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Is it worth it to buy a clicker? I've just been clicking with my tongue, but it's hard to keep the click consistent. Is that important at all? My birds are all doing good, but I've seem to hit a wall with taming, where they'll come near my hand and take food but retreat as soon as they can, once they've gotten their treat. I guess this is the part where I wait. And wait. And wait. 
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May 29, 2013 02:39
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| # ? Jun 8, 2024 01:06 |
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 I love the neck ruffles when he's all content with a full crop.
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May 29, 2013 02:47
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Oh man, Bird had spinach for the first time today. I thought she was nuts for kale, but she is like a spinach murderer. Her whole beak ended up turning green from her gluttony! Bird loves going for "walks" across her cage. I'll stick my fingers between the bars and she'll walk across them and explore parts of her cage she can't otherwise access. It's so cute to watch, and her little feet feel really neat! Very reptilian! All these birds look so pretty, so here are some pictures of Bird! Kale feast:  Peeking around her mineral block: 
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May 29, 2013 03:41
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUVeApQpzvg&feature=youtube_gdata_player How to bath 
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May 29, 2013 06:24
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Noodle (budgie) turned three years old this spring. She's all up in the middle of her big seasonal molt AND her cere's gone all crusty so she's been a bit more bitchy than normal. This year though has brought something new--when I have her out, she's hyperactive and struts about with her head down and tail up. A friend has agreed with me on this being a mating behavior, so I immediately upped her sleeping time. Other than giving her more covered "night" time (a bit over 12 night/12 day), is there anything else I can do to try and subdue/avoid the hormonal behavior? Having a horny budgie on hand isn't really ideal, but the main thing I want to avoid is her deciding that laying eggs would be a good idea.
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May 29, 2013 06:58
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SaNChEzZ posted:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUVeApQpzvg&feature=youtube_gdata_player Omg yes! Hahaha..I managed to actually get Pichus first 'bath' on camera... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vSjuaAMZpc It wasnt a very big dish (not much room on dorm computer desk anyways) but it was hilarious her trying to figure out how to move around and roll around in it.
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May 29, 2013 07:20
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We have extra people staying in the house at the moment, so Pookie had to sleep in my bedroom last night instead of in her own room. I was a bit worried that she'd have trouble sleeping but she seemed to drop off fine and stay asleep. Until 6.30 this morning. Daisy the dog (who always sleeps in the bedroom) started barking in her sleep, which naturally everyone up, including Pookie. So Pookie made this really grumpy-sounding *Fluff* noise with all of her feathers to get her to shut up. It worked too. 
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May 29, 2013 11:58
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SaNChEzZ posted:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUVeApQpzvg&feature=youtube_gdata_player https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btxVPMKo0qk He reminds me of those kids who try to balance on the curb. ^^^Also oh my god Pichu is adorable, she tries to wet both her butt and her chest at the same time and it doesn't work. 
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May 29, 2013 17:08
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So Archer's inability to understand the whole courtship and mating process has hit a new level of ridiculousness. Now whenever Elle starts butt waving he perches across from her and starts masturbating. I don't want to them to actually have babies, but not like this... This just ruins the little guy's image as an alpha tiel.
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May 29, 2013 17:25
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Hannah is cute, Pookie is cute, Bird is cute (any more updates on how her and your roommate are getting along, electicgoat? And is her name really Bird?), Pichu is cute, all your drat birds are cute. Take note, Ohtori and Mr Pending.Sapphaholic posted:Other than giving her more covered "night" time (a bit over 12 night/12 day), is there anything else I can do to try and subdue/avoid the hormonal behavior? Having a horny budgie on hand isn't really ideal, but the main thing I want to avoid is her deciding that laying eggs would be a good idea. No nesting material or sleeping hut, no petting on back/belly/wings, no warm mushy foods are the things are seem most obvious. Remove any toys she grows too "fond" of too. Slaughterhouse-Ive posted:So Archer's inability to understand the whole courtship and mating process has hit a new level of ridiculousness. Now whenever Elle starts butt waving he perches across from her and starts masturbating. fffffff how do these things survive out in the wild.
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May 29, 2013 20:12
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Deadly Chlorine posted:I don't think they'll let you play with the birds at the wildlife place, so try finding a rescue or something nearby with birds, they usually love people to play with them because parrots really need socializing, so everyone's happy. Oh my god, this is the best idea and for some reason never occurred to me! There isn't anywhere near here, but I'm moving soon and I've already found a couple of places there that I might be able to volunteer at. Although it would be hard to resist not taking one home with me. 
