was this the right thing to do ?? good bye

[Parrotsrok]

Parrotsrok,
It's time for a wake up call. I broke out in tears when I saw that perch , and the cage. This is absolutely at the root of the screaming.

I read this and i have the worst feeling ever i almost feel like a horrible monster, i wish i could take all the BS back i have inflicted on my poor bird,

I have never owned a parrot before in my life this is my first experience with an Alex, therefore i had no idea how to keep one, buy im starting to learn thanks to this website and all the great people that are available on here,

but some how i do feel responsible for her behavior and i should be blamed, i should have been more careful and i certainly should have done some more research regarding Alexandrian's before bringing one to my door step, wish i could tell my bird how sorry iam and i wish i could take it all back.

I just called the bird shop and ordered a nice cage and a perch suitable for Alexandrian's it will be delivered by Monday the 2nd until then ill keep her out of the cage most of the time.

 

[Tami2]

Please don't beat yourself up. Just turn it around, now that you know what to do.

Here is a good thread about Cage Set-ups:
You can get a good idea about size.

http://www.parrotforums.com/cages/69735-show-me-your-cages.html

 

[Laurasea]

Thank you Parrotsrok!

My first budgie I got as child had a terrible short life do to lack of knowledge. We don't know what we don't know. Now you know more, and I hope you continue as an active quest , to improve your parrots life. To educate those you come in contact with how to improve their birds lives. I myself am still actively learning ways to improve the life of my parrots.

One new perch won't be enough. But maybe you ment that you would get several new perches. The dowels that come with new cages aren't acceptable either. You could still use as long as you have several different kinds and width of perches.

I'm so glad you joined. I hope you go through the the different forums, we hsveots of good stuff here.

We haven't talked about diet yet. Seeds are fine as part of a diet, but there needs to be a lot of veggie as party of the diet daily. Just a few fruits. They can aslo have a small amount of boiled eggs or scrambled eggs once in while, pasta, cooked oatmeal, quinoa, a few nuts once in while too. We have a diet and nutrition forum, and lists of safe veggies. If Cookie doesn't eat veggies we can help with ideas.

It's a lot to take in, you are doing a complete life overhaul for her.

Continues to be honest and forth right. It speaks highly of your character that you are being so.

You can start your own Thread for Cookie, and document your changes, and progress. Keep seeking the truth and asking questions! There are untold parrot lives you are helping by this thread! And by your honesty , which I thank you.

 

[vsk101]

Parrotrok, you are going to have a nice life with your sweet girl and looking back this will be just a blip on the radar. We have all made MANY mistakes with our birds. That is what these forums are for, to learn and to educate one another. Your bird should have perches of varying widths (within the parameters noted previously). At least one rope perch is good for sleeping, as recommended by Windy City Parrot. However, as the rope perches age, they will tend to fray. If they get their toes wrapped around the strings, it can be disastrous - they can end up chewing them off. So it's imperative that you continuously check and trim any stray strings. It's also important to check her feet for sores, which will need treatment. Their feet are even more important than ours because they are so critical for perching. Also please make sure that any metals in her cage or otherwise available to her are stainless steel. Heavy metal toxicity from zinc, lead and other metals is very dangerous. Even parrot toys can have them, so it's important to know where you are buying from and also to check for any signs of rust. You and your girl will be ok. She obviously loves you a lot!

 

[greytness]

I commend you for being a part of this community, not only asking for advice, but for caring enough to create a better environment for your bird. Having more space, better perches and a variety of toys will help immensely! You already have a bond with her, which can be one the most difficult parts of bird ownership. Next step is creating a world for her in which she can play, interact and one that will stimulate her little brain. You'll get there!

 

[vsk101]

It's obviously not possible to be with Cookie all day. It's important that they have a lot of time for socialization, but when she's alone, it's important that she isn't bored. One of the best things to do for her is to give her a job. The main job they have in the wild is foraging for food. In fact, about 3/4 of their time is spent doing this. This means making her look for food instead of just serving every meal in a bowl. There are many different ways to get a bird to forage. Foraging should get gradually more difficult for birdie over time, as her skills advance. Here are some examples: wrapping food in newspaper, putting food in small, unwaxed paper cups, covering birdies food bowl with paper and securing with a leather strap or bird-safe masking tape, putting greens and fruit on a hanging shish kebab skewer (it's a common parrot toy). They need fruits and veggies in addition to pellets, seeds, etc. A food dehydrator is great for this. It's also great for making seasoned kale chips for humans - yum! Please make sure that any appliances you buy are not teflon, ptfe or pfoa coated, since it will be toxic for birdie. I know this one is safe because I contacted the company: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008H2OEKK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Betrisher]

I forgot to ask earlier, Parrotsrok. You don't say what part of the world you live in. It's very easy for us to forget that not everyone has access to very large cages and fancy toys or even a vet (let alone a specialist bird vet). Can you please tell us where you live and what kind of vets or petshops are available to you? That might help when it comes to giving useful advice.