Questions about Fostering

[Merlee]

How does fostering from a rescue affect the mentality of a parrot?

For example. An amazon ends up in a rescue, then fostered out for a few months and then is returned to the rescue.

Will whatever progress is made with the foster parront be lost when returned to the rescue?

ALERT: Darn it. I CAN'T DELETE THIS. I think this should be placed in the behavior section.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I moved it to "Behavioral", Denise.

 

[JerseyWendy]

IMO, ideally, once a parrot is fostered out, he/she should not be returned to the rescue, but adopted out to his/her permanent home straight from there.

 

[MonicaMc]

I've wondered the same. And what about parrots that go to different foster homes? i.e. one family has a bird(s) for several weeks or months, but can no longer keep the birds, so the birds are moved to another foster home?

And how is fostering any different, mentally or physically, to a bird placed into a home and the owner decides that *THAT* bird is not for them? And the new owner returns/resells/rehomes the bird and finds themselves a bird better suited to them?


Is it ok that one is a foster home and not ok that the other isn't? Is it just a mentality thing? Or is there really any difference to fostering a bird vs having a bird for a short time and deciding that's not the right bird for you?

 

[Megapixel]

Just like with human children in the foster system, it's hard on them to go from home to home, but it's too late to avoid it. But they are always better off not being where they are not wanted.

 

[Merlee]

The reason why I am asking is because the closest rescue is now offering fostering. One of the conditions is that the bird be brought back for open house for 4 hours one day a month.

It has crossed my mind to take in a dyh that has been in quarantine there so that it has a better opportunity in being placed in a forever home, not necessarily mine. Not to many birds ever get out of there. I am not sure if I am doing it any favor by doing so. For me to foster and take it up to Atlanta 1 day a month is expensive and sticking around for the open house would not be fun because of the extreme noise factor.

My husband is against it because he wants a baby dyh, but I am considering doing it anyway until we get one.

I am thinking that going from place to place, even for a day, with all the other rescue birds around would not make the bird better mentally. What do you think?

I moved it to "Behavioral", Denise.

Thank you!

 

[Mayden]

I agree with MegaPixel. It's the "lesser of two evils" to have them out in a foster, than in a rescue. Out in a foster home they've got chance to work on human interaction and 'better' themselves and there is more one on one chance than in a rescue where it's basically, clean, feed, maybe 5 minutes spent with that bird, then repeat. etc.

So, yeah I think there's a lot of back stepping that naturally happens when you shift a bird from home to home but I think it's better than them getting permanently used to living in a rescue situation.

 

[Mayden]

The reason why I am asking is because the closest rescue is now offering fostering. One of the conditions is that the bird be brought back for open house for 4 hours one day a month.

It has crossed my mind to take in a dyh that has been in quarantine there so that it has a better opportunity in being placed in a forever home, not necessarily mine. Not to many birds ever get out of there. I am not sure if I am doing it any favor by doing so. For me to foster and take it up to Atlanta 1 day a month is expensive and sticking around for the open house would not be fun because of the extreme noise factor.

My husband is against it because he wants a baby dyh, but I am considering doing it anyway until we get one.

I am thinking that going from place to place, even for a day, with all the other rescue birds around would not make the bird better mentally. What do you think?

My Merlin is passed from pillar to post, house to house, (pub to pub!), person to person so often than the only reason he knows me as Mummy is because I'm the one who picks him up again at the end of the day! (I exaggerate, but he really is passed around an awful lot) He's used to it and looks forward to car rides, etc, because he knows he'll have a blast and social time when it stops again!

Is the rescue willing to negotiate this type of thing if the visits are too stressful for the Zon?

Could you not just straight up adopt this YHA? :54:

 

[JerseyWendy]

The reason why I am asking is because the closest rescue is now offering fostering. One of the conditions is that the bird be brought back for open house for 4 hours one day a month.

I'm liking this hoarder...I mean rescue less and less. WHERE does she come up with idiotic ideas like this???

How easy would it be if ANY fosters stay right where they are (with their foster parronts), take pictures, update on their progress via email and/or pictures, and take it from there rather than schlepping them back and forth? Granted, once a month isn't all that often, but why put the bird(s) through that unnecessarily?

 

[Megapixel]

The reason why I am asking is because the closest rescue is now offering fostering. One of the conditions is that the bird be brought back for open house for 4 hours one day a month.

I'm liking this hoarder...I mean rescue less and less. WHERE does she come up with idiotic ideas like this???

It's not a bad idea at all. Animals need to be seen to be adopted and the majority of people looking would rather go to the rescue, the place of business, where they can see many animals than have to go to someone's home.
I worked with 2 dog/cat rescue shelters over the course of almost 5 years and fostered animals always take a lot more time to adopt out than animals at the shelters.

 

[JerseyWendy]

It's not a bad idea at all. Animals need to be seen to be adopted and the majority of people looking would rather go to the rescue, the place of business, where they can see many animals than have to go to someone's home.
I worked with 2 dog/cat rescue shelters over the course of almost 5 years and fostered animals always take a lot more time to adopt out than animals at the shelters.

Comparing dogs/cats to parrots is like comparing apples to oranges.

