skylavaulter
New member
- Jan 29, 2012
- 74
- 0
- Parrots
- RIP Ivy 3/23/12-4/12/13,
New congo grey baby comes home sometime in May!
I meant to post this last week, but I was so busy with our new addition that I didn't think of it. Rio the catalina macaw came home with us last Tuesday 
He's a LOVEBUG and a huge cuddler! It's too funny though - I've wanted a macaw my entire life. My husband's always wanted a grey, but I won that battle because greys are notorious for bonding with only one person, and macaws aren't AS likely to do that. I wanted a bird that could love both of us. Well...Rio has 100% completely fallen in love with my husband LOL. Whenever Eric (hubby) comes into the room, that bird is off my chest and flying to him within 10 seconds. If Eric goes to bed and Rio is on top of his cage, Rio flies to our bed and tries pulling the covers down to cuddle up with Eric and nibbles his ear until he pays attention to him ...too funny! Now I'm not saying the bird hates me by any means - this morning I woke up to him laying on his back next to my head and he was chirping (yes, chirping!) in my ear (I like to think they were sweet nothings ). So I think he may be warming up to me. But he reaaaaaaaally loves my husband, and poor Eric is a little tired of getting ALL the love. He has to hide from Rio when passing the living room like he's in special ops or something, because if that bird so much as catches a glimpse of him, he swoops off his perch with a quickness to join him on his shoulder/back/head/arm/whatever he can land on haha. However, when Eric is at work I'm the target of affection, so I can't complain - he gives me love too
I think he's enjoying being fully winged and out of the cage during the day VERY much. So much, in fact, that he never wants to go into his cage to sleep or hang out in at night, either. His big ass 36x46x78 cage is in our bedroom but he prefers to sleep ON it rather than IN it :20:. He fights us every step of the way when we try to put him in it, and the only time he really gets worked up and screams is when he's in the cage. After a while he will settle down, but we reserve the cage only for when we aren't home (a rarity) because he really seems to dislike being cooped up. He will play with his toys in it and climb all around once he's settled, but the first 15 minutes in it and he's a squawking flapping mess! During his day he hangs on top of his cage, on top of our bedroom door, and downstairs either on his java tree or our TV stand. Of course, he prefers our shoulder or chest over anything, which is fine by me.
He likes everyone in the house except for the huge energetic dog and the fast moving, inquisitive toddler, which is to be expected lol. He's actually taken a huge interest in the cats, but they don't seem to share the love, and are happy to watch him from a distance. As far as talking, he's very funny with it. He will ONLY talk when he thinks no one is listening - I have heard him three times now in the middle of the night quietly (and by quietly I mean he was purposely whispering, like he didn't want anyone to hear because he hasn't perfected it yet) practicing "hello", "good bird", step up", "pretty bird", and "Rio". I think he also made sneeze sounds and kiss sounds, both of which I've been doing in front of him on purpose. He has said hello about four times during the day, but he saves everything else for when we're "asleep".
He's definitely all baby still - he's a bit unsure of himself and is cautious around new things. He prefers to stay close to me and Eric, even if it means leaving where he's perched to fly into the other room where we are. He's a bit clumsy with his landings, but I'm sure he'll get better now that he's got full range of the house to fly in and explore all day, instead of being kept in a cage 24/7. He's had two sessions in the shower which he really seemed to enjoy, though it seems he'd rather have ME preen him afterward by gently fluffing his feathers than to do it himself. I REALLY need to build a shower perch - he's been using my arm as a perch, which leaves me VERY wet when it's all said and done, either with scratches all over my bare arm or a VERY soaked long sleeve shirt :09:.
He loves grapes and peanuts and will go to great lengths to dig through his food for them. I also think he poops on Eric on purpose - and I find it hysterical. Every time he's on him, he poops, and it's only with him. We can't figure it out. He feels the most relaxed with him, maybe? Who knows. Better him than me :09: Anyway, he's an absolute joy to have and I'm so glad we decided to get him. He's a character and we love him so much already! I have about a thousand pics of him on my phone, which is dead right now. I will be uploading lots of pix in the am. Thanks for reading, and I'll keep you all updated on him!
