When Melanie Canatella from Maryland saw a post about Munchkin on Instagram, she immediately knew she had to adopt him.
Munchkin, an Amazon Parrot, had more than a rough start in life. With his deformed beak, he was surrendered to a shelter in San Diego.
For Melanie, who is an expert in animal behavior and parrots, this wasn’t a problem at all. She booked a flight to San Diego, ready to visit Munchkin in his foster home.
Melanie was told that Munchkin was not very friendly and that he liked having his personal space. However, once Melanie came to his foster home something truly heartwarming unfolded. As Melanie said in a video:
“I met him and he immediately stepped up for me. He crawled up my chest and sat three inches away from my face.”
Munchkin’s foster mom immediately started crying, as he had never shown that kind of affection to anyone else.
It was almost like he chose Melanie as his forever mom! One long flight later, Munchkin found himself in his new home. As Melanie mentioned:
“When I brought him home, it was pretty much like he’s been here his entire life.”
Munchkin immediately settled into his new home, making sure to always be close to Melanie.
Although he has a deformed beak, Munchkin is still able to eat, drink, and destroy his toys, LOL!
What happened early on in Munchkin’s life was uncertain, but the poor boy did develop some serious trust issues along the way.
It takes time for him to warm up to other people, but with Melanie’s help and reassurance, he’s now like any other parrot! As Melanie also shared:
“There’s something about him, his personality, the antics he gets into, his voice, everything makes him a little ball of goof.”
Melanie advocates for the importance of adopting abandoned parrots, as they need a loving home just like any other bird.
The bond these two share proves that Munchkin is no different than any other parrot!
Thanks to Melanie and her determination to save little Munchkin, he’s now able to lead a completely normal life, filled with love and attention.
Make sure to follow Melanie over on Instagram, so you don’t miss out on adorable Munchkin and all of his parrot siblings!