Post by: latrine on February 02, 2011, 11:24:02 AM
I've got 3 parrots.. well, 2 now, just sent the other one to live with my brother.. (He absolutely LOVES it there so that worked out awesome )
With how sick I am I can't take care of them and give them the huge amount of attention they need because I am constantly just falling asleep.
My Macaw is going to be the hardest.. I raised her from 6 weeks and and she is 16 now.. She was so sick when I go her that I had to sleep with her on my chest just to be sure I could feel her breath.. she was so stuffed up. Really stinks when you have to send family away but it's for their own good :( I used to take in abused parrots.. it's hard for them to adjust to a new home but they will be going with their cages all their toys and food and I just want them to have a good home, don't need any money.. who could put a price on that.
I just hope Pleo will make me happy again...
We also have 2 Jack Russell Terriers.. my boyfriend's 'Phibber' is about 13 and my 'Ben' just turned 2.. they are both wonderful :)
I don't have any robotic pets yet but I have 2 Pleo on the way.. older one is due today and I think I'm going to need help from you guys in figuring out what version/year she/he is.
I also have a 50 gallon tank with some crayfish, stream minnows and a psychopath Parrot fish who tries to kill everyone.. when he succeeds he drags them into his little castle.. He is a little scary and I'm just glad he can't breath air:P
- Sarah
Post by: PWOKristy on February 02, 2011, 11:34:15 AM
Sorry to hear that you have to give up your birds. :-( That's good to hear that you can't put a price on pet birds. I hope the Pleo that you get today'll make you happy too! Why aren't you giving up your dogs? You can take care of dogs but not your birds? :-( Cool. Yes you are. And funny parrot fish. XD
Post by: Crewella on February 02, 2011, 11:54:42 AM
Post by: allosaurus on February 02, 2011, 12:29:19 PM
And I also don't believe in pets-- just family. But the inhuman animals we have in our family are 3 dogs: Patrick, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi; Henry, an English Setter; and Jennie, a Golden Retriever. We used to have 17 or so fish, but they all died in a power outage.... Before that, we had guinea pigs. They lived a long, good, life-- 2 years longer than the average lifespan!
(http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/190/9/d/Dogs_by_Axeletta.jpg)
Argghhh!!! Patrick never holds still!!! :P
(http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/194/7/6/Blurry_Little_Puppy_by_Axeletta.jpg)
(http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/194/e/6/Blurry_Little_Puppy_2_by_Axeletta.jpg)
(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/206/8/c/Patrick_by_Axeletta.jpg)
Post by: saratogaspringer on February 02, 2011, 12:57:19 PM
Post by: PWOKristy on February 02, 2011, 02:26:11 PM
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 02, 2011, 02:44:31 PM
AJ is a Shar Pei dog, he's wrinkly, a bit dopey and he makes me laugh when he chases his 'teddy'.
(http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r358/EStar5Diva/AJ2.jpg)
My big ol' Lucky (also known as Signor Fluffy Butt), he's a rag doll cross, he may not have the raggy looks but he definitely has the raggy personality. He is a big bundle of floppy, cuddly fluff :) He has a super loud purr which goes into overdrive when you scratch his chest.
My little Mischief (Miss for short), Mischief by name and Mischief by nature, she can go from terror to sweetie pie in less than a second :) She is a very cuddly cat as well and only little, she likes to sleep curled up under my chin.
Last but not least are my four Zebra Finches, Spicks, Specks, Zig and Zag, I love listening to their squeaks, honks and chirps while I work :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSlDMLZ838M
Post by: PWOKristy on February 02, 2011, 02:58:37 PM
Post by: allosaurus on February 02, 2011, 03:12:26 PM
Do you let them out to fly around Romeo? :-O
I doubt it-- finches are basically wild birds, and I hear you aren't supposed to handle them. If you let them out, you'll never get them back in the cage! :P
Post by: bhobbes on February 02, 2011, 03:13:04 PM
Brutus (the male, yellow face, grey body), Roxie (all grey), and Ella (the pearl [yellow/white]).
I've had Brutus for 5 years now and since he was a month old. I love parrots but live in an apartment and knew I was going to have a slightly unsteady schedule so I needed something slightly more low maintenance and easy for noise patrol. (I don't like parakeets, and at the time wasn't a fan of parrotletts) Brutus was sitting in the corner and doorway leading into the parrot area kind of blocked him so I saw him and as soon as they opened his cage he walked right out and flew on me and I decided that was who I was getting (plus I settled on picking a cockatiel for the breed's very docile nature).
