Fun while it lasted..

I must say, the past 9 months with Sisqo & Gigi (since May) have been pretty fun. But of course it's mating season now and they are well on their way to turning into evil possessed Amazons for the next 4 months or so. Oh well...I've still got the good times to get me through.

As several of you know, Gigi and Sisqo are both flighted. I know that clipping their wings during these hellish months will 'help' calm their aggression, and with Gigi I am all for doing it...but with Sisqo I hesitate. The reason for this (for those that are not in the know) is because Gigi has had an abusive past and is therefore a pretty aggressive bird. More than once, Sisqo has had to fly away to get away from Gigi when he goes into Crazy Attack Bird Mode. So I'm thinking that I will clip GiGi but not Sisqo. I think his safety is more important than scarred up hands, right?

On another note, they've been moved and it breaks my heart. They're in the den where noone goes so we have room in the living room for the Christmas Tree. We have a perch for Sisqo to bring him in the living room, but since GiGi won't step up and towels scare him half to death, it's not really worth the stress of chasing him arond to set him on the perch with us in the living room. AND Gigi is a very tempermental bird, so the move to the other room has been pretty stressful on him and now his feathers are getting stress marks again. This is so upsetting after I finally got the stress marks from his last move to go away.

Sorry this is kinda random. I just knew that noone else would understand these frustrations more than you guys.

Nicole you are right, we all can understand every point you have brought up here! I am so sorry if you feel half as upset as you sound, but ya know, this is part or owning 'zons ... they get hormonal, they get cranky I know it doesn't help. But, at the very least, they are acting like normal, healthy 'zons, which in the case of Gigi speaks VOLUMES as to what you have been able to do with her since you rescued her!

You should hold your head up high and be proud, not stressed. The move of the cages is only temporary and will be made right again in a few weeks when ever the tree goes away ... that will help with your baby's attitudes when things return to "normal" ... for the time being, just "roll with the punches" and leave the girls alone when they aren't in the mood and remember, it's only a 8-10 week PMS and they will return to normal shortly and be your babies again!

:50:

Nicole, how is everything here? Are the cages back to normal? Are Gigi and Sisqo back to their old selves?

Sisqo is his same old, hormonal, cage territorial self but it's not nearly as bad as last year.

Gigi doesn't seem at all hormonal...but maybe that's because he's a little devil to start with

We haven't taken the tree down yet, due to the extreme laziness of everyone else around her, but I've gotten all the ornaments and lights off of it at least, now I just have to take it apart.

It looks like they're getting better adjusted to the room. It sucks because the one thing I like about them being in that room is that I can put them to bed by 9, whereas when they were in the living room someone would be in the living room til at least 11 and then my dad is usually up and around the house by 5. So I know they weren't getting the best sleep, and especially not enough for mating season...I guess we'll wait and see how it all turns out.

Well thank you for the advice, however I must say that I don't agree with not handling them. Sisqo is cage possessive during this time, but whenever I take him out and do a few step-up ladders, then he's fine.

Well when I hear your stories Nicole, I'm very thankful that Pepsi doesn't get hormonal. Maybe it's because she is the "gentle giant" of the Amazons, or maybe because she is 30 years old. Maybe you'll only have to wait until yours are 30 and things will be much better. It's only about 20 years off, not so bad.

Haha thanks Tracy. So it looks like I've only got 20 years to go and then things will be great

Actually, Sisqo is doing much better this year than he was at this time last year. All I see is that he never wants to come out of his cage. After I get him out of his cage though, he's a good boy. I think the thing that made the biggest difference in his behavior is that I took his mirror out before Thanksgiving. And maybe Gigi being here has had an effect on him too.

All I can say is, whatever has caused the change in his behavior...thank God!! I remember last year he was lunging at us if we even walked by, wouldn't move from his mirror, and bit us like crazy when it was medicine time.