Tango's Story

This is Tango's story. He is a 2 year old Sun Conure. Tango is the love of my life. Here is his story. I had been browsing the internet and came upon a sun conure called "Bobbie" who is now sadly deceased. Bobbie inspired me to purchase a sun conure. She was so beautiful and playful! And so my search started for my own lil ray of sunshine! I went to Birds N Ways and emailed every breeder listed looking for a baby. Unfortunately at that time no luck! It was not the right time of year to be searching for a baby sun. Finally I came upon a lady named Sandi of Chasan Exotics and she told me she may be able to locate me a sun. I was so happy and excited. Well she located an egg for me, and as soon as it hatched and was in the incubator she drove to Missouri to get our lil Tango! We were excited. She returned to Louisiana with him and fed him from day one every two hours! What dedication. It was our first sun conure and first bird so we were not experienced in such matters. Tango quickly grew up, and was weaned. He loved to sleep in his food dish upside down. And sandi took alot of time and pains to play with him and socialize out lil Tango. She did such a good job with him. We will be forever grateful for this. It established a solid basis for a sweet sun conure! Tango was the product of a breeding of a young pair of suns and a first egg. However, his only imperfection is a turned up toe on his foot, he does not view this as a handicap however, and does everything a sun conure wants to do with ease. Well it finally came time to wean Tango and he was shipped to us from Louisiana. We anxiously awaited the arrival of our first sun.......on pins and needles! He arrived late at night and was hard to see, at first we thought he was stolen, we could not see him inside there, but he popped his head up and greeted us with a sun conure hello! And some burred feathers on his head. What a cute baby! We were instantly in love! We took Tango home and began to socialize him. Tango spent the next few months of his life with us every day being spoilt. At that time neither my husband nor I worked. And so we made a bed for him on the arm of the couch and took turns watching him. At first we had some trouble with him as he regressed from shipping adn would not eat. I began to worry at the second day and called a vet. Who said not to worry it was normal. The first thing I got Tango to eat was canteloupe juice in a spoon! And he took off from there. He has not stopped eating since! ha Tango loved wheat bread at that time and still likes it, only not so much. His favorite these days are Cheez It crackers........more on that later. We played with Tango constantly and he went with us everywhere. He was not a caged bird at that time. Although he is now for his own safety. He ran up and down the couch, it was so funny to watch him. He potty trained himself, He would back up and go off the arm of the couch on a newspaper on the floor! What a smart lil fid we had! He loved to be cuddled and give kisses, and burr his lil sun conure sounds under your hair. His favorite thing to this day is for you to lay on the couch and he gets under your hair, turns upside down, grabs his tail with is foot and watches tv while playing with it like a rudder! Its an absolute hoot! But then again Tango is no ordinary Sun Conure. We had another bird who we had to give away, a Triton Cockatoo at that time that was aggressive and sexually frustrated, and my husband was distraught at the money he had lost. So to make him feel better I gave him my beloved Tango. Shortly after we seperated, headed for a divorce. I moved to Roanoke without Tango, it was the sadest day of my life. Everyday I called him and asked about Tango and was kept updated on him and his progress. I offered my husband any amount of money he wanted for Tango I missed him so much! But no deal. I tried to convince him I needed Tango with me, but he loved him too, and would not part with him, and so I bought another sun conure who turned out to be a Sunday but he was no tango. A nice bird but he just could not fit the empty spot in my heart for my beloved Tango. Almost a year later, my husband who had acquired several other birds, and after the vicious attack of a ferret told me to come and get Tango and I could have him! My heart pounded! I could finally have Tango back! I flew to Reston, VA to get him on Christmas and me and Tango were united! I spent Christmas with hubby who was talking of a reconciliation and after Christmas I flew Tango with me back to Roanoke. Before I had come down for Christmas tho, Tango was bitten and attacked savagely by a FERRET. He almost died. I remember clutching the phone in terror, and praying for God to PLEASE let him live! Thank God he did! The Ferrets are free roaming and Tango while hubby had went upstairs to get a drink had ventured down off the cage to fight with one of