Family forms bird bond

PULLOUT

Dogs and cats aren’t the only pets in need of rescue.

Take the case of Tilla, a 24-year-old macaw who found a new home with Lakewood Ranch’s Angelique Still.

Three years ago, Still found Tilla at the Florida Parrot Rescue and decided she would make a good pet.

She had no idea.

Since joining Still and her husband, Doug, Tilla has been acting like a human member of the family.

“It is literally like having a 2-year-old in your house all the time,” she said. “It is hard having a parrot. They are very demanding and want to be with you 24/7.”

Things got off to a slow start for Tilla, but Angelique Still worked with her new pet to make her feel at home. One problem facing her was that Tilla’s previous owner was a male. She said Tilla wasn’t used to bonding with a female and, in fact, showed she didn’t like Angelique Still much during the adoption process.

As time passed, Tilla grew to love her. Now they go on rides together in the car, they play together at the park and Tilla even likes to go swimming in the family pool.

Tilla still likes to bond with males, though, and Doug is her favorite when it comes to swimming in the pool.

“She likes floating in the pool with my husband more than me,” Still said with a laugh. “He has a bigger belly and she likes that a lot better.”

For the past three years, Tilla has spent a lot more time in the pool than the air. The Stills hadn’t seen her fly until last spring.

Doug Still startled Tilla while the two of them were hanging out in the garage.

“One of Doug’s tools dropped, it startled her, and she started flying,” Angelique Still said. “She was flying over our neighbor’s house screaming the entire time. Once she came back to the ground, she ran back to my husband.”

Most of the time, the Stills love when Tilla speaks to them, such as saying her own name over and over.

However, there have been awkward moments as well. Tilla came to the Stills equipped with profanity she learned from her previous owner.

“The first time I figured out Tilla could (swear) was when she didn’t get what she wanted. When she doesn’t get what she wants, she is one mad bird. She climbed on my husband one time and kind of nipped him because she was excited. Out of reflex, Doug pushed her off. Tilla walked back to her cage and (swore) at my husband.

“We laughed so hard.”

While Tilla has grown close to the Stills, her favorite person is their daughter Cree Lotterer’s boyfriend, Victor Storhoff.

Angelique Still said whenever Storhoff is over, Tilla will chase him all over the house because she loves him so much.

“Sometimes I’ll come over when she is already put to bed with a sheet over her cage,” Storhoff said. “She goes under the cover and stares at me from her cage.”

She often tries to sneak up on Storhoff.

“She will climb down from her cage and sidestep toward me, creeping slowly,” Storhoff said.

Tilla still loves men, but at the end of the day, Angelique Still is the one who rescued her.

“She loves my husband,” Angelique Still said. “But when I come home from work, she lifts her foot for me to pick her up. I think she gets tired of him.”