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May 29, 2013 20:32
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So we have this pillow on our bed that's the designated Ritz pillow. Half hour before bed time, we go into the bedroom and we let him play inside the pillowcase, he likes running around in there, flipping over on his back and rolling around on the soft pillow, chewing on it etc. Tonight he thought he'd flatter my hand by trying to give it some of the blackberry he had for dinner.  What a nice bird 
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May 30, 2013 03:16
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Bioshuffle posted:Is it worth it to buy a clicker? I've just been clicking with my tongue, but it's hard to keep the click consistent. Is that important at all? Clickers are nice because they make a constant sound and I've found that trainers tend to use them more consistently than using words ("good!") or clicking a tongue. It's more about the reaction time of the trainer than it is about the animal though. They're cheap enough that it's worth investing in one.
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May 30, 2013 04:12
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Captain was adorable today, quacking and cuddling constantly when I got home. It figured out that if I am laying face down in a certain way, it can stick its head into my polo shirt. I think Cpt. Almost fell asleep, seemed very contented and cuddly. The little beastie did a weird thing though, after about an hour of playing it decided that was enough and retreated away from me to a pillow. Still stepped up but wouldn't hop to my shoulder, so I let it get some food and water back at the cage. Right as rain after 10 minutes' gorging. Could it already have trained me to act as a taxi? Clever little thing, if so. Also, how long do you guys give a single toy before rotating it out? Duder doesn't seem interested in anything in there now except for the perches. Not even the treat bar or stuff to destroy.
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May 30, 2013 04:30
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Yeah birds figure out pretty quick that a human is the fastest way from point A to B. As for the toys, leave the stuff in there. Sometimes Hannah will ignore a new toy for days and then within the span of a couple hours manage to destroy it.
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May 30, 2013 04:39
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Teeka loves playing with chains. Like, just the regular old chains that come with bird toys. We have like three in his cage and he won't touch them for a week and then all of a sudden one catches his eye and he'll spend three days just working those links up and down. Honestly it kind of reminds me of knitting somehow. But he'll just work those links for hours at a time and then forget they exist for a few weeks.
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May 30, 2013 05:06
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I hope this link works. This was the best laugh I had in a while. Ringnecks are just great! Maso, who used to post in here, had one we visited. My two guys, Senegal and Grey, are nowhere near this interesting. http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=iB52iP2a_MY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiB52iP2a_MY
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May 30, 2013 17:10
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Marnie videos are pretty funny. One of my favorites is Marnie's Birthday, where all the birds eat ego waffle and the cockatiel gets undr a napkin.
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May 30, 2013 17:45
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Hrm, so when I am home and put Captain back in his cage (even with the door just closed and not latched), he'll get distracted by the various things in his cage for a couple minutes and then start just pacing back and forth along the bottom of his cage. Have any of you guys noticed similar behavior? Not sure if he's just pacing because he wants to get back out or what. Unfortunately having him back in his cage is the only way I can get any work done at home, the times I need to get work done.
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May 31, 2013 00:34
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I don't know what sort of cage you have but you could look into some sort of play gym that goes on top of the cage or even a standalone unit. Put some treats, toys, foraging things, and he'll be pleased as punch.
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May 31, 2013 01:59
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SquadronROE posted:Not sure if he's just pacing because he wants to get back out or what. He's begging to come out. "LOOK AT ME. LOOK AT MEEEE. Is there any way I can sneak out down here? LOOK AT MEEEEEE." So I watched Paulie on Netflix. ... 
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May 31, 2013 02:02
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I love that movie so goddamn much. I cry like a baby every time.
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May 31, 2013 02:13
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The biggest problem I have with my cockatiel is that he is only happy if he's out of his cage and 95% of his time is going to be spent on a person. He has play stands and toys and things to do besides hang out with me but he's not interested. It's flattering but at times I really want him to stop trying to stand right in my face and get head scratches from my nose
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May 31, 2013 04:05
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Well, we aren't back to 100% yet but I figured I'd give a progress report. Flock call: Still, but better. Screaming: Other than a 2hr episode today while I was gone, pretty decent Biting: Only warning nips recently Treats: Hell yes Scritches: Only on his terms Step up: Sometimes on my terms Cuddles:  I kindasorta have my fluffbutt back now, guys! It'll continue to be difficult, but I am pleased I can do this again. Thanks for all the help. Also sorry for the crappy phone image. Cameras are death devices, don't you know?
