03-05-2025, 08:08 PM | #1 Johnny was a re-home. I purchased him in 2012 from a man in Omaha, NE. Johnny was 15 years old at the time. His previous owner was a bird enthusiast, but his wife, however, was not. They had agreed when they married that the birds would not stay in their house, so Johnny and the other birds were housed at the owner's mother's home. Then, when the mother was diagnosed with cancer, her doctors told her that due to her weakened immune system from treatment, she could no longer be around the birds for long periods. So, Johnny’s owner had to sell them. Johnny was the last one left. Nobody wanted him because he was 15 years old—but I didn’t care how old he was. He needed a home, and I needed to fill the empty spot in my heart after losing Konan. His owner was clearly attached to him and was quite upset when we left with Johnny. But for Johnny’s sake, I was glad he came home with me. For several years, Johnny had been housed in a wire dog crate. He hated it in there. When I brought him home, I only left him in his little cage for a few days so he could adjust to his new environment, and then I bought him a huge cage. It was about time he was spoiled. At first, I had to put his perches close to the bottom of the cage because he didn’t get around very well. When I took him to an avian vet, the doctor told me that Johnny had arthritis in his feet and wings, most likely due to only having one size of perch in his small crate and not having adequate space to stretch his wings. The vet also suspected that one of Johnny’s wings had been injured at some point because he never extended it fully. After his vet visit, I added all sorts of perches of varying sizes to his cage, including some therapeutic perches that had multiple widths. Slowly, he started to move around better. At our next vet visit, the doctor said Johnny’s feet looked much improved and that the perches were helping him. After some basic grooming, he was good as new. I also had to switch his diet, but that was easier than I expected. Johnny would eat anything he saw the other birds eating, so incorporating pellets was no trouble at all. He loved his fresh foods, too. It took a while for us to warm up to each other. When I first started working with him, he was a bit of a jerk. He wanted nothing to do with being out of his cage and would threaten me if I tried to approach him. I wanted to love him, and he wanted to eat me. But I knew he had been handled before—he knew how to step up—so I used that to my advantage. I decided not to let him intimidate me with that big beak of his. I put on a thick fleece hoodie, tucked my hands inside the sleeves, and made him step up. He bit me, but I didn’t pull away or react, and eventually, he stepped up. When I got him out of the cage, I praised him, took him to the living room, talked to him, sang to him, and we toured the house. We shared a banana, and when I put him back in his cage and told him he was a good bird, he made a kiss noise at me. He never bit me again. ❤️ I always had to be careful when moving around with him on my arm since his balance wasn’t great, but that never got in the way of having fun. Johnny loved car rides, sitting outside at picnic tables watching the world go by, and—most of all—interacting with little kids. He would show off, dance, and giggle for them. It took time and patience for us to fully trust each other, but it was completely worth it. Johnny was my best friend, and I couldn’t imagine life without him. He passed away on April 17, 2022, but not before giving me so many incredible years by his side. He changed my life, and I will always cherish the bond we shared. I miss him every single day, but his love and spirit will always be with me. ? Attached Files Thumbnail(s)
