GreenThing
Jogging around the block
Merlin seems to reveal a new behavior or sound each week!
Lately, he's been treating one toy as his best bud. He still chews it up, but he beak-fences with the flowers (they probably do feel and look like beaks), quietly and sweetly warbles to it, preens it, and asks it to preen him. As soon as he wakes up he climbs down from his sleeping perch and goes to check on it. I wonder if people underestimate how smart budgies are, sometimes, because it seems obvious to me that he doesn't actually believe this toy is another bird-- he takes big chunks out of it, after all! He reminds me of a very young child with a comfort object.
I've started "playing" alongside him with the same toy. Once I started this, it's like something shifted in his little brain when it comes to my hands, and he's started preening my nails and fingers (but only inside the cage). He will usually never step up unless he sees a treat (although he is learning that I am willing to be his personal "elevator" when he gets stuck or wants to go somewhere), but in these moment he will climb onto my hand to get at my other fingers.
This has sort of become my cue for when he wants scritches, too. When I see him "asking" the toy to preen him, I will bring my hand close, and he will nibble my nail and tip his head almost 90 degrees and fluff up so much that I can see his pink skin. I tell myself that this is probably baby behavior, and he won't necessarily be this cuddly forever... but jeez, it's pretty darn cute.
I never reach for him, I'll just kind of "perch" my hand and move one finger along with the sound of my voice until he moves closer. Sometimes he will scoot down and give my fingernail a sharp tap, like we are fencing.
Is it okay to interact like this, as long as I'm careful never to encourage hormonal behavior (whenever that arrives)?
He also LOVES to pull off tiny bits of toilet paper, roll them into little cocoons with his tongue, and drop them. I don't do this super often, because I'm worried about him swallowing that tiny, dusty paper pulp that toilet paper has.
Are there other ways your budgie likes to play? I want to try more toys and "games" so he's getting direct and not just indirect attention from me.
Once we move apartments, I will need to work on a solution for the rare weekends that I'm not in my bedroom for most of the day, too. Merlin doesn't like exploring outside of his cage, for now, but he's started flock calling to me on weekends when I'm cleaning in the kitchen or watching a movie with a friend (i.e. this Sunday, even though we'd had a good four five hours together). Any tips on this? I'd wheel his cage out, but it took him two weeks to recover his courage last time I moved his cage.
(Bonus video from the first time he unexpectedly decided to enjoy a spray bath!)
Lately, he's been treating one toy as his best bud. He still chews it up, but he beak-fences with the flowers (they probably do feel and look like beaks), quietly and sweetly warbles to it, preens it, and asks it to preen him. As soon as he wakes up he climbs down from his sleeping perch and goes to check on it. I wonder if people underestimate how smart budgies are, sometimes, because it seems obvious to me that he doesn't actually believe this toy is another bird-- he takes big chunks out of it, after all! He reminds me of a very young child with a comfort object.
I've started "playing" alongside him with the same toy. Once I started this, it's like something shifted in his little brain when it comes to my hands, and he's started preening my nails and fingers (but only inside the cage). He will usually never step up unless he sees a treat (although he is learning that I am willing to be his personal "elevator" when he gets stuck or wants to go somewhere), but in these moment he will climb onto my hand to get at my other fingers.
This has sort of become my cue for when he wants scritches, too. When I see him "asking" the toy to preen him, I will bring my hand close, and he will nibble my nail and tip his head almost 90 degrees and fluff up so much that I can see his pink skin. I tell myself that this is probably baby behavior, and he won't necessarily be this cuddly forever... but jeez, it's pretty darn cute.
I never reach for him, I'll just kind of "perch" my hand and move one finger along with the sound of my voice until he moves closer. Sometimes he will scoot down and give my fingernail a sharp tap, like we are fencing.
Is it okay to interact like this, as long as I'm careful never to encourage hormonal behavior (whenever that arrives)?
He also LOVES to pull off tiny bits of toilet paper, roll them into little cocoons with his tongue, and drop them. I don't do this super often, because I'm worried about him swallowing that tiny, dusty paper pulp that toilet paper has.
Are there other ways your budgie likes to play? I want to try more toys and "games" so he's getting direct and not just indirect attention from me.
Once we move apartments, I will need to work on a solution for the rare weekends that I'm not in my bedroom for most of the day, too. Merlin doesn't like exploring outside of his cage, for now, but he's started flock calling to me on weekends when I'm cleaning in the kitchen or watching a movie with a friend (i.e. this Sunday, even though we'd had a good four five hours together). Any tips on this? I'd wheel his cage out, but it took him two weeks to recover his courage last time I moved his cage.
(Bonus video from the first time he unexpectedly decided to enjoy a spray bath!)
he loves to play fight, play tug of war with rope, he even plays fetch. Just interacting with the toy with them can do you good too though!
)... but he loves delicately plucking both out of my fingers, nibbling blissfully, and then dropping them.