Slater's Journey

[Terry57]

My Jasper was completely free...
Anyone rehoming 'zons is always desperate to get rid of them. It's just a thing for some reason.

And sadly too many times that causes people with zero experience to take them.
Then they can't stand the screaming, or the work it takes to have a bird and sell for cheap again to get rid of them.
It's heartbreaking to think of how many birds of all kinds go from home to home until they no longer believe their next home will be their forever home. They give up.
Or they are terrified, wondering what new abuse will befall them because it's all they remember.
You can see it in their eyes and it's awful.

 

[foxgloveparrot]

And sadly too many times that causes people with zero experience to take them.
Then they can't stand the screaming, or the work it takes to have a bird and sell for cheap again to get rid of them.
It's heartbreaking to think of how many birds of all kinds go from home to home until they no longer believe their next home will be their forever home. They give up.
Or they are terrified, wondering what new abuse will befall them because it's all they remember.
You can see it in their eyes and it's awful.

Exactly. Imagine treating a four-year-old like that. That's how you know it's wrong.

 

[ravvlet]

As an owner of both a 4 year old and an amazon; I have learned to tune out the screaming unless it’s, you know, the bad kind, LOL. Honestly I have come to look forward to Kirby’s little yelling sessions; but then I guess he doesn’t do them often enough for it to be a big issue for us.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Well, *I* have repeatedly wished that you, Terry, would tell us all your tales of rescues... most recently when I began Xander's thread...
But I know that you are busy enough just caring for your charges without starting an encyclopedia of your miracles.
So I'll just stand by and admire you.

 

[Terry57]

Well, *I* have repeatedly wished that you, Terry, would tell us all your tales of rescues... most recently when I began Xander's thread...
But I know that you are busy enough just caring for your charges without starting an encyclopedia of your miracles.
So I'll just stand by and admire you.

You inspired me, as well as a few others who asked for stories of my flock.
I always felt too busy, but then realized that they deserve their own thread with their story I just reread Russell's story from the beginning of this thread and was so glad I had written it.

 

[Oopsadaysey]

I'm so glad you rescued him. My little girl was sitting on my husband's bosses' clothes line one night and the rest is history.

 

[HeatherG]

And sadly too many times that causes people with zero experience to take them.
Then they can't stand the screaming, or the work it takes to have a bird and sell for cheap again to get rid of them.
It's heartbreaking to think of how many birds of all kinds go from home to home until they no longer believe their next home will be their forever home. They give up.
Or they are terrified, wondering what new abuse will befall them because it's all they remember.
You can see it in their eyes and it's awful.

I adopted a very plucked Pionus that began to grow in his feathers and do much better—until I moved. When I started packing and boxing up the sweet bird began ripping his feathers all out. He got a skin infection and was euthanized soon after I was in my new place. It was awful.

I think he believed I was going to give him away or leave him. It was very sad.

 

[Terry57]

I adopted a very plucked Pionus that began to grow in his feathers and do much better—until I moved. When I started packing and boxing up the sweet bird began ripping his feathers all out. He got a skin infection and was euthanized soon after I was in my new place. It was awful.

I think he believed I was going to give him away or leave him. It was very sad.

Oh, I am so sorry. I also believe that some of our birds worry about that every time we have to put them in a carrier for the vet.
I'm so sorry you lost your Pi, I love Pionus, they are such wonderful birds.

 

[HeatherG]

Oh, I am so sorry. I also believe that some of our birds worry about that every time we have to put them in a carrier for the vet.
I'm so sorry you lost your Pi, I love Pionus, they are such wonderful birds.

Yes, besides smelling nice, they have lovely subtle colors and quiet voices. I miss my past Pionus.

 

[Terry57]

Yes, besides smelling nice, they have lovely subtle colors and quiet voices. I miss my past Pionus.

I love their smell so much.

 

[Terry57]

A few weeks ago, when he wanted a treat he started saying "Hey Babe". I have no idea where this came from, it's not something we ever say but it is so precious. His tone sounds like he is in a bar, hitting on the woman sitting next to him. It always gets him a treat and makes me laugh.

Yesterday, he was out of the cage and holding onto the cage right above his door. I happened to be watching when I saw him slam the cage door upside his head, and he immediately shook his head and said in this low voice," Ow. Ow."
He is something else

You can kind of see the dimensions of Slater's original cage in this pic, we used it for Russell and Mallie. If I remember correctly it was 18X18. I don't believe I posted a pic of it before.

 

[BirdyBee]

Slater is an OWA, we have had him for 9 years, and he is now 16.
My daughter was having a yard sale day where she went to several, mostly looking. She called me mid-afternoon and said she had bought me a bird.
I was like, what?? What kind of bird did you buy me? She sent me a pic of an OWA in a tiny budgie cage that she had bought at a yard sale.
She had talked to the people a little, and they had bought a cabin at the lake, and for 2 years Slater was left alone in an empty house, in that tiny cage, only seeing them when they stopped by a couple of times a week to feed him. She felt so sorry for him and bought him, knowing I would take him. His name at the time was a**hole, which we immediately changed to Slater.

