murfchck

I got the call Saturday as she said she would. It was her hubby though that called and he just asked what questions i had about the bird before i picked him up. I very nicely said, I don't think your wife understood me, i have 5 already and can not take in another! He actually understood that! Since my guys all came from them and his wife told me Bongo use to talk all the time (he hasn't said a word since the day he came home with me. That day he said step up. ) i thought i would ask him if i am missing something with him. He told me no, Bongo never talked with them and was suprised he said what he did. Bubba was his baby so i told him about the use of the f word when Gabby did her fly by. Keep in mind we were told by his wife that he learned that from HBO. He said he was sorry about Bubbas use of that word, it was his fault, he says it all the time. I should know not to trust anything they tell me but why lie about that stuff? Their health was/is my concern and they even lied about that! Ah well. This weekend the weather was beautiful so the kiddos got to go outside. This was Gus's first time in the aviary. The first day was screams, i was waiting for someone to call the police about the noise level. Day two was a little better, only spent half the time screaming. My poor neighbors. The guy that lives behind us came out with his two kids and Bubba just talked away to them. Telling them hello and goodbye and pretty bird. What a flirt he is!

And thats where my dentist was! Lol

How sweet! Congrats!!

2 outta 5 eat them here. Gabby just loves them but the first time i gave them to the kiddos, her cage looked like a blood bath. After my panic looking for where she hurt herself, i noticed pieces of it on the wall and put 2 and 2 together. Doh!

Very. Lol, you said rural and my first thought was Fitzgerald! I remember driving an hour to go to the dentist. Friday night fun was driving back and forth on Grant Street. Back then there wasn't even a vet close let alone avian so hopefully one of those links help you find one!

What part of Ga. are you in? I use to live in Fitzgerald.

Welcome! Sounds like you two have a great system going on. Can't wait to hear more.

Holidays are over so now Oliver and Bongo go for their check ups on Monday! Thats gunna be a handful getting them there. Lol. I am dropping them off instead of scheduling an appointment. Its like a day away for them, birdie day care. They love the vet and the techs so it isn't tramatic for them. Plus Bongo needs a major beak trim so let me be the hero and rescue him from those meanies! Lol They both have nominated me for bad mommy of the year for letting the beak and Ollies nails get out of hand!

Yesterday i got a message from the girl who is trying to get us to take Popeye in. I think she sent it to the wrong person. It was a picture of me and Bubba saying "this is Lisa, she takes wonderful care of Bubba". Okay, um, we told her no. Then last night i got a message that said "talking to my family, i will call you Saturday night". What part of no does she not get? Gus is a running, playing fool! We just have to watch and be careful when he is playing that he doesn't make contact with us, he bites! He will have a toy in his mouth and try to get what ever part of you that is nearest him into his mouth also! He jumped on me from the table and started smacking his toy on me, then wanted a better grip on his toy which involved him setting it down on my shoulder and trying to remove some of my skin while picking it back up! Lil stinker!

I have 2 greys, 2 macaws and an umbrella too. The macaws are the only ones who like each other. All but Bongo ( grey ) entered our life as a rescue, Bongo was caged as a show piece in a warehouse, but in good health, the others not so much. Our birds are for us and not each other and would more than likely rather be an only bird! There is no more me time. I wouldn't change anything about my fids and the direction in life they took us, but to say it is easy would be a lie. Many nights i have cried to my hubby because the day got away from me and i didn't get much one on one with them as they deserve. I am lucky that my husband has the same passion and love for them as i do. When my second guy was offered to us i thought, heck i am already cooking for bongo and cleaning up after him, one more won't make much difference. Huge difference, don't food yourself! So to sum it up, if you are doing this for your bird, don't. If you are doing this for yourself, go for it!

Much better yesterday. Thicker towel on his chair and he took Gabbys remote control away from her and played with it for hours! He had it in his mouth, layed the edge on the table and ran back and forth across the table like a bulldozer! Pat got a great video but its on his phone still. He is now flying with direction too, he can hoover until he decides where to go. Gabby flew toward the macaws who were playing on the couch, pat was by Gus and jumped up to make sure she didn't land near them. It scared Gus who took flight, straight up. I turned in time to see a white blur in my face, he was aiming for my shoulder but my turn messed him up.lol We got a call last night about another cockatoo in need of a new home from the same people we got our guys from. Seems his owner tried to kill herself. We said no, i can not save them all and this one, so i was told, is healthy and i assume can be rehomed without issue. She said that the girl only wants 350.00 for popeye and his cage, Pat said that she would need to pay us that money to take him considering the money we have had to put in to save our fids lives when we got them from them! That wasn't meant to sound heartless, we are just at our limit both with our time spent with what we have and our funds to care for them properly. Bongo and Oliver go to the vet Monday for their yearly check up, thats going to be about 200.00 right there! Plus add in the beak trim for Bongo and nail trim for Olliver. Those two have nominated me for bad mommie of the year, letting the length of those things get out of hand!

