The Continuing Capers of Companion-ing Cotton

[Cottonoid]

Wow!! I am so impressed! He must be feeling a lot better.

I really hope so!

 

[HeatherG]

I’m glad that he’s feeling so well and you have not needed to collar him. I think that would really upset him. It’s amazing!

 

[Cottonoid]

It really is incredible to watch! I'm hoping he has enough things going right that he'll keep them for a while.

He lost his balance yesterday when beating his wings and tumbled a bit - caught himself, but hasn't come out of his cage today If he does keep all his flight feathers I have another whole learning curve ahead of me! It feel like I'd just figured out a good setup for flightless Cotton!

 

[ravvlet]

Awww, oh no little buddy!! Kirby falls a lot too; he doesn’t even have the excuse of being de-feathered, he’s just a bit of a klutz with bad arthritis. He ends up falling because he does goofy things like try to hang upside down from his toys like a bat! Don’t take notes, Cotton!!

I LOVE what I’m seeing of his set up. I need to go back through and look at more of your photos for ideas for Kirby’s tree! The rope net thing you’ve got going is SO COOL.

 

[Cottonoid]

Awww, oh no little buddy!! Kirby falls a lot too; he doesn’t even have the excuse of being de-feathered, he’s just a bit of a klutz with bad arthritis. He ends up falling because he does goofy things like try to hang upside down from his toys like a bat! Don’t take notes, Cotton!!

I LOVE what I’m seeing of his set up. I need to go back through and look at more of your photos for ideas for Kirby’s tree! The rope net thing you’ve got going is SO COOL.

Cotton's preference to walk on is rope > bark-covered perches > smooth perches (he's not a fan of smooth perches) so I went a little overboard with rope haha

So far he's only used the net as a bridge to the window area, but I've been attaching plastic cups here and there with walnuts in them to see if he'll explore further. I think it needs to be less slope-y for him to do that, though

 

[Cottonoid]

Ok y'all..

YOU READY FOR THIS?!?!?!

My Gray Eyed Handsome Devil is doing SUCH A GOOD JOB of preening his feathers so far!! I soooo hope not jinxing this by posting now lol but I'm so impressed with him!

He also hasn't come out of his cage since he tumbled earlier this week, whether I'm in the room or not. But he's still chewing up his toys and talking to himself whenever I'm not around so I can't really say which of the many things that changed this week are the reason.

It's been around 85-87F and 50-60% humidity in this room all week so maybe he's just not like the rest of us. I have a fan running faced toward the length of the room so at least we haven't had a repeat of Monday's 95+ when I was laid up on the couch with tendonitis in my foot.

I can't give him any extra calcium because of being on doxycycline, and he's been picking here and there at extra protein offerings, but he's been eating enough veggies to eat least cover his vitamin A.

He's being very cute right now, watching me across the room with his head tucked and face all fluffy

 

[ravvlet]

Ohhhh, maybe he’s decided green is in this year!! It certainly is little guy! Rooting for you!

 

[Cottonoid]

In other news I'm doing orientation for a local parrot rescue tonight and I'm so excited!!!

I applied in January hoping I'd get experience before looking for a bird.... We all know how that turned out lol

My availability has drastically changed but they want me anyway and I am super stoked!

 

[Cottonoid]

Also by preening his feathers I mean overpreening his feathers but they're still there!

 

[Laurasea]

Ok y'all..

YOU READY FOR THIS?!?!?!

View attachment 41398


My Gray Eyed Handsome Devil is doing SUCH A GOOD JOB of preening his feathers so far!! I soooo hope not jinxing this by posting now lol but I'm so impressed with him!

He also hasn't come out of his cage since he tumbled earlier this week, whether I'm in the room or not. But he's still chewing up his toys and talking to himself whenever I'm not around so I can't really say which of the many things that changed this week are the reason.

It's been around 85-87F and 50-60% humidity in this room all week so maybe he's just not like the rest of us. I have a fan running faced toward the length of the room so at least we haven't had a repeat of Monday's 95+ when I was laid up on the couch with tendonitis in my foot.

