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Go Cut Yourself A Switch

Go cut yourself a switch, has a funny sounding undertone, doesn’t it?  That’s what our Aunt Toots (pronounced Too-t-s, and not Tootsie like the movie) would say when we were especially evil and bratty naughty children.  We would have to go cut a switch off of the willow tree in the back yard.  If we didn’t get one of adequate size, she would do it for you, and trust me, you didn’t want that.  Aunt Toots was old school discipline, and her spanking never turned into beating, just a couple swats, and you were done.  The build up of getting spanked was actually the worst part, and made the most impact.  Aunt Toots would often disappear after a spanking, and I think I secretly knew she was somewhere crying.  She was one of the most special and gentle people that ever walked this earth, and the phrase “this is going to hurt you, more than it hurts me” rang true.  She hated disciplining, but sometimes it had to be done.

Discipline varies in every household, country, and culture.  The same is true with every pet owner.  I have been researching how to discipline your parrot for a while now, my groomer will blow in her birds faces if they go to bite her and says it makes an impact without actually harming the bird.  Other people will have a staring contest with their companions and simply give them a firm “No!”.

Click on photo for Mommy Dearest.

 

There are various behaviors that parrots do, chewing, whistling, squawking, and the list goes on and on.  I understand the frustration when they learn a new beep, or chirp, and do it incessantly.  I really get it, it can be like nails on the chalkboard.  However that’s really just  a parrot being a parrot.  It’s absolutely impossible to erase a natural behavior.  However sometimes it’s possible to curb a behavior, or divert a behavior.  I only allow the birds to be in certain areas, and not roam around freely.  I also have a couple of play gyms that they have plenty of items to chew on.  Dexter is not a chewer, so I can trust him a little more but Cooper will “test” the durability of anything that comes into his path.  So unless you want your little feathered friend taking on quality assurance tester on your new credenza, keep a watchful eye, and allow them to chew in proper areas. (Not to mention the dangers of them chewing on an electrical wire)

Click on photo for Angry Parrot.

Some days parrots are just not in the mood, and maybe they got up on the wrong side of the cage.  Hey you have had those days, right?  So a squawk here, and a chirp there, doesn’t mean they are psychotic or intentionally being “bad children”, they are just trying to convey their feelings at the time.  Dexter is so timid of hands, and I think he was hit in his former household.  It irks me to no extent that someone would hit him, and I wish he never had to experience anything like that.  He will forever have that in the back of his mind every time anyone handles him.  He has come so far, and someday, I hope to scratch his head.

Click on photo for parrot discipline.

Imagine working at Tropical Inc., (click here to read the article) an exotic animal sanctuary and hearing this Green Wing Macaw drop some f-bombs when they take him to schools for presentations to raise animal awareness in the UK.  So what do you do about a cussing parrot?  That’s easy, ignore it, and make sure you aren’t dropping those kind of phrases yourself.  They after all learn it from somewhere.  Parrots are very reaction oriented animals, and enjoy when they get a reaction for doing something.  Very similar to kids, they don’t care if it is good or bad attention, they are really just getting what they want.  A reaction.

 

Click on photo for distraction.

So, you may be thinking, how do I distract a parrot.  Well I happen to have an example.  Since parrots love the reaction portion of interaction with humans, make it a positive experience.  For instance, Cooper will try to chew on things that he knows will get a reaction from me.  I then will actually get up and walk out of the room,  this then diverts his attention, and he is not getting the desired result.  I’m not getting worked up, I don’t stomp out of the room, I just stop what I am doing and walk away.  There are times he will stretch out and  try to chew on his UV Lamp, because this is a dangerous situation, I act immediately.  I grab something else for him to chew on, and put it on top of his cage, or hand him a chew ring or ball.  This diverts his attention to not chewing on the lamp, and actually makes him forget all about it.

