My Shay Butter

[HeatherG]

Her perches she has been using are a couple of inches wide and have bark on them that is easier for her to hold onto it seems. I'm glad you mentioned that as I don't think we moved those this evening. I'll do it in the morning.

It does hurt to see her fading, but she still has so much life left. She still chews her toys, and when I sing to them she stands as close to the side of the cage I'm on and watches intently.
Honestly, I feel blessed that I get to spend her last years with her. That is so worth the pain I feel of knowing what is coming.

Your message reminds me of my Lucy. She got quieter in the last two years and I was having a hard time in various ways so I was not always in top form and making the most of our remaining time.

I’m glad you sing to Shay. Lucy loved me to sing and she would sing along, too, tone deaf goo-goo-ing and sometimes the important words from the Quaker song.

I sing to Willow sometimes but he is a quieter bird in general and doesn’t sing back. Although I’ve heard him goo-ing in his cage and wonder if he will begin someday.

Take care of Shay and I hope one of my ideas will help.

 

[Terry57]

Thank you so much for your suggestion, @HeatherG , they are much appreciated!
She lost some grip in her foot after her first stroke.

Now an update! Shay seems to be loving her new setup. She has been eating and drinking and playing with her vine toys, and man can she move across that cage bottom.
I should have done this awhile ago, it turns out that my fear of traumatizing her by moving was unfounded, thank goodness.
A huge thanks to you all for your prayers and guidance, Shay & I appreciate it so much

I'll try to get a pic of her in her new cage in the next couple of days to post

 

[HeatherG]

I’m so happy for you both!

 

[BirdyBee]

How is dear Shay today?

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Yes! How is Shay today? I love hearing about the sweet pea

 

[MayMaroa]

I read a quote today from a book it said "Don't be sad it didn't last be happy that it happened"
i am very sorry for your loss i hope she gets better

 

[Terry57]

Shay is doing so well in her new cage! She finally has figured out where everything is and started chewing on her toys that I hung next to the bottom. It's hard for her where her head is twisted so far to one side from the strokes, but she manages to overcome it and do what she wants to do.
I have a huge Lilac in my backyard that is blooming and I brought in some flowers for the birds and she went crazy over it. I'm going to add another piece today

Thank you both for asking about her, I really appreciate it
Now I just have to remember to ask my husband to take a picture of her tonight.

 

[Terry57]

I read a quote today from a book it said "Don't be sad it didn't last be happy that it happened"
i am very sorry for your loss i hope she gets better

That is a beautiful quote, May, thank you for posting it. It is so true.
Shay is doing better now, thank you

 

[MayMaroa]

That is a beautiful quote, May, thank you for posting it. It is so true.

Yes I agree, when I read it touched my heart , your welcome

 

[MayMaroa]

Shay is doing so well in her new cage! She finally has figured out where everything is and started chewing on her toys that I hung next to the bottom. It's hard for her where her head is twisted so far to one side from the strokes, but she manages to overcome it and do what she wants to do.
I have a huge Lilac in my backyard that is blooming and I brought in some flowers for the birds and she went crazy over it. I'm going to add another piece today

Thank you both for asking about her, I really appreciate it
Now I just have to remember to ask my husband to take a picture of her tonight.

Well that's amazing news I hope she has many more years to come
ohh yes we need pics

 

[Terry57]

Well that's amazing news I hope she has many more years to come
ohh yes we need pics

Hopefully I'll have some tonight!

 

[Terry57]

He was able to get a slightly blurry picture, he didn't want to startle her by taking more.
We have all the perches very close to the bottom as you can see so that if she falls it won't be far. She also looks like she has an overgrown bottom beak, but that is just part of the perch In this pic she is standing next to the perch with her head resting on it.
Her head is always bent at that angle from the strokes, poor baby

 

[BirdyBee]

Aww poor baby.. I didn't realise she was struggling this much. Sending more hugs and prayers.

 

[Terry57]

Here is a short video showing how she moves. Her foot is visible, and that is the one she has issues with. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
At this point, I'm just happy we still have her with us. She does still have quality of life, she plays and chews up her toys and eats well. She just can't get around like she used to.

 

[MayMaroa]

She is so cute i really feel sad for her i hope she gets better i will always keep praying for her i really hopes she gets better

 

[MayMaroa]

Here is a short video showing how she moves. Her foot is visible, and that is the one she has issues with. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
At this point, I'm just happy we still have her with us. She does still have quality of life, she plays and chews up her toys and eats well. She just can't get around like she used to.

I hope she really gets better but i am happy she still plays with toys!!!

 

[Terry57]

Aww poor baby.. I didn't realise she was struggling this much. Sending more hugs and prayers.

It's hard to describe properly, thank you for the hugs and prayers

I hope she really gets better but i am happy she still plays with toys!!!

I hope she gets more movement back as well, thank you for your kind thoughts.
I'm so happy that the strokes have not taken her love of toys away, they have taken so much from her.

 

[Cottonoid]

She's so precious!! She looks very pleased with her new fancy accomodations

I had a cat that had multiple strokes and it was always amazing to see how he adapted to his new normal and loss of function.

 

[Terry57]

She's so precious!! She looks very pleased with her new fancy accomodations

I had a cat that had multiple strokes and it was always amazing to see how he adapted to his new normal and loss of function.

Thank you, she really is a sweetheart. I agree, it is amazing to watch them come back from a stroke, or multiple ones, and learn how to adapt.
I'd love to hear about your sweet Kitty.

 

[Sama]

Several years ago we took in the birds from a breeder , and we knew that the Red Bellied pair were old. According to her band she was 25 when they joined our family.
The breeder told me she would let the birds free if I didn't take them, so I took every bird she had. I kept the older ones and found homes for the younger ones through the parrot club I belong to. These birds were bred multiple times a year, no matter how hard it was on them.

Her mate, Severide died overnight a few years ago out of the blue, but Shay has survived. She has had several strokes since then, and sadly there isn't anything the vet can do.
She is in her 30s now, and has been getting along okay despite her strokes that caused her head to tilt. She loves her toys as long as they are attached to a wire rack made for her to sit on.

She remained in the cage where she had been with Severide, and it hasn't been an issue until this week.

Today was the third time this week where I found her on the bottom of the cage and she couldn't get back up.

We just moved her to a cage with smaller bar spacing, and set the food, water, etc. up on the floor.
We have a few perches in there, all close to the bottom, although this cage is not nearly as tall and she should be fine if she falls because we padded the bottom of the cage.

It is so hard to see her struggling, and I wish with all my heart I could fix it.

Taking in older birds is my calling, but man, it hurts so much when they start failing and there is nothing that can be done.
I'm praying that she gets used to the new cage so things are easier for her.
If her quality of life deteriorates any more, I fear that I will have a hard decision on my hands. Either way, I don't think that she has much time left.

Would y'all mind saying a prayer for my Shay Butter? I would appreciate it so much.

Shay (on the left ) and Severide in better days.

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Truly though, as much pain as it brings, what they add to my life is so much more than the pain. If you get the chance to take in an older bird, especially one who is wild, they will bring you so much joy when you watch them being happy, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

God bless you you rescued them you gave a good heart. My prayers to your precious bird