I can't give him any extra calcium because of being on doxycycline, and he's been picking here and there at extra protein offerings, but he's been eating enough veggies to eat least cover his vitamin A.

He's being very cute right now, watching me across the room with his head tucked and face all fluffy

Amazing!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING!!!!!

 

[StormyPica]

Ahh, I keep unfollowing this thread (forum glitch, I guess), but I came to check on you guys, and I'm so glad he's doing better! And congrats on becoming a mod, Cottonoid!

 

[Cottonoid]

Thanks, Stormy!

And of course this morning there were about 10 tiny lime green feathers in the bottom of the cage

Orientation for the parrot rescue went really well. It's a very organized facility and I think it will be a lot of fun to learn more and eventually be able to help with medical stuff there.

This weekend is too busy! I like zero obligations lol and I have something every morning and evening. Then nothing for a few months, phew!

 

[StormyPica]

Thanks, Stormy!

And of course this morning there were about 10 tiny lime green feathers in the bottom of the cage

Orientation for the parrot rescue went really well. It's a very organized facility and I think it will be a lot of fun to learn more and eventually be able to help with medical stuff there.

This weekend is too busy! I like zero obligations lol and I have something every morning and evening. Then nothing for a few months, phew!

Oh, Cotton! The parrot rescue sounds amazing- I wish there was one in my area!

 

[HeatherG]

Thanks, Stormy!

And of course this morning there were about 10 tiny lime green feathers in the bottom of the cage

Orientation for the parrot rescue went really well. It's a very organized facility and I think it will be a lot of fun to learn more and eventually be able to help with medical stuff there.

This weekend is too busy! I like zero obligations lol and I have something every morning and evening. Then nothing for a few months, phew!

Oh, no!

I went to MAARS once and adopted a lovebird to keep Lucy company for several years. That was an amazing place. The raptor center was also a real learning experience.

 

[Laurasea]

I'm so excited and proud of him! I expected we'd go a bit backwards after my trip so I'm just thrilled! He hasn't even been home 2 months yet and he's had a lot of change even during those two months.

I tried to get a picture of his very full crop but my phone died after I got this poorly lit photo. He's still chewing off new feathers but he has a lot of downy floof right now. Little Cotton fluffy butt

View attachment 40232

From this to now! So incredible!!!

 

[Cottonoid]

I moved Cotton's tree back to right in front of his cage, as he hasn't come out since his tumble last week. It worked! And he had fun eating a whole spring of millet off and on all day

 

[Cottonoid]

I got home from work about an hour ago, made Cotton's dinner of sweet potato, chopped sweet pepper, baby bird formula, and some seeds/pellets, and opened his cage door.

I went to feed the dog and heard Cotton come out (there's a bell on the boing he uses) and then heard one of my favorite sounds ever - his eating peppers. You can just hear the juiciness of the flesh! It's squeaky! I love it so much.

He likes this dinner enough that he doesn't want me anywhere near him today - not even across the room eating MY dinner! He took a good long look at my food, though, and a glare when I held up a piece of broccoli!

I left the room and ate with Maynard instead, and he's been eating ever since! I think he's eating just about everything in that bowl! I saw a few potato flings while I was watching on camera, but mostly just eat eat eat. Good job buddy! Get those extra calories!!

 

[HeatherG]

How’s Mr. Cotton doing?
Is he keeping any of those new feathers?

 

[Cottonoid]

How’s Mr. Cotton doing?
Is he keeping any of those new feathers?

Well let me show you

This is yesterday - he's been a little grumpy since being off Meloxicam (darn NSAIDs and kidneys...I'd given it too long as it was, eek) but he's doing ok. Lots of little chest feathers plucked, and he did pull the rest of that first wong feather he broke and made bleed. But he's been flapping a lot and trying to find his balance which is fun to see.

He's definitely still chewing his wing feathers but other than the one, they're still there, and so far he's left his tail alone. I'm just hoping the cage setup still works for long feathers flopping around

 

[HeatherG]

Holy moly! That’s amazing! Look at all those feathers!

If you give him a while off meloxicam, and he picks more, can he go back on it for a while later?

I have chronic pain and I think it’s mean that drs think we should just suffer with it. It changes your whole view of life.