Hoping for advice about Phenix' new cage.

[katana600]

I also want to tell you Val, Miss Gilbert has been the beneficiary of your years of struggle with Phenix. Your advice and discussions of his stonewalling and reclusive behavior led me to accept her where she was but to take advantage of every opportunity to capitalize when she showed the slightest inclination to move forward. She is not on a linear path, so stopping, retreating, changing direction and meeting her at every turn has been my strategy. You and Phenix have been my touchstone. Also others with rehomed, shy greys have been reassuring that we have a lifetime to figure this out. We don't need to be on any time line except grey time.

[birdhouse]

Absolutely nothing went according to plan right to the very last. - Although I will say, unnecessary drama aside, I'm not actually sorry this fell thru. I only thought it was a good choice because of the way it utilized space. I never was too fond of the design. Purely on looks, I think 2nd best is much nicer.

 

My brainstorm about the travel cage aborted when the new door turned out to be ohh maybe 1/2" too narrow to fit the travel cage thru ...of course.

 

On paper, even though it looked tight, the 2 cages could fit together in Phenix little corner. But after the new one was framed up, I found it had a totally crazy design quirk, making it absolutely necessary to break down the old cage on the spot. If I'd known in advance I could have spared myself like an hour of pointless struggling by removing the old one first. But then again, if I'd known in advance, it might just have been a deal breaker. It might still be. idk

 

When it came down to it, I just couldn't bear to let Phenix spend another however many years in a "small" cage. I up-sized him about 25%. Only time will tell if this is the right choice or I'm being a really bad parront. 50/50 odds on that one.

 

But he is a creature who's birthright was literally lord of all he surveyed. I kind of feel like this; I may have accidentally become his warden. But I cannot bring myself to help him voluntarily shrink his own world any more than it already has been. I tried it. I failed. I actually feel like that's a good thing.

'

So instead I've declared this (albeit successful seeming) experiment comes to its end. Now it's time for Phenix to be "movin on up!"...

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?203207-Take-2-Much-Better&p=323339#post323339