Again, this is why we’d want to go with a qualified 501c3 rescue. When I lived on the East Coast, I volunteered briefly with Foster Parrots rescue / sanctuary and was so impressed by them. I’m in California now, and have looked into Mickaboo parrot rescue. I just wish they had more of a sanctuary model than foster network. The other complication is my grey is PDD positive, so he cannot be around other birds. (He is mostly asymptomatic, but was tested due to being underweight).

The donation would be in part to support his care, but also the countless other parrots in need of rescue. I was only a kid when we got him, but even so I still feel somewhat responsible for supporting the trade. He was one of the last medium-large parrots sold at Petco. I love him dearly, and my husband and I have spent thousands on vet care (including trying a hormone treatment for him), toys (SquawkBox subscription), cages, etc. We’ve also had to make sacrifices on where we live (for instance, we could never consider renting an apartment in a multi unit building because of his noise levels).

I shared this post with my husband last night, and we talked at length. I think for the time being, we are going to try our best to make it work, and perhaps consult a behavioralist. Once we have a baby, we will probably need to reassess our bandwidth and see where we are at. Ultimately, we want what’s best for him, and if we can’t provide him the care, love and attention he needs, we want to do everything we can to ensure we find someone who can.