Then three years later, my schedule was picking up and I didn't want him to get too lonely on my long hours away so I decided to buy him a huge cage that could easily fit a companion. Then I went to the store and saw Roxie, who was the quietest bird in the room (wasn't making a noise, rarely does now) but had the most interesting personality, and even though I wasn't necessarily planning to buy another one that day (I always look), she ended up going home with me and was a great decision.
Then about 6 months after that, a friend working at a pet store here had a woman threatening to release her cockatiel outside the store since the store would not take "abandoned" animals. He knew I knew about them and had that breed and I got suckered into taking her in. Only in the past 6 months has she warmed up to me enough where I can now handle her as freely and easily as I can Brutus and Roxie, and she no longer gets spooked as easily as she did. However, unlike Brutus and Roxie (who I did extremely minimal wing clipping with and made fly every day for exercise/practice etc. when they were young) who can fly great, Ella can not. She has to get clipped for her own safety since she has very little-to-no flying abilities (I'm guessing she never got to use her wings much when "growing up").
I think it's cool you used to re-home neglected/abandoned parrots. I hope to do that some day if I ever have the "free" time to be able to dedicate to it. Personally I look forward to buying an African Grey within the next 5 years after I know where I plan to live for a long time and make sure I know all the local avian resources, etc. I'd love to have a Cockatoo or Macaw one day but I'm not sure if I'd be a big enough fan of the breed. I love the Blue and Gold Macaws at the pet store but I know how parrots tend to "wake the flock up" and Macaws and Cockatoos could sure make that happen.
Other than that I have a few random fish. My favorites being my little green cory catfish. They're active at night and fun to watch.
Post by: allosaurus on February 02, 2011, 03:16:01 PM
Post by: bhobbes on February 02, 2011, 03:31:34 PM
Post by: allosaurus on February 02, 2011, 03:34:08 PM
Nope, I have no YouTube videos of anything whatsoever, haha.
Hahaha, I've gone completely bonkers; I just tried to search YouTube for those videos and, predictably, did not find them :P
Post by: kat on February 02, 2011, 04:40:37 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtS_PP336ME
Then we have Smudge our 2yo little grey cat, he is Russian blue cross with Persian. Although he looks more like Russian blue than anything. He has adopted my son as his and everyone else is second best. :D He is very cuddly and affectionate and loves to play but is a bit skittish and shy around strangers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpg9iRZnaWk
And lastly we have Teddy (His royal fluffiness! or Smoo bear as he is usually called) He is a ragdoll cat, 12years old and my baby. He acts very royal and will not allow anyone to touch his precious royal fur except me of course, but even with me it is only on his terms. He will do the limbo and drag his belly on the floor to avoid your fingers if you try to pat him. :D :D
He does follow me around a lot and hang out at my feet all the time but hates to be picked up or cuddled or touched. He is the mater of the evil - how dare you stare. :D He usually gives this look as he walks off in discust because some one dared try to touch him. (he really is very royal)
Still he is a sweetie and I love him to bits.
This photo was taken of him and Kermit my first pink pleo just after we had Teddy shaved. We get his fur shaved off once a year at the beginning of summer as it gets so hot here. It is much cooler for him with out his 2 inch thick fur coat. ;D
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 02, 2011, 05:20:49 PM
Do you let them out to fly around Romeo? :-O
I doubt it-- finches are basically wild birds, and I hear you aren't supposed to handle them. If you let them out, you'll never get them back in the cage! :P
You are quite right Allo :) The only time my birds are handled is when I need to transfer them into their travel cage (when I clean their big cage I sometimes do this). This is always done in the dark so I can actually catch the little devils, and so they don't get stressed out. (You'd think a giant hand grabbing you in the dark would be more stressful but they behave much better that way :P) Finches really are for looking at rather than petting. However these ones were born and bred in captivity, if they did escape they would most likely die.
