That is just what I'm experiencing here and I've been struggling to explain it since.
I'm a pro shopper. Me, armed with a credit card, is probably more dangerous than hunting Bin Laden with a squirt gun. I could easily take down the entire federal deficit with just one swipe. My mother once told me that I was born wearing a pair of Gucci shoes, carrying a Prada bag and I wreaked of Chanel #5. I'm not going to dispute that. Every bit of it is probably true. I still have 3 closets full of clothes and enough shoes to compete with Imelda Marcos. She's my idol, btw.
As a result, I have, over the course of a few years, acquired the motherload of bird toys, parts and supplies. Enough to dedicate half of my 3rd garage bay to it's storage. There are 6 18 gallon rubbermaid bins just full of random plastic and chunks of wood that I've cut and dyed. Paradise to a bird that's part beaver.
Just to keep things interesting, I usually change up the cages during my weekly scrub down, adding and subtracting new or different toys and removing ones that lost the glorious battle for survival against the all mighty 'beak of death'. I try to mix things up a bit. Something to preen, something wood, a bit of plastic and some leather. I don't follow a particular theme. If it looks interesting, I stick it in there.
So about 2 weeks ago, I added what I thought to be an interesting toy. Ok, it wasn't the most exciting toy on the planet but it was virtually indestructible so I felt it had a spot. It's a simple plastic pyramid with 2 beads inside and dangles for a chain set at the top of the cage. I have it in a position where she can move it back a forth a bit. I figured it would add a little interest for her. At first she paid no attention to it. She barely even noticed it's presence. Then the chance to explore it came up and she seized the opportunity. She had such a great time playing with it that I left it in there during my last clean out.
Now Blue really seems to enjoy her cage. There's so much to see and do in there that boredom isn't really an issue. Here I sit trying to work while she engages in her normal play. To us simple minded humans, it's entertaining and fascinating to watch. She makes her way all over the cage, touching and exploring each item resident in there when the beloved toy she treasured so much swung toward her and smacked her straight in the head.
I saw it coming. I just sat here quietly, no longer working and watched intensely as the series of events unfolded and she, in fact, got pretty ticked off and took it out on the toy.
She snaps at it. The toy swings away only to return and smack her in the face again. Lather, rinse and repeat. This went on 5 or 6 times before she threw the gloves off her talons and declared outright war upon the toy. The next thing I know there's a mound of squawking and screaming coming from the other side of the room. I tried everything I had in me, but laughter ensued. I'll just let you watch the video for yourself. Notice at the end, once she's satisfied, she cuddles with it.
Same thing happened on her playstand just 2 days ago. She's perched nicely at the top and the toy she wants to play with is dangling beneath her. Instead of doing the sensible thing and going down a rung or 2 to get it, she decides it's a better idea to try to retrieve it from above.
Well...
THAT didn't work out so well. She fell off the playstand, hit the floor with a vengeance. I sat here in awe and watched as a cloud of feathers just flew off her body. It was probably the most epic thing I've ever witnessed. So cartoon like in a Bugs Bunny way that it's virtually indescribable. Instead of the cloud of dust when the character goes splat off the cliff, 9 full size body feathers, ranging anywhere from 3-5" floated into the air from under her. She sat there staring upwards for what seemed like 5 full minutes before waddling over to me for comfort.
I petted her up for a while, told her to be careful and eventually put her back on the playstand.
She promptly fell off again. At that point I decided perhaps this wasn't a good time to 'Playstand' and put her back in her cage. Seems like she was safer there.
An hour later, the peace treaty between her and the original toy ends and another fight ensues. I'm suspecting she got whacked in the head again and after the confidence depleting fall off the playstand, she just wasn't in the mood. I hear her squawking, checked on her, decided she'll work it out and went about my chores. I come back in the living room to discover she had unscrewed the quick link and tossed the pyramid outside of her cage through the open door and onto the floor. She was sitting quietly on her perched with a completely satisfied look on her face.
I guess she was cleaning too!
So that begs the question...
Do they really play with their toys or is the destruction a means of eradication from their living space? I mean, I've looked at the various trees in the mountains and I've yet to see any colorful blocks of wood strung up on a chain and dangling from a limb.