them. The Ferret had grabbed him by the neck and was trying to pull him under the couch and viciously should him from side to side. Tango lay motionless and limp, and I was sure he was dying. They could not even see him breathing, it looked like the end and all I could do was hang onto a cold phone, cry and pray and blame myself. I should of took him when I left......it was all my fault.!!! Well Tango was rushed to the vet, and he revived, with a large bruise on the side of his face, some missing feathers, a nasty bite, and he was in shock but he was alive. He was given Baytril for septic shock and treated. Tango HATES ferrets to this day and has to be monitored EVERY minute he is out of his cage. We were VERY LUCKY not to lose him! I thanked God and prayed for Tango until I could come and get him. I flew him back with me to Roanoke and had my own vet check him and Tango did well there for awhile. He had now twice defeated death, once at weaning when we almost lost him to not eating, and once with the ferret. To this day I no longer like ferrets, although we still have them here at our house, they are my husbands and father in laws pets. I just prefer feathers to fur! I don't blame the ferret so much as myself for leaving Tango behind. I am very careful to DOUBLE check all cages in the morning to make sure all birds are locked up before I go to work. My husband is still home during the day as he is disabled. Well while in Roanoke I was working two jobs and Tango fell ill. I made the fatal mistake of giving him too many crackers, his favorite loaded with cheez, they are called Cheez Its. I just could not deprive him, and wanted to make sure he had plenty of calories to eat while I was at work. Tango grew seriously ill one night..............He could not defecate. He would squint his eyes and scream in pain. I remember my heart pounding when I caught him in his cage and I turned him over, blood was all over his rectum area, I thought he was bleeding internally and rushed him to an avian Specialist who admitted him and gave him pain injections and started blood work and xrays to see what the problem was......I will never forget the feeling of my heart sinking thinking he was bleeding internally. Tango was not bleeding internally but had picked himself as he was irritated at not being able to go to the bathroom. 9 days later with no reason being found and a battilion of tests I went to retreive Tango. The vet and the receptionist had fallen in love with him, as everyone does. Tango is not just a bird, not just a sun, but believes he is human and will steal your heart at a moment's glance, he yearns for human companionship and returns love. Secretly, I believe Tango is an angel sent from heaven to guide me thru my life of trials and tribulations. They wanted to keep Tango as a mascot but I could not bear to part with "my child" and so I took Tango home on a new diet of Harrisons and green beans and veggies, NO CRACKERS!!! Too much sodium! It hurt me to cut out his favorite food but I had to do it or risk losing him...........He reluctantly ate the Harrisons and I was careful not to have crackers in his presence. To this day he gets one cracker a week and its not Cheez Its! I can't risk losing him. Well about three months later, Tango had another epidsode of the same thing, only worse this time. I rushed him to the vet. This time they did not know if he would make it. I spent the next day pacing and praying for my lil guy wondering why him? What had I done wrong this time? Tango had been thru everything with me and I just could not lose him. He was going thru a divorce with me, and we went everywhere, the shower, the car, on walks, to the stores, the mall, the flea market. Life without Tango? I would sooner cut off my arms! Tearfully I left him at the vet and crossed my fingers with instructions, no matter the costs save him if possible. If not, please by all means do not let him suffer. I just could not stand for that. She called me the next day, and said she had found a blockage and that she would have to do an enema to do an xray but it may tear him and kill him. I gripped the phone and gave her the ok. I did not have a choice, he could not continue to live this way in pain and misery..........would I lose my sunshine? God I prayed not............Tango came thru the procedure fine and had passed three huge stones! They were feces that had calcified. Tango spent 14 days at the vet. To this day they do not know why his body has trouble, and so we carefully monitored his diet with more veggies and fruits............he has not had a return case so far thank god. Although he scared me one day recently constipated. So I quickly got him to drink as much orange juice, his favorite as I could get down him and he passed the fecal matter. I have to carefully regulate Tango's diet. And watch him closely. My worst fear is to lose him now. So I