Here we again, back from the vet.

[murfchck]

Bubba is not liking his cage very much. It has been a week now and he won't use any of the perches but the one on top. Not sure whats up with this. He won't even use the swinging perch which was in his other cage and that was all he use to sit on. I have not seen him eating in there either which bothers me. If i hold his bowls up to him he eats like a pig, if i lure him down with a nut, he uses the sides of the cage gets his nut and runs right back up. His other cage, which we knew was temporary, was an okay size but almost too small for him. It was just the same cage as his first owners had so we got it for him so he would feel safe in the begining. Should i put a bowl up top for him or let him come down when he is hungry or thirsty? I fear if i give in to him, he will never come down to his bowls. Also giving thought to maybe switching him and Oliver. Oliver loves climbing around his so.... Oh i don't know what to do!

[birdhouse]

Really stinks how some fids take all the fun out of getting a bright shiny new cage. Phenix is the worst. Instead of going to the highest spot like most birds, he sits on his food cup. He's a practical old bird. He may not move around the cage for as much as a month. Even after I've set up the new one in front of him & left it for him to interact w/for weeks ahead of time.

 

Eating is too important. Certainly don't want Bubba to start losing weight. I'd move his cups & not have to worry about it. Our stress only adds to theirs. If he's alarmed by his new place, I'd definitely not want to stress him any further.

 

If there's any reason to think there may be something about the new perches, then I'd wash/remove/rearrange them. Ditto any new toys. I always try to move at least a couple of unwashed perches from the old cage. My other birds tend to gravitate to them, initially. I think the scent is familiar & comforting so it may help the transition. But I suppose it's too late for that even if they'd fit...?

 

To me, there's nothing to be gained by moving Bubba again except possibly more stress. If it's just the new cage, he will get used to it in time. So if it were me, I'd wait him out & try hard to go along as if everything was normal normal so as not to add to his problem.

 

Sorry this isn't going according to plan. But it will be worth it once Bubba's settled into his soon-to-be awesome new digs.

[murfchck]

I did move his dinner bowl to the top today and when i had their dinner in the cages and put him in there he went right into it, like an oinker! I keep hiding his favorite nuts around for him so maybe he will come around soon. Fingers crossed!

[Greywings]

Congrats-progress I know those little steps mean a lot.

[murfchck]

And today i get another excited bite. :-( He didn't mean it but ouchie wa wa! Lol

Yesterday he shocked me. They were on their stands and i was cleaning cages, i heard Bubba saying "Pat". I replied with "He is at work honey". Next thing i hear is Pat walking in the door. Darn booger knows his car i guess cuz he can't see him walking up! IF he ever says my name, i am sure it will be followed by darn it, i am always saying to him, "Lisa, darn it".

[Timbersmom]

LOL, well when you hear him saying "darn it" you'll know he is talking to you! Timber knows the sound of hubby's vehicle. He gets home first on work days, and Timber will start whistling several minutes before he gets in the house, so I know he hears him when he is still on the street. The joys of the webcam

[murfchck]

Oh boy, he scared the poop out of the trick or treaters tonight! He would scream like a little girl, then Bongo would scream. Some of the poor kids wouldn't even come on the porch. Heehee!

Heres a question... I had Oliver out front today, he was walking around and found a pecan buried in the grass and opened it up and started eating it. I have no pecan trees so i guess a squirrel buried it, how safe is that? I couldn't get it from him without loss of fingers. He took one bite then dropped it so he didn't get much but then later i found a hazelnut in the yard also. Where are they coming from? My garbage? Gesh, is nothing safe??

Edited November 1, 2012 by murfchck

[Timbersmom]

Wow, I wonder if a squirrel did hide it? How bizarre.

[birdhouse]

Wild birds drink stagnant water & forage off the ground all the time. That builds their tolerance for the bacteria & molds that grow on fallen food sources. Unfortunately, there's no residual tolerance for chemicals.

