Tweedle

Pauline, I'm so sorry to hear your sad sad news. I'm sure someone with more experience will be along soon, but in the meantime, here's a link to a recent thread (with a thankfully happy ending) where Elvenking and Isaac were in the same position. I hope it helps. xxx http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190550-My-Baby-Flew-Away-Dying&highlight=elvenking

Absolutely.

I don't think any particular nation has the monopoly on this viewpoint. I think it's an unfortunate part of 'human nature', that animals are regarded as possessions, to be used, controlled, dominated, and disposed of according to our will. I think it is often the default position, and it takes lessons or an experience of 'connection' with a creature to move beyond this.

Om Nom Nom......

All this talk of peanut butter on toast is making me peckish....

Oh I'm so pleased for you, Rosie and Norma - sounds like you're all just relieved to be together at last ) I also have a 14yo second hand girl. Lovely to hear about you, and I hope you find the answers to questions here.

Bless you, they're very kind and encouraging words. It can be a tad frutrating though. This afternoon I've had a shallow dish of water out - if she would paddle I could dispense with the hated spraying. She has spent 40 mins throwing a toy around it, and bobbing for peanuts, but not stepping in. She has now gone to her teeny little water bowl in the cage, and is attempting to bath in it's woefully inadequate volume. Do I just take her and PUT her in her bath??! What cost to trust? And the plucking is getting a little worse. It comes and goes. Ho hum.

It's nearly midnight, and I've caught up! Don't be too busy tonight now....

Evening all! I've been away for four days - came back yesterday, and still haven't caught up with all the posts while I was away. Will I ever catch up?!?! Been feeling blue, but was much cheered by this evening's task - shopping for, and creating Pippa's first Layered Salad (a la Pamela Clark & Kris Porter 'Feeding Our Parrots Well'). Was fun picking out what to put in (one for Pippa, one for me...) and it looks as though my diet will improve dramatically as a result of trying to improve hers. Washed and chopped and put into pots in the fridge. I reckon that just about ALL of it will end up going in the bin, but will accept that it may take weeks/months before she dips her toe in the water. I'm really looking forward to putting her breakfast in tomorrow, and seeing if she has touched any of it by lunchtime. She impressed me today with her flying. The approach of the spray bottle is clearly sufficient motivation for improving her navigational abilities. She did two beautiful laps of the living/dining room, did not hit a wall or window, and backwinged beautifully to alight gently on her cage again. I was so proud. But still sprayed her. Then gave her a peanut.

Tremendous. Wonderful. Special bird. Special person. xxx

That is just so cute! Pippa whistles made up tunes, I just love them

oooh, that looks sore, and I think really does need to be seen by a vet. There are lots of things that could be causing it, and it takes the specialist to know about them. I would suggest tracking one down - at the very least for an email consult with those pics if you can't actually get there, and they can advise your own vet on what to prescribe.

Today's adventures.......I couldn't find Pippa this morning. Wasn't in her cage. Wasn't on her playground. A little 'peep' alerted me to the fact she was perched on the low crossbar UNDER the table! And later I found her clinging to the blinds in the living room. She stepped down to my hand and flew back to her cage. She is flying a little more frequently, only short hops, but I'm going to have to be more vigilant at keeping an eye on her. I've been able to be quite relaxed up to now, with a bird that doesn't 'go' anywhere. She's clearly had a little bash to the face with all this exploring, but seems fine. She was out all day today with Simon at home. I got back to find she had taken herself off to sit inside her travel cage! Apparently she'd been climbing all over and in it all day. I'd left it on her table all week to help get her used to it, I'm completely made up that she would put herself in there, I guess she has enjoyed going out in it I took the hint and took her out in the sun in the garden for a bit.

I like that

There are LOADS more coming through there than Pippa ever has. I guess she either pulls them out quicker than they arrive, or she really has damaged herself over the years and that's as good as we'll get. I would be gobsmacked to see that many on her. Did he ever let them get to this stage before? I was looking at Pippa's feathers coming through the other day, and seeing how delicate the skin is, this big old pins must feel like SPLINTERS! Industrial quantities of Aloe Vera juice required! Fingers crossed for both of you.

Agreed! I think my own diet is going to improve dramatically along with Pippa's

They're absolutely gorgeous

Awww, Gosh *blushes* You're all very kind. Another weekend, another pub! I wonder how long it'll be before she learns the word. We had an outing to a friend's yesterday, and Pip seemed happy in her travel pack again. I ended up staying longer than I intended, and we decided to go to the pub to eat too, so decided to let Pippa out to stretch a bit, as it's a bit of a cosy little cage. She sat on top of it and was soon in mega preen mode. I'm assuming it was a content and relaxed thing, though I suppose it could've been a displacement activity if she was stressed. What do you think? If she had been stressed by the (tethered) dog, I imagine she wouldn't have taken her eyes of it. Pub was good, I shared a bit of food with her, posting carrot and green beans into her pot, to be ignored. Jokingly I asked if she wanted a chip and she became dramatically animated. I guess she knows what THEY are! I've never offered her one before, but thought what the heck and gave her a little one. She knew exactly what to do with it and it was gone in a jiffy. I'm not intending to make a habit out of that, but it gives me a little insight into her life in her previous home!

Pippa was on seed mix when I got her, and it took three months for her to convert to Harrison's. Now she won't eat anything else (apart from peanuts as treats). I'm reading up and hoping to try the layered salad (Pamela Clark) and Tinkerbell Mash once I've moved into my new flat. Actually, it's all my fault for converting her to Harrison's alone, and not offering other things at the time. I hadn't read up enough, and had been told that all they needed was Harrison's, and didn't *need* anything else, that adding other foods would unbalance her diet. She's doing fine on the Harrison's, but think we can do better with variety.

There must be some sort of heat proof mat you could get to lay over the top when not in use - I'm imagining something quilted like an oven mitt! But the heat protection matts in ironing boards have teflon in them...... What about an actual kitchen fire blanket, what are they made of? Are they heat/fire PROOF or just designed to cut the oxygen out? Could the top side be covered in something more attractive? (I am very tired and may be talking gibberish...)

What a lovely lovely vid! Really made me grin and chuckle, what a pair

If I ever ended up with a grey to name, I think I would go for 'Erith'.

Oh, and I just received the 'Feeding Our Parrots Well' booklet and DVD by Pamela Clark & Kris Porter... http://www.parrotenrichment.com/products.html Got to say, the salad on the front cover looks way better than the food *I* eat, I might be changing my own diet too once I've watched this!

Just my personal opinion......but I think a lot of 'animal' people spend so much time with animals, they forget how to deal with people......or perhaps they were never very good with people and that's why they prefer their animals........

Discounts for friends?