The important thing that most parrot owners forget to do is praise when your bird is doing something great.  Like simply being quiet, or preening, or playing with their toys.  It’s human to focus on the negative, and focus on the other aspects of the day, but like a child, its most important to be encouraging, and focus on the positive.  Not only does it tell your parrot, “he likes what I am doing, and if I do this, I get attention”, but its better to bond in the positive, rather than the negative. Your bird will thank you, and eventually when your bird starts to react properly, you’ll thank yourself.

Click photo for parrot playing.

Keep your bird busy, toys, handling, plenty of out of cage time.  If you can, have an area that your bird can count on away from its cage.  Idle hands are the devils workshop, well let’s just say, so is a parrot’s beak.  Be diligent about seeing situations before they happen, and run interference.  Also make sure your bird is getting a proper diet of fresh fruits/veggies and the right amount of vitamins and minerals.  If your bird isn’t feeling well, that can affect behavior patterns, and so can hormones during spring mating season.

The greatest advice I can give you is; just imagine you are dealing with a two-year old, that does not speak or understand a word of your language.  The only commonality that you have is body language, tone of voice, and voice inflections.  You would be surprised if you say things in the form of a question instead of commanding “step up” the difference you will get with your bird.  We were always raised with the phrase, “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”.  It rings such a truth.

There are many great training courses,books and dvd’s  out there that you can research to help you and your feathered companion.  It’s a matter of finding the right way that works for you and your bird.  Some may work better, depending on the bird, and the owner.

Sometimes you just can’t fit a square peg into a circle slot.  Do the research and the reading, it’s worth it.

 

 

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A Breath of Fresh Air

Summer is almost here, or at least a version of it.  The Pacific Northwest is notorious for liking to skip this season, or dangle a section in your face, and then retreat with it just as quickly as it came.  I know, why would anyone want to live in a place that has a very sporadic and odd summer?  Because, when it’s good, it’s great!  It can be one of the most beautiful places on earth, and they don’t call it the emerald city for nothing.  It’s truly the greenest place I have experienced in the US so far.

Click on photo for The Emerald City

 

So, when the iron is hot, you must strike.  If the temperature rises, you open all of the windows, and doors, and let that fresh air in!  I noticed when I moved here that there is a bit of seasonal guilt.  People feel as if when the sun is out, and you can be outdoors, you have to, otherwise you are wasting the “beautiful weather”.

I check the weather report on my iPhone regularly, and when the peak temps above 70 hit, I get the birds into their travel cages, and put them in the back yard.  We have a huge lilac tree that offers windows of light, and sections of shade.  They really enjoy sitting back there, and trying to mimic all the wild bird calls that they can.  Occasionally there will be an awkward wolf whistle at someone walking by, thankfully we have a privacy fence.

Lilac in bloom!

I also like to take the opportunity to pressure wash their cages.  I try to do this every four months, and it just makes it that much easier in the summer.  I love getting  their cages to look almost brand new again, and they love exploring all the new configurations that I can come up with by rearranging perches, and food bowls.  I try to do this regularly anyways, but since I have to take everything out to pressure wash , I really “go to town”.I

I think if anyone has a bird, and you can take them out for a bit of fresh air, you should.  It’s a new experience for them, and because it’s a new experience, it adds confidence as something they have conquered.  Self esteem is a very important ally for you and your bird.  If your bird doesn’t feel that confidence, they will have a tendency to retreat in their environment, and eventually develop fear aggression.  It’s a rather vicious circle.  Not to mention, new experiences with your feathered friend will add to bonding with you.  Imagine something that seems so small, having that large of an impact on your bird.  Hey, it’s the small things, right?

 

 

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Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

That fateful moment arrived over a week ago.  That moment when you finally have to admit that your sniffling is not allergies, and that weak feeling of achiness is indeed not spring fever.  Yep, you guessed it, the time has come for you to admit, “I’m sick dammit”.

