Dear fellow volunteers, If you have quarantine space available, please consider fostering a bird for Mickaboo! It's a thoroughly rewarding experience--watching a bird come into your home afraid, untrusting, and feeling utterly alone, and then blossoming into a happy, vibrant, interactive parrot is simply amazing! I know that we have many, many wonderful adoptive homes out there who haven't taken the foster-plunge yet, and I know that they'd make fantastic foster parents! Please, please consider opening your home to a foster bird. I also know that some folks might be hesitant to do so because they're afraid they won't be able to give their foster birds enough attention. Let me assure you that a safe and happy foster home, with plenty of good food, gentle words, and warm surroundings, is 100% better than what many of these birds are coming from. Even if you're not able to give them as much attention as you'd like, please know that we're extremely short on foster homes and anything that our conscientious volunteers can offer these little guys is going to be an improvement over the conditions many of them are stuck in until we can get them. Here are some of the Cockatiels that we need foster homes for ASAP: BERKELEY SHELTER COCKATIEL--a beautiful, tame, white and grey female, who needs to be picked up ASAP--she's ready to go home tomorrow (Monday). PLACER COUNTY COCKATIEL--we don't have any details right now, but s/he needs to be picked up from the shelter by January 26th. JASMINE--tame female being returned to Mickaboo by her adoptive parents, because they're no longer able to care for her. We need a foster home for Jasmine within 2 weeks from now. TWO HANDFED BABIES--these little bundles of love need to go home this week. Dr. Ferguson has been handfeeding them at Holly Street in San Carlos, but we need to send them to a Bay Area foster home this week. For the first week they need to be fostered together to make sure they're eating on their own (they've just finished being weaned). After a week, they can be fostered separately. TWO ROHNERT PARK COCKATIELS--these little birds were dropped off at the shelter on Friday and, when we spoke with a shelter representative this afternoon, we were told they probably haven't eaten since they've been there. One of them would have been euthanized had we not gotten him. Maggie Rufo was kind enough to go get them this evening, and Sue Walters has graciously agreed to take them in at least temporarily, but she already has many foster birds so if someone else is available to foster them, it would be a huge help. NIBBLER & THOUGHTFUL--a tame male and female being surrendered by their owner because she's no longer able to care for them. Connie Kellers might be able to foster them for a short while. BILLY THE KID--this little bundle of energy needs a new foster home, because he's making the female Cockatiel in his foster home very hormonal! His foster mom, Rebecca, has been extremely patient while we look for a new foster home for him, so we'd really like to move him as soon as we can. He's an absolute charmer! Please email me directly if you're able to help, or if you'd simply like more information about fostering. Thank you! -- Shannon Shrewsbury Cockatiel Coordinator Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue 501(c)3 (C) 650-814-7439