Updates and Musings About Life with Parrots
It’s that time of year again — that time of year, every year, when I start thinking about the number of families who are considering buying a bird, kitten, bunny or puppy for Christmas. Every year I put off writing it until it’s too late because, frankly, it just depresses me. At the risk of…
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Last week, Stewie and Mika went to the vet for their annual checkup. Stewie posted about his trip on Facebook resulting in a long comment thread about everybirdie’s vet-visiting habits. Among most of Stewie’s bird friends, the consensus matches the advice you’ll find on boards and parrot organizations: a routine checkup every year is the…
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A recent, last-minute trip out of town reinforced my appreciation for my friends. Despite already dogsitting for one sick dog and some personal issues of their own, they graciously let me drop my birds off at their house when I had to rush out of town on a family emergency. When I came back a…
Read More...I’ve refrained from saying much about HR 669, The Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act, currently being reviewed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Legislation rarely is what it seems on the surface and a lot of misinterpretation (willful and otherwise) often makes the rounds before the real facts shake out. However, the more I read…
Read More...Ok, I’ll admit. The title is a bit misleading. Stewie is a brat bird, and he did strike, but the better title would be: Stupid Woman Gets Bitten. I’ve written before that I don’t believe a bird ever bites for no reason. They may on occasion bite with no discernible warning, but there’s always a…
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If you love something, set it free If it comes back, its yours If not, it was never meant to be – Sting (but he wasn’t talking about pet birds) I’ve recently seen a few posts on bird forums about pet parrots escaping from their owners and, luckily in these specific cases, being recovered. One…
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Just a quick update: all the blood work came back from the lab and our avian vet says both Stewie and Mika’s tests came back fine. Everything looks good. Not that I was expecting any bad news, but it’s nice to have confirmation that everyone is healthy. Pionus are susceptible to gout. This is actually…
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It was with some trepidation and a lot of guilt that I told the vet to clip the rest of Stewie’s flight feathers. I loved having him flighted when he was an only bird, but ever since he’s taken to harassing and divebombing Mika I can’t trust him not to abuse his flying privileges. So…
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Stewie is eagerly eating his treat… a snap pea! (Shh, he doesn’t seem to realize that peas are veggies). So far, beside corn, these are the only fresh veggies he likes — and both are kinda high in sugar, more like fruit than veggies in terms of nutritional value — but I’ll take what I…
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I’ve been considering getting a second bird. I’ll be honest and admit that it’s as much to keep Stewie company while I’m gone as much as wanting another one for myself (that’s not the best reason to get another bird, but obviously I’d love it and do whatever it took to keep him happy even…
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Updated: I just read a really heartbreaking story about someone who was pressured into free flying their parrot before he was ready, a move that ended in tragedy. I want to make it extra super clear that I’m not advocating that you free fly your birds (i.e., let it fly outside without a harness) or…
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