I am not a pleasant sick person, and I am the type of person that when I get sick, though not often, but when it happens, I am down for the count.  The lovely moment came when we were out with a friend Debb who happened to be in town for the weekend.  A few hours and some cocktails later, I started to sound like Harvey Fierstein.  I had no choice but to admit it, and unfortunately everyone else around me started to comment on my voice.  It was then I insisted that I need to hit the pillow.

Click on photo for sick man.

The next morning, I really thought that death was coming, I really thought that it was the day that I would officially “pass away”.  I haven’t felt so crappy in a really long time.  Eric being the constant nurturer let me sleep in, uncovered the birds, and fed them their morning “Chop”.  I am in constant amazement how sensitive the birds are, and can sense when we don’t feel well.  They were very quiet, instead of their usual from the rafters “morning show”.  There was no garbage truck in reverse beep, no yelling and scolding at the dogs, nothing but pleasant silence.  I did get up, and talked to them for a minute or so, and gave them their favorite treats, dried bananas.  I made sure I let them know I was so appreciative of their ability to recognize my state of mind, and body.  Then it was off to bed…

As I stated before, I am NOT a pleasant sick person, in fact if there was a sharp object within reach, everyone runs the risk of getting cut.  It’s not intentional, I just want to be left along in my cave of Kleenex, and the lingering aroma of Vick’s Vaporub.

Click on photo for Mom.

I of course sometime in my fevered state sent my mother a text, and usually there would have been some sort of sentimental response.  Unfortunately that does not happen in my family, because my mother is a nurse, and I am an ex medic, so we have those direct and graphic medical conversations.

How are you feeling? – translated – What color is your mucus?

Sorry you have the sniffles – translated – You need to make sure you are taking an expectorant, so you have a productive cough.

I hope that you get better soon! – translated – You know if this lasts more than a week, it goes bacterial, and you will need antibiotics.

You should drink some hot tea for that tickle in your throat. – translated – I hope that it’s not strep, and you get it taken care of , cause it can travel into your heart.

Not quite what June Cleaver talked to the Beaver about when he had a cold.

 

Click on photo for Miracle Elixir.

 

Trying to write a blog when you are sick is not the easiest. You get a thought, and it takes hours to formulate the words and ideas.  I actually have two other posts that are sitting in the non-publish cue, because they read as I was inebriated when I wrote them.  In fact, thanks to NyQuil, they are just plain whacked out, and I fortunately will be deleting them.  After I re-read them and have another chuckle.

So… onward and upward, I am on the downward slope of this stupid cold, and hopefully will be back to full potential any day now.

 

 

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Nobody Does It Better

I think that there should be a mixture of good and bad, in everything. I look back and I tend to write about all of the challenges that be Cooper. I think as humans we want to look into the interesting and challenging factors, and as a society we go for the wow factor, or those stories of extreme make-over. It got me thinking, Dexter deserves a little time in the sun too. After all he is the one that inspired this journey into writing Parrot Earth, and if it wasn’t for him, I never would have come up with the idea for the Parrot Earth website (which is coming…. SOON).

Dexter before we brought him home.

I think back to the day when we got Dexter, I never thought that he would be such a great bird. I read and reread the horror stories about rehoming parrots and all the baggage that comes with them. However things wouldn’t end up like i though and in the past two and a half years, we have truly bonded. Dexter is very much an old grouch sometimes, but as we move forward he steps a bit further out of his shell. When I got him, his wings were tattered, he was skittish, and he really never did anything but eat and poop. I made the decision that I was not only going to make sure that his quality of life was better than the home I got him, but he would also be given all of the opportunities of the most spoiled bird in the world. I know I sound like I adopted a child from a foreign country, and I guess in a way I adopted one from Africa by way of Seattle.

Dexter Day 1 (look at how butchered his wings were, a real groomer will make them look like they have never been clipped)

Dexter has I think been much more patient with me that I with him. He dealt with all my neurotic blunders those first few months. Trying to get everything right, and I was scared to death I was going to inadvertently do something that would well, kill him. Yeah, that’s why I said that I was neurotic. Poor poor bird.

