galaidriel
New member
- Aug 12, 2017
- 2
- 0
- Parrots
- My first parrot, my beautiful Sun Conure Sassie. passed away at 16 yrs. June 24,2014. I rescued Flash a 17yr. old Hahns Macaw on May 9th, 2017.
Hello everyone,
I was really surprised to discover that after my absence of a few years, my membership still existed, that was a nice discovery. When I first became a member my parrot friend was a Sun Conure named Sassie, I rescued her at 6 years old. We were together for 10 years when she contracted a human bacterial infection and could not be saved though my wonderful vet tried everything. I lost her June 24, 2014.
I retired disabled in 2011, living alone. Sassie was everything to me. By the time winter 2017 was ending, I was losing my will to live, missing her so much.
In May this year my daughter found an ad on the wall of a local pet store, offering a 17yr old male Red Shouldered Hahns Macaw named Flash. I made immediate arrangements to meet him, fell in love with him, acquired him and he came home with me the first of June. He is the sweetest thing but he comes with a past of neglect and abuse and I need help and advice. I have decided that he has parrot PTSD. That's cool because I have been diagnosed with chronic PTSD since a preschool age and major depressive disorder.
From what I was able to gather from his previous owner I am at least his 3rd owner, probably the 4th. This person was not entirely honest with me. But I ended up taking him to a vet I didn't know but who knew Flash and he filled me in a little bit more.
So I come back to Parrot Forum now to ask questions of Hahns Macaw owners because I was totally unprepared for the difference between boy and girl parrots, (Sassie was my first parrot) the difference between the species and how to handle some of Flash's issues. He's been left alone often enough that he's pulled all of his red feathers out of his shoulders to the point that they'll not grow back. And the feathers from under his wings though they do grow back to some degree.
He was astounded when I put him down on the floor for the first time and it took him a while but he finally runs around on the floor and explores all over. He had rarely had that freedom before. He's so cute about it, chattering the whole way sometimes.
I understand that it is indicative of this species that they don't like to be left alone for extended periods of time. Which is fine as I live alone and have all the time in the world to spend with him. He had screaming fits in the beginning, huge abandonment issues. By leaving him alone for very short periods of time he was able to accept my leaving. After 6 months I could gradually leave him alone for longer periods. I put a movie on netflix to keep him company and I also set my radio alarm so if the movie ends and I'm still not home he can listen to NPR. And I never leave him longer that 3 hours if I can help it.
He's aggressive because he's a boy something I didn't expect. The first time I pi@#$ him off he was asking me for something and when I failed to understand, sitting on my shoulder, he jumped up and bit the top of my ear so hard I thought he permanently ruined the cartilage. I was so hurt, scared and freaked that I pulled my shirt off over my head with him still on it and threw it on the floor. It was a reflex action. I didn't even think and I was so glad he didn't get hurt. I just left him there until he calmed down and came to me. He would jump from my lap and punch my chest 2 or 3 times with his beak and he still tries to steer me with my ears. He gets a 10 minute time out in his cage and he's much better now although he did bite my ear quite badly again.
He jumps! I was not prepared for this either. lol
I can't seem to find the right toys for him to play with, I hate the crap they have at the pet store and it's expensive. He won't play with cardboard, he's literally scared of tissues, I'm hoping someone will have suggestions, maybe online sites that have toys for Hahns Macaws or toys that have been found in dollar stores or the like.
Though Flash knows a few words I'm wondering if 17yr old Flash will learn new words from me. Also he started taking baths in a 10 inch pie plate and then suddenly he just wouldn't any more. I know this is really helpful during molting season but no matter how I coax him he refuses. Any suggestions would be helpful because when he does take a bath you can tell he really loves it.
One of the best things about Flash is how much he enjoys going outside in the summer. He says bye bye when we get outside and he make these little birdy comments of satisfaction, it's so sweet. I keep his wings clipped and he rides on my shoulder all over the neighborhood with me. And believe it or not he tells me when he needs to go potty and I just get him on my finger and hold him over the grass. Such a gentleman. And he does eat pellets, I'm so glad because of the nutrition they provide. Something Sassie would never do because her former owners didn't know any better.