 

Pet birds don't have the same opportunity to build up their immune system because we actually go out of our way to keep them in as "sterile" an environment as possible. I don't know how great the odds are that Oliver would actually develop a problem from the little contact you said he got. But you could probably do worse than to watch him a little extra carefully & err on the side of caution if he does present any symptoms or changes.

 

Now that you have a particular reason to pay attention, you'll probably find "a lot" of imported foods around the yard. The squirrels & birds are always carrying things around. Squirrels bury nuts in my yard all the time. But it seems like I'm forever taking nasty things that the birds dropped away from the dogs.

[judygram]

Val is so right and I would take her advice about watching Oliver for the next few days. Those darn squirrels will bury nuts that are available in their area anywhere they like which includes our yards then they dig them up later to eat but a few they must have forgotten about for I have a few trees that came up that I know I didn't plant.

[murfchck]

We will be watching him. Now that all the kiddos are healthy and we can start their "well check" vet visits, him getting sick from that is all we need, yikes! I did talk to a neighbor about this and she said the house a few doors down has a pecan tree in their back yard. I know they have not treated anything but am still going to keep an eye out.

[murfchck]

Woo-hoo! Bubba laid on his back tonight! Pat was calling me to come look and i came into the room and there they were, Pat was on the bed and Bubba was right beside him, on his back just laying there getting love and pets on his belly! It was so cute! Goodness being in a home with a parrot it great! We were sitting outside tonight and Gabby flew off her stand, onto the couch and my hubby just looked at me and said " we just had an awsome African Grey bird fly threw our home". We were in awe!

[Greywings]

I really enjoy reading about your adventures with the gang and seeing how fast they are feeling happy and confidant!

[murfchck]

Bongo update! He showed his first real affection with me today! He was on a tv tray after lunch and i just started giving him kisses all over, my mind was set to not let him say no. I started on his back, the forbidden zone, and worked my way up. After the kisses on the top of his head, i leaned back a bit to see his reaction and he just turned his head to me and looked. I told him, " ok, i will keep going then." and to my suprise he cocked his head toward me for more neck kissing. I got so excited i think i scared him a bit. THEN, as i was in the kitchen and he was on his stand acting like he wanted to fly, my hubby went to pick him up and bring him to me and he had another idea! He took off flying! He went 15', i measured, and i had put my arm out for him and he hit the mark! Landed smoothly on my arm! Now grated if my arm hadn't been out, he would have hit the cabinet, but it was and he didn't! I tried to reward him but again, i had gotten so excited i scared him and he wouldn't take it. I ask him for a kiss now and he will come to me and swipe my lips with the top of his beak and make a big kiss noise. Pat said he has noticed that Bongo is starting to communicate with us now, i laughed and said, no, we are just starting to understand what he's been asking for! I am on the moon tonight with them all! Okay, Gabby bit me to where i had to leave her attached to my finger and walk like that to Pat for help, but i still love her! Lol The moon i tell ya, i am walking on the moon!

[Acappella]

Sorry, I giggled at the visual with Gabby. I've done that walk in my very early days with Dorian, only it was my nose he was hanging from! Congrats on the progress with Bongo. Isn't it great when they finally decide it's safe to take a step towards you in your relationship. <3

[murfchck]

Now thats a visual, hanging from your nose! I almost didn't want to wake up this morning in fear that yesterday was a fluke and today he would be standoffish again.

Bubba is really bonding with Pat, it is nice to see. They had their one on one time and Pat had him on his back again just getting belly rubs and playing. I love that they are close but it also scares me that he gets ruff play with Pat and him thinking he can ruff play with me. My skin is thinner, lol. Oliver is still Oliver, he seems to be having an independant few days, wants no one, just wants to chew his wood and be left alone.

I was thinking about selling Bubbas old cage ( cuz and empty one is dangerous around me ) but we went ahead and brought it to the living room to act as their safe place for Gabby and Bongo. A place i can put them when i cook or am going in and out the back door. Since they both fly it gives me a place to put them where they are still with us and not in their bedroom, but 100% safe. This cage is big and doesn't break down. It fits thru the front door and thats it, not the back door. We had to remove the door and frame just to get it into the macaws room for Bubba. I had thought about putting it out back for them to play in while Pat builds yet another aviary for them but it wouldn't fit thru either gates we have!

