GivemeSeedsorgivemeFlesh
Active member
Ollie McBudgie came to me three weeks ago today. I thought it was longer but that's what the calendar says! He came from a loving home with lots of people coming and going, but his owner really couldn't care for him and give him enough attention. I knew nothing about birds but Ollie and I knew each other from visits and he would hop on my finger (he bit originally but not hard and when I ignored it he gave up...not like now!). So three weeks ago he came to me, a little panicking fluff ball in a travel cage backpack. He looked pretty rough and stressed and I was not sure he was going to even make it the hour home because his breathing was so labored. He kept losing his grip and fluttering around on the bottom. It was pretty bad. We made it home and I set up his cage. He huddled in the corner mostly but had a good appetite. That's when I noticed his feet...I never had a bird before! but his feet just looked weird. He wouldn't sit on the feeder perch but on the skinny sharpish plastic side. His toes were all crooked and when I looked closely, the part of his feet hitting the ridge of the plastic was red and raw. That's when I started looking up budgie care and learned about nail clipping and all seed diets. I was horrified at learning how miserable he must have been. As soon the groomers opened I could I got him in, which necessitated another car trip. Considering how the first one went I was pretty worried, but it couldn't be helped. He made it through and slept/huddled the rest of the day. Until that evening...he started climbing around and his mood did a 180. He was so much happier! It took about a week for his little red feet to heal and each day we worked on introducing fresh food. He only flew when startled or seed desperate (was not excited about fresh food) and wouldn't leave his cage area. Since then he has learned to take a bath, stay sitting on his bath while I hold it and leave the cage area without freaking out, eat chop like a pro, climb around and chatter/chirp like a crazy nut job, and most recently, he has discovered the joys of a shredding toy. Yesterday he zoom climbed around for hours while warbling..so happy and bouncy! Will attach pictures.
