The Continuing Capers of Companion-ing Cotton

[Cottonoid]

Cotton is a big fan of Lizzo and her music and her messaging about all bodies being awesome

He's not as big a fan of living room Lizzo dance parties - he's always half happy and half mortified watching me

 

[Cottonoid]

While grocery shopping today I saw 100% cold pressed aloe juice and impulsively bought some to try to use as a spray for Cotton. At this point he's wary enough of me I figure I might as well do everything I can to get him past this hump of feathers breaking through and then work on rebuilding trust in a couple weeks. I mean, I do work on this daily, but I'm not able to avoid things he's scared of if I'm taking care of his health needs properly.

Aside from his nap time and post nap dance party, he's been out all day and is being super cute. But not at all interested in bathing

Last night I put a dish of fresh doxycycline water out with a couple sunflower seeds floating (this has been offered daily in different dish shapes), and a pet fountain with a waterfall, and played a video of IRN bathing. He LOVED the video and told them all about how silly his human is. He tested both bath options with his beak and determined they are evil, and the sunflower seeds needed immediate rescuing. Phew, saved those seeds from surely drowning! Good job, Cotton!

Also I suspect he licked the camera yesterday because it's more blurry that usual now

 

[zERo]

I've been following your story and adoption of Cotton and I think you're just wonderful! He's so darn cute and I can tell you love him a lot
I will say concerning getting birds to bathe, it's tough! Someone ( I can't remember who exactly) said to play thunderstorm sounds and that has helped all my birds bath with spray bottles especially my cockatiels. I adopted a male cockatiel from distant family, he's 14 yrs. and had never had a bath his whole life (very tiny water bowl). Playing thunderstorm sounds for about 30 minutes always makes him want to be sprayed.
Also something else that's good for them, I make calendula or chamomile tea, let it cool then bathe them with that, it helps them to ingest flowers, both of those are calming so it may help him.
Hope you have luck with getting him to bathe!

 

[HeatherG]

I've been following your story and adoption of Cotton and I think you're just wonderful! He's so darn cute and I can tell you love him a lot
I will say concerning getting birds to bathe, it's tough! Someone ( I can't remember who exactly) said to play thunderstorm sounds and that has helped all my birds bath with spray bottles especially my cockatiels. I adopted a male cockatiel from distant family, he's 14 yrs. and had never had a bath his whole life (very tiny water bowl). Playing thunderstorm sounds for about 30 minutes always makes him want to be sprayed.
Also something else that's good for them, I make calendula or chamomile tea, let it cool then bathe them with that, it helps them to ingest flowers, both of those are calming so it may help him.
Hope you have luck with getting him to bathe!

The chamomile or calendula is a good idea. You could steep some chamomile in a pot on the stove and let it cool down, then transfer to a shallow bowl. Leave some flower bits in the bowl and maybe cotton will want to pick them out and eat them. That would be fine for him and hopefully he would bathe in the bowl, too.

I have used both chamomile tea and aloe Vera gel in a sprayer on very plucked birds with some success. But just a little aloe or the bird will be sticky or gummy and then will have a new reason to pluck.

Today, Willow was on my arm while I washed my hands. He was very interested in the running water and made a dripping water noise. If I weren’t in a hurry, I would have stopped to see if he’d bathe in the sink.

 

[Cottonoid]

You're right, zERo, I am totally smitten with this naked little man!

Both TV thunderstorms and real thunderstorms have had no effect yet but I think we're getting closer - he's showing ever so slightly more interest in dipping his beak into the bathing dish. He's still moving away from mist when it falls on him, but I'll keep working on it every few days.

I've sprinkled chamomile flowers/tea on his food but haven't done it as steeped tea to drink yet in case it would interfere with the antibiotic in his water. Bathing with it is a good idea.

HeatherG I bet Willow's dripping water sound is so cute!!

