Meet Carmen. Carmen is a female Scarlet Macaw, about 8-10 years old. I am her 5th home. She was picked up from a group of people who, unfortunately represent a growing population of those less fortunate. They wrote to Mollywood for help re-homing this bird. Conversations were something like this: "What is your work schedule so that..." -they don't work. "When can you drive the bird over..." -we don't drive. "Can you please fill out this..." -we can't read. Add to that, they have no teeth, so I guess they don't eat either, or have health care. It doesn't stop them from producing a baby however - as proven by the 10 month old kid they had. That child had very nice teeth, but a nasty case of pink eye. Carmen was on a pure seed diet. She had one toy, a plastic dog ball, and two perches, both made of concrete. For a breed that loves to chew, that really sucks.
Her first two days with me, she did not touch a single toy, as if she did not know how to play anymore. Where her previous owners had handled her with a broom stick, she was eay to hand handle and, as it turns out, is a total cuddler. I have introduced her to the world of pasta, grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts. She has not seen a seed since she came here and is happily munching on pellets. Where she used to just eat crackers as a "treat" she has decided she absolutely loves pasta and grapes are a definite favorite. I was gone overnight this last weekend and when I came home, I found she had eaten all the wooden beads from her toys and had started pulling off the plastic ones - progress!! She has not splintered any wood yet, hopefully that will come next. You know a macaw is happy when they have something they can destroy. Her only down side so far is that she is a horizontal pooper. To her, this is a way to keep her cage clean. She hangs on the door, and poops outside the cage onto the floor. This is amuzing the first time, and it totally sucks after that. Hello vinyl flooring, trip to Home Depot is on the list.
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