New family member :)

[SilleIN]

Tino totally surprised me today. After I had all the macaws for flight training, Tino and Trudi were really tired. I put Trudi on her stand and Tino on the back rest on the couch.

I layed down on the couch to watch some tv. Shortly after Tino came over to get some cuddles. I scrached his head and after a while he fell asleep on my chest.

I could not have imagined that a bird, who have been a breeder bird his entire life, would EVER enjoy or even be trusting enough to fall asleep this close to a human. For the past 21 years the only interaction with humans has been being captured in a net and moved. Could it be because I am female and his 2 prevoius owners were male?

Tino does bite males. He also the other day walk over to my dads wife and lifted his foot. She put her hand down and he climbed up. She proud came to find me and show me. When I told her, she had taken up Tino and not Trudi (4 month old really tame Scarlet macaw), she got all white in the face and asked me to take him down, but even with a female completely inexperienced with birds, he's really calm and nice

 

[Kentuckienne]

It's like a fairy tale!

It looks like true love. Sigh.

 

[SilleIN]

It's like a fairy tale!

It looks like true love. Sigh.

Every rose has it's thorns. Destino has still not learned what is acceptable beak behaviour around humans and my arms and hands bear witness to that I have never had this many injuries from birds before, but I still love him :30:

 

[SilleIN]

Tino has made it a habit to go lay down on my chest every evening, when I relax on the couch. He has really surprised me.

I have also been sending updates to his previous owner and he called me up today and jokingly asked to buy him back, as his value had doubled as he is now "tame"

 

[SilleIN]

I really need a boost today. Everything have been going in the right direction with Destino, but this morning there was a new feather in the bottom of the cage after 6 days pluck-free. And not long ago as I am laying on the couch watching tv, Tino fell off his cage.

I must admit I did not notice if he fell asleep and fell off or he "just" lost his footing, but it makes me really sad. I am really frustrated as I have been using all the knowledge I have accumulated to his advantage, but obviously I don't know everything and I am worried that I don't have the knowledge to ensure Tino the best possible future.

To be honest I am crying as I write this, I don't know what to do... I am so afraid I will find him dead one day

 

[Kentuckienne]

Darling - I'm from the South, and we call everybody we like "darling" - I can't imagine a better human for Destino than yourself. You have very good knowledge and intuition to match when it comes to macaws. You've helped us with Gus, who you never saw, and you have this bird right in front of you. I KNOW you will figure it out. You maybe already have figured it out, and he's just backsliding a bit. This being in heaven is new for him, too. Maybe this is the parrot PTSD you warned me about - had a bad memory, plucked a feather. The bad memories are in the past, and being replaced by good ones every day, and eventually they will come only seldom if at all. Maybe this is all it is.

I saw Gus fall twice, both times because he lost his grip. I think he didn't have a place to climb before, and his nails were very overgrown and his feet were - are still - weak. Different size perches and lots of incentive to climb and he is getting better, but I hated it when he fell because he can't fly and goes down like a rock. Tino is in a much better situation.

You already are his best possible future. Whatever you figure out or don't, whatever his physical or mental struggles, you are the human with the best shot at threading the needle of care for him. You are big-hearted, kind, intuitive, and educated about birds - he couldn't ask for better. You took him home knowing his past, and look how well he has done. If he is dead one day, well, we are all going to be dead one day, and being capable and strong doesn't give any of us power over that. Some things are just not given to us. But you were given to Tino, and he is one lucky bird. I won't say don't worry or don't cry because I know you will worry and cry - it's part of loving, and your love is the best thing he's got. I will only say that I am sure I speak for many of us, that we have you both also in our hearts and thoughts, and send you all the love and support and good wishes that can fit through the Internet.

 

[SilleIN]

Darling - I'm from the South, and we call everybody we like "darling" - I can't imagine a better human for Destino than yourself. You have very good knowledge and intuition to match when it comes to macaws. You've helped us with Gus, who you never saw, and you have this bird right in front of you. I KNOW you will figure it out. You maybe already have figured it out, and he's just backsliding a bit. This being in heaven is new for him, too. Maybe this is the parrot PTSD you warned me about - had a bad memory, plucked a feather. The bad memories are in the past, and being replaced by good ones every day, and eventually they will come only seldom if at all. Maybe this is all it is.

I saw Gus fall twice, both times because he lost his grip. I think he didn't have a place to climb before, and his nails were very overgrown and his feet were - are still - weak. Different size perches and lots of incentive to climb and he is getting better, but I hated it when he fell because he can't fly and goes down like a rock. Tino is in a much better situation.

You already are his best possible future. Whatever you figure out or don't, whatever his physical or mental struggles, you are the human with the best shot at threading the needle of care for him. You are big-hearted, kind, intuitive, and educated about birds - he couldn't ask for better. You took him home knowing his past, and look how well he has done. If he is dead one day, well, we are all going to be dead one day, and being capable and strong doesn't give any of us power over that. Some things are just not given to us. But you were given to Tino, and he is one lucky bird. I won't say don't worry or don't cry because I know you will worry and cry - it's part of loving, and your love is the best thing he's got. I will only say that I am sure I speak for many of us, that we have you both also in our hearts and thoughts, and send you all the love and support and good wishes that can fit through the Internet.

Thank you very much.

I am afraid I have bitten off more than I can chew with Tino. I know his entire history, but it seems there are just more and more physical issues that turn up and I am afraid I am not good enough to handle all of them. Don't get me wrong, I am not giving up on him, but I have a fear and a pain in my heart. I want to do the best I can, I am just worried my best just isn't good enough.

I find myself being worried every time I leave him alone even for a short time. Last summer my old dog had a heart attack where his little heart stopped. I fortunately got his little heart beating again, but I couldn't let him out of my sight for a very long time. I feel the same anxiety with Tino now.

I know I can't do anything if it's his time to go, but I just don't want to miss any signs or miss any opportunity to detect any offset of something, that could prevent a premature death.

I find myself second guessing my every move. I have done rehab of macaws before, but they have mainly been mental issues. Tino does have some mental issues due to the at times harsh handling of him, but that's the least of his problems. I knew he was a plucker, but so much more has turned up in the relatively short time I've had him.

And add to that I have a constant guilty feeling, that I am focussing on Tino so much, that my baby macaw Trudi isn't getting the training she should. She is getting the basic training as bite pressure training and recall training, but such a thing as teaching her not to land on peoples heads has completely been neglected. I am afraid, that my neglecting her training in her baby stage I am afraid I am giving her some mental issues later in life. She yesterday did not want to let me go and I had to let her sleep on my arm last night, as I did not want her to feel rejected.

Hmm I might just need to vent and voice my worries. I know there's not much you can say or do from across the Atlantic, but I sincerely appreciate your kind words, thank you. It really gives me great joy to hear of Gus' improvements and they give me strenght to keep on believing that there is a solution for our PTSD birdies. Sugar doesn't really have any issues anymore and except for him being scared of towels, he's pretty much healed. I think I have to just believe that it IS possible for all of them to improve.

Sorry for my very long post. It feels good to get it off my chest.