 

[HeatherG]

I can’t imagine how chamomile tea would interfere with antibiotic either drunk or topically. But I have never put it in a bowl; I’ve made it, strained it, and put it in a mister. I wasn’t sure if it was needed but I made a new batch every several days since I wasn’t sure if it would go bad in the sprayer. You could probably clean the spray bottle and then you wouldn’t have to worry about it.

I am so glad Cotton is with you and you are so devoted to him. Plucking is a big issue but you have tried to remedy the problem in a number of ways. I hope he grows some new feathers in and is a little less bare and more comfortable.

 

[Cottonoid]

I don't know if chamomile in his antibiotic water would interfere but when any of his toy bits get in it the water turns pink instead of yellow and I don't want to take any chances this many weeks in

His little body is trying so hard to make new feathers right now and he's just not having it. When he started getting feathers at the rescue was during his big boy molt that gave him his ring, but he'd only been there a month so I don't know how long before that he was naked.

We'll just keep on truckin

 

[HeatherG]

I don't know if chamomile in his antibiotic water would interfere but when any of his toy bits get in it the water turns pink instead of yellow and I don't want to take any chances this many weeks in

His little body is trying so hard to make new feathers right now and he's just not having it. When he started getting feathers at the rescue was during his big boy molt that gave him his ring, but he'd only been there a month so I don't know how long before that he was naked.

We'll just keep on truckin

I see. That sounds very sensible.

I hope he can tolerate all the new feathers growing in.

Good luck!

 

[kme3388]

Cotton is getting a bunch of little feathers in. He's looking great! I've been so busy this past few weeks I haven't been able to keep up. How's he doing with all the new feathers? Have you considered a soft collar? I forget he doesn't like being touched at all. I only put Nico's on at nighttime when he's alone. For some odd reason Nico really goes to town feather destructing at night time when he's supposed to be sleeping.

 

[Laurasea]

Cotton is getting a bunch of little feathers in. He's looking great! I've been so busy this past few weeks I haven't been able to keep up. How's he doing with all the new feathers? Have you considered a soft collar? I forget he doesn't like being touched at all. I only put Nico's on at nighttime when he's alone. For some odd reason Nico really goes to town feather destructing at night time when he's supposed to be sleeping.

I think that's pretty typical too a lot of destruction at night. At least Penny also uses ar night

 

[MayMaroa]

Playing thunderstorm sounds for about 30 minutes always makes him want to be sprayed.
Also something else that's good for them, I make calendula or chamomile tea, let it cool then bathe them with that, it helps them to ingest flowers, both of those are calming so it may help him.
Hope you have luck with getting him to bathe!

oh!!! i actually did not know that!!! i am gonna try it tomorrow because its night at my time zone.

 

[Cottonoid]

Cotton is getting a bunch of little feathers in. He's looking great! I've been so busy this past few weeks I haven't been able to keep up. How's he doing with all the new feathers? Have you considered a soft collar? I forget he doesn't like being touched at all. I only put Nico's on at nighttime when he's alone. For some odd reason Nico really goes to town feather destructing at night time when he's supposed to be sleeping.

If I did the collar route I'd definitely choose a soft collar. But I wouldn't be comfortable leaving it on him when I'm not home, and he would not be ok with me taking it off an on.

He's chewing his pins here and there - it seems so random which feathers he leaves alone! But they only seem to last a couple of weeks. He doesn't seem SUPER itchy when I spy on him without him knowing - so I'm hopeful his skin itself isn't bothering him. But dang he really has this habit down!

He is using all his preening and chewing toys frequently - I put a new paper preening thing right by his sleeping boing and he does lean over and go at it, so I that's a clear spot to always have occupied with a toy.

He's now moving away from me when I come into the room about 2/3 of the time BUT he's also exploring more veggies and always goes to the veggie/grain bowl when I put it out on his play stand, so that's good progress! He also LOVES being outside his cage.