It's food for thought.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYDf4mL-cg4"]A love/hate relationship - YouTube[/ame]
I'm a pro shopper. Me, armed with a credit card, is probably more dangerous than hunting Bin Laden with a squirt gun. I could easily take down the entire federal deficit with just one swipe. My mother once told me that I was born wearing a pair of Gucci shoes, carrying a Prada bag and I wreaked of Chanel #5. I'm not going to dispute that. Every bit of it is probably true. I still have 3 closets full of clothes and enough shoes to compete with Imelda Marcos. She's my idol, btw.
As a result, I have, over the course of a few years, acquired the motherload of bird toys, parts and supplies. Enough to dedicate half of my 3rd garage bay to it's storage. There are 6 18 gallon rubbermaid bins just full of random plastic and chunks of wood that I've cut and dyed. Paradise to a bird that's part beaver.
Just to keep things interesting, I usually change up the cages during my weekly scrub down, adding and subtracting new or different toys and removing ones that lost the glorious battle for survival against the all mighty 'beak of death'. I try to mix things up a bit. Something to preen, something wood, a bit of plastic and some leather. I don't follow a particular theme. If it looks interesting, I stick it in there.
So about 2 weeks ago, I added what I thought to be an interesting toy. Ok, it wasn't the most exciting toy on the planet but it was virtually indestructible so I felt it had a spot. It's a simple plastic pyramid with 2 beads inside and dangles for a chain set at the top of the cage. I have it in a position where she can move it back a forth a bit. I figured it would add a little interest for her. At first she paid no attention to it. She barely even noticed it's presence. Then the chance to explore it came up and she seized the opportunity. She had such a great time playing with it that I left it in there during my last clean out.
Now Blue really seems to enjoy her cage. There's so much to see and do in there that boredom isn't really an issue. Here I sit trying to work while she engages in her normal play. To us simple minded humans, it's entertaining and fascinating to watch. She makes her way all over the cage, touching and exploring each item resident in there when the beloved toy she treasured so much swung toward her and smacked her straight in the head.
I saw it coming. I just sat here quietly, no longer working and watched intensely as the series of events unfolded and she, in fact, got pretty ticked off and took it out on the toy.
She snaps at it. The toy swings away only to return and smack her in the face again. Lather, rinse and repeat. This went on 5 or 6 times before she threw the gloves off her talons and declared outright war upon the toy. The next thing I know there's a mound of squawking and screaming coming from the other side of the room. I tried everything I had in me, but laughter ensued. I'll just let you watch the video for yourself. Notice at the end, once she's satisfied, she cuddles with it.
Same thing happened on her playstand just 2 days ago. She's perched nicely at the top and the toy she wants to play with is dangling beneath her. Instead of doing the sensible thing and going down a rung or 2 to get it, she decides it's a better idea to try to retrieve it from above.
Well...
THAT didn't work out so well. She fell off the playstand, hit the floor with a vengeance. I sat here in awe and watched as a cloud of feathers just flew off her body. It was probably the most epic thing I've ever witnessed. So cartoon like in a Bugs Bunny way that it's virtually indescribable. Instead of the cloud of dust when the character goes splat off the cliff, 9 full size body feathers, ranging anywhere from 3-5" floated into the air from under her. She sat there staring upwards for what seemed like 5 full minutes before waddling over to me for comfort.
I petted her up for a while, told her to be careful and eventually put her back on the playstand.
She promptly fell off again. At that point I decided perhaps this wasn't a good time to 'Playstand' and put her back in her cage. Seems like she was safer there.
An hour later, the peace treaty between her and the original toy ends and another fight ensues. I'm suspecting she got whacked in the head again and after the confidence depleting fall off the playstand, she just wasn't in the mood. I hear her squawking, checked on her, decided she'll work it out and went about my chores. I come back in the living room to discover she had unscrewed the quick link and tossed the pyramid outside of her cage through the open door and onto the floor. She was sitting quietly on her perched with a completely satisfied look on her face.
I guess she was cleaning too!
So that begs the question...
Do they really play with their toys or is the destruction a means of eradication from their living space? I mean, I've looked at the various trees in the mountains and I've yet to see any colorful blocks of wood strung up on a chain and dangling from a limb.
It's food for thought.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYDf4mL-cg4"]A love/hate relationship - YouTube[/ame]
