Introducing Pitchounette

[flyzipper]

I assume though that this is not safe without a harness

Personally, I wouldn't do it without a harness.
The thought of a bird (especially a small one) ending up in the footwell by the brake pedal, and having to make the choice between braking and crushing... not appealing to me.

 

[Wardy]

@Wardy
Pitchy is doing great. She’s got me making chop with 2304 ingredients plus sprouts -my son almost ate it thinking it was couscous salad.
im trying to get her used to the harness. Are photos. It’s a little nerve wracking.
i got amazing toys from Seriously Nutz that she loves but haven’t gotten great photos of that yet.
She goes to vet for her first wellness visit and I must admit I’m nervous. I took her on a car ride in a parrot backpack yesterday to get her used to it but she paced a lot until I lifted the pack off the car seat and held it up (ummm not great while driving).
overall I’m pleased as punch with our progress.
dot She’s a delight. I still have a lot to learn. View attachment 385598 View attachment 385599 View attachment 385600 View attachment 385601 View attachment 385603 View attachment 385602

Brilliant

 

[Shezbug]

Actually that is the one toy she never plays with : (. Thereby justifying having to buy more toys : )

When you do buy more toys see if you can get them with safer hooks (quicklinks) than the one in this last pic which are dangerous…

@Wardy
Pitchy is doing great. She’s got me making chop with 2304 ingredients plus sprouts -my son almost ate it thinking it was couscous salad.
im trying to get her used to the harness. Are photos. It’s a little nerve wracking.
i got amazing toys from Seriously Nutz that she loves but haven’t gotten great photos of that yet.
She goes to vet for her first wellness visit and I must admit I’m nervous. I took her on a car ride in a parrot backpack yesterday to get her used to it but she paced a lot until I lifted the pack off the car seat and held it up (ummm not great while driving).
overall I’m pleased as punch with our progress.
dot She’s a delight. I still have a lot to learn. View attachment 385598 View attachment 385599 View attachment 385600 View attachment 385601 View attachment 385603 View attachment 385602

I personally won’t even use them clips for my budgie

 

[FiatLux]

When you do buy more toys see if you can get them with safer hooks (quicklinks) than the one in this last pic which are dangerous…

I personally won’t even use them clips for my budgie

Oh didn’t know that. Thank you @Shezbug. Just ordered some quicklinks (zinc plated) online.

 

[Sparkles!]

What a HANDSOME birdy he is growing up to be!!

 

[FiatLux]

Adapting an idea from @flyzipper, I set up a higher seat for Pitchou’s (male adaptation of name : ) car travel backpack and he seemed quite pleased. He ate a pine nut and fell asleep during the drive back from his first vet visit so that’s a win.
Vet said he’s adorable and more importantly seems very healthy. I’m lucky we have a highly reputed avian vet 25mns away. I opted for blood tests and am praying they are covered by the pet insurance because it came out to $425. The admin at the vet believes both the wellness visit and blood tests will be covered. I’ll update the forum when I get results of tests and of insurance in case anyone is interested in the insurance policy. Thanks for all the support kind folks!

 

[Wardy]

Good news about the vet visit good to see he is relaxed enough in the car to fall asleep.

 

[FiatLux]

Pitchounette and Francois are now neighbors; let’s see if they can be neighborly.

 

[FiatLux]

Added some blueberry and elderberry branches from the garden and a sideways wood stand. Francois approves.

 

[FiatLux]

Pitchounette has discovered the joys (perhaps not the emotion evoked in this photo though lol!) of a sink shower.
This little bird gives me so much joy!!

 

[Sparkles!]

He looks like a surfer dude! (Or somehow what I would think one looks like, in all the ocean surfing my completely land locked state does not have.)

 

[Wardy]

How is Pitchy doing ? has been a while since we got any updates and i am sure we are due some pics

 

[FiatLux]

Pitchounette is a joy even though she bites me 2-3 times per day. I also have a nick on my lip and I’d rather not admit as to how that happened (just in case y’all don’t also regularly give your birds smooches lol). She spends longer stretches of time out now, especially in the mornings as she supervised my smoothie making. I’ve had to give her her own cup or she lunges for my glass —as I’m drinking. I’ve also figured out how to let her out with me late nights on the couch as my husband and i watch shows and the dogs re asleep. She gets very mad each time I put her in her cage. I often have success getting her back in by giving her a dried mealworm but I do get bit 2-3 times per day in this process. Luckily for both of us, I have the hands of a farmer (without the skills of one). We’ve stalled out on the harness training: once we got to the point of placing the neck loop on, we had a regression and I dropped it. It’s been 107 on a regular basis here though so we’re not super keen on going outside right now anyways. He has started responding to Francois the canary’s song and he definitely calls for me whenever I walk in the room. At night when I cover him, he chatters to me until I turn the lights out. So overall he’s great and I can’t remember a life without him.

 

[Wardy]

Excelent update sounds like hes doing well.

 

[edenkwfl]

What a cutie!

 

[FiatLux]

Pitchounette enjoyed overseeing the bday celebrations
I forgot to mention in my update that he also enjoys the twins’ bath time where he stars as the central figure of bath story time (look….a bird stuck in the tree (shower curtain rod): let’s call the firefighters…)

 

[FiatLux]

Pitchounette insists on sharing my breakfast of steel cut oats with chia seeds, flax seeds and blueberries every morning (which, to be fair, my husband does call “bird food” so perhaps it is I who insists on sharing Pitchounette’s breakfast lol!). Also, his nipping is now happening only when I apparently need redirection because my head scritches are not quite right.
Ive now started allowing the dogs to be in the room when I’ve got Pitchounette on me or on his stand right next to me. I know this is a controversial choice and not one I made lightly but it is working for us and Ive trained the dogs to leave it and have desensitized them to Pitchounette’s movements to decrease the risks. They are not allowed to interact but I did want to prepare for the risk that they might inadvertently at some point. This choice has greatly improved the amount and quality of time we all get to spend together in the same room with Pitchy out of cage.

 

[FiatLux]

Photo was supposed to attach to last post. Oatmeal on beak.

 

[flyzipper]

I know this is a controversial choice and not one I made lightly

It's your choice to make.

I made the same choice when Pepper was with us, but I still advocate(d) against it

 

[FiatLux]

In order to acclimate Pitchounette to the nail trimmers, I gave him his favorite treat: a tortilla chip. I’m so impressed with his claw skills. He’s definitely got better dexterity than me.