1 – THEY ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR – Many rescue Birds, especially those with special needs or cruel pasts need lots of help to reach their full potential. It is wrong to say caring for them is easy, but it worth every moment in order to give them the lives that they so deserve. These angels will show you more love than you could ever imagine if you dare to believe in their remarkable souls.
2 – THEY ARE NOT BLANK – Birds who have previously been abused may be incredibly angry & inflict serious bites or be frightened & panic when you are near. Another rarely discussed reaction to abuse is a Bird who hardly moves or interacts & appears completely blank. They may ignore all attempts of play & fun or simply be baffled at how they are supposed to react. They may not appear scared, but inside they are petrified. All attempts to show their feelings & trust people have been met with ignorance, shouting & abuse, so they have stopped trying. These Birds are incredibly hard to connect with because they try everything to shut you out, convinced that you will abuse them too & their trust will be shattered again. It is common for uneducated people to take them on & then give up on them because “they are boring, they don’t do anything!” Not realizing that this is a trauma response. These are one of the most rewarding Birds to love as they have so much hidden inside. The biggest thing these Birds want you to know is that although they appear blank, that is far from the truth they guard so strongly inside.
3 – DIET MATTERS – The most important thing you can do for a Bird is feed them the correct diet. If you take in a rescue Bird & feed them meat, dairy, human food/drink, junk food etc., then they have not been rescued at all. Even the most occasional bit of junk food causes diet related disease & health problems you wouldn’t cope with witnessing. It can take years before the signs are visible, but every bite is doing harm. People who are passionate about healthy & species specific diets for Birds are not being control freaks, picking on you or believing they are better than you, we just know the importance of proper nutrition. All of my angels are fed a nutrient rich diet with no junk food or bites of our meals & the transformation in their health, energy levels, feather condition & behavior when converted to the correct diet can be astounding.
4 – THEY ARE NOT PAST IT – Birds with disabilities, or who are elderly, often get written off as damaged, broken or past it. Elderly & disabled Birds are my absolute passion & I can never begin to tell you of the wonders they hold inside. For Birds to have a quality of life, we must first GIVE them a quality of life, every Bird deserves to live, be loved & thrive. We may need to adapt their environment, diet or enrichment activities slightly, but they can have the most remarkable lives which are fun, loving, enriching & as far away from a tragedy as it is possible to go. I have rescued both elderly & disabled Birds who could do nothing but lay on the floor & clumsily eat or drink from floor bowls, being told that they will be dead in a few days, sometimes even by the time we are home. When they are surrounded by love, given unique therapy programs & are fed nutritious food, some are still here more than 5 years later. They are completely unrecognizable & no longer lay helplessly on the floor with sunken eyes, no Bird is past the gift of love.
5 – LOVE THEM AS THEY ARE – Some rescue Birds will be just like non- rescues, but many are different & will always have threads of their past woven into their identity. Some rescues will always be scared of certain people or objects; some will always have special needs & some will never be tame or utter a word. The most important thing for a rescue Bird’s happiness & sense of belonging is for you to love them EXACTLY as they are. Few things are as healing to these precious angels as radical & unquestioned love & acceptance. Many of them have been through enough & don’t need the constant pressure of living with a family who always wants more or is always questioning why they are not like the one on the viral video. So many rescue Birds have had a lifetime of people wanting them to be more, of people saying, “I would love you, I would keep you if only you weren’t you” They need to come home, where they belong. They need to be told how amazing they are & how much you love them for exactly who they are, how you treasure them & wouldn’t change them for the world. Rescue Birds are so worthy of love, could you be the one to change the world for a Bird? & last, but by no means least, treat your Bird as though they understand every word you say- because they do.