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Awww. Congratulations! You're going to love it. I used to have freshwater tanks, and came close to setting up a saltwater tank a few years ago. But after doing all my research, I had to concede it didn't make sense for me to get one. I don't have air conditioning and it sometimes gets really crazy hot here in the summer, so I would have had to buy a chiller to take the heat out of the tank and put it in the room with me. Plus all the lights and other equipment would have generated so much more heat. And if the power ever went out (which it does) for any length of time, I could lose everything. I decided to put it off indefinitely, but I still love saltwater tanks. Especially all the living things in them that aren't fish.

Awww. You've put so much time and love into it and it's wonderful. Don't give up yet. What if you were to set up his play stand in the hallway just outside the room while you work on it, and he can watch and get used to it from the outside looking in?

Brilliant!

Kazoo's already starting to come round. He's still a little distant, but he did step up earlier and let me take him out of his cage and put him on the boing. And then he went and hung out in his favourite cupboard for awhile, and that cheered him up too. And he was happy when I delivered a peanut to him. No kisses or cuddles yet, but I think he's starting to forgive me.

Kazoo loves peanuts in the shell, Simon loves peanuts and whole almonds, and Oboe loves peanuts and walnut crumbs.

Yeah. Vets in general here are very expensive. I can find more affordable vets in the rural areas around the city, but as far as I know there are no avian vets other than the one I took them to. Simon's back to normal today, but Kazoo is still very quiet and wants to be left alone. He came out of his cage for a bit, but just sat on top of it. He didn't want to fly or play or socialize or anything. I'm worried that maybe he thinks he can't trust me anymore. We've only been together for six months, and our relationship has been one of gradually increasing trust. This is the first time he's pulled back from that. I hope he doesn't hold it against me forever.

Here's the breakdown: Kazoo: 6-mth exam: $89 Blood sexing: $54 Maxi Blood Panel: $110 CBC: $81 Fecal Gram Stain: $44 Blood Collection: $40 Crop Smear: $75 Simon: 6mth exam: $89 Blood collection: $40 CBC: $81 Fecal Gram Stain: $44 TOTAL: $745 plus taxes: $97.11 TOTAL TOTAL: $844.11 The sexing was a luxury because I just would like to know. And the crop swab was because I'm worried about Kazoo throwing up this clear thick slimy fluid almost every day. Everything else was just 'routine' and recommended by the vet. Do you think I got taken to the cleaners?

I took them for their first Well Bird Checkup today. The vet was great, but the birds were both pretty stressed by all the toweling and poking and stuff, and I was stressed by their distress. She said Kazoo's a bit overweight (4 on a 1-5 scale, with 3 being perfect) and Simon's a bit lean (2 on the same scale). Other than that, she didn't see anything wrong with them. She did blood tests and fecal exams and various other tests, including a crop swab and DNA sexing for Kazoo. She recommended changing their diets so that pellets make up a larger proportion of their food intake. (Simon prefers homemade food - mash and fruits and veggies and birdie bread - to pellets.) The total (gulp) was $841. But she spent almost an hour and a half with us and seemed pretty thorough. The birds were both so good. They stepped up nicely when she asked, and they didn't bite anybody. But they were both so disheveled looking when it was over - they looked like they'd been through the ringer and their downy feathers were everywhere. Poor guys. They were very quiet after I got them home. They just sat on their perches and looked liked they were deep in thought and processing the whole experience. They only ate their favourite parts of dinner, and went to bed early. Is that normal?

I've made simple cardboard mailboxes for my birds, and every day I play mailman with them. I announced a "special delivery" as I put things in their mailboxes. A wrapped treat or foot toy, anything little and interesting and that requires a bit of effort on their part to open. They really love this. It's a highlight of their day. It's easy and cheap and fun and they get so excited every time I announce a Special Delivery.

I find the birds themselves take the initiative in taming the cat. But I don't leave them alone together when the birds are out of their cages. The lovebird is too tempting, and Simon the Grey is just a baby. Kazoo, the Amazon, is the best equipped to deal with the cat, but I still don't feel 100% comfortable with that situation. Just today, while I was preparing the dog's supper and meds, Simon crash-landed on the floor, mere feet from the cat. The cat and I both lunged, but I shouted at the same time, which momentarily startled the cat, and I reached Simon first. My cat isn't hugely predatory, but he does have instincts and he's curious about the birds. If he had reached Simon first, I don't think he would have gone for the instant kill. But you never know. Honestly, it's not a comfortable situation. I would feel a lot more at ease with my birds if I didn't have a cat.

