Rescueing Penny

Wednesday evening a neighbor was treating me to dinner for helping him find a basset hound puppy for his retirement. He wanted to stop at a little mom and pop pet store, how could I refuse?! While wondering around I came across a green quaker in a dark corner in a tiny Finch cage, on a shelf next to an aquarium of rodents,She coulduld barely stand up in the cage and had a filthy yellow hut she hid in, pictures below will show the hut. When I peeked at her she was agressive, charging and hissing. I could see she was in bad shape, with some feather picking, and only sunflower seeds to eat. My heart was broken. I already have a beautiful blue quaker named Neptune whome I had purchased from a breeder I had researched and took home fully weaned at 7 weeks, abd have only had for a month and a half. As well as my cinnamon teal green cheek conure who is seven. And two cheerful parakeets....Did I have room in my heart for one more??? S quaker who was so neglected, whith behavior issues? I went on to dinner, and that night I couldn't sleep...I was so concerned about that little green quaker. So the next day my mom gave me some money and I headed off to the pet store as soon as they opened, and politely inquired about the little green quaker in the back. I was told she belongs to a guy who cleans the store, and they would ask if he was looking to part with her. I met the man who was obviously down on his luck, with possible substance abuse problems. He said she was a friend's bird, who had health issues, and he was helping her out abd they we're willing to re-home her. He said she was seven, abd a female. He asked for more money than I had..... I negotiated down, but still couldn't afford her. So I left and went home and added my neighbor to lend me the money to get her. So yesterday afternoon I went back and got her!!!! Yippie!! Now what am I in for right? He took her out of the cage abd she tore into him. I was willing to take a bite so I put up my hand, she leaped onto me and ran up my arm and burried herself in my hair and snuggled right up to me. Wow! They brought out this filthy cage covered in feces with spoiled water in the dish and two wood purches and no toys, and said this was her original cage. I could have it to take her home in. She is now in a bigger cage with toys, fresh food, and water and a sunny window to look out. I renamed her Penny, abd she is an amazing loving sweet most charming parrot I have ever met!!! I can get her in and out of the cage with no bites, she ate broccoli, fruit and nipples on pellets. This is our first full day together!

Ok I was running out of room but wanted to share a few more pictures of this lovely sweet little old lady bird, I feel she is older than seven.. whatever really happened to her she has a big heart!! She purrs for me, grooms me, has given me a wolf wistle and wants to be on my shoulder always! Penny even regurged for me, she had given me her whole heart, flat out no holds barred! When the time is right I hope introductions to the rest of the flock will be just as beautiful. A little angel has flown into my heart!!!!

Fantastic! You are the angel for sure. She is rewarding you for saving her....whew! I would not be as brave. Good for you!

Aw, she’s adorable - and so lucky to have you!

AW! Good for you. I think you have a friend. I hope that things continue to go well. It is always a little sad when a bird is in a situation with someone who has good intentions but just cannot manage. I do think that most people just have no idea what they are getting into (especially older people who bought birds years ago and didn't necessarily have the same resources to research--cough cough, internet). I still feel guilty when I think back on my little sister's childhood parakeet.... we had a library book and a book from the pet-shop, but both certainly failed to emphasize parakeet complexity and intelligence. You sound like a better fit.

Well you rescued this one for sure - those conditions are abysmal - maybe even shutting the store down abysmal. good luck with Penny!

One day can make a difference! Below in the thumb nail will be yesterday when I brought her home filfthy and today after two baths, I'm surprised to see such s difference in one day

Did the pic work? Why no pics?

I don’t see a picture, no.

That pic was yesterday

. This is Penny today! After two baths, I can't believe it!

You are a gifted individual!

Holeeeeee cow! Penny, you’ve hit the jackpot. I think you both have. Thanks for doing this for sweet Penny. I can’t wait to hear more about her!


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I would not recommend taking her outside unless she's in a harness or in a carrier.


Do know that her behavior could very well change in a week, two weeks or even longer. Hopefully, her behavior doesn't change at all! She sounds like a darling!

If her behavior changes she will still be loved. Today she said her first words learned by previous owner. Sadly they were curse words as in the (f) off! Lordy I don't curse, and the last thing I need is for Neptune to learn curse words!!!! Oh well in for a Penny in for a Pound! Hoping those words will disappear with time......

