I GOT HER!!!!!!!
I brought her home last night, after an incredible ordeal. After all that driving, that guy disappeared. Wasn't answering his phone, didn't look like anyone was home. My friend and I knocked everywhere and yelled his name and even inquired the neighbors about his whereabouts. Finally, just as we were about to call the whole thing a bust, he called. Apparently he was asleep the whole time.... LOL
But I'm so glad he woke up in time. He was very sweet. And Ruby!! She is a doll! I am completely smitten.
He had 4 dogs and 1 cockatiel. I could tell that he cared about her a lot and was going to miss her.
I was planning on just putting a deposit on her and coming back for her in two weeks. But after seeing her conditions, I couldn't leave. Here's a short list of things that concerned me:
1. her main diet was a brandless fortified parrot seed mix from Walmart
2. she had a mountain of poop as big as she was in her cage under her perch
3. the owner was smoking a cigarette in the room while we spoke (his tiel walked right over his ashtray!)
4. he had her cage door open, unattended while he was sleeping, with 4 dogs around
5. he told me she likes beer
I couldn't let her stay there another day!! She is sitting on my wrist right now as I type.
So far, she has been everything he said: super sweet with that soft eclectus beak and super quiet. She loves to give and receive kisses. This is how tame she is: at our first meeting, she let us, total strangers, extend both her wings with total calmness. While we were there, one of the dogs knocked over a table decoration, which crashed loudly behind her and it didn't even faze her. She has nerves of steel.
Some things that have stood out to me (because I haven't had big birds before):
1. her beak grinding noise is much louder than a parrotlets!
2. her feet are incredibly strong. If she doesn't want to let go of you... ouch.
3. So slow moving! Parrotlets are so fast. Ruby is more calculating and methodical. But still manages to be a bit clumsy...she almost sidestepped off of a new perch we put her on.
4. and so heavy!!! I'm not used to such a heavy bird!!! Lol!
I have heard her make a barely audible "farting" noise, that sounds similar to my friend's quaker's complaining noise. Also, when I bent over to quickly once while she was on my shoulder, she squawked in protest.
So she's not mute. But overall almost totally silent (so far!).
Here's what I want to ask you about. I guess I'm in a listy move this morning lol.
1. Last night, when we put her to sleep she leaned forward on her perch, spread her wings a little, and panted. Was she just stressed because it wasn't her normal cage and she didn't want to be in there? She would close her wings forcibly, making a sound, almost like a wing-slap from a pigeon. Is this normal posturing for an unhappy eclectus?
2. She is standing normally now, but last night she was horizontal, like almost laying down in my hands like a baby bird. Is she relaxed or nervous? The photo kind of shows her horizontal posture.
3. She grinds her beak a lot! That means she feels content and happy right?
4. I fed her some roudybush pellets this morning, which she was vaguely interested in. I think she is holding out for her seeds.
5. Her poops are wet and enormous!!! What does a normal healthy ekkie dropping look like? I'm used to tiny little dry specks of parrotlet poo.
6. Sometimes I see her holding her beak a little open. She's not panting or anything, and she looks relaxed, but her beak is just a little bit open sometimes.
7. She is picky about when she will step up. She doesn't bite, rather hangs on for dear life when I need to put her down somewhere (I'd love to have her on my arm or shoulder all day, but I can't
). Any tips/tricks here? I want to respect her wishes but at the same time sometimes I need to put her down. She is so sweet and gentle, but her nails are sharp and her feet are very strong! Haha.
She hasn't been to the vet yet. From what I can tell, she is incredibly healthy and well-adjusted despite having lived in unsuitable conditions for awhile... her eyes are clear, no discharge or caking around nostrils or vent, no stress bars on feathers, no plucking, and her breastbone is palpable but not sharp. She is curious and seems totally at ease, preening and ruffling her feathers and calmly letting us know when she wants to be picked up. I think I would like to wait until I'm back in Fort Worth to bring her to the vet that she will be normally seeing.
I love her so much already. She's utterly magnificent. I'm about to run out to the grocery store to do some shopping for her. I can't believe my luck that our worlds have crossed paths.
I hope we have many many years to share with each other. Thinking about it almost brings me to tears.
Things I love about her:
1. The way she studies my face so carefully.
2. Everything about her is so slow and dinosaur-like. She commands a sort of ancient respect.
3. She plays tug of war like a dog lol
4. The quiet, gentle manner in which she manages to always get her way.
5. Her breath smells like chocolate chip cookies.
6. She really is the loveliest creature I have ever seen in my life.