How To Adopt or Foster

Our primary concern is the well-being of our birds. The majority of them have, at some point, been abused, neglected, sick, or injured. For that reason, prospective foster and/or adoptive parents must fill out an application, attend our bird care class, and participate in the following screening process. 
 
Application Process

Please bear with us during the screening process. Mickaboo is an all-volunteer organization, and it may take some time to complete.

  1. Attend a free Mickaboo bird care class.
  2. Submit an online application, or download and fill out a PDF-formatted application form and return it to us at the address or fax number provided.
  3. After your application is processed, a Mickaboo volunteer will call you for a phone screen, during which we’ll ask you questions to get a feel for how well you understood the class, and go over some of the things. you might have missed. It is also an opportunity for you to ask to us questions.
  4. The phone screen is followed by a home visit, which allows us to see the environment a bird would be living in, offer suggestions for making it more suitable and look for potential safety issues, amongst other things.
  5. When the screening is complete, you are submitted for approval.

Please note the following:

  • While people of all ages are welcome to take our classes, all applicants must be at least 18 years of age
  • No birds will be adopted outside the state of California
  • Applicants cannot meet foster birds until they’ve been approved
  • We charge a fee for all birds adopted from Mickaboo, which varies according to species.
  • If you are applying to adopt a bird larger than a Cockatiel and you do not own your home, you must submit a written authorization from your landlord along with a phone number where he/she can be reached.
  • Applicants must sign a written contract stating that no birds adopted/fostered from Mickaboo shall be used for breeding purposes.
  • If for any reason you can no longer keep one of our adopted birds, you must agree to arrange for the immediate return of the bird to Mickaboo.
  • We reserve the right to refuse adoption/fostering of any bird to anyone for any reason as well as the right to repossess any birds whose needs we feel are not being met.

Because Mickaboo assumes responsibility for our birds for life, it is important that we and our adopters share an understanding of what is needed to keep a bird healthy and happy. To this end we strive to do the following: 

  • Inform adopters about who we are and what we do
  • Ensure that adopters and fosters understand the legal obligations (on both sides) associated with adopting from us
  • Provide adopters with the most current information we have about avian nutrition and husbandry
  • Educate adopters about safety concerns and, by visiting their home, look for dangers they might not be aware of
  • For more information, see common misconceptions about rescue groups 

Why Attend Our Training Class?

Many adopters find Mickaboo after years of companion parrot experience, yet have still learned from our classes.  Avian medicine is an ever-evolving topic, and there is always something new to learn. Requiring that all potential adopters and volunteers take our class ensures that everyone has a base-line of information to start from. Regardless of the number of years of experience an individual has with birds, there is no other way to ensure this, and we owe that to all of the birds we have taken into our care.

These are some of the topics that our Basic Bird Care class covers:

Parrots are Exotic Pets

  • While parrots are social and can enjoy the company of humans, they are not domesticated, meaning they have not been bred to live with humans or bend to our will. Parrots naturally behave as their counterparts in the wild do. This behavior must be properly understood and managed with positive reinforcement, and must not be “crushed” by force.  
  • Parrots are prey animals and most of them live in flocks. They do not have an alpha leader in the way dogs do. As prey animals, they are constantly vigilant, cautious, easily frightened and unforgiving of mistreatment. They will go to great lengths to hide illness as a survival technique. Caregivers must constantly be on the lookout for subtle signs of illness.
  • Parrots are not mammals. They express themselves through body language based on beaks and feathers, rather than fur and teeth. Cuddling them as you do a dog can have very negative consequences.

Parrot Nature

  • Parrots are, by nature, vocal and loud. They communicate with flock members across great distances. Noise can often be managed with positive reinforcement training, as well as an understanding of the motivation for their vocalizations.
  • Parrots are naturally curious and inquisitive. They explore and chew on anything that strikes their interest, which is most things. This must be managed by providing ample opportunity for appropriate play and enrichment, so that their natural proclivity to chew and shred is focused away from household items.
  • Birds are messy! They play with their food! In the wild, foraging birds drop or toss food. In our homes, happy birds do the same. This is a natural instinct, and foraging and playing should be encouraged. Potential caregivers need to be aware of and prepared for this.

Parrot Needs

  • Parrot vision is very sophisticated and surpasses that of humans. Lighting affects their behavior, their diet, their sleep, their molting, their health and their reproductive instincts.  Improper lighting can permanently damage your parrot’s eyes. You must create an environment that is sufficiently bright.
  • Parrots have long life spans.  Depending on the species, parrots can live 20 to 50 years or more.  Caring for a bird is often a life-long responsibility that should not be entered into lightly, or without planning for their future. Mickaboo’s pledge is “once a Mickaboo bird, always a Mickaboo bird.” That means all birds adopted from Mickaboo can and must be returned to us if the adopter can no longer care for them.
  • Parrots are extremely social animals and have been compared to human toddlers. They do have similar emotional and social needs but, unlike children, they never grow up. They are active and inquisitive and require ample room to move about and play.  Exercise is essential. Flighted birds must have a safe, sheltered space to fly. Birds with clipped wings can get exercise by climbing, swinging and flapping, and must be provided ample space, toys and climbing structures.

Parrot Diet

  • Dietary needs vary across species, but a low sugar, low fat, low protein diet is appropriate for most. All birds require a variety of vegetables and leafy greens. In the wild, many species eat buds, flowers, leaves and stems as the major portion of their diet. Smaller birds like budgies require more seeds. A high quality pellet should also be provided daily. Nuts and sweeter fruits should be reserved as rewards for training. Improperly feeding your bird will significantly impact his/her lifespan. Always check with your vet for the diet most recommended for your particular bird.

Parrot Health and Safety

  • The Avian respiratory system is much more complex and sensitive than that of humans. Birds are particularly sensitive to air quality. Sources of toxic fumes include mold, Febreeze and the Teflon coatings found on everything from pans to clothes, irons, hair dryers and microwave popcorn bags. Sudden exposure to toxic inhalants can cause immediate death, while chronic exposure can lead to premature death.
  • Birds large and small require specialized veterinary care from Avian certified veterinarians. You must be aware that proper vet care for birds can be expensive, and regular checkups are a must.
  • Chlamydiosis (psittacosis) and avian tuberculosis can be transmitted through the air from birds to humans.  Birds also continually shed "feather dust," which are particles of feathers that can aggravate asthma in some people. Many homes with pet birds have HEPA-type air filters in rooms with birds to control allergies from bird dander.