Congrats and thank you for taking her in...I'm curious as to why a pet shop would allow a bird to stay in their shop in that type of environment, regardless of whether it's their bird or an employee's bird etc., doesn't matter, it's horrible that they allowed the poor thing to live like that. That's probably the reason she was plucking as well, the filth, the tiny cage, the horrible, high-fat non-varied diet, no toys and nothing to do, no attention, etc. So I'm willing to be that her feathers are going to start coming back in very quickly, and hopefully the feather-destructive behavior will have stopped.

I also would be extremely careful about taking her outside without a harness and leash on her, even birds who are severely, extremely clipped fly away all the time outside due to the wind or a small breeze getting underneath what few feathers they have, they are made to fly remember, and the last thing you want to have happen is for her to get lost just when her new life is starting. If you want to take her outside make sure she's inside of a cage or on a harness and leash, such as an Aviator Harness. My blue Quaker is 3 years old and also a female, and she wears an Aviator Harness size extra small.

Also, I don't at all think she's a "little old lady bird", she actually looks quite young to me, in her face/eyes, her feathers have no graying/whiting, I'd be willing to bet that she is around 7-10 years old, and Quakers live into their 30's, so she's still just a juvenile. Once her feathers grow back in she'll look great! Also, I'd start saving whatever money you can as a "Wellness-Exam" fund, so that you can get her to a Certified Avian Vet, as I'm certain she's not ever had a wellness-exam or even seen a Certified Avian Vet or any Vet, and if she has been on a "sunflower-seed only" diet for the first 7 or so years of her life, she could very well have some liver and/or other metabolic issues going on.

I'd also get online when you're able and find any of the many places that you can order a DNA test from, they cost between $20-$30, you order the test kit and they mail it to you, you pluck a couple of fresh chest feathers and send them back to the lab, and in a couple of weeks you'll know her sex for certain, which is very important, as she's right in the age-range to start laying eggs if she is in-fact a female...Not that this is a rule, but usually female's don't talk much, so if "she" has started talking a lot then she may very well not be a female after all, but either way it's important to know for certain so that you can be prepared, and for the cost you can't beat it...

Good luck, and please don't ever hesitate to ask any questions you might have...

Ellen D , thank you for the wonderful advise. I'm retired now, but I have connections with an board certified avian specialist, Penny and I received a consultation. Poor Penny was clipped quite short, and has some wing contraction, and atrophy. I plan to try avian harness in the future, and I have a small travel cage, to use when needed. Part of Penny's prescription (doctors orders) is to have two fifteen minute periods outside walking in the sun and sitting in the dappled shade. I've been prescribed vitamin sunshine! It has been a wonderful way to bond, we just cane back in from sitting in the dabbled shade, I felt the momment she relaxed, before shaking out her featheres and giving a tail wag, I think she even sighed. I can promise you I will be dillegent of her, abd carefully monitor feather growth and the ability to open her wings. She is missing part of a toe abd has some arthritis, and fatty liver, still feather picking, my vet assures me its a long process to overcome neglect, lack of knowledge (stupidity) of her past life. She has cheerful greated every visitor! Someone loved her once, maybe the story of previous owner becoming ill and hospitalized is actually true, though still she was inappropriately housed and fed. If only people would come to these forums and do extensive research before choosing a parrot as a pet. I have participated as one link in a long chain of parrot rescue before. My specialty is critical care. My last was a nanday conure, feather plucked, self mutilated, with secondary infection and severly emaciated. He was not expected to live.. I try very hard not to judge or lay blame. He was healthy and normal living with a man and wife, he was the man's bird, they devorced due to his cheating, she kept the parrot out of spite. She put him in a back bedroom because if his screaming once the husband was gone, and she quit interacting with the bird from fear of bites. She admitted the ex was constantly trying to get the bird back from her. After a couple of years it was the screaming that caused her to bring the bird in on an amesisty day. I am only thankful she did the right thing at the end....she was immune to prosecution....any way he required a lot of medical treatment, and behavior chemical modifications. My link was to get him well enough to make the next step in his rescue. I had him for three months. I got him over his infection, weight back to low normal, we stopped the mutilation, and he allowed some feathers to grow back on his tail back and wings, but he had a little of obsessive compulsory problems. I wanted to keep him, but was under a contractial obligation to release him....... sorry guess I needed to talk about that with folks that love birds...it was years ago... and now Penny has come along, nowhere near in that kind of shape, abd her and I are going to be just fine, smooth sailing or rough seas. It's usually never easy once they start to self destruct, but maybe this once it will be..

Thank god for people with hearts like yours. That's all I have too say. That bird is so lucky too have been spotted by you.

You
are
my
HERO!

And that little darlings!

There ARE angels waking the Earth!

I'm so glad you're here. I look forward to sharing your journey.

P.S.
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