LittleGreenBird
New member
I'm Lil and I have been with my Cinnamon Green Cheek since Dec. 2010. (she was born 2/17/10.) I first began reading this forum when I was researching African Greys about three years ago and must say thanks for all the great info I've received since then. I've read on here you like stories, so here's mine:
I'd been planning to get a Grey when we moved out of our apartment, since we don't have the space for a "big" bird. I was lamenting one night that we'd have to wait maybe a long time when my fiance suggested I look into a "starter bird" since I'd never had anything more than parakeets, and maybe In the meantime I could become more familiar with parrot care to be well prepared for the day when we do have space for a larger bird. I kind of thought that was silly, even telling him so. Whoever heard of a "starter bird"? But I looked into it and found many others online who'd suggested the same thing. Well, I had to tell him he was right...
A few days before Christmas we decided to take a ride to a local pet store- we did this a few times to familiarize ourselves with the types and personalities of bird available. If I were to get a second bird I would get a rescue- but I was new to it, so off we went. There was an extremely cuddly umbrella cockatoo there, a beautiful grey, a grumpy amazon, more...among them a sweet little Cinnamon Green Cheek, wary but curious and generally good-natured.
On the way home our conversation kept coming back to that bird. My fiance mentioned it a few times. Then on the evening of the 27th he turned to me and said, "Hey. Do you wanna go get that Conure?"
Uh, YES.
It took me a long time to pick a name. I wanted something perfect, so in the meantime we just called "him" Bird, or Birdie. (Now we know she's a girl.) Eventually I named her Casady, after the bass player Jack Casady, but Bird stuck too.
About two weeks after we got her I mentioned she ought to have a playstand, separate from the open-top play area of the cage. He went out and bought this GIANT thing, big enough for a cockatoo! He said she ought to have the best, even if she is a little bird. He also brought home two industrial-sized cardboard rolls from work, which he fashioned into playstand-size, freestanding perches that can hold treats and toys. We dote on that little Conure.
Bringing this bird home was one of the best decisions I've made. She is lovable and social, preferring neither of us and adoring both. She cuddles constantly and loves to be scratched everywhere. She is great with people and never shy or agressive with strangers...she tries to preen anyone with a beard right away. It's hard to explain to her that some people don't want that within the first 30 seconds of meeting her. She and my future sister-in-law get along famously. The landlord has always been cool with pets, everyone in the building has at least one pet and there's never been any problems, and the doors don't open to the outside directly, so I don't have to worry about escape. Casady only screams if she is being bratty (hardly ever) or if the vaccuum is running, or if there's breaking glass/explosions in a movie...so she is a great fit for apartment living.
She is out of her cage every minute I am home and awake. She spends all her time accompanying us- she showers with me, perches on my shoulder while I do chores, falls asleep on his chest in a little puffball while we watch tv...
We do have two aging cats, and I was worried about bringing a bird home. The cats are well behaved and actually pretty obedient, especially for cats. When they were younger we kept pet rats and never had a problem. We ensured the bird could be returned within a month if conflicting with our pets...as it turns out, my worries were the opposite of what happened. Casady starts fights with the cats. Well, really she just attacks them and they cringe and/or run. She's flighted, in case she has to get away quick- but she has never had to. She is not at all intimidated- the cats are for sure. She used to grab the big cat by his neck fur and ride him around the living room like a horse until I made her stop. Sometimes she makes the poor guy miserable with her teasing and I have to call her off. I'm surprised she doesn't know how to say, "Leave the cat alone."
Casady is friendly, though, and not agressive. She understands how much beak pressure to use to get your attention and won't hurt you when she's grumpy. She loves to share food, especially fruit, rice, oatmeal and almonds.
We didn't have her DNA sexed and always just called her "He" until one day this past June I pulled the cover off the cage and there was an egg in it! I was worried at first since I didn't know much about egglaying but read up on it and she didn't seem to be having any health problems and was happy, so we shared some extra calcium-rich foods. One website I read even said it was a sign she was happy and I should take it as a compliment! I hope so- she's spoiled. She even has her own iPod!
