I need a good rant. I just got the bird back into his cage for his daily nap. He is completely horrible today! Thank you in advance for indulging me! I love this place.
Okay, here I go.
SOoooooooooo...
Ever since I had the Rickeybird (he was a 3-month-old chick with his big-boy feathers half-grown-in), he has been a COMPLETE MANIAC. In the juvenile years, he was a happy, funny, affectionate maniac; since sexual maturity, he has been an aggressive, rooster-y, defiant maniac. He has been fully flighted for most of his life, so we can add that to the story.
Two main elements set the stage for disaster.
First... I am supremely unassertive with him. I can stand up to people and institutions, but not to my bird.
Second... there's no such thing as time-out or containment; he flies away as fast as a streak of lightning.
The ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a Serrano Chile in there, and he (having no impulse control) flies in after it.
I have viewed tons of vids of wild Rickeybirds. They are social, nesting near one another in the limestone bluff burrows which they dig. They (especially the males) defend their nests year round, and seem to spat and scrap and scream CONSTANTLY, just like my guy! They seem like an insanely hyperactive type of parrot.
He never EVER sleeps or even dozes when he's out. He always naps daily from about 1-3 pm, since he was a baby. These days, I put him in his cage so that I can do lunch, and he's quiet up there in his palatial estate. He hears me coming up the stairs at 3-ish and wakes up, lest I catch him snoozing and steal his food or pull his tail-feathers... WHATEVER. And he is charged up and ready to rumble.
HE HAS RULES, which he enforces with screeches or bites. A partial list of The Rickeybird's Rules. Don't touch face with hands... don't touch other people while he's out... don't try to pick him up with a hand when he's on my shoulder or his penthouse roof... don't touch the Evil BounceyBall (hey, there, Mr. GoodWrench)... don't let the remote/phone/similar-small-devices get too close to him (don't EVEN try to TALK on the phone)... don't take a bite of a treat without offering it to him first... oh, and don't touch my feet or my shoes... and do not EVER let the poor-nervous-little-chichuahau-size dog bark in his presence... and don't wear any new tee-shirts with splashy designs... don't EVEN wear new jewelry... introduce new glasses RESPECTFULLY and slowly... and beware if Paula Abdul or Jennifer Lopez come on the television or radio!!!!!!!!!!!! He gets so excited that he'll attack any living thing near him, plants included.
The thing is... he is ON, full speed, ALL THE TIME! When anybody else is around, he's screaming and jumping and flapping. When we're alone, yeah, he's nicer; the screams are replaced mostly with words and songs, but... he's still in overdrive.
Wanna feel better about your bird? SKYPE with me and the Rbird. I guarantee that you will be horrified at the Rb and simultaneously GRATEFUL for YOUR darling! Ask Wrench13... thusfar our only cyber-victim.
Maybe I should start a business. "FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOUR PARROT". PayPal me ten bucks; spend ten minutes on Skype with me and the Rb; and proceed to thank your lucky starzszszszs!
I have "met" a few Patagonians via this site. They seem much nicer! Maybe they're exceptions? Maybe they're females? Maybe they've just been clipped/disciplined/etc? Maybe the Rickeybird is just a perfect Patagonian storm???
Oh, well. When life gives you Rickeybirds, make Rickeybird LOLs! Than goodness for the Scrapbook. And all of you.
Thank you. RANT COMPLETE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, here I go.
SOoooooooooo...
Ever since I had the Rickeybird (he was a 3-month-old chick with his big-boy feathers half-grown-in), he has been a COMPLETE MANIAC. In the juvenile years, he was a happy, funny, affectionate maniac; since sexual maturity, he has been an aggressive, rooster-y, defiant maniac. He has been fully flighted for most of his life, so we can add that to the story.
Two main elements set the stage for disaster.
First... I am supremely unassertive with him. I can stand up to people and institutions, but not to my bird.
Second... there's no such thing as time-out or containment; he flies away as fast as a streak of lightning.
The ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a Serrano Chile in there, and he (having no impulse control) flies in after it.
I have viewed tons of vids of wild Rickeybirds. They are social, nesting near one another in the limestone bluff burrows which they dig. They (especially the males) defend their nests year round, and seem to spat and scrap and scream CONSTANTLY, just like my guy! They seem like an insanely hyperactive type of parrot.
He never EVER sleeps or even dozes when he's out. He always naps daily from about 1-3 pm, since he was a baby. These days, I put him in his cage so that I can do lunch, and he's quiet up there in his palatial estate. He hears me coming up the stairs at 3-ish and wakes up, lest I catch him snoozing and steal his food or pull his tail-feathers... WHATEVER. And he is charged up and ready to rumble.
HE HAS RULES, which he enforces with screeches or bites. A partial list of The Rickeybird's Rules. Don't touch face with hands... don't touch other people while he's out... don't try to pick him up with a hand when he's on my shoulder or his penthouse roof... don't touch the Evil BounceyBall (hey, there, Mr. GoodWrench)... don't let the remote/phone/similar-small-devices get too close to him (don't EVEN try to TALK on the phone)... don't take a bite of a treat without offering it to him first... oh, and don't touch my feet or my shoes... and do not EVER let the poor-nervous-little-chichuahau-size dog bark in his presence... and don't wear any new tee-shirts with splashy designs... don't EVEN wear new jewelry... introduce new glasses RESPECTFULLY and slowly... and beware if Paula Abdul or Jennifer Lopez come on the television or radio!!!!!!!!!!!! He gets so excited that he'll attack any living thing near him, plants included.
The thing is... he is ON, full speed, ALL THE TIME! When anybody else is around, he's screaming and jumping and flapping. When we're alone, yeah, he's nicer; the screams are replaced mostly with words and songs, but... he's still in overdrive.
Wanna feel better about your bird? SKYPE with me and the Rbird. I guarantee that you will be horrified at the Rb and simultaneously GRATEFUL for YOUR darling! Ask Wrench13... thusfar our only cyber-victim.
Maybe I should start a business. "FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOUR PARROT". PayPal me ten bucks; spend ten minutes on Skype with me and the Rb; and proceed to thank your lucky starzszszszs!
I have "met" a few Patagonians via this site. They seem much nicer! Maybe they're exceptions? Maybe they're females? Maybe they've just been clipped/disciplined/etc? Maybe the Rickeybird is just a perfect Patagonian storm???
Oh, well. When life gives you Rickeybirds, make Rickeybird LOLs! Than goodness for the Scrapbook. And all of you.
Thank you. RANT COMPLETE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