But then why should you not allow birds on your head?

I was thinking about Biscotti saying "Mommy's a good bird," which was so sweet. And then I started wondering if most birds know their people as Mommy or Daddy. Or do they call you by your first name? Or something else? Kazoo calls everybody Coco, and Simon and Oboe don't talk yet. But I guess I should be referring to myself as either Zoom or Mommy, so they'll know what to call me when the time comes.

That's the sweetest thing ever!

My grey isn't picky at all. He loves food, and is really open minded about new foods. My amazon was a picky eater, but he's getting much better. I just keep giving him healthy foods, and every now and then he tries one and discovers he likes it. These guys live for suppertime - as soon as I put their dishes on the table and call "suppertime" they both fly in from wherever they are. They like breakfast too, but supper is their favourite. (Breakfast is homemade mash - supper is chopped veggies and fruits and nuts.) I think it's hilarious that Leo licked the yogurt off the veggies though. Here's a trick to get him to try a new food: put a thin layer of peanut butter on it, and then press some small seeds into the pb. As he's digging the seeds out of the pb, he'll probably get some of the new food too, and he might be surprised by how good it tastes or how nice and crunchy it is.

oooh...that's not what I wanted to hear! lol. Now about birds on heads. Simon wants to get up there, but I don't let him. Oboe, on the other hand, he's been hanging out up there since he was four weeks old. I wouldn't be surprised if he's built a nest in my hair. He's a stubborn little guy, and I don't think there's any way I could keep him off my head at this point. (Why shouldn't they be up there, anyway?)

Poop has become far more interesting to me since the birds moved in, and I've discovered each bird has his own distinctive poop as well as his own distinctive poop personality. Oboe poops all the time, but little ones. He poops wherever he happens to be, but he hasn't pooped on my head for quite a long time. Kazoo poops occasionally throughout the day. He's generally pretty particular about where he poops, and almost never poops on me. For that matter, he rarely poops anywhere other than his cage or his play stand. He poops before he flies. Simon poops frequently, largely, and everywhere. He poops on me often. He poops immediately after every flight. I'm wondering if this is a Grey thing or a baby thing. Are his pooping habits likely to change as he matures, or is he always going to poop everywhere? Should I buy some crappy shirts and just get used to being pooped upon?

Aww, I'm sorry. I know you would have given Harley the best home, and he deserved it. At least he's not with that guy anymore, and whoever bought him will hopefully be good to him. I'm sad too. I was looking forward to following Harley's journey to happiness.

Nilah sounds like my lovebird, Oboe! He's been acting like a bratty little brother lately to everybody, including me. It's actually pretty funny if you just sit back and watch. (He's nine months old now, but he's been two years old for the last seven of his nine months.)

Hi. It sounds like this was a good move for him. Congratulations on both your new babies! (I've heard that a lot of people give up their birds when they have their first baby. Sad.)

You could make him toys for next to nothing, using things like empty paper towel rolls, paper and beads. I buy baby toys at the thrift shop for Simon - they're usually about three for a dollar. I spend a fair amount of time watching him play, because it's interesting and it gives me a better idea of what kinds of things he likes to play with at this stage of his life.

I loved reading this post! He sounds like a wonderful bird.

Oh...that's sad. I don't know what to say. I'm tempted to buy birds (and fish too) when I see them living in inadequate conditions at the pet store. But then I fear that it would just encourage the stores if they benefited from the pity purchase. But to leave a live animal without water because "we clean the cages tomorrow"? That's abuse. Plain and simple. I'd call them on it. I'd stand there and loudly accuse them of abusing animals by not providing water. (Honestly, I like to think I'd do that. In reality, it would depend on my mood. Sometimes I'm shy...)

Oh that's interesting about the tail going in first. I didn't know that. Thanks!

I read some baby board books to Simon yesterday, and he loved them. He chewed the corners while I read.

I went shopping for aloe vera juice and gel today. Found the juice, no problem, at Walmart. But I couldn't find 100% pure gel at any of the stores I went to (mostly natural food stores). I found 98% and 99%, but not 100%. They had other ingredients - mostly preservatives, I think. Would that be okay, or should I keep looking? Also, I was looking for red palm oil, but couldn't find any. Where would I be likely to find it? Thanks.