Emmit lived in Brevard County, in an area by the Pineda Causeway with a woman in her sixties. The lady wanted to return to her native Indiana. She packed everything she could fit into her minivan. The woman decided there was no way she could fit the his cage in the van and made a decision. Anyone would have taken Emmit for free! The lady could have knocked on any door in the apartment building she live at and someone would have taken him and his large cage. Instead, she put her four dogs in the van and drove away. The lady had decided to leave Emmit, the cage and just go.

After about five days two concerned residents pried the sliding glass door open to see why this bird was screaming. They had heard the parrot screaming constantly for several days. They were appalled to find two skinny parrots happy to see them. The neighbors notified the owner of the building about the parrots, who said he wanted to keep them. He came over with a bag of food and fed them once a day (if he had time!) After two months the time the neighbor lady called the landlord to get his permission to call the Humane Society to have them picked up. Reluctantly he gave in.

I do parrot rescue for the North Brevard Humane Society. After hearing the story I went directly to retrieve the parrots. The neighbor I met knew nothing about parrots and was afraid of them. She had given the two parrots water and bread to eat. After hearing the story I went directly to retrieve the parrots. I was amazed at the poor condition of the cage they lived in. Emmit's cage is a macaw size because he lived with an Amazon (we named Squeaker). The cages had blankets on three sides to keep the birds from getting out of the holes in the side of this homemade cage.

I let them out carefully. Emmit were so happy to have a friendly petting, he started talking to me immediately. He was so gentle and loving I could not believe it.

Squeaker did not want to be petted and moved away if I tried to pet it. I also noticed he was extremely lightweight!

Emmit had a wound on his lower abdomen that was bleeding lightly. We could see the large hole. My daughter and I loaded the two parrots into my van and drove directly to the Aloha Veterinary Hospital for treatment. The bones of the parrot could easily be felt just under the taut skin. The veterinarian did x-rays and ran blood tests. He said the parrots had obviously been starved and was in poor health: it could die from the malnutrition if the organs were damaged.

I took the parrots home with me and started feeding them anything and everything that could help it gain weight. When the tests came back, the vet said everything was normal. He said Emmit was a self-mutilator. He had actually eaten the hole in himself as a result of the traumatic experience of abandonment.

I have had them for several months now and would like to report the Emmit is alive and well, although still needs to gain some weight. The best news of all is the self-mutilation hole has closed and healed! Squeaker still needs to go back to the vet to have a bump examined.

I would like to add, at the point, that Emmit and Squeaker are both unique rescue birds. They have both turned out to be so loving and friendly. I usually get birds that no one can touch, mean as ever. Emmit is the quietest, easiest going Moluccan I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Emmit holds food and lets Squeaker eat some too. They groom each other and seem to be really loving cage mates. A very happy ending!

November 30, 2005. Emmit went in for surgery today

Emmit had been a self mutilator since I recovered him from the apartment where he and Squeaker were abandoned. I did take him directly to a veterinarian when he was first recovered. He then had a hole in his lower abdomen. That hole finally healed. Then he started with his chest.

I have been medicating Emmit with a medicine my vet prescribed to keep him from eating the hole in his chest for about six months. It really got bad in the last few weeks.

He had blood running down his chest and legs to the point I bandaged his wound and actually held him almost all day for several days to keep him from digging at the hole.. I took him to a veterinarian friend of mine so she could try anything to help him. Emmit was going to die the way he was eating at his chest.

After spending a little time with him she realized he had a split breast bone and that was why he kept biting the hole in his chest. I think he split his chest with his constant biting, but it could have happened with a fall. The surgery went well but when the vet tried to bring Emmit out from under the anesthesia, he flat lined and could not be resuscitated. He never woke up.

The vet was crying so hard I know she felt awful. She had Emmit for about a week and fell in love with him like everyone did that had a chance to meet him. He was a great bird. I will have a broken heart for a long time. I loved Emmit very much. I will cherish then time I was able to spend with him. Rest in peace Emmit!