Update on the girls

[Safira]

Update on the girls *With pictures*

Hello All!
I haven't updated much on Gracie and Lucy, I've been letting them settle in and getting vet appointments done and all that. But I am ready for an update! For those of you unfamiliar with the story, I took in two 10 year old CAG's a little over a month ago. This might get lengthy, you have been warned!

Lucy

Lucy is doing very well. I haven't gotten her a bigger cage yet (the one she is in isn't bad, but I like the larger ones) but that's on the list. She's healthy, in perfect feather and the vet said everything with her is good! She is the talker out of the two of them, but she won't talk unless your back is to her. She swears, repeats phone numbers, takes down phone messages, repeats sport scores, talks like a robot, says all kinds of things.. and whistles too!
Lucy is warming up to me more than Gracie is at the moment, she loves her head scratched and isn't too afraid to step up on a wood dowel and then my hand. Out of the two, she's shyer when it comes to climbing out of her cage on her own though.

Gracie

Ah, my little plucker. She is the messier of the two. Destroys her toys with a vengeance! I need to make more this weekend, she's ripped up alllll her shred able ones. She had her vet appointment today and besides the plucking and a bit of dry skin, she's in excellent physical health. Her blood-work came back normal and if anything shows up on the Chem lab the vet said she'll call me. We sent out for a few diseases, but I won't hear until they come back from the lab. She doesn't pull her feathers completely out but snips them, so the follicle is still there. Stress defiantly triggers it, as soon as I put her in the carrier for her ride to the vet she started snipping off feathers. She snipped off feathers even after stepping up on to the vets hand, which she did so politely.

She surprised me though, after her appointment while we waited on the results of the blood work, she sat on my knee and let me scratch and itch her head for 20 minutes. It was so sweet

A few pictures below!
Lucy on the couch

Lucy on the T-stand on my computer desk

Gracie at the Vets

 

[Safira]

As for Gracie's plucking, its very much habit now (and hopefully she'll come back disease free so I can rule that out as well.) But she can grow the feathers back, they're not gone completely. Perhaps in a few years with consistency and the different environment will help her out.

Quick edit: Vet just called me to tell me Gracie's chemical lab came back completely normal and good, so just waiting on a few tests sent to a lab. Looks like her plucking is habit by now.

 

[roxynoodle]

They are both beautiful And Gracie has the sweetest little face.

 

[Mayden]

Beautiful birdies. How long until Safira can meet them, or is quarantine over now?

Lovely pictures, glad to get updates on these two, I'm always curious how they're getting on now + how Gracie's plucking is going. I hope it does ease off now she's with you.

 

[Safira]

Quarantine is over, I bring Safira in to sit on her big perch for awhile (since my computer is in with the CAGS anyways) She couldn't care less about them, but then she spends her entire time trying to figure out how she can come down so I'll scratch her head.

The greys don't seem to care about her, though I caught Lucy trying to bite at her tail when Safira got a little too close (on a different playstand, which I pulled away from Lucy's cage.)

I'm still torn if I'm going to move her into the room. I don't want her to be aggravated by the dust, and am wondering if I can just put her in to sleep (with an air filter and the CAGS getting daily spritzes.) I guess we will try

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, that's great they can all be together in the same room. Poor Petey wants to be friends with Merlin and Rowdy, and they both will lunge at him and try to bite him. In some ways it's kind of funny because Pete is huge. But, they scare the crap out of him all the time. Mean, little girls of mine, lol!

 

[Cliffordsmom]

I want to cuddle them both!! Pretty babies

 

[Safira]

Haha Roxy, my birds don't seem very interested in each other. Even the two sisters, though when I brought Gracie back from the vet today Lucy was all excited. Maybe she just didn't like to be alone, but they never try to go near each other. I don't ever leave Safira alone with them, she has a tendency to go on adventures and I do not want her accidently (or on purpose) jumping onto one of their cages.

 

[Wulfgeist]

Poor Gracie, I feel so bad for her bad habits. Here's hoping time and your good love will be able to change it.

Lucy sounds like a real silly girl. I would love to kiss them both, sweet girls.

 

[Rio Mom]

Thanks for the update! Glad to hear they are doing well. They're both beautiful!

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, no, you can't leave any of them unsupervised, but especially not a macaw, lol! Oops, there used to be a couch there!

Merlin and Rowdy lure Pete in though by acting all friendly and like they want to see him. So he gets all excited and tries to approach and then they attack him! I'm starting to think they will never all be out together :-( And they are all jealous as heck over each other. They seem to enjoy being in the same room and chit chatting, but they all want to be my bird. It's like each of them see the other 2 as entertainment, but don't want ME to give attention to the others.

 

[Mozzie]

I haven't read your story before because I am new to the forum, but I loved hearing it. I think it is wonderful when people adopt older parrots that need homes so desperately. They are absolutely beautiful!!!

 

[Spiritbird]

My hat is off to you for taking care of the girls so well. Their lives have been enriched. I know Lucy spent many years in a very small cage and was never let out. This may be why so is hesitant to explore outside of her cage.

Lucy the bird with a story