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May 31, 2013 05:38
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So I'm going on vacation for a week and I'm bringing my GCC along with me (thanks to the very gracious resort owner). Any tips for an 8 hour car ride? Ivan hasn't been in a car for more than 10 minutes at a time so I think it'll be pretty interesting. He'll be in a carrier sitting on my lap for the whole ride. So far my list of things to bring with for the car ride is a baggie of his favorite treats, a blanket to cover the cage if need be, and a few toys if he feels like playing with them. Is there anything else I should bring? I hope he deals with the ride okay...
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May 31, 2013 06:15
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We let Scout out of her carrier when she's in the car with us, but that's only to and from the vet (30 minutes.) She gets agitated for the first couple of minutes then calms down when she sees we aren't freaking out that the whole world is moving. After that it's business as usual; trying to snuggle in my wife's hair and poop on everything.
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May 31, 2013 06:21
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Slinky Weasel posted:So I'm going on vacation for a week and I'm bringing my GCC along with me (thanks to the very gracious resort owner). Any tips for an 8 hour car ride? Ivan hasn't been in a car for more than 10 minutes at a time so I think it'll be pretty interesting. He'll be in a carrier sitting on my lap for the whole ride. So far my list of things to bring with for the car ride is a baggie of his favorite treats, a blanket to cover the cage if need be, and a few toys if he feels like playing with them. Is there anything else I should bring? I hope he deals with the ride okay... There's basically three considerations, well four if you're crossing state lines I guess. 1. Transportation to and from. 2. Carsickness. 3. Caging at the resort. 4. Health status crossing state or nation boarders. I'll go through them. 1. Transportation: when you are transporting any animal in a car they need to be restrained for your and their safety in the case of an accident. In a high speed accident (ie, any accident that occurs over 45 mph) even a box of tissues can kill you. This means that you need to restrain your bird's cage so it doesn't kill you because even if you are a good driver, other people aren't. Tie the cage securely to the seat. Also, the cage that you transport your GCC should be relatively small, even if you use a large cage at home. That is because in the event of an accident you don't want your bird to be thrown around too far, to minimize injury. I use a small soft-sided kennel designed for chihuahuas for my black-capped-conure (a closely related species to the GCC). It's small and doesn't have any wire, making impact with the sides safer hopefully. I put a towel down at the bottom to give him something to grip without putting anything hard in there to bash him up. Then I use strap the cage in to the seat so it cannot move. 2. Carsickness. Yes, they get carsick. And will spray vomit all over the place--personal experience on this one. The soft-sided carrier helps prevent getting this all over the car. In general there are three ways to deal with this. You can not feed him the day of the move (my avian vet recommended this one). Take his food away the night before and don't offer him anything until he gets to the resort. You can feed him fresh ginger the morning of (also recommended by the vet). OR you can feed him as usual, let him throw up which will happen within the first 30 min or not at all in my experience, and not worry about it. Don't give him any medication beyond fresh ginger or maybe fresh mint. Motion sickness will not kill him, no matter how distressing you find it (and you will find it more distressing than he does!) Sidenote: water. Either feed him fruit like oranges or give him water at stops (or both), or use a water bottle (train him to use this first). You don't want a bowl of water in your car while you are driving because you WILL spill it. 3. Cage at resort. I assume you've put thought into this. Basically if you cannot easily transport his cage to the resort, get an 18X18in cage and use that. Put his favorite toys in it, be prepared to treat him with his favorite things. He may be a bit stressed over the change of territory, so give him extra attention and cover his cage when necessary to calm him down. 4. Crossing state or nation lines: State: make sure you have a health certificate from your vet. Basically go to the vet within 30 days of going on vacation and ask for a health certificate. They should be able to do this. As for transporting the bird between nations, you need to contact the relevant departments in each involved nation to get the proper permits--it may be easier to simply board the bird until you are back in that case. Have a fun trip! I've done this before with my birds and it's a bit more challenging than transporting a dog, but not much more. Have a great time 
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May 31, 2013 07:38
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We bring Maru with us up to NH when we go. Its a 3 hour ride when traffic and weather is good. She actually does pretty good in the car. We give her millet when we first set out and give her water and let her out when we stop for food. She travels in a green carrier with her favorite perch put in it. Enough room to walk around and spread her wings. The only problem is she can sometimes get a little spooked by the big 18 wheelers and doesn't hesitate to let us know there's a giant monster right next to us. But I don't like being next to 18 wheelers either so I try to avoid them. Above post is pretty above and beyond and probably everything you need to know. It also couldn't hurt to know where the nearest bird hospital is, just in case.