 

[Cottonoid]

I've had an acrylic sheet for the top of Cotton's cage since I bought the cage (thanks to @Laurasea for the idea) but waited to use it since 1. he climbs upside down under the top of his cage all the time and I wasn't sure he'd be able to as easily and 2. I'm pretty sure Cotton hasn't walked on flat surfaces much if at all. I put it on yesterday for a little while to test it out and he was not impressed I left an edge of bars where he climbs up to the top, just in case he was scared of the sheet. He was SO CUTE walking around on it! Thomp thomp thomp thomp! And glaring at me! And in case I didn't notice his glaring at me he made it really obvious!

"Mom my toys are RUINED!! I can't even REACH them! This is the WORST!"

 

[Cottonoid]

Also - I think Cotton has started contact calling for me? He always does in the morning and I always answer from my room - but I think he's starting to request my presence?

Up until now, during the day when he's out and chatty, he stops talking the second I walk into the room. And starts up as soon as I leave.

But today he's throwing in new sounds that seem like a query, and he stays where he is when I come back in talking to him.

I haven't quite figured out which of his calls is Hey Come In Here and which is Hey I Am Going To Talk About Life Now But I Most Certainly Didn't Ask For Your Input, but maybe a step forward?!

To him I'm sure it's very obvious and he is waiting for me to catch up!

He also recently announces every squirrel in the yard, which I misinterpreted as an invitation to join him in squirrel reconnaissance (just in the room, not next to him) - he made it clear that was not the plan..... so maybe 40/60 chance I'm getting this one right

 

[HeatherG]

I've had an acrylic sheet for the top of Cotton's cage since I bought the cage (thanks to @Laurasea for the idea) but waited to use it since 1. he climbs upside down under the top of his cage all the time and I wasn't sure he'd be able to as easily and 2. I'm pretty sure Cotton hasn't walked on flat surfaces much if at all. I put it on yesterday for a little while to test it out and he was not impressed I left an edge of bars where he climbs up to the top, just in case he was scared of the sheet. He was SO CUTE walking around on it! Thomp thomp thomp thomp! And glaring at me! And in case I didn't notice his glaring at me he made it really obvious!

"Mom my toys are RUINED!! I can't even REACH them! This is the WORST!"

View attachment 40191

View attachment 40192

So, the head ring is like a telescope array sort of focusing the glare at you?

Looks like he has a fuzzy butt.

 

[Cottonoid]

Cotton ate fresh food today!

I've been offering a variety of veggies in different sizes and shapes and different locations at each meal AM and PM, and in the last week he's started to mouth more things before throwing them on the ground. I've occasionally offered a blueberry or a piece of mango and he's not even bothered to toss them out, just ignores them.

Today he ate mango, like held it and turned it all about and ate it!

He also nibbled a few slices of small cucumber, and a little spinach. He pecked at a few seeds from the cut off top of a bell pepper, then hurled the entire thing on the floor

And tonight for dinner he ate all the Harrison's pellets in his bowl! I always try to watch him to see what foods he's picking up and trying, and tonight I kept wondering if he was eating straight pellets because he was crunching but not spitting out seed husks. I  think he's also trying some of the Roudybush crumbles - there was a lot of crumble dust in the bowl. No TOPS yet, but he's been enjoying picking them out of some of his shredding toys so hopefully he'll get a taste of them soon too.

He's on a recommended mix of all three pellets and a locally made cockatiel seed blend. I have to admit I don't offer very much of the Roudybush so I'm really glad that's not his first choice.

He also figured out a new toy today that was packed full of seeds, so he chose to eat the pellets and fresh food over easily available seeds.

It's so much fun watching him investigate food, cocking his head and crunching and flinging discards!

 

[Laurasea]

Celebration
Go Cotton!

 

[HeatherG]

Cotton ate fresh food today!

I've been offering a variety of veggies in different sizes and shapes and different locations at each meal AM and PM, and in the last week he's started to mouth more things before throwing them on the ground. I've occasionally offered a blueberry or a piece of mango and he's not even bothered to toss them out, just ignores them.

Today he ate mango, like held it and turned it all about and ate it!

