Noodles comes home!

[Venoma]

Yesterday, after a long car ride with a good friend, I arrived at Shady Brook Aviary (late thanks to traffic jams, I still feel horrible about that) Noodles is as beautiful as his picture showed and has such a personality. Neither of us got much sleep, Noodles was snugged up on one or the other of us for most of the trip home because even in the carrier he didn't seem to get any shut eye - we figured if he could burrow under a shirt he could at least feel secure :) worked out pretty well!

Today contact calls didn't start until early afternoon - good birdie - he's wondering where the flock has gone to! Unfortunately I got to hear his alarm call today when a problem feline CLIMBED THE BIRDCAGE >: Only left the room for 1 minute, someone's in major timeout right now. He's now settled down a bit and contact calls tonite were short - he saved them for when I was trying to catch a nap in the bedroom - once I called back, he yelled and wouldn't stop until I came in and let him back out of the cage! Most out of cage time has been spent on top of cage, blinds or a floorlamp - he's not overly comfortable sitting on hands right now but isn't being bad about us 'catching' him though I'm gonna start trying to train to step up tomorrow and stop grabbing him unless I have to :) He ate a bit today, mostly picked out sunflower seeds and munched on the millet stalks he was sent home with - I haven't seen him drink any water, despite having a dish AND a bottle (he's used to drinking from a bottle) but I did give him a bath under a drippy faucet which he didn't mind much. Tonite, being much tired out from winging around with a fresh wing clip, he was ready to settle down on my chest for scritchings and a beak rub :)

Already head over heels for this baby. I promise, pictures tomorrow! :happy: Busy thinking of lots of toys to make! Promise I'll take pics of those too for input.

[Mummieeva]

COngrads on your baby coming home. I ahve heard wonderful thigns about birds from there. I hope he keeps being a wonderful freindly guy.




Steph

[bellarains]

Hey Kristin,

I'm glad the trip went well, and Noodles is home. Let him get settled in good, and then of course we want some pics;)

I also have cats, and I used a spray bottle to teach them the cage area is OFF LIMITS!!! It didn't take too long, and they very rarely even venture toward that area now. Sometimes I will catch one start to go that way, then they look back at me, and turn tail to run. I now just keep an empty water bottle near by, and all I have to do is pick it up, and they know they are where they aren't supposed to be:lol

Oh, and my cats are never in the house with my birds in or out of the cage unless supervised. I know people who say their cats get along with their birds, but it is just in a cats nature to do what cats do:( I'm sure you'll get your little one trained to stay away from the bird, but always be aware of where s/he is. It's not just a bite you are worried about, it is a scratch, and also saliva. Their saliva carries bacteria that can make birds deathly ill, as we do ourselves, and dogs also have it in their saliva.

Sorry to go on and on, but there is so much to learn about the dangers to lovies. I wish there were a list of them all, but we do try and make anyone aware of them here.

OK, go enjoy your baby, and we will be looking forward to those pics:D

[butterfly1061]

So you got one of Jeanette's babies! I have one too and the sister to Janie's two yonger ones. Congrats!!

Can't wait to see pictures of your little one. It sounds like s/he's settling in nicely. Too bad you couldn't wait until this coming weekend cause there's a birdfair in Norcross that's really good. Maybe next trip. :)

[Janie]

Hi and congratulations! :D

I spoke to Jeanette yesterday and she told me you'd picked up Noodles on Sunday. Noodles is one that I held last time I was there but since I held all of them, I don't know which one he (Jeanette thinks Noodles is a "he") is! :D Can't wait to see photos!

Great advice from Lori on the cats! Seriously, I know that Jeanette's cats are not a problem with her birds but I think that is the rare exception and a chance I would not take if I had a cat. Plus, she has Ruby who has taught her cats to fear birds! :lol

The two I got from Jeanette were also water bottle trained and I love it! Since my older lovie drinks from a cup, they do drink from his cup, too, when they're out of their cage but that water bottle in their cage is always clean since they can't poop, bathe or throw seed in it! :D Poor Oliver, he used to have such a clean cage and his water was always crystal clear but now, with Big Boi and Shy, I have to change it 5 to 10 times a day! Fortunately, Jeanette's birds are used to a bath so I'm sure Noodles will take one on his own when he's more comfortable in his new home.

I would start on the step up command soon. My boys learned that in the first couple of weeks after I got them. I offered them birdie bread almost immediately and fresh veggies in the first week. They took to both from the start so the sooner you can introduce veggies, the easier it will be. :)

Good luck with you new baby and I'll be lookin' for photos! :)

[Venoma]

Updating :)

No worries Lori, I've had cats since before I could walk and have no illusions - I love them, they are wonderful pets, and hunting is hardwired in them. My late Sulu, was 17, I took him to a friend's house, he had cataracts, arthritis and more - yet when their keet flew across the room he chased it! It had wings so it was food. I was surprised, honestly thought his prey drive was buried underneath sickness and age. Goes to show ya :)
The two cats that are MINE are already trained to watch but not touch the cage. (not that I think they'd listen if I wasn't there) the cat in question was adopted from my friends as they could not keep him - he will not be staying with us, his behavioral issues go far beyond harrassing Noodles unfortunately and with all my experience I haven't made any progress with his cat/cat interactions.

Enough about them! Noodles is cuddled up under my hair on my shoulder as we speak - he's starting to shed fluff - I think he's molting in record time, not even 3 months old yet! His beak is already lost the black and turning horn colored and his peachie band is starting to come in. Step up is going well - as long as he's on a level surface, I don't even have to always say it - next will be poop training :eek:

So far he's enjoyed corn cut off the cob, and what he was sent home with - millet, snack attack and a seed/pellet/dried yummies mix. He looks at matchstick carrots funny, so I think I'll try shredded - also beaked a shaved bit of granny smith apple but I think it was too big for him to deal with. so I'll shred that too. He likes dried palm fronds when they're laying on the futon - trying to find a way to weave these - seems to be the one thing you can't find on the internet! Most of the toys I've made (though big) have been surveyed and found OK. I'm gonna make birdie bread this weekend - hope dried chilies are ok, I have a bunch of those from last season's porch garden that aren't getting used and I'd like to see em eaten up.

And there are pictures! for the life of me I can't find the camera download cable - we just moved last month so.. it's in a box somewhere :omg: I'll find it!

[Venoma]

OMG Momma, Green apples are HORRIBLE! He rubs his little beak on the side of the dish, grabs a bit of water, and shakes his head - hah, I just cleaned that dish out and started fresh, everything the apple touched was TAINTED. Too sour I guess :)

[butterfly1061]

At my house apples are :evil: Actually, most fruit is :evil: Now, Daisy & Olivia like the raisins in the Higgins mix I feed them and there's raisin residue all over the cage :rolleyes: Oh and they like the mango, papaya or apricot in the mix too. That's why they poop orange :eek: My boys will NOT touch fruit - wimps. If I put a grape in front of Molly he will push it away from him so it won't come near him. FIDS!

Sounds like Noodles is fitting in just fine. Now fine that cable :D

[bellarains]

Mine will only eat Fuji apples. Yep, they are spoiled:rolleyes: