Become A Mickaboo Angel
"Give of yourself as the Angels do and wonderful things will come to you."
- Ramadan
Mickaboo currently has over 500 birds in foster care. Our first commitment is to these birds and their ongoing care. Mickaboo's generous supporters (our Angels!), have enabled us to take in over 650 birds since April 2009. These are birds we would not have been able to help without your financial help.
Why Become an Angel to a Mickaboo Bird?
Unfortunately, many of the birds that come into Mickaboo's care have been injured, abused, or neglected, or are very ill. As a result, they need medical attention, behavioral training and extra love and nurturing before we can place them in adoptive homes. These birds are often considered unadoptable at shelters and by society in general. We believe that every bird deserves a second chance. We allow each and every one of our birds as much time as they need to find that special adopter who is willing to care for them. As Mickaboo has grown, and we have taken in more birds, our monthly vet bills have increased significantly, averaging $30,000 per month.
We understand that not everyone can foster or adopt a Mickaboo bird, but would still like to help. Becoming an Angel to a bird in need is the perfect way to do that! You can help us take in birds from shelters or from private surrenderers who are in a financial crisis. Your donations to Mickaboo can be directed to care for a particular bird or birds, to help defray the cost of their sometimes astronomical vet bills while they wait for forever homes.
Angel Species
When you become a Mickaboo Angel, you are helping us fulfill our commitment to keeping our doors open to ill, injured, abused, neglected and unwanted companion birds in Northern California and beyond. We invite you to become the species of Mickaboo Angel that suits you best
- Angel: Our goal is to have an "endowment" of at least $200 before taking in a new bird. This will help us ensure that we always have sufficient funds to provide basic medical care for the birds already in our care, as well as for new birds we take in. As an Angel you will receive recognition on our website. If a bird is adopted without using your Angel money we will shift the money to the next needy bird and let you know which additional bird you have helped.
- Archangel: Archangels commit to covering the full vet costs required for a new bird to be healthy enough to adopt. As an Archangel you will receive recognition on our website and regular email updates on his/her progress.
Every Bird Gets An Equal Chance
That's the underlying principle of Mickaboo. Once a bird is in our care, we provide all the medical care s/he requires. We do not "triage" birds or spend more money on large species than small. We only euthanize a bird when s/he is suffering without the possibility of recovery. We provide hospice care for terminally ill birds who are not suffering. Since we do not have paid employees, you can be sure that your donation goes directly to the birds. Donations are 100% tax deductible. A receipt will be mailed to all donors.
How To Sponsor a Bird
You may donate online via Network for Good or PayPal. If you prefer to mail a check or money order you may mail it to: P.O. Box 697, San Jose, CA 95106-0697. Please specify that you want your donation to be an Angel donation, which bird you would like to sponsor and how you would like to be acknowledged on the website: full name, first name only, first name and last initial, etc. If you do not want to specify a particular bird to support, you may also ask us to pick one for you. You may also have the Angel donation be in honor of someone (human or pet). Please email angels@mickaboo.org if you have questions.
Birds Waiting for an Angel
 Leo Orange-Winged Amazon 2/11/18 |
Leo is about 33 years old and has been a Mickaboo foster since 2013. She/he had been diagnosed with early stage congestive heart failure. Her prognosis is good. Leo's enlarged heart is smaller now that he/she started intravenous medications. Once Leo starts oral medications, she can go home. |
 Paco Red-Lored Amazon 11/8/17 |
Paco is a 40+ year old red-lored amazon parrot. He came to Mickaboo about five years ago, when his owner died and no one from the family was able to take care of him. Paco is almost blind - he can recognize dark and light, but not much more. He has arthritis and a light heart issue (he takes medicine on a cracker twice a day). Also, his airsacks are leaking air and his cheeks are "puffed". Recently (November 2017), he had a thorough health check (after about 3 years), which included xrays and an ultrasound, plus a removal of a feather cyst developed on his neck which resulted in a bill of over $1,000. |
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Ike recently injested some of his calcium perch rather than spitting it out. As a result, pieces of calcium built up in his digestive system. He was uncomfortable and drank an increasing amount of water. When his entire bowl of water disappeared in one day, his foster mom knew something wasn't right. She took him to the vet and they noticed how subdued his personality was. Ike was admitted to the hospital and was given a pain reliever while testing was underway. The radiographs (x-rays) showed a trail of minerals in his digestive system. When the vet asked where was the source of the minerals could be coming from, Ike's foster mom realized that the calcium perch in his cage had lost more than an inch in length but there was no calcium powder on the floor. When she reported that information to the vet, Ike was put on an antibiotic as well as the pain reliever. The radiographs also identified severe arthritis in one knee. With the addition of an anti-inflammatory medication, Ike felt much better. He was able to return home to recover in a cage with soft perches. Please consider helping to cover the costs of Ike's unfortunate vet visit. UPDATE: The vet did an ultrasound of his liver and saw evidence of fibroid tissue. He will be monitored for the next six months for signs of more changes in his liver. If changes are observed, surgery to take a biopsy will be required. Ike is very happy to be home again. Angels for Ike |
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Snowy is a 22-year-old umbrella cockatoo who has been with Mickaboo for a few years. His original owner (who got him as a hand-raised baby) had to go into a nursing home, at which point, he went to his first foster home at Mickaboo. His foster father unfortunately began suffering from health problems, so Snowy moved to his second Mickaboo foster home where he currently resides (since August 2016). As of February 2017, Snowy began exhibiting unusual behavior and not eating as much as usual. He was brought to the vet, and it was found that he was very underweight and anemic. He stayed in the vet hospital for about 10 days, where he received antibiotics and multiple tests were ran. The cause of Snowy's health problems are still uncertain. He is currently under follow-up care with the vet and receiving oral medications at home. He is also under a heat lamp 24 hours per day, and he remains underweight (although eating better/more). More tests continue to be run to determine the cause of the health issues. Prior to getting ill, Snowy was really flourishing with his clicker training, and he had multiple potential adopters interested in him!. We sincerely hope he gets back to 100% soon and back ready to meet new friends. Please consider being one of Snowy's angels! Angels for Snowy |
 Fuzzball Cockatiel 2/1/17 |
Fuzzball has deformed hips and legs which make it impossible for him to stand, walk or perch. He was surrendered after his owner was told he had scaly mites and to apply an insecticide to him. He immediately started plucking his feathers and getting sick. He was also malnourished from an all seed diet his whole life (about 7 years). He is being treated with pain meds while it is decided if there is any surgery able to correct the deformities in his legs and hips. Fortunately birds don't feel sorry for themselves and his will to live and his spirit has been a source of enjoyment for everyone that meets him. Angels for Fuzzball |
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Jasmine suffers from self-mutilation. She was surrendered to Mickaboo when her owners could no longer afford her vet bills. She has extremely painful sores under both wings. The sores extend from inside her "elbows" all the way up to the top of the wings and wrap around onto her back. Whenever Jasmine extends her wings the sores cause her much pain. They are so painful that they must be cleaned and treated under anesthesia. She will mutilate the areas if not restrained so she has to wear a collar. You can see her sporting a fancy, purple felt collar in her picture. Jasmine is currently hospitalized while we get her stabilized and the sores start to heal. She is on three different medications for pain and to prevent infection. Jasmine also needs behavior modification work as she has become quite fearful after all she has been through. We hope she will return to her former sweet self soon. She will need ongoing veterinary treatment for quite some time. |
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Sasha was rescued along with four cockatiels from an elderly person. Unfortunately their cages were horribly dirty and devoid of toys and foraging material! This is most likely why Sasha started plucking. When he gets nervous, he tends to mutilate his feet and cause them to bleed. Poor guy.
Sasha also has a big enlargement of the aorta – it could be arteriosclerosis, an aneurysm, or possibly a birth defect. Either way, he cannot start medication until the issues are better understood (with an expensive CT scan). His heart is significantly bigger and much lower-positioned than other Sulfur Crested Cockatoos which may be a factor.
In addition, he has BB bullet in his wing (elbow) and a small piece of metal somewhere in his intestines. Fortunately, these two things are not of immediate concern according to the vet.
Even with all of his health issues, Sasha is a total sweetheart (albeit a bit loud). He says “hello" with very sweet little voice and could spend all day getting his head scratched. He is also great eater, foraging well and otherwise just an amazing bird.
