March 2009
Dearest Birds, Humans and Elephants,
Aristophanes is enjoying sitting at the table and eating with us. He is back to standing on my arm while I scratch his head and lifting his wings while I massage his back. It is such a pleasure to have my pet bird back to the point where I am enjoying living with him again.
It was touch and go there for quite some time. He had developed some really bad behavioral habits which kept him confined to his cage for more time than I like. When I say that a pet bird should be treated as a member of the family, a loving member, I mean it. These parrots were not meant to spend 24 hours of their day locked in a cage that becomes a jail when they confined there all the time. We must work gently and carefully on their behavioral problems until we overcome them for the benefit of the birds and ourselves.
Aristophanes had become the kind of bird that I get so many calls about to re-home. He bit, yelled, and was an annoyance instead of a pleasure. I worked with him consistently, on his terms and mine, and I was successful. Scarlet macaws have a reputation as being difficult pets and I understand why. I, however, do not believe in giving my problem animal to somebody else. Eventually, the bird, in that situation, ends up sitting locked in a cage for the rest of his life or dead..........Either alternative is horrendous.
Parrots are difficult pets. They are difficult because they require so much attention and work. These are sensitive and intelligent beings, living in their own “societies” when allowed to, without human interference. Often, their actions are difficult to handle and people become unwittingly abusive to them. We have heard many theories on dealing with these behaviors, from going after them with heavy gloves, even into their cages to pull them out, to just leaving them to stay locked in a cage forever without any hope due to behaviors that are recalcitrant to humans. Many of these theories are cruel and dangerous to these pathetic creatures who belong flying freely in the wilds of their native lands. Since they are not free, we must work with them and incorporate them into our lives and lifestyles. Often that isn’t easy. But, if we are to have them as our pets, we have to work at it again and again.
Emma had a shower this morning where she played under the running water. Bowing her head and folding her wings over it, she shook with sheer delight. It wasn’t always like this. In the beginning, Emma was petrified of the shower and the spray bottle when I tried to spray her. I persevered with this and I am glad I did. At our last meeting, Dr. Kasman spoke about the importance of showering the bird with water, whether through the use of a bottle or the actual shower itself. This can be done little by little until the bird gets used to it. The water on their feathers is so important, it is not a good thing to give up doing that because the birds initial response is fear or anger. It works, just don’t give up. Just do it little by little if the bird’s first reaction is a negative one.
My Zeke is a happy little guy. I was concerned that he might pine away on me after he lost his “wife” and son. I was, however, able to make up for them with the attention I lavish on him. He flies all over the house, landing on Jackie or me and he hangs out with us. We have to be so very careful with the doors and windows, I would hate to lose him like that. His life is pleasurable being fully flighted and I don’t want to take that away by clipping his wings. Cockatiels are truly great pets and a happy one is a delightful companion for the bird-needing human.
Chimpanzees, lions, tigers, bears and other exotic animals are not great pets and should stay in the jungle where they belong. The fate of that wretched chimpanzee that was shot by the police after he mutilated that unfortunate woman is sad, horrible and should never have happened. It is just another example of the atrocities that we, as humans, perpetrate on other life forms. Those atrocities often are committed upon parrots, the birds we love so well, too.
I don’t know the answers, but if I was the one who, in retrospect, was making the rules, no parrot, chimpanzee, lion or even elephant would ever have been taken from the wild and forced to fit into and live in a human society that is definitely not geared for them and their “contented” survival. Remember, I saw elephants living on concrete slabs in back allies in India, where they were chained by all four legs just about all the time, and that is considered the norm for that way of life. It is a wonder that you so often read about them going beserk and killing their caretakers.
Unfortunately, these animals cannot go back to the wild. They could not survive and if they could, being anywhere near human habitation would be an impossible situation because they have no fear of humans and would be a constant and understandable threat.
I got a call today with five birds for adoption. I found two good homes for birds earlier in the week and when I called to tell the owner that I found a proper home, I was told that they had someone else had already adopted the bird. Hopefully, the person that they found will give the bird a good, loving home. I hate when this happens because I put many hours into finding, what I consider, a genuinely good home for an animal. It would be nice if the person who owned the bird called me and said “Stop, I have found another home.” .This week I received 2 calls with “emergency needs” for fast adoptions. I did what I could and never heard from the caller again. I wish these people would be more considerate. Please let me know if you are willing to foster a bird. Foster homes are always needed.
Tonight we have The Executive Director of the Ulster SPCA coming to speak to us about the work that is done in that shelter. This should be an informative and educational program. Birds are quite often included in the animals that get sent to shelters when their humans no longer want them or cannot care for them. Next month’s program is still to be announced. May brings Dr. Valerie Freer, erstwhile president of the Audubon Society and Julia Nelson, African grey breeder will be here in June.
People, please pay your dues if they have not been paid. Our dues are very reasonable and were due last July, except for certain circumstances. It is truly not fair that there are people who come to meetings, get newsletters, postcards and do not pay their dues.
Have a great month and take good care of your birds.....Give them as much freedom as possible, good food and lots of love.
