Timbersmom

What a sad story of loss! I thought the same as LNCAG, except for the plucking Odie looks good. What a blessing that your aunt was available to take Odie, who knows where he would have ended up otherwise.

I always had cats, and raised 3 children. When the kids are small (like toddlers) you have to be alert and teach them how to treat pets in the home. The cats were curious about the babies, but were never aggressive or problematic with infants. That said, I got Timber because he was in a home with a 4 year old, and the mother feared for a bite to the 4 year old. My comment about that would be the same, you just have to teach the children how to coexist peacefully with the pets.

I have two aloe plants that have been alive and thrived for years. They are enormous, and the pot is always so full of starts it's a constant effort to keep ahead. They are in potting soil. I have no idea why they are so hardy, since I am lousy with plants. I do know someone told me a long time ago that they are succulents, not cactus, so need more water than a cactus. If that is true or not I haven't researched but I water them with the other plants. I'm attaching a picture of one of them. I'm pretty proud, since it is the only thing I've kept alive more than 5 years...

Timber peels literally everything too. What amazes me is how adept he is at it. With his fresh peas, the skin is on the floor and the inards are gone in the blink of an eye.

Isn't that the truth LNCAG! I've read most of the stuff on parrot body language, but Timber is very sly about it. He will definitely try to lure his victims in for a bite. Glad things are returning to normal neoow! I wonder if he had a hormonal spell...

I wouldn't worry too much about the food and water if the trips are relatively short. When I take Timber to the Avian vet (1.75 hours each way) he doesn't eat or drink anything. I asked the vet since I was a little concerned about it (it seems like he is eating or drinking often at home) and he said they usually wouldn't want food or water if in a different situation or environment and it was nothing to worry about.

I have two cats (was four until last year when the 18 and 19 year old cats crossed the divide). They are lazy and not very predatory. When I'm home, I let the cats and Timber be in the same area. The cats were curious when I brought Timber home, but lost interest after the "new" wore off. I did have scare one time when Wilson jumped up on Timber's playtop (he's nosy). I'm not sure who was more surprised, Timber or Wilson. That said, if I'm not able to watch them every minute, they are separated. It only takes seconds for a fatal accident to happen. I'd love to have a bengal! I can imagine that with their activity level and hunting instincts, they'd be much more likely to "chase and capture" even if they didn't have truly ill intent.

Timber does the foot toss also. I think I mentioned on another post that he does this when someone is in the room that he does not like. Funny!

Timber is a very picky eater. He will eat cooked sweet potato, cooked mixes like Higgins and soak'n'serve. He won't eat chop or birdie bread, both of which I have tried numerous times. He will eat sweet peas and a bit of broccoli if I put it on a skewer. He is a junk food junkie of course, and will eat anything deemed bad for him (i.e. pizza, cheese, hot dogs, etc.) He does like pasta and meat, which is a little surprising to me. Since he is so thin, the avian vet said to feed him meat if he will eat it and he does. He likes several kinds of cooked beans. He likes to shred artichokes (I cut the ends off, peel off some of the outer leaves, wash it well and open it up then toss it in his cage). I'm not sure how much he actually eats, but he enjoys the process. As for dry items, he eats nutriberries and a quality seed mix. I still give him 3 cc's of juvenile formula morning and night per the vet's instructions. He's a mess!

If you have the hooks on hand, would your mom notice if you changed them when she wasn't around?

I've seen the scratching behavior too and agree that it is foraging/normal behavior.

I call Timber a lot of things. Timber Dale (misbehaving), Timbert, Timberto, baby bird etc. Sometimes I actually call him Timber...

Oh to know what is going on in that little grey head...

Timber (TAG) is Lord and Master of all he surveys.

So sad

Neoow that isn't a Brit thing, that's a human nature thing! We do the same here in S. Illinois. Too cold/hot/wet/dry etc. here also!

I can't believe it has been 5 years either Ray! Cricket is gone but never forgotten. I firmly believe that we will see our beloved pets in the afterlife.

Timber bites with intent at times, and I have not been successful in reading his body language. It comes out of nowhere. Thank God it isn't often. He will bite others routinely if they put their hands where he doesn't think they belong (anywhere in his space). He was rehomed and I think he had some bad experiences with previous owners. I've had him about 7 years, and the bites have become less frequent with time thankfully. I tried to tell myself that he didn't really know how much damage he was doing, but he also knows how to give a pinch so that excuse bit the dust. Wish I could read his mind! Sounds stupid, but it hurts my feelings when he bites me. I spend so much time working with him and taking care of his medication etc. (I'm whining now). What an unappreciative little critter he is. Then he puts is head on my stomach for scratches and makes his baby bird cheep and all is forgiven. Yes, I'm a sucker...

I made a stupid grammar error on a twitter post the other day. You can't edit a tweet (or at least I can't figure it out), so I had to delete it and repost. So annoying.

Nickraph, he/she literally carries the cube to a spot and sits on it. I knew he/she was a real weirdo... He will have bloodwork at his next annual checkup, I think I'll bite the bullet and have the gender check. I'll also ask the vet about it and see what he says. The vacuum really annoys him. He follows me around on his cage trying to attack the vacuum (got me once instead).

I have a similar backpack for Timber. I bought it for the same reasons, but he has never taken to it. It sure is convenient for trips to the vet etc., but when I try to take him outside for outings he doesn't appreciate it. Good for you and Alfie on your success!

This is a strange one. First, let me say that we don't know Timber's gender for sure. Timber like ice cubes. I put them in his bath to lure him in. Recently, hubby decided to put a couple of cubes in his water for him to enjoy. Timber is still in his handicapped cage since his seizure issues. So, there is a towel on the bottom of his cage to help if he falls. He fishes the icecube out, puts it on the towel, and sits on it. Wings spread a bit, looking like he/she is on hatch position. He/she stays there until the water melts. Then he goes on with his day. Any thoughts on this? It is very strange to watch. He doesn't seem upset when the cube melts. If we put the cubes in when he/she is out of the cage, He just picks them up, carries them around and eventually settles down to chew on the ice.

I feel for you, I have to travel 100 miles to get to an avian vet. Well worth the trip, as you said, if it is for anything but nail/beak trimming. I am fortunate to have a local (20 miles) vet with avian experience who does a good job on the trims. I almost lost Timber a few years ago by taking him to the locals. I won't make that mistake again.

I agree that parrots are rehomed at an alarming rate. I'm shocked when I see how many are "available." I know there are real situations where people have no choice, but that number doesn't match the number of parrots available to rehome. So sad.

The skewer works every day for us. I put his fresh peas in the pod, broccoli and cauliflower on it. He will at least nibble on some of it. If I put them in a bowl they will be untouched all day.