40-year-old Parrot who waited alone in house for 2 weeks collapses once she’s safe
When Debbie was discovered all alone in her home, the situation was dire. After her owner passed away, she was stranded by herself for two weeks, waiting for someone to find her.
She was rushed to Marin Humane, and it seemed she had been rescued just in time.
“She could barely stand,” Sam W., shelter operations manager at Marin Humane, told The Dodo. “She would eat and drink, but very slowly. She required a lot of support (special perches, padded enclosure in case she fell, heat source, special lighting, careful handling) and an enriched diet.”
For those first few weeks while Debbie healed, her personality was muted. She was too weak to show any emotion at all — but as her body finally began to heal, so did her spirit.
“As she felt better and got stronger, she got brighter and a bit more sassy and opinionated about things,” Sam said.
The shelter was able to locate Debbie’s next of kin, who informed them that Debbie was around 40 years old. She’d lived a long, full life thus far, and thanks to her rescuers, her journey wasn’t over yet.
Debbie is now in a foster home and doing well. She’s still recovering from her ordeal, but her personality emerges more and more each day.
“She’s made a lot of progress since she first arrived in foster,” Carina, Debbie’s foster mom, told The Dodo.
“She used to hunch over and quietly hiss at me the whole time. After a few days of strategic corn deployment, she’s now very curious whenever I approach and wants to see what goodies I have for her. I sit right next to her open cage when I work, so there’s a lot of one-on-one time and attention. She doesn’t want to be touched yet, so we’re just taking it slow, getting her used to hands being near her.”
Debbie can talk and greets her foster mom with a “hello” each morning, and after asks her, “Whatcha doing?” She loves watching the world from her spot by the window and is especially interested in the garbage truck. She adores food and makes little happy noises whenever it’s time to eat.
Debbie would do best with a forever family who has experience with senior or special-needs parrots and who is willing to meet Debbie where she’s at.
“She would probably enjoy a quiet home with lots of natural light and windows for her to look out of to provide enrichment since her mobility isn’t great,” Sam said. “Someone who can be around a lot to keep her company but is OK with minimal handling.”
Debbie has been through a lot, but thanks to her rescuers, a new chapter of her life has just begun, and everyone who loves her is going to make sure it’s fantastic.