Be well and happy,
Richie
Aristophanes is enjoying sitting at the table and eating with us. He is back to standing on my arm while I scratch his head and lifting his wings while I massage his back. It is such a pleasure to have my pet bird back to the point where I am enjoying living with him again.
It was touch and go there for quite some time. He had developed some really bad behavioral habits which kept him confined to his cage for more time than I like. When I say that a pet bird should be treated as a member of the family, a loving member, I mean it. These parrots were not meant to spend 24 hours of their day locked in a cage that becomes a jail when they confined there all the time. We must work gently and carefully on their behavioral problems until we overcome them for the benefit of the birds and ourselves.
Aristophanes had become the kind of bird that I get so many calls about to re-home. He bit, yelled, and was an annoyance instead of a pleasure. I worked with him consistently, on his terms and mine, and I was successful. Scarlet macaws have a reputation as being difficult pets and I understand why. I, however, do not believe in giving my problem animal to somebody else. Eventually, the bird, in that situation, ends up sitting locked in a cage for the rest of his life or dead..........Either alternative is horrendous.
Parrots are difficult pets. They are difficult because they require so much attention and work. These are sensitive and intelligent beings, living in their own “societies” when allowed to, without human interference. Often, their actions are difficult to handle and people become unwittingly abusive to them. We have heard many theories on dealing with these behaviors, from going after them with heavy gloves, even into their cages to pull them out, to just leaving them to stay locked in a cage forever without any hope due to behaviors that are recalcitrant to humans. Many of these theories are cruel and dangerous to these pathetic creatures who belong flying freely in the wilds of their native lands. Since they are not free, we must work with them and incorporate them into our lives and lifestyles. Often that isn’t easy. But, if we are to have them as our pets, we have to work at it again and again.
Emma had a shower this morning where she played under the running water. Bowing her head and folding her wings over it, she shook with sheer delight. It wasn’t always like this. In the beginning, Emma was petrified of the shower and the spray bottle when I tried to spray her. I persevered with this and I am glad I did. At our last meeting, Dr. Kasman spoke about the importance of showering the bird with water, whether through the use of a bottle or the actual shower itself. This can be done little by little until the bird gets used to it. The water on their feathers is so important, it is not a good thing to give up doing that because the birds initial response is fear or anger. It works, just don’t give up. Just do it little by little if the bird’s first reaction is a negative one.
My Zeke is a happy little guy. I was concerned that he might pine away on me after he lost his “wife” and son. I was, however, able to make up for them with the attention I lavish on him. He flies all over the house, landing on Jackie or me and he hangs out with us. We have to be so very careful with the doors and windows, I would hate to lose him like that. His life is pleasurable being fully flighted and I don’t want to take that away by clipping his wings. Cockatiels are truly great pets and a happy one is a delightful companion for the bird-needing human.
Chimpanzees, lions, tigers, bears and other exotic animals are not great pets and should stay in the jungle where they belong. The fate of that wretched chimpanzee that was shot by the police after he mutilated that unfortunate woman is sad, horrible and should never have happened. It is just another example of the atrocities that we, as humans, perpetrate on other life forms. Those atrocities often are committed upon parrots, the birds we love so well, too.
I don’t know the answers, but if I was the one who, in retrospect, was making the rules, no parrot, chimpanzee, lion or even elephant would ever have been taken from the wild and forced to fit into and live in a human society that is definitely not geared for them and their “contented” survival. Remember, I saw elephants living on concrete slabs in back allies in India, where they were chained by all four legs just about all the time, and that is considered the norm for that way of life. It is a wonder that you so often read about them going beserk and killing their caretakers.
Unfortunately, these animals cannot go back to the wild. They could not survive and if they could, being anywhere near human habitation would be an impossible situation because they have no fear of humans and would be a constant and understandable threat.
I got a call today with five birds for adoption. I found two good homes for birds earlier in the week and when I called to tell the owner that I found a proper home, I was told that they had someone else had already adopted the bird. Hopefully, the person that they found will give the bird a good, loving home. I hate when this happens because I put many hours into finding, what I consider, a genuinely good home for an animal. It would be nice if the person who owned the bird called me and said “Stop, I have found another home.” .This week I received 2 calls with “emergency needs” for fast adoptions. I did what I could and never heard from the caller again. I wish these people would be more considerate. Please let me know if you are willing to foster a bird. Foster homes are always needed.
Tonight we have The Executive Director of the Ulster SPCA coming to speak to us about the work that is done in that shelter. This should be an informative and educational program. Birds are quite often included in the animals that get sent to shelters when their humans no longer want them or cannot care for them. Next month’s program is still to be announced. May brings Dr. Valerie Freer, erstwhile president of the Audubon Society and Julia Nelson, African grey breeder will be here in June.
People, please pay your dues if they have not been paid. Our dues are very reasonable and were due last July, except for certain circumstances. It is truly not fair that there are people who come to meetings, get newsletters, postcards and do not pay their dues.
Have a great month and take good care of your birds.....Give them as much freedom as possible, good food and lots of love.
Be well and happy,
Richie