I'd been planning to get a Grey when we moved out of our apartment, since we don't have the space for a "big" bird. I was lamenting one night that we'd have to wait maybe a long time when my fiance suggested I look into a "starter bird" since I'd never had anything more than parakeets, and maybe In the meantime I could become more familiar with parrot care to be well prepared for the day when we do have space for a larger bird. I kind of thought that was silly, even telling him so. Whoever heard of a "starter bird"? But I looked into it and found many others online who'd suggested the same thing. Well, I had to tell him he was right...
A few days before Christmas we decided to take a ride to a local pet store- we did this a few times to familiarize ourselves with the types and personalities of bird available. If I were to get a second bird I would get a rescue- but I was new to it, so off we went. There was an extremely cuddly umbrella cockatoo there, a beautiful grey, a grumpy amazon, more...among them a sweet little Cinnamon Green Cheek, wary but curious and generally good-natured.
On the way home our conversation kept coming back to that bird. My fiance mentioned it a few times. Then on the evening of the 27th he turned to me and said, "Hey. Do you wanna go get that Conure?"
Uh, YES.
It took me a long time to pick a name. I wanted something perfect, so in the meantime we just called "him" Bird, or Birdie. (Now we know she's a girl.) Eventually I named her Casady, after the bass player Jack Casady, but Bird stuck too.
About two weeks after we got her I mentioned she ought to have a playstand, separate from the open-top play area of the cage. He went out and bought this GIANT thing, big enough for a cockatoo! He said she ought to have the best, even if she is a little bird. He also brought home two industrial-sized cardboard rolls from work, which he fashioned into playstand-size, freestanding perches that can hold treats and toys. We dote on that little Conure.
Bringing this bird home was one of the best decisions I've made. She is lovable and social, preferring neither of us and adoring both. She cuddles constantly and loves to be scratched everywhere. She is great with people and never shy or agressive with strangers...she tries to preen anyone with a beard right away. It's hard to explain to her that some people don't want that within the first 30 seconds of meeting her. She and my future sister-in-law get along famously. The landlord has always been cool with pets, everyone in the building has at least one pet and there's never been any problems, and the doors don't open to the outside directly, so I don't have to worry about escape. Casady only screams if she is being bratty (hardly ever) or if the vaccuum is running, or if there's breaking glass/explosions in a movie...so she is a great fit for apartment living.
She is out of her cage every minute I am home and awake. She spends all her time accompanying us- she showers with me, perches on my shoulder while I do chores, falls asleep on his chest in a little puffball while we watch tv...
We do have two aging cats, and I was worried about bringing a bird home. The cats are well behaved and actually pretty obedient, especially for cats. When they were younger we kept pet rats and never had a problem. We ensured the bird could be returned within a month if conflicting with our pets...as it turns out, my worries were the opposite of what happened. Casady starts fights with the cats. Well, really she just attacks them and they cringe and/or run. She's flighted, in case she has to get away quick- but she has never had to. She is not at all intimidated- the cats are for sure. She used to grab the big cat by his neck fur and ride him around the living room like a horse until I made her stop. Sometimes she makes the poor guy miserable with her teasing and I have to call her off. I'm surprised she doesn't know how to say, "Leave the cat alone."
Casady is friendly, though, and not agressive. She understands how much beak pressure to use to get your attention and won't hurt you when she's grumpy. She loves to share food, especially fruit, rice, oatmeal and almonds.
We didn't have her DNA sexed and always just called her "He" until one day this past June I pulled the cover off the cage and there was an egg in it! I was worried at first since I didn't know much about egglaying but read up on it and she didn't seem to be having any health problems and was happy, so we shared some extra calcium-rich foods. One website I read even said it was a sign she was happy and I should take it as a compliment! I hope so- she's spoiled. She even has her own iPod!