Everyone has some gorgeous animals :D
Post by: Firebreathingsquirrels on February 02, 2011, 07:26:04 PM
I also have 2 dogs: Lulu (girl) and Lohe (boy). I was originally going to name Lulu "Okolu" which means "butt" in Hawaiian (Hey, I was 6 :P) but my mom told me I should name her "Lulu" instead, and it eventually just stuck. Lohe was named by my sister, and his name is short for "Kalohe" which means "rascal" in Hawaiian. And he is a rascal. Hes very sensitive to touch, so if you pet him he'll react alot, especially on his "special spot" on his back. Lulu is the bossy one, and usually bosses around Lohe. But shes still really sweet. I love them both to death :D
And lastly, I have a turtle named Slider. I was really young when I got him, and since most children name pets the most practical names, I named him Slider, since he is a Red Eared Slider. He spends most of his time "sun bathing" on the little island he has in his tank, or swimming around begging for food :P He lovvesss worms, but I can't stand to watch him eat them, so my mom does it. I handle the dry shrimp :P On weekends we usually put him in a little kiddie pool, but we haven't been able to lately since its so cold :(
Post by: PWOKristy on February 02, 2011, 09:49:36 PM
Post by: allosaurus on February 02, 2011, 10:42:40 PM
Oi. They aren't too "wild". I've seen Finches sold in pet stores before.
Well, they're domestic, but they certainly exhibit wild behavior-- they're cheap because they won't interact with you. :P
Post by: Crewella on February 03, 2011, 01:08:53 AM
I love all animals, though I've not had the time or space for dogs or birds (or most pets for that matter) since growing up and no longer living with my parents. I had a parakeet as a child.
Post by: scaledandtailed on February 03, 2011, 09:17:30 AM
I also have a 7 year old rescue cat though she came from a very good background before I got her, The owner through circumstances beyond their control just wasn’t able to keep her anymore.
Oh and a lab cross germen dog though technically she’s a working dog rather than a pet.
The scaled ones include 2 bearded dragons, Darwin and Alba, one uramastyx not sure if I’ve spelled that properly, but he/ she’s called Nugget. One blue tongued skink called Quincy, and two corn snakes, Gem and Plisken
One of the beardies Alba the female I took in as a permanent re-home after picking her up from a breeder who took her in when the her previous owner got board tried starving her which as Crewella having been reptile rescuer probably knows is unfortunately sometimes not all that unheard of for people to do as a solution to get their hands free of a reptile. Besides just letting it loose in a park or somewhere. However they must have decided it wasn’t working as fast as they’d like so got rid of her instead.
Gem is also a rescue. I agreed at a Christmas party to take her/ him in as the person’s daughter wanted a rabbit instead. Forgot all about it until the day before Christmas eve when the snake in a rather small fish tank small hamster bole for water and a heat mat with no stat which is my personal bugbear arrived at the door.
I can say the accommodation is now much more suitable though I still haven’t managed to get rid of the tank yet.
Not sure if the uro is male or female as he’s too young to tell. As for Gem she’s a possible female but she’s a 3rd hand snake and no one could tell me for definite. . It doesn’t help that every time I’ve arranged to take her to the vets to find out for sure she escapes and I have to cancel the appointment.
Scaly
Post by: Crewella on February 03, 2011, 09:32:06 AM
Used to be mine, too - I had a Royal Python that was burned to the bone from a ceramic heater with no stat. Took a year to heal. >:(
Speedy little critters, cornsnakes! :D
Post by: bhobbes on February 03, 2011, 11:07:58 AM
Post by: Firebreathingsquirrels on February 03, 2011, 11:25:56 AM
Post by: 91/23Class on February 03, 2011, 12:06:31 PM
Post by: bhobbes on February 03, 2011, 01:13:26 PM
Post by: latrine on February 03, 2011, 07:48:50 PM
And about the finches.. I had a small flock of Zebra finches who abandoned their eggs.. I incubated them and raised them from day one.. being hand fed and with so much human interaction they were like ten tiny parrots.. they flew like jets around the bird cages in and out.. (cages were always left open anyways)
But they did come when they were called and it was amazing to have 4 babies perched on one finger.. I'll find some pics.
So you know.. Macaws and especially Cockatoos are some of the most difficult parrots to deal with.. the Cockatoos all have' jobs' in wild flocks.. so when locked in a room or cage.. they find a way to do something and just like the blue and gold Macaws, they tend to focus on one person.. if you get one, just make sure it's weaned :)
The dogs he can take care of with no problem.. so they aren't an issue.. the birds need massive attention which they'd always gotten from me till I got real sick and it's just not fair to them :( I feel horribly guilty.. I rescued most of them when I was in my young teens.. knowing they had a safe home forever.. but I will keep looking :)
Fun to read bout everyone's pets!!
