nofearengineer
New member
- Sep 8, 2010
- 575
- 1
- Parrots
- Gandalf - CAG (1997-2010) R.I.P. my baby boy.
Bitty - CAG (2 yrs old? and working on spoiling her rotten)
I think I had sort of a breakthrough yesterday, though it was a bit painful.
I stopped by a pet store to get some erythromycin for my aquarium, and while there, the bird section caught my eye.
There was one particularly cute baby Sun Conure there. He was huddled up in the corner of the cage he was in, with a baby GCC doing a mirror image in the adjacent cage. There was a plexiglass divider between them, so they at least had some companionship, if only visually.
I made a little click at the sunny, and he immediately tried to climb across the plexiglass towards me. Finding nothing to grab, I saw his little bird brain go into action, and he figured out a way to get to the front of the cage. It made me smile. When he got there, I extended my finger to him, expecting him to do the usual "taste and nibble". But he really took me by surprise when he closed his eyes and pressed the top of his head to the cage for me to scratch. A couple of strokes later, I was in tears.
A couple of minutes later, he went to sleep right there. Just scratching his head had been enough to win him over.
If I had had 600 bucks on me at the moment, he might have made the trip home with me. I don't think I would be such a good conure owner, but I seriously considered it. That little guy took me completely off guard. To have him just trust me like that made me realize what I loved most about my Gandalf. Blind trust.
So I think I've come to the realization that getting another parrot is inevitable; just a case of "when"...not "if."
However, I have a lot to do before I will feel comfortable bringing another bird home. Things that my buddy Gandalf deserved, but I just got too complacent to provide him. I'd like to think I'm honoring his memory by providing the best possible home for future fids. I think that the time it takes to get these things accomplished will also give me more time to adjust to life without my friend, so that when I finally do bring one home, it won't feel like I'm trying to replace Gandalf.
1. Provisions for emergency power at my house. This could range from a portable gasoline generator and manual transfer switch ($2000-$3000) to a natural gas generator and automatic transfer switch ($5000-$6000). Previously, I thought this was too much, but I can attest that I would have given up everything I owned the day after Gandalf died to bring him back. Now, it seems like a small price to pay for peace of mind that a bird will stay toasty and warm should the power ever go out while I'm at work.
2. Going through my house to make sure every possible source of poisoning/disease/injury is gotten rid of. This ranges from cookware to new clothing smell to "tipping stuff over" hazards. Everything must go. I'm just never going to trust manufacturers on this one again. If it's even potentially harmful...it's gone.
3. An enclosed patio. Gandalf loved to look out the back door, but I was scared to death of him ever getting outside. I had nightmares of him getting taken by a cat or coyote. Even on a harness, something could get him. I would be more comfortable with a screened in patio with enough room for a fid to get a little exercise. I'm sure I could even sneak in a little yard work while they watched. Gandalf absolutely hated it when I would go out back to mow the lawn.
4. Lastly, and most importantly, I need to go back to basics, and re-learn what I think I know about parrots. More attention to diet, nutrition, weighing, training, etc. When I got Gandalf, the internet was still in its infancy (I can hardly remember a world without Google), and I am sure a lot of my novice mistakes were simply a lack of information. That is definitely not the case now.
Anyway, you guys help me everyday just by doing what you do on this forum. Seeing all of these beautiful birds and their caring owners lifts my spirits, and I'll be watching and learning until it's time.
I stopped by a pet store to get some erythromycin for my aquarium, and while there, the bird section caught my eye.
There was one particularly cute baby Sun Conure there. He was huddled up in the corner of the cage he was in, with a baby GCC doing a mirror image in the adjacent cage. There was a plexiglass divider between them, so they at least had some companionship, if only visually.
I made a little click at the sunny, and he immediately tried to climb across the plexiglass towards me. Finding nothing to grab, I saw his little bird brain go into action, and he figured out a way to get to the front of the cage. It made me smile. When he got there, I extended my finger to him, expecting him to do the usual "taste and nibble". But he really took me by surprise when he closed his eyes and pressed the top of his head to the cage for me to scratch. A couple of strokes later, I was in tears.
A couple of minutes later, he went to sleep right there. Just scratching his head had been enough to win him over.
If I had had 600 bucks on me at the moment, he might have made the trip home with me. I don't think I would be such a good conure owner, but I seriously considered it. That little guy took me completely off guard. To have him just trust me like that made me realize what I loved most about my Gandalf. Blind trust.
So I think I've come to the realization that getting another parrot is inevitable; just a case of "when"...not "if."
However, I have a lot to do before I will feel comfortable bringing another bird home. Things that my buddy Gandalf deserved, but I just got too complacent to provide him. I'd like to think I'm honoring his memory by providing the best possible home for future fids. I think that the time it takes to get these things accomplished will also give me more time to adjust to life without my friend, so that when I finally do bring one home, it won't feel like I'm trying to replace Gandalf.
1. Provisions for emergency power at my house. This could range from a portable gasoline generator and manual transfer switch ($2000-$3000) to a natural gas generator and automatic transfer switch ($5000-$6000). Previously, I thought this was too much, but I can attest that I would have given up everything I owned the day after Gandalf died to bring him back. Now, it seems like a small price to pay for peace of mind that a bird will stay toasty and warm should the power ever go out while I'm at work.
2. Going through my house to make sure every possible source of poisoning/disease/injury is gotten rid of. This ranges from cookware to new clothing smell to "tipping stuff over" hazards. Everything must go. I'm just never going to trust manufacturers on this one again. If it's even potentially harmful...it's gone.
3. An enclosed patio. Gandalf loved to look out the back door, but I was scared to death of him ever getting outside. I had nightmares of him getting taken by a cat or coyote. Even on a harness, something could get him. I would be more comfortable with a screened in patio with enough room for a fid to get a little exercise. I'm sure I could even sneak in a little yard work while they watched. Gandalf absolutely hated it when I would go out back to mow the lawn.
4. Lastly, and most importantly, I need to go back to basics, and re-learn what I think I know about parrots. More attention to diet, nutrition, weighing, training, etc. When I got Gandalf, the internet was still in its infancy (I can hardly remember a world without Google), and I am sure a lot of my novice mistakes were simply a lack of information. That is definitely not the case now.
Anyway, you guys help me everyday just by doing what you do on this forum. Seeing all of these beautiful birds and their caring owners lifts my spirits, and I'll be watching and learning until it's time.
