Hello All!
I started my journey to bird ownership a little while ago thinking that I would eventually get a smaller, sweet, baby parrot. Never did I imagine that I would end up with a 21 year old, semi-tame, junk-food junkie, cage aggressive, Timneh African Grey - yet here we are! I doubted my sanity as I agreed to take him in from a friend who needed to re-home him, but now that we have Buddy, I couldn’t image it any other way!
Buddy moved in three weeks ago. He came to us on a diet of seed mix in the morning and human food (whatever the previous owners had for dinner) in the evening (potato chips were his love language). He had been handled (with towels to prevent biting) very little. He was scared of everything! He went into attack mode when I tried to place his food bowl. He backed away anytime we came in the room.
I felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew. This was my very first bird and I was so scared that I would not be able to help Buddy have a happier, healthier life. This is where I need to pause to say THANK YOU to every experienced bird owner who has taken the time to make an educational video, write an article, or post a response to someone’s question. Buddy and I would not be where we are today without the resources that so many have taken the time to provide.
Now, to brag on my rockstar bird for a moment. In the three weeks that we have been together, Buddy has switched to eating chop for breakfast and pellets for dinner (the pellets took some work, but he doesn’t seem to mind them now). He steps up and down like a pro. He enjoys spending time on my shoulder and getting scratches. He is becoming more active during the day and starting to play with his toys. He lets me reach in his cage when I need to and is trying something new each day. The perch that he was terrified of last week is now his favorite spot to relax during the day.
We still have some work to do. We went to an avian vet last week and everything looked fantastic except for his blood work shows high cholesterol. The vet and I are both hopeful that his new diet will start to correct this without medication. Buddy is also still not as comfortable with my son (10) or husband. He is with me all day as I work from home, so it makes sense, but we will keep working on building trust with them also. All advice is is welcomed!
I started my journey to bird ownership a little while ago thinking that I would eventually get a smaller, sweet, baby parrot. Never did I imagine that I would end up with a 21 year old, semi-tame, junk-food junkie, cage aggressive, Timneh African Grey - yet here we are! I doubted my sanity as I agreed to take him in from a friend who needed to re-home him, but now that we have Buddy, I couldn’t image it any other way!
Buddy moved in three weeks ago. He came to us on a diet of seed mix in the morning and human food (whatever the previous owners had for dinner) in the evening (potato chips were his love language). He had been handled (with towels to prevent biting) very little. He was scared of everything! He went into attack mode when I tried to place his food bowl. He backed away anytime we came in the room.
I felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew. This was my very first bird and I was so scared that I would not be able to help Buddy have a happier, healthier life. This is where I need to pause to say THANK YOU to every experienced bird owner who has taken the time to make an educational video, write an article, or post a response to someone’s question. Buddy and I would not be where we are today without the resources that so many have taken the time to provide.
Now, to brag on my rockstar bird for a moment. In the three weeks that we have been together, Buddy has switched to eating chop for breakfast and pellets for dinner (the pellets took some work, but he doesn’t seem to mind them now). He steps up and down like a pro. He enjoys spending time on my shoulder and getting scratches. He is becoming more active during the day and starting to play with his toys. He lets me reach in his cage when I need to and is trying something new each day. The perch that he was terrified of last week is now his favorite spot to relax during the day.
We still have some work to do. We went to an avian vet last week and everything looked fantastic except for his blood work shows high cholesterol. The vet and I are both hopeful that his new diet will start to correct this without medication. Buddy is also still not as comfortable with my son (10) or husband. He is with me all day as I work from home, so it makes sense, but we will keep working on building trust with them also. All advice is is welcomed!
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