and for the most part well cared for. Not only that, this bird had never been clipped. EVER! Our Senegal now about 2 and a half, has had 2 trims ever once lightly by the breeder and once by our vet. All before her first birthday. After that we said never again. So we wanted a grey that would not be nervous around our sennies acrobatics. She's as fearless and agile as a fighter pilot.

 

So we were very excited but wanted to do things right. So we made arrangements for the grey to see our vet and get lab work done since he had never seen an avian vet let alone gotten a lab work up. His current owner seemed agreeable to this since he really cared about the grey and wanted him to go to the right home. So only two days after we met him and his grey, and after a few days and countless email threads. I received this.

 

 

 

No explanation. We rode one of the commuter trains 50 minutes each way just to visit this guy. Spent 40 dollars in train fair between the two of us. After asking why, he writes saying his son, who looks to be barely out of high school, is going to take him. How many college age kids do you know who will put their social life ahead of the needs of a congo? I should of known this guy would pull a politician's flip-flop. When we mentioned that our vet requires tests even to board there he volunteered to take the grey back if we were ever away for longer vacations. Clearly a guy not ready to let go. My girlfriend and I made it clear this was most likely not in the best interest of the Grey's own psyche.

 

We really want to adopt, but we're not in a position to take on a really needy bird and this turns us off to the process that much more. I just had to vent about this. It upsets me to no end. Clearly a guy not ready to let go. My girlfriend and I made it clear this was most likely not in the best interest of the Grey's own psyche.

 

 

I think you may be setting your sights to high. Concerning your other bird/birds, there's positively no way that you can know how a new one will take to the other.

You're hoping that the new bird will have the ability to do things with your bird and also with your family and just because this grey may be ideal in it's present home doesn't mean it'll be the same way in yours. That's simply wishful thinking.

****Clearly a guy not ready to let go. My girlfriend and I made it clear this was most likely not in the best interest of the Grey's own psyche. How can you possibly know that? The bird will stay in a familar situation with people that it knows. It just might be that the person had second thoughts about putting the bird into a new unknown environment. There's nothing wrong with that. Many people won't feel that way.

 

****Clearly a guy not ready to let go. My girlfriend and I made it clear this was most likely not in the best interest of the Grey's own psyche. You can never judge or know about a parrot's psyche

 

Lastly and most important------a person/persons has to be totally ready to accept a needy bird. There's more needy birds out there than ideal birds. A person has to be ready to accept present personalities, attitudes, likes or dislikes of everything surrounding him/her. Few of these things can be changed. Sacrifices need to be made in order to accomodate a needy bird. Most people here who have adopted pre owned birds will tell you that the bird was definitly needy and their main concern was to give a bird a more normal life style. They usually come from bad living conditions, poor health, neglected, sometimes abused situations.

And as far as what the owner did--I'm very glad she pulled the bird from the for sale section of Craigslist. It's not the best place to get animals and for every success story of an animal on Craigslist, there's at least 30 unsuccessful stories and that's especially true when selling a wild animal such as a parrot.

Edited September 18, 2011 by Dave007

[Zoom]

"...he volunteered to take the grey back if we were ever away for longer vacations. Clearly a guy not ready to let go. My girlfriend and I made it clear this was most likely not in the best interest of the Grey's own psyche. "

 

I think Penguin was referring to the original owner's offer to babysit the bird when they go on vacations.

[FirstPenguin]

I'm just saying, it's not an impossibility.

I don't think it's impossible. I know many dedicated people of this age, but having been that age not long ago I know many who would be poor companions.

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Dave-

 

I've heard more than one person say it would be a bad idea for the original person the bird was bonded to, to visit or interact with the bird let alone take it back into the environment it once came from. After being rehomed, when you're hoping it will bond with you or someone else, how could that be good? Maybe psyche is a poor choice of words, but it seems unfair to me and the bird to tease the grey with that person they used to be bonded with. Regarding how ideal a rehome is. I'm just saying we don't have the room to isolate a second bird in it's own room if that's necessary. So I won't consider rehoming at all. Anymore.

 

You're hoping that the new bird will have the ability to do things with your bird and also with your family and just because this grey may be ideal in it's present home doesn't mean it'll be the same way in yours. That's simply wishful thinking.

 

First off, don't pretend to know what I'm thinking or put words in my mouth. Ask questions. It's a much better way to communicate. I'm not hoping it will interact on any level with my current bird. I just want it to be on a more even playing field if they're in the same room. I've spoken with other flighted grey owners and they say their greys are less nervous than clipped greys. I have no ideals just trying to make educated decisions that I hope, will pan out in my favor. I'm not expecting perfection.

 

I appreciate a venue like this to vent to people who understand what you're talking about. My original post did not contain all details and was in some ways, a public journal entry. Sorry if it ruffled some feathers.

[Eshana]

You have a senegal, right? If there's one thing I know about senegals it's that they are VERY possessive! I can't have my sennie and my tiel out at the same time, due to the fact that Jon, my sennie, would likely attack him. If you get a Grey I think you need to consider the possibility of having to giving them their separate out time.