Although this is a sad issue, it must be addressed for the sake of your pet parrots. Most larger birds can live up to 80 -90 years old and will outlive their adoptive parents. Many of us adopt large parrots when we're adults, which means that they will very likely outlive us. Your responsibility towards them extends up till after you're gone. What are some of the things you can do to ensure their lifelong happiness and care?
Do you have a trust, or at least a will? Is it updated? We will not go into why a trust is better than a will as that is a whole different issue altogether - but the most important thing is that you have alternate plans and care drawn up to take over the care of your pet birds when you're gone.
For the purpose of this topic, we will preach what we do, as an example. Our family has a revocable living trust where all our assets are held. This legal trust can be altered by only the living trustees - i.e. my husband and I. Our trust has assigned successor trustees that will carry out our wishes when we are gone. These wishes include how we want our pets to be cared for, where they will go, and who will be responsible for them.
If you have children that love your pets, it's time to see if they will be qualified caretakers for your birds when you're gone. The people you want to inherit your pet birds must be aware and agree to do so. If you have no children, consider family members and friends who have been loving and caring to your pet birds. Think of who would be responsible enough to care for them the way you would; and talk to these people about this possibility. When you have a list of people that agree to it, then you can put them down on your trust; so that your successor trustees (and attorney) will know who to contact if and when the time comes.
The second part is allocating funds (or not) for the continued care of your pets. This is a personal choice. It probably also depends on who ends up with your pet birds. With a trust you have a lot of control of your wishes even after you're gone. For us, we have designated a set amount of funds to automatically transfer to a trust fund upon our demise, that will be managed by a designated person that we've chosen (activities will be overseen by our attorney); and that person will dispense the amount as needed for the transfer of our pets, their belongings, cages etc... as needed from their current home to their new home. Consecutive care can also be arranged to be dispensed from this trust account, by the appointed person to the new bird parent(s). Balance of the account after the pets are gone can be legally designated to fund a charity of your choice - so that no human person benefit from the death of the pets. It is important to us that our pets continue to be lovingly cared for after we're gone. Getting good legal trust advice for estate planning is important not only for your pets, but also for your children and heirs.
Take the time to plan this part of your pets' care. It only takes a short time to do, and the benefits will last a lifetime for both you and them.
____________________________________
