Some of you already know I'm 'fostering' a lovie, Kermit.
Kermit was surrendered, along with another lovie and a couple finches, to the bird store I work at. Him and the other lovie were both in a tiny, tiny cage
Kermie's left shoulder was plucked, mutilated, and had a big scab on it. We separated the two to make sure lovie #2 wasn't doing this to Kermit. As it turns out, Kermit has polyfolliculitis, which was causing his plucking/mutilating. With me having Leyla, another polyfolliculitis bird, Kermie totally pulled my heartstrings and I agreed to take him home so I could monitor his healing.
So. I brought him home, set up the lovies old cage for him, gave him lots of things to shred and destroy, and made a cone for him so he could heal.
That was 3.5 months ago.
He's now been out of the cone for about 2 weeks and is doing pretty well. His shoulder is healed and the feathers have grown back, but he plucks around his neck yet. Most of his double-feather follicles are around his neck. He still chews on a little bit of skin right in his wingpit area, but it's getting less and less all the time.
Kermit is not tame, but he's not 'wild' either. He will reluctantly step up, but is fully flighted so most of the time takes off right after stepping up. He's made a lot of progress though. He now comes out of his cage almost right after I open it and loves to run around the top and look in the mirror by his cage.
Oh, we don't know his age or gender, but I've always referred to him as a male. He's not a permanent flock member as of yet, but I have a feeling I'm going to end up keeping him. Time will tell!
On to pictures!
This was the cage he came in:
Quite the upgrade!
First day home, you can see his ouchy shoulder:
A couple days ago when he flew to my open closet door and hung out there for a while:
I have a vase of molted peacock feathers sitting on the desk beside his cage, and one of the larger ones was hanging above his cage. The other day he reached up on tippy toes, grabbed the feather, and played with it for about half an hour:
Lastly, the first time meeting my lovies outside of the cage. Needless to say, it went well!
Kermit was surrendered, along with another lovie and a couple finches, to the bird store I work at. Him and the other lovie were both in a tiny, tiny cage
Kermie's left shoulder was plucked, mutilated, and had a big scab on it. We separated the two to make sure lovie #2 wasn't doing this to Kermit. As it turns out, Kermit has polyfolliculitis, which was causing his plucking/mutilating. With me having Leyla, another polyfolliculitis bird, Kermie totally pulled my heartstrings and I agreed to take him home so I could monitor his healing.So. I brought him home, set up the lovies old cage for him, gave him lots of things to shred and destroy, and made a cone for him so he could heal.
That was 3.5 months ago.
He's now been out of the cone for about 2 weeks and is doing pretty well. His shoulder is healed and the feathers have grown back, but he plucks around his neck yet. Most of his double-feather follicles are around his neck. He still chews on a little bit of skin right in his wingpit area, but it's getting less and less all the time.
Kermit is not tame, but he's not 'wild' either. He will reluctantly step up, but is fully flighted so most of the time takes off right after stepping up. He's made a lot of progress though. He now comes out of his cage almost right after I open it and loves to run around the top and look in the mirror by his cage.
Oh, we don't know his age or gender, but I've always referred to him as a male. He's not a permanent flock member as of yet, but I have a feeling I'm going to end up keeping him. Time will tell!
On to pictures!
This was the cage he came in:
Quite the upgrade!
First day home, you can see his ouchy shoulder:
A couple days ago when he flew to my open closet door and hung out there for a while:
I have a vase of molted peacock feathers sitting on the desk beside his cage, and one of the larger ones was hanging above his cage. The other day he reached up on tippy toes, grabbed the feather, and played with it for about half an hour:
Lastly, the first time meeting my lovies outside of the cage. Needless to say, it went well!
