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helenut
04-28-2011, 07:25 AM
After going to the vet with Rips, it turns out her liver isn't as bad as I had thought. She is going through a bad moult though and the vet said she definitely needs more vit C and A. She only really picks at the veg I give her though and doesn't eat a lot so I'm not sure how to make her. She's still taking aviform in her water though.
I did say to him I thought she could have a respiratory problem but he told me just to keep an eye on her o.O so I hope she is ok!

I still haven't had her clipped (I just feel so mean) but getting her back into the cage is 100x easier than before! She has a new cage and the door opens a lot wider so I kind of just usher her in and she goes in happy enough.

Maybe it has been a gradual change that I have not noticed that much, but yesterday she seemed not scared of me! I was proud, haha. I have thought for a while that she may never change, just because she appears so tramatised by something. But yesterday she was playing with a toy at the bottom of her cage, and i knelt down next to her and spoke to her softly, and she came over to me so I gave her some millet which she happily took from me! Doesn't seem like such a big deal, but for her it's something I thought she would never do haha, I was over the moon and still am!

My boyfriend who lives about 5 hours away so visits periodically said he's noticed a change in her too. He said she used to sit still in the cage and not play with anything, where as now she hops about madly, breaking all her toys (and copies jem by slamming the cage doors open and closed.) She doesn't jump or run or hide or scream anymore if someone suddenly moves in the room.

Still having trouble getting her to bathe though, I've tried every different size and depth bowl I could find to put in the cage and try out but she still doesnt. I take jem to the sink to have a bath as it's like a bonding session for us, but I don't know if it would be better to just let Jem show Rips how it is done in the cage.

I will carry on feeding her through the bars and see how it goes from there. It's only been about 5 months? Maybe 6? So she's doing pretty well, poor thing! Anyway :) happy days!

linda040899
04-28-2011, 09:48 AM
Helen,
Thank you for this great update on Ripley! It really sounds like she's beginning to form a trust relationship with you and it's a wonderful feeling when it finally happens. Something in her past traumatized her and she needs to learn by first hand experience that being with you is not just a continuation of where she was before. Keep up the great work that you are doing with her!

Carrots are a good source of Vit A. Since she seems to like playing with toys, perhaps using a carrot peeler and creating some long strands which you can clip together and hang frrom the top of her cage might get her attention. Figs are one of the best sources for Calcium and I use them for my birds when they need extra. Mine only like the seedy center so I split the fig and just offer what's inside the fig. You can try scooping it out into her food dish and see what she does with it.

helenut
04-29-2011, 06:42 AM
I never knew about the figs! Thanks, I will try that. When I give grated or peeled carrots, they usually end up being dunked into the water bowl!

I've noticed Jem is a bit crazy with dunking stuff, I gave them a toy to shred which had loads of strips of coloured paper and after I got back from work all the red pieces were in the water, all of one colour (I think it was yellow or something) were still left on the toy and all the other colours were just chucked around the cage. It was really strange because I never knew a lovebird could be so colour co-ordinated! She must have really hated the red ones or something :P

shadnamber
04-29-2011, 03:07 PM
yep, mine hate red too. I had a red chile flavored cuttle bone in their cage and they wouldn't touch it! I replaced it with the green lime one and they love it!

helenut
04-30-2011, 02:46 PM
I don't think I will be buying any more red toys for them then!

I'm not sure how but its gone from terrified bird for the last 5 months, to tentatively taking millet from me through the bars the other day, to being out the cage, sitting on my hand and eating from it today! Something must have just clicked?? I'm not sure!

It was panic stations when I moved my hand though, but I knew I was pushing my luck :P She also had a good nibble of my finger nail.