Perhaps you missed the part of my post where I stated that PICTURES can be provided to the rescue on a regular basis.

Additionally, a foster home should allow prospective adopters to visit the bird(s) they are interested in.

Not all birds do well in cramped quarters, with many different species of other birds around, nor should a bird who was worked with, and who is improving, be forced to be taken back to said rescue just so gawkers can have their pick out of many.

Of course we don't live in an ideal world, but the rescue Denise refers to is many things, "ideal" certainly not being one of them.

 

[Merlee]

Open House is this weekend and I sent an e-mail inquiring about her and waiving the open house requirement. I think having a bird in a quiet typical home environment would allow the bird to shine.

This rescue is notorious for not answering emails right away so we will see. Boysmom dealt with them and had an unpleasant experience so we will see what happens. I do not have my hopes up on this, but thought I would give it a whirl. The director focuses more on the many cockatoos in her care because she prefers them over other birds. She thinks amazons do not make good pets so I want to give this particular bird a fighting chance.

 

[Megapixel]

It's not a bad idea at all. Animals need to be seen to be adopted and the majority of people looking would rather go to the rescue, the place of business, where they can see many animals than have to go to someone's home.
I worked with 2 dog/cat rescue shelters over the course of almost 5 years and fostered animals always take a lot more time to adopt out than animals at the shelters.

Comparing dogs/cats to parrots is like comparing apples to oranges.

Perhaps you missed the part of my post where I stated that PICTURES can be provided to the rescue on a regular basis.

Additionally, a foster home should allow prospective adopters to visit the bird(s) they are interested in.

Not all birds do well in cramped quarters, with many different species of other birds around, nor should a bird who was worked with, and who is improving, be forced to be taken back to said rescue just so gawkers can have their pick out of many.

Of course we don't live in an ideal world, but the rescue Denise refers to is many things, "ideal" certainly not being one of them.

I'm sorry you feel that way, but I have real world experience with the subject. It has nothing to do with the type of animal, animals need to be seen to be adopted and pictures are not enough and of course foster homes should allow visitors. The problem is that the vast majority of people really don't want to have to go to someone's home - again real world experience.

 

[Merlee]

Well, the biggest problem is that I live 1 1/2 hours away from the rescue and the idea of sitting there for 4 hours during open house is not my idea of fun. The place is so loud one MUST wear ear plugs or one will go deaf. No joke, ear plugs are provided in strategic places.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'm sorry you feel that way, but I have real world experience with the subject. It has nothing to do with the type of animal, animals need to be seen to be adopted and pictures are not enough and of course foster homes should allow visitors. The problem is that the vast majority of people really don't want to have to go to someone's home - again real world experience.

I have fostered many dogs in the past, bully breeds exclusively.

All of them were successfully adopted straight out of my home - not one was returned.

I shall hope this counts as "real world experience", as you so eloquently quoted, twice.

 

[thekarens]

I'd have to agree, as an adopter I'd much rather go to one place to see a variety of animals (whether it be cats, dogs or parrots) to see which one I click with than have to go house to house. In fact, it's unlikely I'd go house to house because in this day and age it's not safe.

I can understand why the op wouldn't want to (I wouldn't either) and it's not ideal for the bird possibly, but there's no doubt in my mind that the birds have a better chance of being adopted that way.

 

[Merlee]

I have gone to an Open House that the rescue has. There is no way you can see if you click with any particular bird at that time or their true personality. They are frightened, screaming or lunging at you through the cage. So basically all you can do is look, put in an application for a particular bird that you are interested in, and set up an appointment to have a one-on-one session with the bird during the week.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

My personal feelings about fostering and adoption. I would expect my foster home to be until there is a forever home. I would prefer to meet and be with a potential adoptee in a foster home rather than the rescue or shelter.

 

[Kalidasa]

I fostered a Quaker for 6 months before I got my conure, he thrived in my house and we became very attached. Truthfully, I didn't want to give him up but he went to an excellent home and is doing very well. I'm so glad he was with me and not in some pet store, but it was extremely hard letting him go and left a gaping hole ripped in my heart which made me adopt my conure. I don't think I could do it again unless I was prepared to adopt.

 

[MonicaMc]

I went to one of Mickaboo's open house. There was one macaw (not for adoption), one cockatoo (for adoption, has FDB), one amazon (oblivious to what was going on around him! Small cage, yes, but he was having a blast with all his toys!), an eclectus, a sun conure, a meyers, several cockatiels, a few budgies, a couple of lovebirds, a couple of parrotlets, etc.

Not a lot of birds, and it wasn't that noisy at all! Although, it was a 3+ hr drive.... and my GPS on my phone quit working on the way there.... so that was fun!


Seriously though, out of all the birds there, the amazon was the least phased by it all! He was too busy playing with his toys to pay attention to people walking by his cage! Typically, when you see an amazon, it's a perch potato... but this little one was having a blast!


Personally, I feel that the more experiences and environments a bird is exposed to, the better "sound" that they will be - i.e. less likely to freak out in new situations or a change in scenery. Of course, it is best to do it in such a way as to create the least amount of stress on the birds - if at all possible.

If all the parrots are screaming and agitated, that's not ideal.... but if they are all calm and quiet, why not?