The Continuing Capers of Companion-ing Cotton

[onamom]

@ravvlet I did get a training plan from a trainer that's worked with a lot of ringnecks and has Amazons of her own that weren't adoptable due to behavior issues - it definitely helps me having step by step written out for me! She also recommended filming every single session and watching it afterward, and I think that's where I started to be more effective.

I sometimes record myself training Ona. It does help! You can see where there are areas you could be a better trainer by watching it back. You won't notice in the moment if you reward too quickly, etc. But watching it back can really help you see patterns with your bird and yourself.

 

[Cottonoid]

I sometimes record myself training Ona. It does help! You can see where there are areas you could be a better trainer by watching it back. You won't notice in the moment if you reward too quickly, etc. But watching it back can really help you see patterns with your bird and yourself.

Yes exactly! I had a pattern of not letting Cotton be uncomfortable and having to work through it - so he was training me very effectively to give him treats for no work, ha.

 

[kme3388]

I haven’t caught up on Cotton in a long time. He’s looking great! Still a cutie I can see. How many parrots do you have? It looks like you have additions now.

 

[Cottonoid]

He was bald again by winter but is now molting all new feathers, so he seems to have a yearly big molt around his birthday!

I had a house full of parrots over the winter 😲 but some have gone back home. Right now we have Cotton, and Opie (a Quaker), and a visiting cockatiel from an extended family member. Cotton really liked having the other birds around until Opie got all his flight feathers back and zooms around

It's good for him though - he started trying to take baths after watching Opie! He definitely doesn't understand how to preen properly, so at this point he may never fly again, but who knows, he's still young

Here's his current clothing state

 

[Keet_Krazy]

@Cottonoid is this thread the majority of your posts about working with Cotton? I feel I need to do some reading...

 

[Cottonoid]

I actually think most of it is stressing over his illness - he had psittacosis/Chlamydia when I got him and has sinus/narre damage.

I should update with what we've done for trust building!

 

[Keet_Krazy]

I should update with what we've done for trust building!

That'd be great for those of us looking to learn
Plus I love reading about him 😅

 

[Cottonoid]

Going to the vet today....

Took some maneuvering with a tea towel and a scared crying Cotton running around like the Roadrunner cartoon, but we're in the travel cage taking a few minutes before making the hour drive.

 

[LaManuka]

Going to the vet today....

Took some maneuvering with a tea towel and a scared crying Cotton running around like the Roadrunner cartoon, but we're in the travel cage taking a few minutes before making the hour drive.

View attachment 51599

Awwwwwwwwww, and here I was thinking he was just enjoying a nice sunbathe before I read that he was going to the vet, and not happy about it either Don't worry Cotton, your mum will take good care of you and I wish you all the best at the vet! 💖

 

[onamom]

Awe, poor boy. Good luck at the vet Cotton!

 

[kme3388]

I hope Cotton’s vet appointment goes well.

Nico likes to bite his vet. He’d prefer to skip the full body exam lol. Drawing blood for labs… well Nico decided he needed to get a blood sample too. It’s so embarrassing at times bringing parrots to the vet. It’s the “walk of shame” because my child is behaving poorly type of situation.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I hope Cotton’s vet appointment goes well.

Nico likes to bite his vet. He’d prefer to skip the full body exam lol. Drawing blood for labs… well Nico decided he needed to get a blood sample too. It’s so embarrassing at times bringing parrots to the vet. It’s the “walk of shame” because my child is behaving poorly type of situation.

I brought a budgie, Bib, to the vet a few years ago for an exam. Bib was a tiny girl with the face of an angel but she would bite the web of skin between the thumb and the first finger so hard and refuse to let go as she tried to pierce the victim. I warned the vet as he carried her in her travel cage to the exam room, and he laughed and said "I'm not afraid of a budgie bite". That was until he returned with her. She bit both him and his assistant very hard. I swear I saw a smile on her angelic face!

 

[kme3388]

I brought a budgie, Bib, to the vet a few years ago for an exam. Bib was a tiny girl with the face of an angel but she would bite the web of skin between the thumb and the first finger so hard and refuse to let go as she tried to pierce the victim. I warned the vet as he carried her in her travel cage to the exam room, and he laughed and said "I'm not afraid of a budgie bite". That was until he returned with her. She bit both him and his assistant very hard. I swear I saw a smile on her angelic face!

I had budgies growing up. I can’t help but adore them. They have a mean bite if they feel threatened, or if they are being territorial. I don’t care what anyone says I’d rather be bit by my conures (not saying this is delightful either). There’s something about that small little beak that can pack a punch.

 

[Cottonoid]

As usual, Cotton is ridiculously docile and did great at the vet - crying at the top of his lungs through the whole exam, which makes for assessing choana and sinus health much easier 🤣

I was hoping we'd be able to spend the evening outside afterward but the air quality wasn't good enough for my comfort level with a chronic respiratory condition bird and mama pair

She ended up prescribing enrofloxacin/Baytril so fingers crossed really hard he doesn't have subsequent problems with such a heavy hitter antibiotic. So far Cotton seems to like artificial banana flavor about as much as he likes broccoli, so that will be a fun puzzle to solve.

He's on 0.05ml so tonight I injected it into a piece of mango.

When I worked in vet med years ago, we had several dogs who would just stop eating their favorite treat if it had tramadol, which at the time wasn't coated and tasted bitter. I can totally see Cotton doing that so golly I hope the mango his the flavor!

 

[ravvlet]

Ugh, banana flavor is the only one Kirby DOES like! His current med is tutti frutti and I think the next is something weird, like mango or grape. I have to soak it on birdie bread to get him to eat it nowadays.

 

[kme3388]

Sorry to hear about Cotton needing antibiotics. Hopefully he takes to them easily, and feels better.

 

[LaManuka]

Oh sweet Cotton, take your meds for your mama like a good birdie, won't you please? And I hope they do the trick! 🙏 🙏 🙏

 

[onamom]

Get well soon Cotton! And keep eating those yummy mangos that totally aren’t hiding anything!

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

I brought a budgie, Bib, to the vet a few years ago for an exam. Bib was a tiny girl with the face of an angel but she would bite the web of skin between the thumb and the first finger so hard and refuse to let go as she tried to pierce the victim. I warned the vet as he carried her in her travel cage to the exam room, and he laughed and said "I'm not afraid of a budgie bite". That was until he returned with her. She bit both him and his assistant very hard. I swear I saw a smile on her angelic face!

The worst bite I ever got, and i've had 3 species of conure, budiges, cockatiels, finches and Gods know what else, was from a budgie. They can be little pit vipers!

 

[wrench13]

Our Cotton is made of sterner stuff! At least he has a favorite. Salty hates them all (and knock wood we haven't had to test that recently). We had to hold his little head and squirt the stuff in; all the early handling lets us do that without losing a finger.