Paulie the wonder bird
Paulie the wonder bird is in a depression...
which means he plucks his feathers out. He because upset back in october over the weekend of my daughters bridal shower. there was alot of people here at the condo i wasn't around for a couple of days and his routine was way off bat. he kept it all together just got alilttle quieter.
then a couple weeks later in november my daughter was married and i was gone for 3 whole days! horrors! i had someone who checked in with him. but the dog was inthe kennel and the worst of it was mom was not at home.
he started plucking the feathers off his legs. over the next few weeks he refused to talk to me. he wouldn't eat his favorite treats if i was in the same room. he would become completely silent if i walked in the room. he was VERY mad at mommy.
me being a fairly new bird owner ran to the computer looking up every site I couldfind about african greys and problems. the nightmare continued and Paulies legs are not cute without feathers. he is bowl legged.
i took him to a avian vet. who was fantastic! we were there for 3 hours while he carefully examined him. the vet took his time so taht paulie would be comfortable. that eased my mind and i plan on taking all my pets to these people i was that happy with how they treated us.
teh vet did some tests and a few hundred later the concensis is that paulis is in a snit. he's healthy alittle obese the doctor says. and just needs to be reasured that mom is here for him. i also needed to change his diet. i was too good to him. he's a bird! he likes seeds! who knew thats like chocolate to us? now he is on a specail diet along with fresh fruits and vegis daily. more excersize too. hummmm maybe i should listen and follow that myself!?!?!
He ended up plucking all the feathers off his legs and a good amount on his back plus a small ring around his neck. he has stopped the plucking as far as i can tell. i'm also inviting friends into the condo more so he won't freak out with new people coming in. he has taken a big likign to my daughter in law. he has a crush! i wonder if he's trying to make me jealous???
we have play time every morning for an hour while i am geting ready for work. he is learning how to fect which is a riot to see him run/waddle across my bed to chase a small red box! we also play at night after I get home from work. santa brought him a new perch for the den so now he has access to all three levels of my condo. the cats and dog are discussed.
the good news is paulie's feathers will grow back if he continues like he is. he also has started talking to me again. he told me he loved me yesterday and then threw up on my arm. ok so it might not be a perfect love relationship but to him he was showing his love by puking on mommy. its a bird thing. i'mthrilled its not a human thing. it would make dating alot nastier than it already is.
THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY!!!!
love to all and a happy new year!
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