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May 31, 2013 13:57
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We moved a cockatoo from Chicago to Denver in two 8 hour drives and he was a champ. Definitely secure the cage, it's a good safety reminder. We also elevated the cage so Teeka could look out the window as we drove. I think he really enjoyed the trip, to be honest. There was lots (and lots and lots) of pooping for the first hour or so, then he settled down and enjoyed. He only started squawking a little towards the end of the day when he got tired. Pretty easy trip with the bird, I think being able to see out the window produced better results than our previous short vet trips where we didn't elevate it as much.
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May 31, 2013 14:16
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Should something ever happen, I am not looking forward to trying to transport Ohtori from here to the UK. I don't even want to consider the costs and planning involved.
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May 31, 2013 14:25
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Eejit posted:We moved a cockatoo from Chicago to Denver in two 8 hour drives and he was a champ. Definitely secure the cage, it's a good safety reminder. We also elevated the cage so Teeka could look out the window as we drove. I think he really enjoyed the trip, to be honest. There was lots (and lots and lots) of pooping for the first hour or so, then he settled down and enjoyed. He only started squawking a little towards the end of the day when he got tired. Pretty easy trip with the bird, I think being able to see out the window produced better results than our previous short vet trips where we didn't elevate it as much. Yeah, there's plenty of stuff on the highway for the bird to be interested in and look at. We were driving back from NH on time and someone had their cockatoo looking out the window, we showed them Maru, it was kind of cool actually.
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May 31, 2013 14:39
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As far as I remember when I was looking to take a little leopard gecko over to the UK, it isn't that bad. You can get a Pet Passport that is obtained by your vet filling out a certain form declaring your animal is free of contagious disease and detailing any medical problems it has, then it's just airline fees. Some airlines will allow you to take small pets onboard with you along with your carry-on, you need to alert them before your flight and detail how the small animal will be contained.
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May 31, 2013 14:39
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uglynoodles posted:As far as I remember when I was looking to take a little leopard gecko over to the UK, it isn't that bad. You can get a Pet Passport that is obtained by your vet filling out a certain form declaring your animal is free of contagious disease and detailing any medical problems it has, then it's just airline fees. It's more complicated for Ohtori, since his species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/106001588/0 and is listed as CITES appendix I and II. It's illegal to even own them (at least here) without all the proper paperwork and registrations, so he'd need to jump through all sorts of hoops to leave the country. I also believe that once he leaves this country, he could never return, as import/export is different. There was also only one or two airlines that flew from here to UK that offered pet transport, and they were dog/cat/ferret only, though with more research/personal appeals and begging that may be overcome. They can also only fly to Heathrow (from what I remember, may be different now). E: If it came to that, I'd just call up the various airlines, airports, and zoos to ask how to do it, but yeah, it will be awkward. Battle Pigeon fucked around with this message at 15:05 on May 31, 2013 |
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May 31, 2013 15:00
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So there are no more than 15,000 of them? Wow, Ohtori really is a ~*special snowflake*~.
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May 31, 2013 22:09
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More adorabird pictures incoming! He's gotten far more adventurous, especially when my hand isn't stroking him. Did you know hands were made of meat? Captain Conure does now!   And yes, that is an add for the awesome 280-ZX in the background, nice of you to notice. 
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May 31, 2013 22:18
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I was putting together a new playgym for Amadeus since his is chewed into itty bitty pieces (sorry, buddy, you'll have to whittle the orange bar back into the perfect head-scratching point again) and he kept flying down from my shoulder to land on it. He'd trill and rub his beak vigorously against it, as you do, and then eventually step up to be transferred back to my shoulder until he flew back down again. Yes, it's yours, I'm glad you recognize it, but wait until I set it up and let the glue dry, guy. Jeez.
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May 31, 2013 22:45
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LITERALLY A BIRD posted:I was putting together a new playgym for Amadeus since his is chewed into itty bitty pieces (sorry, buddy, you'll have to whittle the orange bar back into the perfect head-scratching point again) and he kept flying down from my shoulder to land on it. He'd trill and rub his beak vigorously against it, as you do, and then eventually step up to be transferred back to my shoulder until he flew back down again. He just wants to help put it together.