Edited November 12, 2012 by murfchck

[katana600]

Oh goodness, I was reading so fast, I thought you said you left your finger with Gabby and went to find Pat. Oh dear oh dear! I'm sure it was bad enough without leaving your finger behind. LOL. What a wonderful time you are having watching each of your parrots evolve and become family members. I am happy for Bongo and I believe Oliver is going to come around too. Gilbert will often have a lot of improvement in one day and then have a quiet day or two as he mulls it over. In the long range, it is coming out well for me. And Marguerite, your poor poor nose. I saw Java pierce David's nostril and it still makes me cringe. Every day at your house is an adventure Lisa-darn-it.

[murfchck]

Lol, i love it. Every time Pat said Lisa tonight, Bubba made a raspberry noise. I am never going to hear him say my name.

[murfchck]

Got a great picture of Pat and Bubba playing " baby time". In the picture Bubba is saying "la la la la". It is our towel practice time with him, he loves it.

Bongo has flown to me now 3 nights in a row, landed the first time and tonight with perfection, yesterday not so good. I have a scratch under my chin when he hit my face, guess he thought my nose was a perch or something, lol. Going to keep trying!

[murfchck]

Wits end today! Caught Oliver trying to climb the wall from his stand. He loves trying to climb flat walls. Gabby is everywhere, had to put her in the safe cage so i could have some peace of mind for a few minutes. Bubba has been yelling and Bongo keeps trying to fly. Oh yeah and my cat is using the plants i had brought in as her litterbox. I went to flatten the dirt in one and pulled my hand back with poop on it. So yes, i am having a beer and i am proud of myself for waiting till afternoon to start drinking!

[katana600]

There must be something in the air! Gilbert and Java are making mischief too. I may be looking for a beer soon too. That picture of Pat and Bubba is just too cute. I am finding it hard to believe Bubba is making those raspberry sounds, Pat is a ventriloquist. LOL. Now, the cat in the plant is just too too much. I get citronella oil from the drugstore, the essential oil, not the burning kind. If I put it on a cotton ball, it makes a good cat deterrent.

[murfchck]

I will give that a try, winter is going to be fun if she keeps it up! I worked on and off with Bubba and my name yesterday, each time he made that noise. Whats really sad is smarty pants Gabby makes it to when she looks at me now or if she wants something. We had bird mania last night! Pat and Bubba were playing hard with a towel, he was running to Pat who would take his head and push him back, he would run right back to him for more. He was rolling him over, just typical ruff house boy playing. The noises that boy was making i couldn't even try to copy. While they were doing that, Oliver was playing in the kitchen. I opened drawers to make steps for him and he went right to it. When i would turn my back he would grab stuff out and toss them to the floor. Then Bongo took flight, he can now fly to my and land on my arm without a problem. He seems to be moving his beak now when we talk, like he is trying to practice the words i am saying but without volume. I may just be dreaming but i want him to talk again!

[murfchck]

Welpers, Bubba hates me. I can't even walk past him without him fluffing up, spreading his wings and lunging towards me. Got another nasty bite just bringing him out of the cage the other morning. Pat on the other hand can play and play with him, even grab his beak and slide him around, turn him upside down. Oliver however, lunges at Pat now and tries beaking him everytime he comes near him. I am hoping it is a phase because there is just no peace in this house right now! They must be getting cabin fever already and if so, heaven help because winter hasn't even begun!

[NOT A GREY]

I have only ever had blue and golds....... when trying to win one over it helps to just sit close to them and talk softly and offer nuts from time to time lol! I wait for them to come to me...... but it seems bubba has been with you for quite some time now and should be use to you. so maybe he is bonding to close to hubby. maybe you two should switch what birds you attend to most macaws can be grumpy.... best wishes to you and your pretty boys

[Acappella]

Maybe it was something in the air, because up here in Ontario Mr. Dorian was also in a MOOD all day yesterday! Hope things settle down for you and the boys.