Riot of Parrots

Check out the artwork of Guus Kemp, a local Houston (Houston Heights!) Artist, whose painting, "riot of Parrots" is reminiscent of morning at our house. Out of respect for the artist and copyright, I won't try to put that picture here, but check it out at the link!

Missing the Budgies

What is the reason that we bond so tightly to our pets? I really miss the budgies! People may say that this is the innate parenting tendency, which may well be part of it.

Budgies in a Kennel

Our evil landlords won't let us go month to month while we are (currently) in the process of buying a house, and while J has to work two time zones away (as a "stimulus worker, thanks Obama!), and as a result, for the next several weeks K has had to move into a hotel, and the budgies have had to be kenneled. Naturally we miss them terribly. However, the place boarding them seems very loving and highly competent; Animal Avian Hospital (Rice Village). They seem to really like budgies as well as other animals. I hope to go by and visit the budgies even though they are being housed. I was very reassured that they took pictures of all 4 of the budgies and gave me little magnets with the pictures in them. Sure, its a smart marketing gimmick, but the person who took the pictures was really excited about how cute they were.

The Un-Fun for Budgie Owners-Is there an Art to It?

Anyone who had never owned a pet and reading this blog (can't imagine those two categories cross-sectioning, but perhaps, an animal lover who is in jail or something)...anyway, as i was was saying...errr....(starting over). Anyone who HAS owned a pet, knows that there is the un-fun part, which is, usually, dealing with 1) things that come out of their butts 2) things that have to do with their food after being eaten (clean up, or a mess) and 3) shedding (be it fur or in this case, feathers). Budgies, by far, are much, much less un-fun in this way than any dog or cat. while it would be ideal to clean the cage every day (just like for a cat owner, cleaning the litter box daily would be good..yeah right!), I suspect that once a week is pretty standard, and also, pretty acceptable. This doesn't apply to seed dishes-if they have only hulls in them, and no new seeds, or it is hard for the budgie to reach the seeds under spent hulls, the budgie could starve. So, seed dishes should be emptied and have new seed replaced daily.

I like the current set up for the bottom of the cage, having tried lots of "litter". The corn cob litter is safe for budgies, and looks ok (not that I spend a lot of time looking at it...). And because budgies have their favorite perches, and, favorite spots on the favorite perches, they tend to, er, accumulate "waste" in particular spots. I put timothy hay under those spots, so I can easily and quickly clean those areas, and not have to do a total cage change as often. Additionally, timothy hay smells good. Also, it can be pushed up against the edge of the cage, which can be hard to clean, and keep that from getting soiled.

So, if you've read this far, you're either 1) totally bored 2) as obsessed with budgies as I am, to the point where you are interested, even in their poop 3) one of those animal lovers in prison mentioned at the beginning or 4) all of these.

Magoo Gains on Boo

Boo has long been the favorite. I adore all the budgies (of course) and all have their very special features and personality traits. I can't imagine if I had to give any of them up. When we first brought Magoo back home, I admit I felt burdened. I had hoped friends would adopt him. Now, however, I would find it very hard to let him go. He is so cheeky and brave! For example, tonight I left the door of the cage open, while I went to get cilantro. He steps right out, looks around, explores. When new food is in the cage, he and Sutcliffe both very eagerly try it (Magoo must be a flock leader in training). Magoo sings a lot, and if one of the budgies were to learn to speak, I think it might be him as he is the most responsive to verbal cues. He is tame, and if not so involved with the flock, would probably become very affectionate. Ok, Boo is also playful, Sutcliffe sings beautifully, Mary Ann is tame, but Magoo may be the whole package. But I am almost afraid to even say this, as I love the others so much too and I don't want to bring any bad luck down on any member of the flock!

Unkind But True: There are "Schizo" Birds out there

It makes me sad to say, but some budgies just haven't worked out. It is quite clear to our readers that both Lola and Mia are gone. I feel guilty and sad about that, but neither of them adjusted to the flock. Lola (pictured on the L, closest to the nestbox) was one of the first two budgies I have had, since she and Sutcliffe were purchased from the "Budgie bin" at a PetSmart at the same time, almost three years ago. She was very young, or at least, very small, and her wings had been severly clipped. Sutcliffe also had been severly clipped, but he was a bit larger, and a bit less crippled by it than Lola. Perhaps this was why she was always nervous and skittish. Sutcliffe gradually learned to eat millett seed while I was holding it, but Lola never learned to ever be comfortable with "the hand". She was pretty much untrainable. Mary ann was mean to her. Mia (pictured to the R) was also exceedingly skittish. She was so terrified of a hand in the cage that she would flap with crazy vigor to the point where she would fall off the perch. She was so terrified, she was at risk of hurting herself whenever a hand came near her.

Are some birds virtually unable to become comfortable around humans? If we were not around, would Lola and Mia found a good role in the flock? Or were they just too damn crazy to every be a happy or a part of things, due perhaps to inbreeding? I hope they are both very happy as "only birds" wherever they may now be. I know that Lola was adopted by a very loving family via Craig's list. I don't know what has happened to Mia--I'm afraid to ask the Ringo adopters, as they really didn't want to keep her but we couldn't take five budgies in our rental apartment. I really wish that both of them have happy lives. I wonder if this is the kind of thing that is not uncommon ("Schizo" budgies?). Since we have had two, it seems possible. Notably, both of them were from "Budgie bins".