A Helping Paw in East Wareham rescues cats and small dogs and puts them up for adoption. But right now, caretakers have an unusual guest looking for a permanent home.

Max the Macaw is 10 years young and has a beautiful array of green, blue, and yellow feathers. His or her gender can’t be determined without a DNA test, but the staff at A Helping Paw says a veterinarian believes Max is a female.

Max talks, meows, and purrs — possibly due to having feline roommates — and can be sociable when she wants to. Don’t take it personally if she says “shut up,” however, she’s just trying to get your attention. Seriously. She doesn’t mean it.

She has some quirks that can make her hard to handle for the average pet owner. Matched with the right person, she could be a great pet, but Max has some non-negotiable needs.

“The hard part we’re having with adopting him or her is they’re [macaws] hard to take care of,” said A Helping Paw founder Chrissy Tomkiewicz. “You need a large home where the bird can essentially have its own room.”

Tomkiewicz says that while Max has a cage (which would be included in the adoption, along with a perch), she is not used to it, and prefers to roam around outside of it. With a beak made for cracking nuts open, macaws can also be very destructive to the interior of a home.

According to Tomkiewicz, the person who adopts her would need to “bird proof” the animal’s living space. A separate space is also necessary for ensuring that the sanity of the new owner endures. Tomkiewicz says macaws are the loudest type of parrot, and when they’re in the mood to scream, they can be “ear-plug loud.”

According to Tomkiewicz, Max “is lovable and has a great sense of humor."

Unfortunately, macaws not the ideal pet to have if you also have children.

“They can actually take off a child’s finger,” said Tomkiewicz. “These are wild animals, and because they’re so highly unpredictable, they can be friendly one minute and bite you the next.”

If you think you can handle a pet like Max, stop by A Helping Paw.

A Helping Paw is located at 3086 Cranberry Highway, and adoption hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 508-291-7297 for more information.