watch him carefully, spend as much time as I can with him everyday as if it were his last. You never know when a twist of fate, will steal your loved one........Tango has a super sensitive digestive tract, and I respect that! I get up early in the morning to hold him, and we surf the net together, Tango bobbing his head and burring. I call hubby throughout the day to check on "the Man" who is Tango by the way ha ha! And I can his his sun conure voice in the background. And as soon as I am home he is out of the cage and on me! I love Tango more then life itself and I want him to enjoy every minute of it he can! I take him everywhere I can. He has such a fan club. At the flea market, the mall, Blockbuster Video, the pet stores, on walks, car rides and the shower. Tango loves to growl at other cars from the back of the passenger seat while on drives. He loves to peep out from under my long hair on walks. He loves to watch tv, and runs up and down my body like a lil birdy gym for his own amusement. Tango is not my bird, I am his human! He loves to give kisses, and laughs and says "what" his only word. If you look him in the face he will soften his eye in love, you can just see it, and you will melt at his charisma, he is such a charmer. I have been offered money for tango in large amounts time after time. But Bill Gates does not have a big enough wallet to purchase Tango! I would not dream of selling him for any price! He loves to bob his head up and down and burr his feathers at my husband, and rubs the back of his head on my cheek and his beak up and down on my face. He preens my hair and eyebrows. And when he does die I shall surely miss him. He is irreplaceable. When Tango passes on it will be a sad day for me and I will have him creamated and he will await my own passing and be put in my coffin where we will be together always and I know no harm will come to him. Sentimental? Exactly! I guess some say I take it to the extreme but Tango is one of a kind, and I am responsible for him and his well being and that is something that I take seriously. My husband will tell you God Help the one that harms a feather on his head. Tango is much spoilt! I also have a second sun conure now named Peanut who I love dearly............peanut is no Tango, you cant cuddle him like tango but he is a five year old retired breeder and a love in his own right. My husband has a crippled 8 month old sun female with the same personality as Tango named Baby Girl and her and Tango love to play together. Their cages are side by side. Peanut likes for me to hold him, pet his back and then up on the T Stand. He likes to be talked to and petted some but on his terms, not yours, he does dance on his cage from side to side clutching the bars and saying "Peanut" over and over as he wants a penaut! Its so cute, he also says "Pretty Bird and clucks lil sounds. Peanut has found his way into my heart also. I have another sun now, this is an addiction ya know! Its a partially plucked sun called Dakotah and he is a 15 year old retired breeder who is not tame but will take peanuts from your hand. He deserves a nice rest in a Permanent home. And I have another Sun I am purchasing on time a female called Sunkist I hope to have join our flock soon! We have other birds here but Suns are my love. And Tango reigns supereme in my heart. For all of you who have lost a beloved Sun, please accept my condolences for your lost with deepest sympathies..........For those of you who have never experienced the joy of a bundle of sunshine, you do not know what you are missing. There is nothing like a soft, fluffy burring bundle of joy! Its been over a year now since I had first starting writing the story of Tango............Shortly after writing it I moved to Roanoke, again seperated my husband. I took Tango and Baby Girl with me. I had to sell the Sun Pair I had who were the original Sunkist and Sierra. And I had let Dakotah and Peanut go to a nice lady named Michelle in Maryland. So with the car packed up and Tango and Baby Girl I headed to Roanoke once more. To start life anew. I did not know of the perils and fate that would engulf me and my birds and of the heartwrenching decision I would have to make for their own good. We moved to a beautiful house on the lake all seemed good. It was cold, a January day and I took care to make sure they were warm, the wind was blowing and blustery. Still Tango did not look so well, cold and fluffed, feathers shaking on his stomach. I feared the worst. He had gotten a chill and then he started sneezing and got sick. Back to the vet with him and onto antibiotics again. The house was old and had only one heater in it, and old oil furnace in the floor thing in the hall which was close to the bedroom. I put plastic on the windows and a thick blanket on the cage and a light for a heat lamp. Gradually tango got better. But then we would lose electricity