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 Peewee Lovebird 11/11/16 |
Peewee was a stray that was rescued by a nice woman and her daughter and brought into Mickaboo's care. When he started to continuously regurgitate he was taken to an avian vet for care. It was later determined that he had grit in his GI track and he tested positive for Crypto. This is a very contagious infection and a painful one as well. While being boarded at the vet, he successfully completed treatment and is no longer requiring any medications. Now he is back to being an awesome little lovie and is no longer regurgitating! He is quite a trooper and deserves a chance to have a happy home. |
 Kirby Cockatiel 9/13/16 |
Mickaboo was called by a local shelter to come pick up a cockatiel who was found as a stray and appeared sick. Kirby was occasionally gaping for air and had a noticeable wheeze. Extensive testing was needed including x-rays under anesthesia as well as inserting a tube in her airway to look at her upper respiratory tract. Tests indicate that she has pulmonary disease, with her lungs denser than normal, which could be related to diet and/or environment. She is currently being treated with anti-inflammatories, which have stabilized her breathing. We are hopeful she can continue to be treated symptomatically and can lead a normal life, but she may require lifelong medication. Angels for Kirby |
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Alberta and Lolita are 42+ year old amazons that have been together their entire lives. They have calcified arteries and arthritic legs. Alberta recently had surgery for her hernia and is recovering well. She also started singing a new song (she must be feeling better!) on the way to her post op at the vet. Lolita is somewhat stable on 5 medications for her enlarged heart and painful joints and goes to the vet every week. UPDATE: 2/17/18 |
 The Lovebird Family Lovebirds 8/30/16 |
The family of three lovebirds are now in Mickaboo's hands:
Mickaboo took the entire family to the vet for a health check - and the vet found all of the birds have spirochetes and gastric yeast. Yikes - that means twice-daily oral medications for a while for every bird before they can be adopted out to permanent homes. Please consider helping Mickaboo with the vet bills for this family. |
 Alex Green Cheek Conure 7/2/16 |
Alex is a female green-cheeked conure who is bonded to Pepper, a male green-cheek who is blind. She is Pepper’s caregiver and companion, but this closeness as prompted her to start laying eggs. Unfortunately, she became egg-bound and had to have costly surgery to remove the egg and put her uterus back into place. She is doing better now, and her foster parents are doing all they can to minimize her egg-laying. Angels for Alex |
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Bopper had a rough first 20 something years before coming to Mickaboo. He had just one perch too large for his little feet in too small a cage without any enrichment, toys or out time. Through all that he craved attention and has become quite the snuggler. His health however has suffered. And as a result he now lives in modified cage made to be a playground for his mobility level. Bopper has gout and arthritis in his feet, knees, and hips; his right foot is particularly bad. He has delayed gastric empyting, his lower gi tract is not normal looking and swollen on x-rays; it looks like guinea pig poop. They are supposed to be much smaller than what it is. The sheath covering his kidneys and testicles is riddled with gout crystals making things very painful. His spine is fused in several places and is arthritic. As we take steps to help heal what has unfortunately been a long time in the making, he is responding wonderfully with a new lease on life. Angels for Bopper |
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UPDATE: Sept 6th, 2016 --------- Angels for Goldie |
 Charlie Amazon 7/20/15 |
UPDATE: Sept 8th, 2016 UPDATE: Oct 30th, 2015 --------- Charlie is so cute with his big amazon eyes that look up at you very sweetly. Despite his size, he is able to climb around his cage. He is afraid of hands but he steps up and allows head scratches when approached slowly. He loves to climb up your arm. Charlie talks very appropriately. He has said “Go away, go right now!” and calls for “Don”. He is eating a healthy diet of pellets and vegetables. Now Charlie looks a lot bigger than he is. He has air sacs under his skin that are not releasing air like they are supposed to. This can be caused by trauma. A thorough veterinary work up was done. There aren’t any underlying causes for the air sacs other than trauma. The air sacs were drained but they filled back up. The next step in treatment might place a stent between the air sacs so the air has a way to be released internally. We will know in the next few weeks. Angels for Charlie |