Lower perches are a great idea. I have one with a bum leg, her cage looks like a highway with all the perches, lots of different sizes too. Big fat ones that allow her to lay down to skinny ones for her to really grasp. It is really hard to hear a diagnosis like that, but your vet sounds wonderful and now you know what you two are facing. Together, i do not doubt, you guys will overcome all obsticals!

Don't give up! Now you know he CAN do it!

Whoa buddy, bad mood day. He bit hubby a few times tonight and there was no way he could even try for a time out. He even flew to me two times right after he bit Pat. Oh and the screams, and i lost the stuffing from a corner of my dining room chair. Tomorrow can only get better. (right? )

I am so sorry for your loss. It is never easy.

I have a 6 yr old (pictured) and a 20 yr old ( who had more time outs tonight then we could count. Hubby had his glasses on which is rare and she just did not like them at all, no way. After a few times in her cage, she stopped nipping at the glasses but then started ripping our kitchen chairs.) Moral of that story, the teaching never ends, lol. Your doing great!

Time in the cage is ok, even they need alone time. If you are insistant on using your hand, expect the bite. Try using a step up stick instead for a bit, see if it isn't easier for you. Letting him continue to bite you the same way time after time is teaching him its okay to do that, change it up and try to get him thinking about why it changed. Routines are good, but if it isn't working, try to establish a new one that will work for the both of you.

Ahhh, the parrot owners "house beautiful". My guys are flighted and have their spaces and do well with them, now. LOL Bubba, who can't fly is the one into everything. He jumps off his stand, runs to the kitchen and will climb up a bank of drawers to get to my towels so he can toss them around. I have bowls and baskets everywhere for the greys to play with with safe stuff for them. Gabby loved getting into my papers, so a few months ago, i wrote her a letter while she watched me. I wrote, "dear gabby, this is your letter, you think i need this but really it is for you to play with. Enjoy it, haha." That was about 2 months ago and she still has it and will bring it out of the basket when she is in that area!

Pat finally got to see, or hear, first hand how the fids act when he isn't home. He came home sick yesterday, came in and birdies started screaming for his attention. He went right to bed and after a few minutes they stopped and didn't yell again until bedtime. He was stunned to say the least. However not having Pat around made Gus pouty cuz he couldn't get as much one on one time. It was kinda cute though, Gabby knew where Pat was and kept getting on the floor and walking to the door to the bedroom. Just standing infront of it saying hello. I picked her up and opened the door so she could see him and she just did a sympathetic whistle and then was okay. Funny how they really understand.

Yeah, its so hard though to keep them apart, they have so much fun. As fun as that fort was for them, they didn't get to enjoy it for long. Pat was trying to pick them up, as he normally does, Oliver first. Bubba got protective and bit Oliver, he in turn bit Pat so we are fortless as anger at being removed from the fort was not something we want to do again. Here is normal play. Look at Oliver now! A face only a mother could love!

Oh boy, we went out to dinner Friday evening. We just needed a little fun time by ourselves, no birds and no dogs. Went to our little local bar for nachos and video poker. Sounds fun right? We were there about 30 minutes and an older gentleman with one leg and a bird on his shoulder came in. My first thought was anger, smoke filled room with drunks... He went to the outside patio, beautiful weather so okay. I decided to go talk with him, as did another guy who i later found out was a retired cop. This bird hopped my shoulder and wouldn't get off. A few hours later me and this guy decided the older guy needed a ride home and we were going to take him. Mind you, this little bird is still on my shoulder thank heaven, cuz when this guy got up he fell right down. Got him and "George" home safely. He was birdie sitting for a friend. So my peaceful birdieless evening was spent with someone elses bird!

I totally agree with Talon... I beg for my dinner, if Gabby lets me cook it! Anymore i am chasing her around the counter trying to get my potatoes back.

Here is his birthday bread cake! It scared him and he flew thru the house and into the storm door.... Twice... Not hurt, just dazed the second time but he let me hold him close and pet him all over. That continued thru the evening!

The big boys decided they were ready for a change. Bubba fell (so i thought) from his stand yesterday, so i went and put him back on. Before i could walk away the little bugger jumped off it again. He went right to Olivers stand and climbed up, then when Pat got home he put them both on the bigger stand to play for a while. Bubba jumped again and went back to Olivers stand. We couldn't win! They both just love their couch playtime, Pat makes them a fort now out of pillows, and Bubba backs his butt in it. The noises that come out of them are so funny. Oliver just talks and talks in his jibberish, running all around. He runs up to the back of the couch talking to us and we know he is trying to tell us something but not a clue what! Today is Bongos birthday (homecoming day) and the 24th is Olivers, what a difference a year makes!

The misting has been working great! Still screams but atleast Pat has had time to come in an sit down! Tonight he was trying to "step up" on Abby, our 4 lb chihuahua, who is half his size! She was begging him for food.