In the wake of Mr. Pigglesworth's death, I'm finding that while I'm struggling with grief and dealing with the day-to-day interactions that require me to adjust, I have been blind to the fact that my other birds have also been suffering from grief. While I've been trying to spend my time in the bird room and NOT look at the floor where he used to scuttle, or his favorite perch on the tree, I also haven't been looking or paying any attention to the dynamics in my flock. And with his loss, they most certainly have changed.
I was reading and enjoying some peace in the bird room (almost sound like an oxymoron, doesn't it?), I became very aware of Calypso. As Akira likes her, but has never really bonded with it, I noticed now that she was clinging to the top of Elvis' cage. She seemed almost desperate to bond with him, and was climbing all over his cage, looking for a way in. When I opened the cage door, she hopped right in, found a perch near him, and settled down. Of course, Elvis was NOT thrilled about this intruder, he chirped to her and made his angry lovie noises, but left her alone. When it was time to put the birds to bed, Calypso wouldn't go anywhere NEAR her cage. This has been an issue since Piggy passed, and in lieu of toweling her, I shooed her on to the treestand and allowed her to settle there before I turned off the lights for the evening.
When I woke up this morning, I was horrified at what I found. Calypso had squeezed herself THROUGH the cage bars on Archie's cage, and was IN his cage sleeping!
There have been a few nights where I have left her out overnight because I couldn't get her to go back in her cage, and she generally has wanted to sleep on the tree. But then, Piggy was usually with her, and so I allowed it as in the morning they would be snuggled up together on the perch, and the bar-spacing on every other cage was safe for them to not be able to get through. I had thought Archie's current cage was also safe as I had measured it, but there is a gap that is slightly wider where the middle door (a piece that folds down like the porches you see on some cages, but its braced), and I'm sure that is where she squeezed through. To make matters worse, when I flicked on the lights this morning and went into feed, Archie noticed her, and began to chase her around the cage. And for a few moments, she opened her beak and squawked right back at him and stood up to him before she flew off!
It was a chore to chase her out of his cage, and then of course I toweled her and checked for wounds (there were none), and then put her back into her regular cage. But this was the catalyst to the realization. Calypso has been following Archie, Ella, Akira, and Elvis everywhere. Ever since she lost her Pig (whom I never thought she was really fond of, but apparently I was wrong), she has been trying to bond with my other birds. She incessantly pesters Archie now, trying to preen his tail feathers, and his head
He is having NONE of it! And now he chases her.
I'm so worried. Even if I just have her out in the bird room for some playtime, now I'm worried that she'll be squeezing into Archie's cage despite my attempts! I generally supervise when the birds are out of their cages, but with the little birds, I let them out on Mondays to have free roam of the bird room because Paul is home all day and would be alerted if he heard a scuffle going on, and he checks on them. Clearly, this is no longer an option. I fear for her safety. I have asked Paul about getting another budgie friend for her, to which he promptly replied: "NO."
I'm scared that if she's going to be constantly trying to get in with Archie, or worse, ELLA, that she is eventually going to get hurt\
What should I do?
I was reading and enjoying some peace in the bird room (almost sound like an oxymoron, doesn't it?), I became very aware of Calypso. As Akira likes her, but has never really bonded with it, I noticed now that she was clinging to the top of Elvis' cage. She seemed almost desperate to bond with him, and was climbing all over his cage, looking for a way in. When I opened the cage door, she hopped right in, found a perch near him, and settled down. Of course, Elvis was NOT thrilled about this intruder, he chirped to her and made his angry lovie noises, but left her alone. When it was time to put the birds to bed, Calypso wouldn't go anywhere NEAR her cage. This has been an issue since Piggy passed, and in lieu of toweling her, I shooed her on to the treestand and allowed her to settle there before I turned off the lights for the evening.
When I woke up this morning, I was horrified at what I found. Calypso had squeezed herself THROUGH the cage bars on Archie's cage, and was IN his cage sleeping!
There have been a few nights where I have left her out overnight because I couldn't get her to go back in her cage, and she generally has wanted to sleep on the tree. But then, Piggy was usually with her, and so I allowed it as in the morning they would be snuggled up together on the perch, and the bar-spacing on every other cage was safe for them to not be able to get through. I had thought Archie's current cage was also safe as I had measured it, but there is a gap that is slightly wider where the middle door (a piece that folds down like the porches you see on some cages, but its braced), and I'm sure that is where she squeezed through. To make matters worse, when I flicked on the lights this morning and went into feed, Archie noticed her, and began to chase her around the cage. And for a few moments, she opened her beak and squawked right back at him and stood up to him before she flew off!
It was a chore to chase her out of his cage, and then of course I toweled her and checked for wounds (there were none), and then put her back into her regular cage. But this was the catalyst to the realization. Calypso has been following Archie, Ella, Akira, and Elvis everywhere. Ever since she lost her Pig (whom I never thought she was really fond of, but apparently I was wrong), she has been trying to bond with my other birds. She incessantly pesters Archie now, trying to preen his tail feathers, and his head
He is having NONE of it! And now he chases her.I'm so worried. Even if I just have her out in the bird room for some playtime, now I'm worried that she'll be squeezing into Archie's cage despite my attempts! I generally supervise when the birds are out of their cages, but with the little birds, I let them out on Mondays to have free roam of the bird room because Paul is home all day and would be alerted if he heard a scuffle going on, and he checks on them. Clearly, this is no longer an option. I fear for her safety. I have asked Paul about getting another budgie friend for her, to which he promptly replied: "NO."
I'm scared that if she's going to be constantly trying to get in with Archie, or worse, ELLA, that she is eventually going to get hurt
\What should I do?
I wasn't about to let that happen to the poor girl.
