T-minus 5 days to gotcha

[JustRaina]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Cage built and now on 3rd round of interior decorating.
Food she's used to acquired.
Shopping list for familiar veg she's been eating.

Office painted a week ago with low VOC paint, windows open and fans blowing to make sure it's fully aired out.
In the process of cleaning/kitting out an extra pet carrier for bird travel.

Nope, not excited at all. Not me.

 

[camelotshadow]

How about some nice hardwood perches that screw on the side of the cage of various sizes...3/4 in to close to 1 inch should be fine???
No dowels or at least not only dowels...

 

[JustRaina]

Nope, no dowels

Perching places thus far are:

A flat wooden sorta half round wooden perch. I figure as time goes by and I move it around I can turn it upside down so she's on the round w/the bark, or turn on it's end so it's tall and skinny. Yay variety
A rope perch that goes the whole width of the cage
Swing with a dowel type bottom and beads to play with on the sides
Cement perch by food dish
Other finished wood type perch, but with graduated widths on it.
Two different ladder type contraptions, one rope and wood and the other with movable rungs that have toys/shreddy things on the end
Swing/perch type thing that is a wrapped ring hanging horizontally from three ropes, covered in toys and whatnot. Hard to explain

I also have a handful of maple branches in my driveway from a tree I just had to have taken down in my front yard, they are awaiting being cut up and baked for use.

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I like to be prepared.

 

[camelotshadow]

Oooh sounds like you've got a nice set up! Lucky Raina!

 

[11bryces]

it is so nice that you got so much preparation because a lot of new bird owner learn everything once they got the bird but it seems like the little birdy is going to a wonderful new home !!! so happy happy i can't wait to hear more from you !

 

[Lwalker]

Can't wait for pictures!!

 

[JustRaina]

it is so nice that you got so much preparation because a lot of new bird owner learn everything once they got the bird but it seems like the little birdy is going to a wonderful new home !!! so happy happy i can't wait to hear more from you !

*Grins* Over preparing is kinda my MO. I'm a nerd, I like to know ALL THE THINGS. I then talk about them unprompted in a vaguely insufferable way with enough enthusiasm that is just charming enough to get me a pass

I've been thinking about the bird thing for a few years now, just finally taking the plunge since my older more prey-driven cat Quoth passed away a few weeks ago.* His other great love was destroying houseplants, so it's nice to be able to have those again too.

* Thank you for the inevitable condolences, he was a good cat. I got him when I was 21, he was the furry little witness to my whole adult life. He had 16 good years and one bad day, we should all hope for that sort of ratio. Picture because he was such a love.

 

[11bryces]

so sorry about you loss you seem like a great and loving person and there should be more responsable pet owners like you

 

[JustRaina]

Aaaaahhhhhh, too many things!

 

[JustRaina]

It only took me 4 zillion tries..but I think I like this set-up ok.

 

[greys4u]

Sounds like you are nesting! Seriously, that is a great setup and that will be one happy and very spoiled baby.

 

[camelotshadow]

Watch the fibers esp the cozy corner as you don;t want him ingesting them as it cause a blockage. Also loose strings can cause a foot to get caught & make sure there are no openings large enought to get his head in as he could get stuck///

Also make sure he has places to stretch out his wings fully.

Looks like enough to keep him busy...

 

[11bryces]

Aaaaahhhhhh, too many things!

View attachment 253800

um can i just say .............................................................................. im in love with the cage it looks so roomy !!!!! and you bought so many things its a great start

 

[zoo mom]

Looks like an awesome set up. Just keep in mind if he/She hasn't had a lot of toys in the cage before it might scare him/her. In that case you may have to take some out for a while.

 

[JustRaina]

Looks like an awesome set up. Just keep in mind if he/She hasn't had a lot of toys in the cage before it might scare him/her. In that case you may have to take some out for a while.

Toy access is one of the many things I like about our local bird store.

The cage she and her clutch (just 3 left in there as of yesterday as they are being picked up post weaning) has the setup changed every week, moving perches and whatnot. They also always have at least a couple of toys in there and she's had everything from shredders to bells to swings to rope/wood monstrosities in the few weeks we've been visiting since we first put our deposit down.

They also let the birds out in shifts so everyone gets some out of cage time with other computable birds, and the hanging gyms and stands are all covered with various other toys.

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Watch the fibers esp the cozy corner as you don;t want him ingesting them as it cause a blockage. Also loose strings can cause a foot to get caught & make sure there are no openings large enought to get his head in as he could get stuck///

Also make sure he has places to stretch out his wings fully.

Looks like enough to keep him busy...

I waffled on the cozy corner, but figured I could just keep an eye on it. I worry that coming from a communal cage where she huddles and sleeps with her siblings to a big cage all alone will make her lonely, wanted her at least to have something to snuggle and snooze.

I may fiddle with it a little more when we get home, there isn't a great wing flapping spot unless she's hanging on the side (which she does now @ the shop)

 

[Laylatoo]

Congrats! I'm hopefully about two weeks away from picking up my baby. I've been waiting for her since her hatch date (placed a deposit that day) on March 24th. The wait is so dang long! I've had the cage setup and a huge stockpile of toys for a month and a half. Lol. Very much ready for her to come home too. Can't wait for pics of your baby when she gets home!

 

[Donna turner]

Congrats on impending gotcha day. It's so exciting. I have a question about the maple branches. I have horses and all parts of red maples are very poison to them. I had to remove some from my pasture. I don't know about other varieties of maple, but if you haven't already make sure theyre not toxic

 

[JustRaina]

*nods* Yeah I had seen that some maples were on the list. This is a Vine Maple, they are pretty common out here in the Pacific NW. I texted a picture to the Master Gardener at our local college to verify.

 

[JustRaina]

Congrats! I'm hopefully about two weeks away from picking up my baby. I've been waiting for her since her hatch date (placed a deposit that day) on March 24th. The wait is so dang long! I've had the cage setup and a huge stockpile of toys for a month and a half. Lol. Very much ready for her to come home too. Can't wait for pics of your baby when she gets home!

Ooh, they had two rose breasted toos at the store when we went in yesterday that are new and being hand fed. They are so lovely! I'm not a pink fan in general, but I'd make an exception there.

It's a good thing we know ourselves well enough to know we don't have a 'too level of attention to give right now.

 

[Laylatoo]

Ooh, they had two rose breasted toos at the store when we went in yesterday that are new and being hand fed. They are so lovely! I'm not a pink fan in general, but I'd make an exception there.

It's a good thing we know ourselves well enough to know we don't have a 'too level of attention to give right now.

They are attention hogs for sure. I wouldn't have it any other way though. Im great at spoiling those pretty pink birds.

Congrats again. Looking forward to your precious babies homecoming post!