light487
06-05-2012, 07:39 PM
Hi All,
Just wanted to keep everyone updated on how Lucky is going and figure that I will do that a lot in the coming months and years, so I think a general "diary" or blog for him is needed rather than posting on the end of other threads I've started that are to do with specific subjects.
Since having his recent vet experience, Lucky has grown increasingly more confident and sure of himself. He's a lot more loving and friendly, as well as active and from what I can tell happier. He is very comfortable now with myself and my wife, definitely shows a preference to me but is happy to sit with my wife and snuggle with her whether I am at home or not.
He's been getting more used to his toys and playing with them with greater vigour though still hasn't learned how to hold them in his claws, so they need to be hung or tied to the inside of his cage or held by his human toy-holder. He occasionally nips us when we are holding the toys but I'm fairly certain this behaviour is more of a playful nature than aggression.
I've seen such an improvement in him since he got back from the Vet and he is really coming into his own. Recently we took him with us in the car to my folks place for the afternoon. It was a 1.5hr drive and he was fine with it. He slept some of the way and a few times I saw him eating from his seed cup as if there was nothing different. It was the same on the way back. I've written about the actual experience with the family but suffice to say that he was not stressed out or scared of the experience and seems to have socialised well.
Just last night I bought some new seed mix (Cockatiel Seed Mix) and a Peachfaced-specific bird treat (the ones that are a block of seeds/oats that you hang from the cage), and a cuttle bone thing. Previously when I had introduced new toys in his cage, he was scared of them but in this instance he took to the bird treat like a house on fire. Within a minute of it being placed he was eating from it and even hanging on to it like a sideways perch. The cuttle got a bit of a nibble as well but at least I know he is not scared of it.
He is now very comfortable with us and I am sure he knows that we are not going hurt him and he is safe with us. I took this as a queue to introduce him to the shower. I've tried on several occasions to get him to take a bath by himself but he always runs away from the shallow dishes, or bowls with high sides (which I've seen lovebirds bathing in on youtube), even putting him near the shower on my hand. Every time he will run/fly away from the water. In this case, he happily sat on my shoulder as I stepped in to the shower. I kept the termperature cooler than I would normally have it and just gradually moved closer and closer to the stream of water.
He wasn't exactly excited by the water but he wasn't tried to get away from it either. I think we have built up a trust that he knows I am not trying to hurt/drown him, so he allowed me to get closer and closer. I didn't allow the direct stream of water to hit him but instead allowed the water to splash off my shoulder against him. At one point he did bob his head towards the water stream but again, he didn't make any movement towards or away from the stream of water. Once he was around halfway wet, I finished off my shower and we got out.
I'm not sure he was distressed or anything but more like "What is this weird feeling I am feeling?" kind of thing. He didn't move a lot so I got him to flap his wings a bunch of times and used the hair dryer (on low heat, about 3 to 4 feet distance) to blow him about 1/3 dry before getting him to flap his wings more. Then I put him in his cage, which is next to our 11-fin oil heater. I finished doing my bathroom stuff and came back to check on him. He wasn't shivering or puffed up or anything.. just not moving alot.. still feeling a bit "weird" I think...
Anyway, I got him back out of the cage and played with him a little while longer till he started to move a bit more and got a lot more dry though still a little damp. Then put him back in his cage. I think he will be fine but as it's a first experience for both of us, I am naturally worried and he is naturally a little "weird" feeling :)
He looked normal this morning and he said goodbye (screech!) when I was leaving.. so I think it's all good. :)
Just wanted to keep everyone updated on how Lucky is going and figure that I will do that a lot in the coming months and years, so I think a general "diary" or blog for him is needed rather than posting on the end of other threads I've started that are to do with specific subjects.
Since having his recent vet experience, Lucky has grown increasingly more confident and sure of himself. He's a lot more loving and friendly, as well as active and from what I can tell happier. He is very comfortable now with myself and my wife, definitely shows a preference to me but is happy to sit with my wife and snuggle with her whether I am at home or not.
He's been getting more used to his toys and playing with them with greater vigour though still hasn't learned how to hold them in his claws, so they need to be hung or tied to the inside of his cage or held by his human toy-holder. He occasionally nips us when we are holding the toys but I'm fairly certain this behaviour is more of a playful nature than aggression.
I've seen such an improvement in him since he got back from the Vet and he is really coming into his own. Recently we took him with us in the car to my folks place for the afternoon. It was a 1.5hr drive and he was fine with it. He slept some of the way and a few times I saw him eating from his seed cup as if there was nothing different. It was the same on the way back. I've written about the actual experience with the family but suffice to say that he was not stressed out or scared of the experience and seems to have socialised well.
Just last night I bought some new seed mix (Cockatiel Seed Mix) and a Peachfaced-specific bird treat (the ones that are a block of seeds/oats that you hang from the cage), and a cuttle bone thing. Previously when I had introduced new toys in his cage, he was scared of them but in this instance he took to the bird treat like a house on fire. Within a minute of it being placed he was eating from it and even hanging on to it like a sideways perch. The cuttle got a bit of a nibble as well but at least I know he is not scared of it.
He is now very comfortable with us and I am sure he knows that we are not going hurt him and he is safe with us. I took this as a queue to introduce him to the shower. I've tried on several occasions to get him to take a bath by himself but he always runs away from the shallow dishes, or bowls with high sides (which I've seen lovebirds bathing in on youtube), even putting him near the shower on my hand. Every time he will run/fly away from the water. In this case, he happily sat on my shoulder as I stepped in to the shower. I kept the termperature cooler than I would normally have it and just gradually moved closer and closer to the stream of water.
He wasn't exactly excited by the water but he wasn't tried to get away from it either. I think we have built up a trust that he knows I am not trying to hurt/drown him, so he allowed me to get closer and closer. I didn't allow the direct stream of water to hit him but instead allowed the water to splash off my shoulder against him. At one point he did bob his head towards the water stream but again, he didn't make any movement towards or away from the stream of water. Once he was around halfway wet, I finished off my shower and we got out.
I'm not sure he was distressed or anything but more like "What is this weird feeling I am feeling?" kind of thing. He didn't move a lot so I got him to flap his wings a bunch of times and used the hair dryer (on low heat, about 3 to 4 feet distance) to blow him about 1/3 dry before getting him to flap his wings more. Then I put him in his cage, which is next to our 11-fin oil heater. I finished doing my bathroom stuff and came back to check on him. He wasn't shivering or puffed up or anything.. just not moving alot.. still feeling a bit "weird" I think...
Anyway, I got him back out of the cage and played with him a little while longer till he started to move a bit more and got a lot more dry though still a little damp. Then put him back in his cage. I think he will be fine but as it's a first experience for both of us, I am naturally worried and he is naturally a little "weird" feeling :)
He looked normal this morning and he said goodbye (screech!) when I was leaving.. so I think it's all good. :)