Archive for Animals
Zulu Streeeetches Out
Posted by: | CommentsSo our vet suggested this site to keep the lad occupied. I wasn’t sure at first, but put in an order that just had to include the toy they swore every Grey loved.
Sure enough, here he goes, one second after it was put in the cage:
Somebody better tell him to be careful extending his neck with Thanksgiving around the corner.
And THEN he found the caterpillars. Read More→
Snit fit
Posted by: | CommentsZulu has all kinds of foraging toys to keep him occupied, and usually they take him a day or two to figure out, but then there’s this treasure chest.
Damn that treasure chest. Two ‘keys’ have to be turned and then pulled out keep it ‘locked.’ It’s a clear yellow lucite, so he can see the nuts and things in there, taunting him. Once the bird’s pulled the keys the bottom drops down, allowing access to the goodies locked up inside.
Well, sorta. As it turns out, it’s made for a bird with a smaller head than Zulu…he can’t fit his beak in there to get at the treat. He tried valiantly for quite some time, stubbornly not allowing me to get my hands in the cage to try and help. HE was going to do it.
But if the beak don’t fit, you must submit. With a mighty PEEP! He came barreling out of the cage, and over to the outer door of his food (making sure I was watching, of course):
Ripped open the door, and flung the entire dish out, onto poor Kassie, asleep by the cage. Not that she cared much, she started eating it up straightaway.
Mission accomplished, he swung the door shut again as if it’d never happened and feeling much better about the whole episode.
Time to start thinking Halloween…
Posted by: | CommentsFirst off, how the hell can it be almost October? Wasn’t it just New Year’s, like a week ago?
Yeah, I know, isn’t aging great, blah blah blah.
Anyway, Charlie is a Halloween baby, and this year we’ll be having the 2nd annual costume/birthday party, theme tba.
This pic is from last Halloween’s decorations; it’s our most evil cat, Sixie, snuggling down with her soulmates.
Is it wrong that my bird has a pet of his own?
Posted by: | Comments…and while it’s true that he’s not likely to clean up after it, neither does my daughter, so six of one, half a dozen of the other, right?
Anyway, I’ve learned that Zulu being bored is a bad thing. The more he has to occupy him the better. He’s happier, and less nippy so I get to keep more of my blood on the inside, which I’ve come to appreciate is a good thing.
Kassie says hello…
Posted by: | CommentsThe old lady of the house has been feeling a little more spry lately, thanks to Charlie sinking a bunch of money into some doggie joint compound, and slightly lower temps.
We are for sure ready for fall, tho.
“Pretty bird?” fuggedaboutit- “Terrifyingly Smart Bird,” we got.
Posted by: | CommentsZulu’s figured out how to get at his favorite treat when I’m not handing them out. Sorry about the blurriness, but getting a clear photo in the commission of a crime is tougher than you’d think.
He climbs all the way around the outside of his cage, then unscrews the cap:
Realizes he can’t reach the things: Read More→
Zulu plots against the world
Posted by: | Comments
Our boy knows he’s the most intelligent pet in the house (and depending on how the day’s going, often the most intelligent overall inhabitant), and likes to stand out on his veranda, coming up with ways to get Sammy worked up to the point that I tell her to knock it off and go to her pillow.
And then- every single time the dog gets in trouble- Zulu does his happy dance, knowing his plans for domination are coming along nicely.
Bianca says “Geez-AGAIN with the flowers?”
Posted by: | CommentsSitting in the big pot while I look at the latest Sunshowers bloom- But then she’s always known she had weird owners.
So…you know how I’ve been spending all this time with the Quakers?
Posted by: | CommentsWell… I now have a parrot of my very own!
Oddly, it’s not a Quaker. For about a year I’ve been researching them, and they’re really interesting little guys, and I still want to draw them in if I can. But every article I read, particularly if there was any kind of ranking, had the Quakers on the list (within the top 10 talkers, top 10 best bird pets, etc).
But the African Grey topped pretty much all of the lists. When I first started out, I sort of shrugged when I saw the info. When I think of parrots, I think: WHAMMO! COLOR! Not grey. Yes, that’s very superficial, but give me credit, I overcame it. Potential vocabularies of 1-2k words, with comprehension of what they mean? Intelligence on par with dolphins and chimps? Plus I get to buy a bunch of those cool bird toys? Gimme gimme gimme!:)
True, they’re also sensitive and want lots of attention, but I work from home and live in my office, so face time’s not an issue.
So I started doing more serious research and chanced into this guy:
Meet my new boy, Zulu! He’s 4 years old, and a little nippy/nervous at the moment due to all the upheaval.
And oh what upheaval he’s seen-since this is New Orleans, there’s a whole story to go along with him, but I’ll have to save that for later. It’s worth the wait, trust me!
Parrot’s Nest
Posted by: | CommentsWith a little research, we discovered where our local flock roosts- atop the broadcast tower of a small radio station for the blind on Magazine Street. They read the newspaper, magazines, books and grocery store circulars.
They’re fine with the nest being where it is- it’s been there for years, though it blew away in Katrina, of course. I’m going to have to go back when it’s not so bright to pick up the detail and how many holes there are in it. According to the radio station, about 2 dozen birds live here.