I could immediately tell that he was happy to be with us, considering he whistled almost the whole way home. Little did I know what a great traveler he would be, and how comfortable he is in the car. Dexter was my guinea pig for my first attempt at “Chop” and “Teenie Weenie Beanies”, and hell, honestly, I wouldn’t have eaten them either. I was actually thinking about this this morning, I have learned more about nutrition and vegetables having my birds, and actually knowing the difference between good veggies, and not good. Vitamins, and Minerals that are in them, and how to prepare them correctly.

I remember when my roommate at the time, Pam’s best friend came over for “wine night” when we first got Dexter. There was something about her that he could not get enough of. He flirted like no other bird on the planet, and obsessed over her. Followed her every direction in his cage, and even did a little mating dance to get her attention. It happened a few times, until she brought over her boyfriend Eddie, then it was on. The gauntlet had been thrown! Dexter still watched his darling Kari, and every time Eddie would attempt to speak, there was stifling beep, or squawk to interrupt and shut him down. I thought it was hilarious, however when you are trying to drink wine, and enjoy your evening, there is a certain annoyance factor to it… I guess. Since then Kari has come over, and after a few years, his obsession with her is not so, intense, but he does still light up when she enters the room. Kind of like that first love, that will always remain in your heart, somewhere, but I don’t think he secretly wishes that she would shrink into a little Kari and live with him happy ever after.

That first outing was a test for our trip to the Washington Coast, about 45 minutes in the car, and some time in the sun. What a pro, the only thing Dexter does not deal well with, is lights in a tunnel, it makes him dizzy, and gets very confused. We usually have a sheet in the car to cover him with, just in case.

I was talking to Eric the other day, and I said remember when our animal situation used to be simple, when we only had one bird and one dog to take to the cabin. Clay and Dexter actually get along very well, in fact I tried to introduce them with proper supervision of course, Clay was not very intrigued. Dexter did try to “step-up” on Clay’s nose which I thought was a true sign of indifference and tolerance. Other than that , they really don’t have an interaction, Clay ignores both of the birds, until they shrill of beep, then he goes a runnin’. Poor poor puppy.

I don’t know what your belief system is, but I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I think that Dexter was brought into my life for a reason. My birds have shown me that I need to be responsible for the energy that I bring to an interaction situation. It’s hard, and some days are better than others, but everyday is a new day, and it’s up to you to learn something.

Dexter actually taught me to give "kisses"

I can’t wait to see what Dexter does in the future. He is so smart, and picks up things so easily. I know that he is really running the show in our household, but just sits back and watches all the “puppets” dance. Thanks Dexter, you just make me smile.

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Phone Home!

Parrots chew, a lot!  Toys are expensive as I have covered in a few posts ago (Click for The Toy).  Let’s just say that three of my favorite words are “free”, “sale”, and “clearance” so needless to say that if I can save a little something in this economy, than I sure am going to try.

A trainer friend of mine asked me if I knew phone books were a chewing parrots best friend.  I actually had seen them here and there in cages, but it never really soaked in my psyche for some reason.  I signed up for the “do not deliver” for our address, so I went to Facebook and sent out a phone book request.

So a friend of mine came through with some phone books her family has been stockpiling for a few years.  I don’t know if you are like me and have a couple bins of spare parts, but some toys fall apart, and I look at it as the great opportunity to put toys together later.  Parts is parts.

So I just grabbed a drill and  the largest drill bit I cold get on it to drill through the middle towards the binding, so a chain can fit through.  I grabbed a spare piece of chain that I had from another toy, threw on a bell (just for extra flare) and we were in business.

Cooper has now been chewing away for several hours, and has barely made a dent in the book.  Let’s just say, I have a few back-up in the arsenal.  I like it, and it’s just a very Martha Stewart way to use your ingenuity.