and I would fear the worst, he chilled so easily. Baby Girl was fine, she endured things much better. I kept a full tank of gas in my car just in case the worse, no electricity and every storm I sat with bated breath..........Then the worst happened. Teflon poisoning! At first I thought he was just sick again with pneumonia. Baby Girl was fine. But when I lifted the blanket to see the birds tango gasp and fell off his perch, quivering and shaking in a seizure like state on the bottom of the cage. I thought my heart stopped. I could hear blood rushing in my ears, and pain stabbed thru my chest as is so familiar when I get scared. But he was still alive. Slowly but surely as I talked to him he calmed and was breathing heavily but he was breathing! I called the vet and we took him in a box. Leaving poor Baby Girl behind. I thought, oh no what if she stresses? What if whatever happened to Tango happened to her? We drove for 45 minutes to Salem, VA and tango kept passing out from lack of oxygen. I could barely drive. But we did get there with him. His eyes closed, mouth open and toungue panting for breath. The vet immediately put him in a nebulizer and incubator. She gave him some shots to calm him as he was losing oxygen, went into a panic and then would pass out. Once they got him calm they could work on him. It was obvious he was in serious trouble and that he was not coming home anytime soon. He was in there 9 days this time. Blood tests revealed it was not pnuemonia the white blood cell count was fine. It also revealed that he had no oxygen in his blood. And then I remembered the teflon pans, the burning of the butter in them and it had smoked........and slowly it all came back. He had been poisioned. My sister loves her nonstick and wont part with it. I HATE it.......He recovered very slowly, and after a battilion of xrays and tests it was confirmed he had teflon posioining.........I brought him back home 9 days later with a whopping vet bill to boot. And then my family members said "Maybe you should consider selling him to someone else who can care for him better with money." I fought it at first. SELL him? My beloved Tango NEVER!!! But as the weeks went by and the fear that Tango would get the poisioning again and that it would be all my fault I caved..........and wrote the ads......reluctantly for his own good I would have to part with my beloved friend and companion. The only ray of sun in my life.......TANGO.......It still hurts to talk about it. I screened six people, and then I found the girl in NC and she seemed so sincere. She loved him and at first she kept contact....but there is none now........Its been a long time since I have heard of him and the not knowing is horrid..........When he left I packed him a birdy bag with his own orange and can of coke and instructions on what to do if he got constipated and all about him. I let the California King cage go with him. And all his toys and food and supplies. They emailed when they got back that he was playing on the couch and loved ball caps and that the loved him so. Gradually the emails got farther and farther apart. And the last one I received really scares me. They have a cockatoo and an african grey and they let them eat together........I fear for Tango's life and wrote her I would like to buy him back but there has been no response. She said he had plucked all his tail feathers out and that they were growing back........I was grateful he was still alive. Oh how I wish I could have him back even if just for ONE MORE DAY...........alas it is not to happen. He is lost and gone to me forever.........Wherever he is I hope that someone loves and cares for him as I did.....that they feed him his snacks and treats and give him car rides and walks as he is such a sweet bird.....All I have left of him now are memories and pictures and these I will value for the rest of my life. There is not a day that goes by I do not think of him. At somedays are better then others.........But mostly the nights are worse. The 3 a.m. wake ups thinking he is going to be there in his cage beside my bed, burring at me softly when I move........ I am only greeted now with darkness and the silent deadly calm of the night. And so after a year I could stand it no more and decided to buy another conure. I am purchasing two baby Jendays since they are much like suns and I could not find a sun in my area in the winter at an affordable price. I first bought one Jenday and then his brother. They are hatched only two days apart and you can read about them at https://www.angelfire.com/va3/jendayconures I am hoping that they will ease some of the pain of the loss of Tango and someday I will again purchase another sun. A Tango II..................maybe even this spring. Meanwhile Baby Girl is in Roanoke and I hear of her often and can see her as much as I like. She is so cute and spoilt. I miss her also......