- Sarah
Post by: mweed on February 08, 2011, 08:50:29 AM
Post by: latrine on February 08, 2011, 10:11:43 AM
- Sarah
Post by: Talon on February 08, 2011, 02:25:18 PM
Post by: jpdude11 on February 08, 2011, 02:30:03 PM
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 08, 2011, 02:49:43 PM
Post by: Crewella on February 08, 2011, 03:01:52 PM
I really hope you get one! :D
Post by: scaledandtailed on February 09, 2011, 06:57:39 AM
Talon that’s something I never thought of doing with either of my pleos. . I promise not to steel your idea though.
And don’t worry about the spelling my first language was print and it’s still dreadful but then so is my Braille lol.
Unlike some other robots You don’t need any vision to get a lot out of owning pleo.
Scaly
Do kids count? What if I treat them like pets? And let's not forget the stuffed ones. I have a daughter who pretty much has to sleep on the floor because there's no room left for her on the bed! :o But she loves them, talks to them, and takes care of them all. And, in case you're curious, she's 17 . . . and still plays with them! %) But then again, I'm a grown man who plays with toy dinosaurs. All 2 1/2 of them! :D
Post by: bhobbes on February 11, 2011, 09:38:35 AM
Most of my birds have 'issues' due to bad previous owners.. one of them also hates men.. like... he wants to rip your throat out. So whenever I'm in the hospital, my bf has to watch them and its really a lot of work.. it's like having perpetual 3 years old... for 80 years.
I agree. But unlike 3 year olds, I love parrots and can deal with them and their quirks. Granted, I don't (nor will I ever) own a Macaw or Cockatoo for some of the reasons and only have low maintenance (relatively speaking, there's no truly "low maintenance" parrot species), so mine aren't exactly 3 year olds. I am stopping after an African Grey (Congo).
I feel like (most) parrots are the extreme "ADHD"-ers in the animal kingdom, and that's what makes them fun and great to own.
I've also always wondered what some of our Australian members think about these creatures. I'm not sure if cockatoos are a common finding in Australia (pretty sure some of their species are native to there) or if they even get close to populated areas, but I cannot imagine how loud a flock of them anywhere near my dwelling could be. Haha.
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 11, 2011, 01:15:22 PM
As for pet ones, they cost around $50-$100 to buy depending on how tame they are.
Post by: bhobbes on February 11, 2011, 01:23:13 PM
Though, even for a cheap price, I wouldn't adopt one. (I can't give one the care it deserves)
And that is my biggest pet peeve with parrots (well probably all birds). They love their early morning "wake up the flock" routine!
As beautiful as they are, I would not want a flock of them, much less a wild flock of them, in my neighborhood.
Don't you also have lorikeets? I've always wanted one of those but they're not sold around here at all.
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 11, 2011, 06:10:11 PM
Rainbow Lorrikeet
(http://nrpg.org.au/userfiles/Rainbow-Lorikeet.jpg)
Rosella
(http://www.trevorsbirding.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/rosella_eastern_20060706_004.jpg)
Crimson Rosella
(http://www.chappo1.com/images/Crimson%20Rosella%20A2.jpg)
Galah (make great pets, very cheeky)
(http://kookaburra.typepad.com/photos/snaps/galah.jpg)
Major Mitchell Cockatoo
(http://thundafunda.com/33/animals-pictures-nature/major-mitchell-cockatoo-pictures.jpg)
Eastern Firetail (Black Cockatoo)
(http://www.glossyblack.org.au/all%20images/Redtailedblackcockatoo1.jpg)
Gang Gang (Grey cockatoo)
(http://www.delderfield.com.au/Photo_gallery/pl_images/c_Male%20Gang%20Gang.jpg)
King Parrot
(http://laperouse.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/sww_king_parrot.jpg)
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
(http://www.trevorsbirding.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/ringneck_australian_20050914_021-500x429.jpg)
Post by: bhobbes on February 11, 2011, 06:15:28 PM
Post by: MariaOcean on February 11, 2011, 07:11:10 PM
Post by: Crewella on February 11, 2011, 08:35:06 PM
Wow - those birds are beautiful. My parakeet from when I was young was an Indian Rose Ringed parakeet, and a relatively dull and boring green. :D
Post by: allosaurus on February 13, 2011, 10:01:23 AM
Galah/Gala birds? Aren't those the ones that fly south for winter even though it's colder down south? I've heard that in Australia people use the term 'gala' to refer to a silly person or a fool, as they're comparing them to the bird. Is that true?
Post by: Malfie on February 13, 2011, 10:57:35 AM
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 13, 2011, 03:26:52 PM
Amazing-- How I love birds!
