This is a letter I got today....

"Jerry,
I keep seeing your name pop up here and there and now today on ARN you are trying to help with the lost Moluccan. I have been selling a cockatoo patch on ebay and would like to send you one. Please send me your address so that I can get it to you. You do so much for the too's and it is appreciated by many of us.

I sent a link to your site to my husband who said he thought you were a bit negative only seeing the worst. I sat beside him for the next two hours showing him pictures, stories and want adds. He finally sat back and said that's enough, your right and so is he. A couple months later he got to see it first hand in our own neighborhood. This short story ends much better than some....the neglected bird is with us now and in the past 9 months we have managed to throw out lots of the baggage he brought with him. He was a mans bird and he glues himself to my husband when he comes home. (Even that isn't as bad as it used to be when he discovered women can be servants) lol When they want to send my husband away for business or the meetings run late they ask him if he needs to call home and "ask the bird". "we know your wife won't mind but if you need to call your bird". Some of them have even called to speak with the Umbrella. She likes to talk on the phone. He works at the corporate office for Science Diet so it is a pet friendly environment. Hope to hear from you so I can send a patch your way, if you prefer iron on let me know. Renae, aka BirdsMom

Telling people all the "bad" stuff, sending them here, and then saying but,,,,, if you do this now, and dont this, ie: reenforce bad things, praise all the good things, you may have one of the ones that arent so "bad". But.... its a given that thats no guarantee, thats why this link is posted at my site, and I send everyone I can here first. They need to hear the noise, and if this site fails, and they are close to me, I invite them over. lol
I cant tell you how many people have backed out of buying a M2 after meeting Gizmo. I think its sad we cant home them, but its sadder that the breeders are still out pushing them. While not all sweet little babies grow up to be delinquents, sometimes, no matter how great of parents we are, they still happen.

Our friends 17 year old son was playing with our goffins, daffy. Daffy is such a sweetie, he loves everyone and he can really do cool things like flip rubber bands. His dad asked how much one like that is and I just looked a the kid and said, you don't want one. Unless you want to give up your social life and stay home ALOT, you don't want one. Wait until you're older and settled. Unfortunately, I get conversations like that alot and most of us have to admit that many, many people shouldn't keep birds, any birds. The best thing to do is impress upon people the importance of adopting a rescue bird, not taking on a baby. The humane society does this with dogs and cats, so maybe bird rescues just need to get the word out better. I don't know, I'm rambling. There just doesn't seem to be a solution and the more I see and read about abused and neglected birds my attitude gets worse. Don't some of you just hate it when you're in a pet store and they are selling a bird? I look at it and wonder what kind of life it will have and how many owners. And when someone says to me "why do you keep that bird when it bites so much" I look in my M2's beautiful dark eyes and think of what humans have put her through before us, I'm amazed that she doesn't bite more.

Perfectly said, Lori.

Yes Lori, Perfect!
But I took it a step further with live demonstration.... Co-worker's wife wanted a Too...so her husband, daughter & I left Simon's sight (we hid behind staircase). Boy did he let those Moluccan screams rip! So I asked him if THIS is what he wanted to live with & COULD he.......His response was "NO WAY" and a few expletives thrown for good measure!
Nothing like a live demo!! It worked.
Liisa

Hey, Liisa, that's a great idea! Everyone who wants a Too should live with one for a week or two first. HaHa!

I long time ago I used to take Baby into a corporate petstore who sells parrots. I used to go there on a sat/sun and with all the energy in the room she would really put on a show. People would be huddled around the little bird cases thinking they're so cute and funny and cool. Here comes me with a screaming banshee. I can't help but think (with hope) that I discouraged people with the mere presence of Baby from buying a bird. :p If the people working there hadn't been like 16yo who don't care about anything I bet I'd have been asked to leave, lol! I loved telling people about Baby and just how difficult it could be to keep her. I would also show them the scars on my hands and forearms from some nasty bites and stressed that those bites could have been worse or in worse places. I always loved talking to the ones with kids. They could see the energy of the kids set Baby off and usually they would say that they wouldn't want something like that around their kids. I pretty much demonstrated and let them all figure out things for themselves. I pretty much too protective to take her out to a place like that anymore (disease, bad people who might try to rip heroff, the fact that she can fly which isn't offset by having a harness...) But I look back on those times and really think I stopped some people (even if they had good intentions) from getting into something completely uneducated.

MaMa & the Flock

I have both ends of the spectrum with my Goffin's. Daisy is the lovable, cuddler, that loves to talk, sing, dance, and play "Peek-A-Boo" with my shirt sleeve. She is the picture child for what "could" be with a TOO in healthy, happy home. Angel, came to us with baggage, but he has come a long way and is my husband's best friend. Angel will let hubby cuddle and play with him, take walks around the house on his arm, and even lay on his back for some tummy rubs, but Angel doesn't want to get very far from his cage. Jasper's story is very sad indeed and there is no way to know the level of abuse/neglect he has suffered since he was imported from his home land. He isn't hand tame, but he isn't aggressive either, to those who respect his comfort zone. When anyone claims that want a Daisy Baby, I always introduce them to Angel and Jasper with a warning to visit this site before making a decision.

I often pack them up in their travel cages and we go shopping and visit family and friends. The people at the farmer's market know me as the bird lady and that's okay. The TOO's get to pick out healthy treats, a chance to socialize, and it is always an educational opportunity. I believe we can take our birds out with us by utilizing common sense and precautions.

Lei

I agree with charlie!!! I have done this!!! Some of my friends have said they want one, I actually will let them borrow Baby for a weekend...that way I am around, but they can see some of the difficulties. (His fav. trick....not coming out, and not stepping up, then threatening to bite..he's wild caught, and funny how intimidating he can be even though he wouldn't hurt a flea) I warn them of worse behaviors, and they ask "what now?" and they meet nellie, our feather shredder...she will attack new people by hopping across the floor!!! They cant believe a one pound bird can be so bad! That and the yelling and sneaky destructiveness.
People usually say "what other kinds of birds are there?" I giggle and give them demitri our cockatiel, and they usely fall in love...
I wish someone had been around when I first met my hansome too bird Baby...the old owners told me nothing and I had to learn everything from a vet!

some of you just hate it when you're in a pet store and they are selling a bird? I look at it and wonder what kind of life it will have and how many owners.

So the question then becomes what mytoos.com is basically wrestling with, and that is the question of is it better for the bird to sit there in the pet shop, possibly getting care unncessary or harmful to it, or is it better for the bird to be purchased by someone with little to no experience and let them learn?

It's a question of damned if you do, damned if you don't. At the Petland here they are selling two, yes two umbrella cockatoos. I went there last week and had "Buster" on my shoulder for about 20 minutes. Melted my heart to have him up close. Melted it even more when I walked by the other plastic cube enclosure nearby and the other U2 displayed inside it. I wasn't sure if the poor thing was displaying for me in a message of "I'm just as good as that one, get me out TOO!" or displaying for Buster in a "Hey there sexy, check me out" way.

snackbribing. Thank you for bringing up some of these old posts. I look back and remember some of these members fondly and wonder where they are today. I hope their beliefs are still as strong. By the way. would love to see the photo. In michigan,a too sitting on a rooftop would be a call to a rescue to try to help. Wish I lived where you do. I would love to see them in their natural habitat

Me too snack!