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May 31, 2013 22:58
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Battle Pigeon posted:Hannah is cute, Pookie is cute, Bird is cute (any more updates on how her and your roommate are getting along, electicgoat? And is her name really Bird?), Pichu is cute, all your drat birds are cute. Take note, Ohtori and Mr Pending. I think the situation with my roommate is kind of hopeless. He is better than he had been, but he just seems incapable of empathy with Bird. He also has this weird attitude that she must do things on his terms. She makes it very clear when she wants pats, when she wants to eat, when she wants to play, etc., and if I see her in the mood for something, I'll let my roommate know (like, "Bird wants to play now. You should play with her!"). If he kept her on a consistent schedule (say, eat at 6, play at 7, bed at 9 or something), that would make sense, but he just does stuff at random times. I've also let him know that she loves it if you eat in the room with her. She doesn't care if you pay attention to her, she just likes it when you eat around her. But he won't do it. He says he likes eating in his room. He still doesn't pay much attention to her when she's in her cage, and still puts her in the small cage in his room quite a bit. She's still extremely tense with him and still stops eating if he comes into the room, and will even sometimes stop playing with me if he comes in. She is so clearly uncomfortable around him and he's still not getting that he needs to take it slowly with her. It's a shame because she's getting more and more friendly and sweet with me. Remember how his claim used to be that Bird only likes me because I'm a girl? Now that that has been disproven, his new claim is that she's just not a sociable bird. He is talking about buying another bird (this time a conure) in the hopes that this one likes him. That was basically my biggest fear- that he'd gently caress up bird after bird. And yes, he has seen Bird play with me, and walk along my fingers, and has seen that she doesn't care if I put my hand in her cage. For some reason, I don't count, and Bird just doesn't like people. I think my roommate just likes to blame everyone but himself. No, her name isn't Bird. She didn't initially have a name, and by the time he chose her name, I was so used to calling her "Bird" all the time that I can't even call her by her name (which is Jade). I've been trying to do it more, but man, it's tough! It's also weird because he doesn't talk to her much, so he pretty much never calls her by her name. I'm pretty sure she thinks her name IS Bird. SquadronROE: What a cute bird!!
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Jun 1, 2013 00:34
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electricgoat posted:I think the situation with my roommate is kind of hopeless. He is better than he had been, but he just seems incapable of empathy with Bird. He also has this weird attitude that she must do things on his terms. She makes it very clear when she wants pats, when she wants to eat, when she wants to play, etc., and if I see her in the mood for something, I'll let my roommate know (like, "Bird wants to play now. You should play with her!"). If he kept her on a consistent schedule (say, eat at 6, play at 7, bed at 9 or something), that would make sense, but he just does stuff at random times. I've also let him know that she loves it if you eat in the room with her. She doesn't care if you pay attention to her, she just likes it when you eat around her. But he won't do it. He says he likes eating in his room. He still doesn't pay much attention to her when she's in her cage, and still puts her in the small cage in his room quite a bit. She's still extremely tense with him and still stops eating if he comes into the room, and will even sometimes stop playing with me if he comes in. She is so clearly uncomfortable around him and he's still not getting that he needs to take it slowly with her. It's a shame because she's getting more and more friendly and sweet with me. Remember how his claim used to be that Bird only likes me because I'm a girl? Now that that has been disproven, his new claim is that she's just not a sociable bird. He is talking about buying another bird (this time a conure) in the hopes that this one likes him. That was basically my biggest fear- that he'd gently caress up bird after bird. And yes, he has seen Bird play with me, and walk along my fingers, and has seen that she doesn't care if I put my hand in her cage. For some reason, I don't count, and Bird just doesn't like people. I think my roommate just likes to blame everyone but himself. Don't let him get a conure too please. If he can't handle a parrotlet, how is he going to handle a bird that is WAY more mischievous? And was he planning on housing them together?
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Jun 1, 2013 00:40
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SaNChEzZ posted:Don't let him get a conure too please. If he can't handle a parrotlet, how is he going to handle a bird that is WAY more mischievous? I think there might actually be something wrong with him mentally. Who knows what he's planning? I think he'd house them separately because he has said a few times, "When I get my next cage..." I don't want him to get a conure, and I'll do my best to stop it, but remember that I had him convinced for a bit not to get a bird until he finishes school, but then his parents told him to get one ASAP and they'd pay for it? I don't think it's possible to stop a dedicated crazy person. All week, I have had a recurring nightmare where I move out, and months later, he brings me Bird, who has torn out all her feathers and become terrified of all humans. In this dream, I try to take care of her, but she is sad and scared her whole life. I've been down all week because I keep having this stupid dream. EDIT: I should add that since I showed him that she loves walking across my fingers and maybe he should try that with her, he is limiting my time with her again. I'm back to spending at most 3 hours a week with her.  It's so dumb. Instead of being like, "oh, Bird likes her and likes it when she does that! Maybe if I did that with Bird, she'd like me, too!" he just tries to make it so he's the only one who sees Bird so she can love him and only him. Ugh.
electricgoat fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Jun 1, 2013 |
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Jun 1, 2013 00:48
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