I’ve been housesitting and dogsitting for some friends this holiday, so I brought Stewie with me.

His regular cage was set up in the guest room so I could keep the dogs away from him, but he just pitched a fit. Much more than he ever did at home, he screamed every time I made a move to leave him alone. Ordinarily I just ignore him when he screams for attention, but this just seemed different – he was in a strange place after all. So I felt I had no choice except to put him in his travel cage and bring him out into the den. I put the little travel carrier on top of the counter where the dogs couldn’t reach him, set up my laptop next to it, and peace was restored.

Don’t worry, I’m super careful about not letting the dogs near him. None of the dogs seems particularly interested in him, but I still watch them all with an eagle eye.

Stewie seems much happier being out with the rest of the “flock.” I can even leave the room without him screaming.

I even took the little critter into the shower – my friends have a much nicer shower than I do, easier to bring him in with me – and he took his first real shower. Usually he just takes little half baths in his water bowl, or I mist him, which he doesn’t get into. He plasters his wings to his body and basically “puts up with” getting wet with the mister.

But this time, after a couple of minutes of not being excited about the shower at all, he started getting really into it. He spread his wings, shook his tail feathers, walked toward the water, lowered his head … and started enjoying it! He got soaked, really soaked, for the first time since I’ve had him.

I’ll post photos as soon as I get home and download them.