He also nibbled a few slices of small cucumber, and a little spinach. He pecked at a few seeds from the cut off top of a bell pepper, then hurled the entire thing on the floor

And tonight for dinner he ate all the Harrison's pellets in his bowl! I always try to watch him to see what foods he's picking up and trying, and tonight I kept wondering if he was eating straight pellets because he was crunching but not spitting out seed husks. I  think he's also trying some of the Roudybush crumbles - there was a lot of crumble dust in the bowl. No TOPS yet, but he's been enjoying picking them out of some of his shredding toys so hopefully he'll get a taste of them soon too.

He's on a recommended mix of all three pellets and a locally made cockatiel seed blend. I have to admit I don't offer very much of the Roudybush so I'm really glad that's not his first choice.

He also figured out a new toy today that was packed full of seeds, so he chose to eat the pellets and fresh food over easily available seeds.

It's so much fun watching him investigate food, cocking his head and crunching and flinging discards!

Good good bird! Yay Cotton!

I have a suggestion that might help Cotton leave his new feathers alone. It’s what I did with Lucy when she broke her leg and was casted and miserable. She was staying in a big clear plastic container on the floor with no way to climb and fall and she was very unhappy and sitting like a lump.

I hung lots of little whiskers of bandage tape all over the sides of the container where Lucy could reach. I doubled the ends of the bandage tape and snipped it into three or four strips. But they were all over just within her reach. I think I also hung newspaper whiskers and maybe short sisal rope tufts. In this case they had to be stuck on the walls with bandage tape but you could tie things to Cottons cage bars.

Lucy had been very depressed at first and these many preening things distracted her and gave her something to do. She spent her days staggering around the big clear box chewing on and preening the “whiskers”. And I replaced them and packed them in all over. It really seemed to make Lucy less bored (besides being held on my lap) and you know a bored bird is unhappy.

(Years ago I read about “packing the cage” if you have a bird that plucks. The writer of the book or article recommended getting lots of branches, cleaning them, and FILLING the birds cage with them. They said so he practically has to chew his way out but I think that might be excessive.).

Anyhow this is similar to what I’ve done when I had a plucking or feather chewing bird. I hang all sorts of chewy and shreddable things on cage bars and the bird has lots of opportunities to satisfy that plucking and shredding need BESIDES THEIR FEATHERS.

I don’t know if you can give cotton more shreddable things? I think you said he’s scared of new things? Willow is scared of new things but he hasn’t been scared of little shredders palm leaves woven into his cage bars and bits of sisal and plastic bird chain.

Ringneck parakeets aren’t as busy arranging their cages as Quakers are but Cotton likes to be busy chewing his feathers so maybe he would like this. Maybe you could put some of these things on at night with a flashlight. That’s how I would change cage things at the raptor center and how I sometimes change things for Willow without him freaking out.

I hope I’m not annoying you but I am very interested in helping birds have better lives and would love to see Cotton less bare someday!

 

[Cottonoid]

Thank you! Never annoying! I truly love all suggestions!

Luckily Cotton is a curious independent little man and every cage change and new toy I've thrown at him just prompts investigation

I like your ideas - I think when I clean his cage today maybe I'll completely rearrange where the toys are and put more along the walls.

Here's how it is right now with mostly duplicates of toys he's had from the beginning (last week I replaced anything that couldn't be disinfected with F10 or bleach)

He really likes the toys like the little vine ball with paper strings to pull out, and anything he can shred to bits. He spends hours carving hearts out of balsa - every time, a heart! He also LOVES foraging for food so I'm really excited he's starting to try new foods - he gets pellets in the cage food bowl all the time but seeds are starting to be phased out from the bowl and into toys, and he is eating both now

He's still NOT into any form of bathing but I keep trying. It's a balance of trying to get him as healthy as possible versus his starting to avoid my presence, which he is now :/

This morning I left him in his cage while I ate breakfast because I was going to run errands, and he came to the front and talked a streak that sounded like a demand to come out. I asked him if he wanted to come out, and he looked right at me and gave a solid squawk! So, he's out chattering away and playing and I'm not doing errands

 

[Cottonoid]

Cotton is eating sweet potatoes!!!!