I’ve been thinking about folks who want a playful cuddly bird that does tricks and talks, harness and free flight trained... but they don’t realize the ups and downs of parronting.
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Yesterday was a bad day. Smoky Blue was play fighting with his blanket, when he lost footing and fell behind the cage. He got a nice little scrape over his eye. He was nippy, didn’t want to eat after that.
Yesterday was also cage cleaning day. He was already grumpy and nervous after the fall. When I went to transfer him to the travel cage, he flew across the house, landed on the tops of the kitchen cabinets, right above my cooking stir fry... after ineffective bribes, a failed step up, and warning lunges, he got the towel. I put my grey burrito in “time out” near Taco so he could settle down.
To make matters worse, Whole Foods is out of his beloved pomegranate!
~~
Today was a different story! When I got home from work, I greeted Smoky Blue, but didn’t offer a step up. I went to the den (furthest part of the house)...a few minutes later, Smoky came flying in. He expertly navigated the turns of the hallway, landing perfectly on the couch. Furthest he’s flown! He sat quietly, and accepted when I offered a step up. He cuddled for over an hour, resting his scraped little bird head on my chest with eyes closed.
When it was bedtime, I carried him back to within 15 ft of the cage, then pointed and directed him back. Smoky Blue flew back to his cage, another perfect landing. He got fruit rewards, then he waited for kisses before getting covered. So proud of my sweet grey fluff!
~~
Sometimes it rains, sometimes it shines. We’re in it for the long haul!
~~
Yesterday was a bad day. Smoky Blue was play fighting with his blanket, when he lost footing and fell behind the cage. He got a nice little scrape over his eye. He was nippy, didn’t want to eat after that.
Yesterday was also cage cleaning day. He was already grumpy and nervous after the fall. When I went to transfer him to the travel cage, he flew across the house, landed on the tops of the kitchen cabinets, right above my cooking stir fry... after ineffective bribes, a failed step up, and warning lunges, he got the towel. I put my grey burrito in “time out” near Taco so he could settle down.
To make matters worse, Whole Foods is out of his beloved pomegranate!
~~
Today was a different story! When I got home from work, I greeted Smoky Blue, but didn’t offer a step up. I went to the den (furthest part of the house)...a few minutes later, Smoky came flying in. He expertly navigated the turns of the hallway, landing perfectly on the couch. Furthest he’s flown! He sat quietly, and accepted when I offered a step up. He cuddled for over an hour, resting his scraped little bird head on my chest with eyes closed.
When it was bedtime, I carried him back to within 15 ft of the cage, then pointed and directed him back. Smoky Blue flew back to his cage, another perfect landing. He got fruit rewards, then he waited for kisses before getting covered. So proud of my sweet grey fluff!
~~
Sometimes it rains, sometimes it shines. We’re in it for the long haul!