Reg picked him up and brought him home, and he looked so pitiful. A friend of mine had an extra cage she gave me for him and he was so excited.
It took a long time to get him used to new toys, we had to hang them outside the cage and slowly move them closer. He is still rather picky about toys.
He eventually taught most of the birds his first name, and it was fun walking into a room full of birds who all called me a**hole. I was so glad when that stopped.

Slater took an instant dislike to me, I would have to say he despised me. He screamed non-stop whenever I was in the room, and it almost drove me insane. Nothing helped.
I tried ear plugs and could still hear him, but couldn't hear anyone else. I honestly thought of rehoming him, he is the only bird I ever thought about that with.
However, both he and Reg and he and Talli had a wonderful relationship so I knew I couldn't do that to any of them. The problem was me, and I knew I had to change.

Finally, I decided to talk to him when I was in the room as if he wasn't screaming. I made sure to keep a sweet calm voice even though I felt my head was going to explode, and over the course of a couple of years he stopped screaming at me. I can now pet his beak and a little bit of his head, which is huge progress. He now talks to me, and is one of the best birds behaviour wise in the room.
I finally realized that my reactions to his screaming were a lot of the cause. He screamed, I got irritated, and he screamed more. But when I acted like he wasn't screaming, and I wasn't upset, he changed. I now adore him and am so glad he is a part of our flock.
Don't ever give up, it may take a long time, but you can make it work and forge a connection.

A few weeks ago, when he wanted a treat he started saying "Hey Babe". I have no idea where this came from, it's not something we ever say but it is so precious. His tone sounds like he is in a bar, hitting on the woman sitting next to him. It always gets him a treat and makes me laugh.

Yesterday, he was out of the cage and holding onto the cage right above his door. I happened to be watching when I saw him slam the cage door upside his head, and he immediately shook his head and said in this low voice," Ow. Ow."
He is something else

Now a few pictures:

View attachment 41717

View attachment 41718

View attachment 41719
My husband, Reg with Slater

View attachment 41720
Slater and Talli are best friends



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You can kind of see the dimensions of Slater's original cage in this pic, we used it for Russell and Mallie. If I remember correctly it was 18X18.

Aww such a lovely bird. Thanks for sharing his story. I hope I'm not mistaken, but haven't you shared his story before?

 

[Terry57]

Aww such a lovely bird. Thanks for sharing his story. I hope I'm not mistaken, but haven't you shared his story before?

I may have, I really can't remember. I'll look so I can merge them.

 

[Terry57]

Removed almost all of the last post and left the new

 

[saxguy64]

Thank you for sharing Slater's story. You have the patience of a saint, my dear friend, and it pays off eventually. I'm so happy he ended up with you, right where he belongs. I have such a soft spot for him, not exactly sure why. Maybe it's that Amazon in need thing that calls to me.

 

[Terry57]

Thank you for sharing Slater's story. You have the patience of a saint, my dear friend, and it pays off eventually. I'm so happy he ended up with you, right where he belongs. I have such a soft spot for him, not exactly sure why. Maybe it's that Amazon in need thing that calls to me.

And I bet he would fall in love with you, you are such a bird whisperer
He is pretty awesome. He also will let me know when I can pet his beak and when I can't. When I can, he says," Now", and when he doesn't want me to he says," Not now."
Haha, he skipped right past the bird language to the English language so I would know. He probably got tired of waiting for me to learn his language.

 

[saxguy64]

Haha, my daughter calls me bird whisperer. Didn't work so well last week at the refuge. I finally got to visit with Harley, a beautiful harlequin, but she's only had one home, and was a total mommy's girl. Men, not her thing. I hung out with her for a while, but didn't invade her space, so we were all good with each other.

 

[Terry57]

Haha, my daughter calls me bird whisperer. Didn't work so well last week at the refuge. I finally got to visit with Harley, a beautiful harlequin, but she's only had one home, and was a total mommy's girl. Men, not her thing. I hung out with her for a while, but didn't invade her space, so we were all good with each other.

Oh no, your whispering skills still worked, you didn't get bitten, right?

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

My friends call me the bird whisperer, too, LOL! I'm not and envy anyone who isn't afraid of being bitten! I generally have a very hands-off approach with birds. They do things on their own terms and it seems to work. Just doesn't work if you want a hand - tamed bird...

 

[saxguy64]

Oh no, your whispering skills still worked, you didn't get bitten, right?

I didn't, but I probably would have if Andrea hadn't run interference. I asked Harley for a step up and offered my arm. The beak reached out fairly slowly and didn't look like any kind of aggressive lunge. I didn't think a thing of it. Mac's are beaky birds, and almost every parrot I've ever met will lead with the beak to check out an unfamiliar thing to step up on, or just use it for balance.

Anyway, turns out that Harley is known to reach out to grab on with that giaganto beak and not be as gentle as I was expecting. Also, I was doing it wrong. She steps up backwards, so my arm in front was not as welcome as she pretended it was. Lure me in and eat me for dinner... Hmmmmmmmm.

After that, we had a good little visit with her sitting on the back of a chair. I was a little worried about her since I had only seen her fully feathered. This time she was in a hard molt, and she plucks during a big one like that, and stops when it calms down. She's still gorgeous! Check out the red and black cheek lines! So pretty