He also gets horny. Blush Blush. Not sure anything can be done about that.
It's so nice to be back on Parrot Forum.
Thanks,
Annie
I was really surprised to discover that after my absence of a few years, my membership still existed, that was a nice discovery. When I first became a member my parrot friend was a Sun Conure named Sassie, I rescued her at 6 years old. We were together for 10 years when she contracted a human bacterial infection and could not be saved though my wonderful vet tried everything. I lost her June 24, 2014.
I retired disabled in 2011, living alone. Sassie was everything to me. By the time winter 2017 was ending, I was losing my will to live, missing her so much.
In May this year my daughter found an ad on the wall of a local pet store, offering a 17yr old male Red Shouldered Hahns Macaw named Flash. I made immediate arrangements to meet him, fell in love with him, acquired him and he came home with me the first of June. He is the sweetest thing but he comes with a past of neglect and abuse and I need help and advice. I have decided that he has parrot PTSD. That's cool because I have been diagnosed with chronic PTSD since a preschool age and major depressive disorder.
From what I was able to gather from his previous owner I am at least his 3rd owner, probably the 4th. This person was not entirely honest with me. But I ended up taking him to a vet I didn't know but who knew Flash and he filled me in a little bit more.
So I come back to Parrot Forum now to ask questions of Hahns Macaw owners because I was totally unprepared for the difference between boy and girl parrots, (Sassie was my first parrot) the difference between the species and how to handle some of Flash's issues. He's been left alone often enough that he's pulled all of his red feathers out of his shoulders to the point that they'll not grow back. And the feathers from under his wings though they do grow back to some degree.
He was astounded when I put him down on the floor for the first time and it took him a while but he finally runs around on the floor and explores all over. He had rarely had that freedom before. He's so cute about it, chattering the whole way sometimes.
I understand that it is indicative of this species that they don't like to be left alone for extended periods of time. Which is fine as I live alone and have all the time in the world to spend with him. He had screaming fits in the beginning, huge abandonment issues. By leaving him alone for very short periods of time he was able to accept my leaving. After 6 months I could gradually leave him alone for longer periods. I put a movie on netflix to keep him company and I also set my radio alarm so if the movie ends and I'm still not home he can listen to NPR. And I never leave him longer that 3 hours if I can help it.
He's aggressive because he's a boy something I didn't expect. The first time I pi@#$ him off he was asking me for something and when I failed to understand, sitting on my shoulder, he jumped up and bit the top of my ear so hard I thought he permanently ruined the cartilage. I was so hurt, scared and freaked that I pulled my shirt off over my head with him still on it and threw it on the floor. It was a reflex action. I didn't even think and I was so glad he didn't get hurt. I just left him there until he calmed down and came to me. He would jump from my lap and punch my chest 2 or 3 times with his beak and he still tries to steer me with my ears. He gets a 10 minute time out in his cage and he's much better now although he did bite my ear quite badly again.
He jumps! I was not prepared for this either. lol
I can't seem to find the right toys for him to play with, I hate the crap they have at the pet store and it's expensive. He won't play with cardboard, he's literally scared of tissues, I'm hoping someone will have suggestions, maybe online sites that have toys for Hahns Macaws or toys that have been found in dollar stores or the like.
Though Flash knows a few words I'm wondering if 17yr old Flash will learn new words from me. Also he started taking baths in a 10 inch pie plate and then suddenly he just wouldn't any more. I know this is really helpful during molting season but no matter how I coax him he refuses. Any suggestions would be helpful because when he does take a bath you can tell he really loves it.
One of the best things about Flash is how much he enjoys going outside in the summer. He says bye bye when we get outside and he make these little birdy comments of satisfaction, it's so sweet. I keep his wings clipped and he rides on my shoulder all over the neighborhood with me. And believe it or not he tells me when he needs to go potty and I just get him on my finger and hold him over the grass. Such a gentleman. And he does eat pellets, I'm so glad because of the nutrition they provide. Something Sassie would never do because her former owners didn't know any better.
He also gets horny. Blush Blush. Not sure anything can be done about that.
It's so nice to be back on Parrot Forum.
Thanks,
Annie
