Hi ya'll, Pixey from SA here. So happy to have found an avian forum where there seems to be some activity! 
I have never owned any pets in my life, tried (very hard) to adopt a pup when i was a kid, but mother was not in the mood for this story, so my request was firmly denied in spite of my vehement promises that i will feed and walk it.
About two years ago, my friend's daughter lost her baby IRN in a divorce - where the stepmother just took off with her baby bird. The bird, Toowie, was hand-fed and lovingly raised by the daughter since it was only 2 weeks old. With the child positively heartbroken, i insisted that my friend buy her a new baby bird... but as it happened the 3 month old (Cheeky) ended up bonding with my friend instead, and me as it's 'secondary' human.
Cheeky was my first pet, and became like a child in my house. I consider myself a novice bird owner, as I have more questions still than what i have answers, and would love a space where i can raise these and share stories.
We got Cheeky in Dec 2014, and we took a chance by sexting it as a boy as he had a slight ring... but it never became any darker. Instead, Cheeky laid two false eggs last year, so that confirmed that my boy is not a boy...
In December 2015, silly us stopped by the Bird Room at a pet shop (when we went to buy my friend's daughter a guinea pig). Joy, who hatched that September, was in a small box next to a massive parrot. No room for these babies to move. And she mew'ed at me through that thick glass!! It tugged at my heart so hard, it nearly jumped out of my chest. We spent our last money on her, but couldn't leave her behind.
I read up a lot, to try and not traumatize the birds (we gave Cheeky a stroke from over-handling in the first two months he was with us). But as we could not afford a second cage, we had to chance it and stuck Joy in Cheeky's cage after she became comfortable and tried to escape the confines of her box.
It was tense at first, but after a couple of months, the two became inseparable.... Or rather, Joy followed Cheeky EVERYWHERE and drove Cheeks insane.
Over the holidays it became apparent that my babies are in need of an urgent wing clipping. Limited transport and then holidays when the car was available for errands lead to a very nervous December with windows and doors closed as much as possible. Alas on the 1st of January, having stayed up late obviously, i overslept tragically and was not downstairs to oversee my birds.
As i came down, I startled Cheeky - who was wandering on the floor, and he took off - small gap under the security gate allowed for this. We are still searching for him, and hope to recover him. Hope dies last and it is very hard to let go, feathers or not, he is a child in my house.
Joy has been behaving strangely lately, very much out of sorts. Understandable, but to what extent is this missing her mate, and how must i make her more comfortable? Getting a new bird would be like giving up on finding Cheeky, so that's out of the question.
Thank you for reading my essay, and all the best to all for 2017!
Pixey
PS. Uploaded pics to picture album - http://www.parrotforums.com/members/pixey-albums-my-babies.html
I have never owned any pets in my life, tried (very hard) to adopt a pup when i was a kid, but mother was not in the mood for this story, so my request was firmly denied in spite of my vehement promises that i will feed and walk it.
About two years ago, my friend's daughter lost her baby IRN in a divorce - where the stepmother just took off with her baby bird. The bird, Toowie, was hand-fed and lovingly raised by the daughter since it was only 2 weeks old.
With the child positively heartbroken, i insisted that my friend buy her a new baby bird... but as it happened the 3 month old (Cheeky) ended up bonding with my friend instead, and me as it's 'secondary' human.Cheeky was my first pet, and became like a child in my house. I consider myself a novice bird owner, as I have more questions still than what i have answers, and would love a space where i can raise these and share stories.
We got Cheeky in Dec 2014, and we took a chance by sexting it as a boy as he had a slight ring... but it never became any darker. Instead, Cheeky laid two false eggs last year, so that confirmed that my boy is not a boy...
In December 2015, silly us stopped by the Bird Room at a pet shop (when we went to buy my friend's daughter a guinea pig). Joy, who hatched that September, was in a small box next to a massive parrot. No room for these babies to move. And she mew'ed at me through that thick glass!! It tugged at my heart so hard, it nearly jumped out of my chest. We spent our last money on her, but couldn't leave her behind.
I read up a lot, to try and not traumatize the birds (we gave Cheeky a stroke from over-handling in the first two months he was with us). But as we could not afford a second cage, we had to chance it and stuck Joy in Cheeky's cage after she became comfortable and tried to escape the confines of her box.
It was tense at first, but after a couple of months, the two became inseparable.... Or rather, Joy followed Cheeky EVERYWHERE and drove Cheeks insane.
Over the holidays it became apparent that my babies are in need of an urgent wing clipping. Limited transport and then holidays when the car was available for errands lead to a very nervous December with windows and doors closed as much as possible. Alas on the 1st of January, having stayed up late obviously, i overslept tragically and was not downstairs to oversee my birds.
As i came down, I startled Cheeky - who was wandering on the floor, and he took off - small gap under the security gate allowed for this. We are still searching for him, and hope to recover him. Hope dies last and it is very hard to let go, feathers or not, he is a child in my house.
Joy has been behaving strangely lately, very much out of sorts. Understandable, but to what extent is this missing her mate, and how must i make her more comfortable? Getting a new bird would be like giving up on finding Cheeky, so that's out of the question.
Thank you for reading my essay, and all the best to all for 2017!
Pixey
PS. Uploaded pics to picture album - http://www.parrotforums.com/members/pixey-albums-my-babies.html
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