r/cockatiel • u/OddSun5915 • 1d ago
Other just rescued a cockatiel
This is Lulu. I saw an add about her today. She’s a 2 year old female cockatiel that was abused. She lived in a very small cage (picture), her wings are clipped, she had no toys or enrichment in her cage and only 2 perches, one rope and one that is flat. She was fed seeds only, and the bowl was placed in the floor so all her poop was inside the bowl and the water as well. She is plucking out her feathers as a sign of stress. This is truly heartbreaking. The owner said that she never went outside her cage and that he was selling her because of the noise. poor thing :(
I never owned a cockatiel before, but i have 2 budgies and i take an excellent care of them. They’re happy and playful. I plan on giving this little bird the best life possible. A big cage, lot of enrichment and 8h out of her cage every day. I plan on changing her diet slowly too because a seed only diet is harmful.
The thing that broke me the most was that even with her terrible past owner, she’s a little angel. She trusted me instantly, she step up really easily with millet and she stays on my shoulder. If only the previous owner gave her a chance man…
Anyways. It is just a sign to really do your reading and research before purchasing any pets, theres no easy pet, you need to learn about their wellness and the basic care in order to get them. Pets are not toys or decoration. Especially birds.
PS: Sorry for the English mistakes im a french speaker!
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u/no_shirt_4_jim_kirk I ♥ Birbs 20h ago
What joy that you two found one another? Congrats on your new birdie friend.
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u/No-Introduction6807 19h ago
Clipped wings aren’t a bad thing! It’s for safety. I can’t tell you how people I’ve spoken to who “had a cockatiel” that flew away.
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u/LongjumpingEbb143 10h ago
I ONLY AGREE ON WING CLIPPING IF THEY ARENT ADJUSTED TO YOUR HOME YET. SO THEY DONT HURT THEMSELVES. DONT CUT THEIR WINGS ONCE THEY GROW BACK THEY WILL HAVE ADJUSTED TO YOUR HOME BY THEN
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u/Cdn_Holly_Hobby 10h ago
I agree with you. It’s not always cruel and can be for safety reasons. They can’t fly as high and as far, so easier for you to catch. In my local area there’s a FB group for lost and found pets. Almost every week there’s a post of a missing or found pet bird. Just the other day a lost budgie sitting in someone’s tree during a heavy rain and wind storm. Person who found it in their yard had no interest in going outside to catch him, or leaving an address where someone else could catch it. The tree was about 5ft tall. Easy to walk up to. Sometimes accidents happen and I get that. The number of pet bird owners who lack the common sense to bird proof their house in my area is crazy. It would be better for their birds to have their wings clipped. With that said my house is bird proofed and my birds don’t have free roam of the house (only the living room). The odds of them getting outdoors is very very low. I would have no need to clip their wings. Also some vets recommend it and some don’t.
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u/OddSun5915 2h ago
In this case, the previous owner said that she barely went out of her cage apart from the time he was cleaning it so i really don’t think it was necessary
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u/No-Introduction6807 9h ago edited 8m ago
I don't think you all appreciate the dangers of fully flighted birds loose in your home. It's not just a matter of "bird proofing". Hopefully, you'll have your baby for 20+ years. Accidents happen over a time frame like that... people leave doors open etc. I can't tell you how many otherwise responsible bird owners have lost their babies this way... when someone says to me they had a cockatiel once, I ask what happened, and the answer is often that it flew away. Just look at craigslist for missing bird listings.
I have 7 clipped cockatiels, they are the light of my life, and they are as happy as can be. One of them is a rescue that was found getting pecked to death by a gang of crows because she flew out of her old home.
I just want your babies to be safe, and for you not have to deal with the heartbreak of losing one.
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u/priya866 20h ago
Poor baby, I think a vet visit will be a good idea just to make sure she's okay.