He's a LOVEBUG and a huge cuddler! It's too funny though - I've wanted a macaw my entire life. My husband's always wanted a grey, but I won that battle because greys are notorious for bonding with only one person, and macaws aren't AS likely to do that. I wanted a bird that could love both of us. Well...Rio has 100% completely fallen in love with my husband LOL. Whenever Eric (hubby) comes into the room, that bird is off my chest and flying to him within 10 seconds. If Eric goes to bed and Rio is on top of his cage, Rio flies to our bed and tries pulling the covers down to cuddle up with Eric and nibbles his ear until he pays attention to him ...too funny! Now I'm not saying the bird hates me by any means - this morning I woke up to him laying on his back next to my head and he was chirping (yes, chirping!) in my ear (I like to think they were sweet nothings ). So I think he may be warming up to me. But he reaaaaaaaally loves my husband, and poor Eric is a little tired of getting ALL the love. He has to hide from Rio when passing the living room like he's in special ops or something, because if that bird so much as catches a glimpse of him, he swoops off his perch with a quickness to join him on his shoulder/back/head/arm/whatever he can land on haha. However, when Eric is at work I'm the target of affection, so I can't complain - he gives me love too I think he's enjoying being fully winged and out of the cage during the day VERY much. So much, in fact, that he never wants to go into his cage to sleep or hang out in at night, either. His big ass 36x46x78 cage is in our bedroom but he prefers to sleep ON it rather than IN it :20:. He fights us every step of the way when we try to put him in it, and the only time he really gets worked up and screams is when he's in the cage. After a while he will settle down, but we reserve the cage only for when we aren't home (a rarity) because he really seems to dislike being cooped up. He will play with his toys in it and climb all around once he's settled, but the first 15 minutes in it and he's a squawking flapping mess! During his day he hangs on top of his cage, on top of our bedroom door, and downstairs either on his java tree or our TV stand. Of course, he prefers our shoulder or chest over anything, which is fine by me.
He likes everyone in the house except for the huge energetic dog and the fast moving, inquisitive toddler, which is to be expected lol. He's actually taken a huge interest in the cats, but they don't seem to share the love, and are happy to watch him from a distance. As far as talking, he's very funny with it. He will ONLY talk when he thinks no one is listening - I have heard him three times now in the middle of the night quietly (and by quietly I mean he was purposely whispering, like he didn't want anyone to hear because he hasn't perfected it yet) practicing "hello", "good bird", step up", "pretty bird", and "Rio". I think he also made sneeze sounds and kiss sounds, both of which I've been doing in front of him on purpose. He has said hello about four times during the day, but he saves everything else for when we're "asleep".
He's definitely all baby still - he's a bit unsure of himself and is cautious around new things. He prefers to stay close to me and Eric, even if it means leaving where he's perched to fly into the other room where we are. He's a bit clumsy with his landings, but I'm sure he'll get better now that he's got full range of the house to fly in and explore all day, instead of being kept in a cage 24/7. He's had two sessions in the shower which he really seemed to enjoy, though it seems he'd rather have ME preen him afterward by gently fluffing his feathers than to do it himself. I REALLY need to build a shower perch - he's been using my arm as a perch, which leaves me VERY wet when it's all said and done, either with scratches all over my bare arm or a VERY soaked long sleeve shirt :09:.
He loves grapes and peanuts and will go to great lengths to dig through his food for them. I also think he poops on Eric on purpose - and I find it hysterical. Every time he's on him, he poops, and it's only with him. We can't figure it out. He feels the most relaxed with him, maybe? Who knows. Better him than me :09: Anyway, he's an absolute joy to have and I'm so glad we decided to get him. He's a character and we love him so much already! I have about a thousand pics of him on my phone, which is dead right now. I will be uploading lots of pix in the am. Thanks for reading, and I'll keep you all updated on him!
