The tiny creature trembled. Fear had taken control over the Goffin-Cockatoo’s featherless body and anxiety traveled down her spine in shivers. Loud, angry voices rattled inside her head. People were angry at her. People were taunting and mean to her. The stress made her feathers itchy. She plucked them. Each plume or quill that was within her reach had to go. Release came in the form of detached feathers.
Calypso the Goffin Cockatoo was an abused animal.
She was.
Until her current family saved her from her prior, terrifying living situations.
In 1996, Kathleen Freeman’s family became Calypso’s rescue-family. When Calypso’s previous owners tired of housing her, and the abusive man of the house was scheduled to return from jail, Calypso was dumped into the care of a woman who wanted the best for the cockatoo, but already had dogs for pets.
The woman, a co-worker of Kathleen’s mom, asked the family if they were willing to take in the abandoned cockatoo. That day, Calypso found her forever home.
At first, Calypso was a little apprehensive to start a relationship with a new family. Human hands were terrifying. Calypso would bite the outstretched hands and refused to step-up onto them. Calypso was also fearful of the children (Kathleen and her brother), recalling how mean the children of her previous home had been to her. However, the abuse Calypso previously endured hadn’t broken her spirit.
“Calypso was very timid. Though, she still liked to talk to everyone and check everyone out,” Freeman described as she recalled Calypso’s struggle to trust humans in the beginning of her time with the family.
Calypso’s previous owners had caused so much stress in her life that the sweet cockatoo developed a disorder commonly found amongst abused or ignored parrots – pterotillomania, also known as feather plucking.
(All pictures belong to Kathleen Freeman)
According to PetMD, the WedMD of the animal world, feather plucking can be caused by a number of things, such as dryness of the skin due to humidity, diseases like feather cysts, or skin inflammations, but usually “stress in any form can cause the bird to indulge in feather plucking.”
Kathleen’s family had taken Calypso to a number of aviary veterinarians whom tried multiple “cures” for Calypso’s feather plucking, but Calypso still plucks. The nudist cockatoo is no longer stressed, is in tip-top shape, and lives in a loving home, but still, maintains her disorder.
Kathleen has come to understand that Calypso’s feather plucking is merely a bad habit, along with her aversion to water (possibly another abuse-associated tendency).
Aviary specialists have assured her that if Calypso is happy and healthy – plucking isn’t more than a vanity issue. Featherless or not, cute Calypso turns heads.
Kathleen and her family were very patient with the abused, naked cockatoo. And in time, an unbreakable bond formed between Calypso and Kathleen (and her family). Unconditional love and support taught Calypso that all humans weren’t like the ones she had first encountered.
More than 20 years later, Calypso lives happily in the Freeman home. Kathleen is a wife and stay-at-home mom of two children (a 6-year-old daughter, a 4-year-old son, as well as a baby boy who is due in February). Calypso’s cage is almost never closed, so she gets to fully interact with Kathleen, her husband, the two youngsters, as well as the 2 cats and goldfish who share Calypso’s home.
Calypso may have been abused in the past, but today, with the Freemans, she lives a full and carefree life (carefree – with the exception one worry… When will be the next time the Freeman’s order pepperoni pizza, her absolute favorite? How many slices will she get?).
(All pictures belong to Kathleen Freeman)
The Goffin Cockatoo has a one-of-a-kind personality. She shares her big heart and silly antics with her trusting family on a daily basis.
“Her personality tends to be so human-like at times. We laugh and joke together. We forget she's a bird,” Kathleen admitted.
Calypso has become the center of attention at every family or friend gathering. Thanks to her stay-at-home companion, Kathleen, Calypso has the opportunity to be involved in everything that the family does, whether it be getting cozy on the couch or partaking in family meals at the dining room table.
Kathleen Freeman shares lots of Calypso’s silly or heartwarming moments on her Instagram page, Calypso_the_Cockatoo. The posts exhibit Calypso’s flawless dance moves, her playtime with the children, her cuddles shared between Kathleen and her husband and her best-spent moments eating pizza.
With over 21,000 followers, Kathleen’s main goal of sharing pictures and videos of Calypso was originally just to capture the cockatoo’s best moments, but it has turned into a chance to educate her followers about Calypso, who has survived abuse, and to remind them that animals who have gone through abusive pasts can still become amazing pets.
“Abused animals are not broken animals,” Kathleen said.
With a little effort, lots of love and patient understanding, Calypso the Goffin Cockatoo transformed from an abused pet into an advocate of how new beginnings can teach us to be comfortable in our own skin – even if that skin is featherless.
(All pictures belong to Kathleen Freeman)