Galah/Gala birds? Aren't those the ones that fly south for winter even though it's colder down south? I've heard that in Australia people use the term 'gala' to refer to a silly person or a fool, as they're comparing them to the bird. Is that true?
Sorry Allo, that must be another bird. Galah's don't migrate, simply because Australia doesn't get all that cold :P All the parrots above are non migratory birds and tend to spend their entire lives in one region. We do have some migratory birds come in from various places around the world, especially a lot of water birds.
A silly Galah is indeed a common term here :) Galah's are cheeky birds, very entertaining and they do act quite silly although they are very smart like all parrots :) Just like some people :)
Post by: latrine on March 07, 2011, 10:02:34 AM
My brother took my Timneh African Grey, Tyler, and he is very happy now with 4 kids talking to him and snging to him and reading stories to him.. plus lots of dbearded dragons to look at in the same room. My sister in Law's brother met Tyler, has apparently always loved birds and really liked him.. he found out about my other birds and we set up a meeting at my brothers house with my Macaw, Madison. He really fell in love with her and she seemed to like him, she is very bonded to me so it will be a rough start for them at first but he will get there and I told him to keep her well socialized with others so he doesn't have the same problem I created by having such a close bond with just me. She goes to him this coming Thursday and it' going to be a very hard day.. I've had her since she was only 6 weeks old and she's my baby.. but I'm always sick and she needs a home with better attention.
I just have my 27 year old Yellow Naped Amazon, Rocky, to find a home for now.. He is a crazy loud talking singing clown boy who loves to make people laugh and flirts with women outrageously.. unfortunately he hates men and has a bad liver from a bad mostly sunflower seed diet before my rescuing him. The man thing can't be helped since he was physically abused.. some guy actually hit him, frequently. But the liver problem is easily controlled by adding milk thistle and sometimes dandelion to his mash.
I'm still trying to find a nice smoke free home for him that will feed him the (expensive) pelleted diet he is on (Harrison's) because it's the best.. (It costs about 30 bucnks for a 5 lb bag but with one bird the bag will last probably two and a half months or so. If anyone neartby is interested.. (I'm in Hancock New York, thats Delaware County... it's like ten minutes from the Delaware River and Wayne County Pennsylvania.
I will even have the first bag for free along with his mash, cage and him.. I don't care about money, I just care about him being happy and healthy.
if anyone has birds and was interested, I've always fed them a homemade mash twice a day and every vet I've seen has told me it's the healthiest mash he's ever seen..lol. they definately eat better than me.. brats.
I make it with cooked quinoa, cooked brown rice, cooked hulled millet (all of those are cooked with the vitamins: milk thistle and glucosamine.. both human type as it's cheaper and the same thing.. just have to be sure the milk thistle was not created using any alcohol by reading the ingredients.. I also put large green leaves of mustard greens (when I can get them as they are the most nutritious and of course hard to find) and any other healthy greens in season.. I do it that way so they don't know they are getting the greens.. I use just enough water so it's all soaked up and then take out the big leaves which can be fed to the wild animals or chickens (if we still had ours
:'( :'( :( :( )
I mix in sweet potatoes, cooked macaroni which can also be cooked with greens.. then comes the frozen berries and fruits, they are liquefied with the frozen vegetables and added to everything sometimes with some plain yogurt. Sometimes I add some chicken or very lean beef to different bowls just to change it up a bit. I put small amounts in individual bags, enough for 2 feedings of 2 birds (1 for each day) seal them and freeze it. Each morning it's thawed, cooked with an egg or two and served and they love it.
Of course every now and then they get some of Dennis's dinner instead.. like a little bit of pizza or pasta.. the other day they had a bite or two of beef lasagna which they loved.. cheese is ok in very small amounts :) They also like to get a chicken leg every now and then.. very good for them, especially the marrow in the bone.. even if it is a bit disconcerting to see a bird holding another bird's leg in it's hand and eating it.. :o :D they are known for eating bugs and things they've found in the wild though so the meats ok.
Well sorry for rambling on.. like I said Rocky is great with girls but he is horrible around men and tried to kill my bf apparently, several times while he had to watch them the 6-7 months, however long it was, that I was stuck in the hospital. If anyone is interested let me know.. remember.. he's just like a 3 year old kid and he lives a looong time :)
Here is Rocky running away from Patches a few weeks ago :D
- sarah
Post by: PWOKristy on March 07, 2011, 02:40:45 PM
Post by: Leeloo on March 27, 2011, 06:53:56 AM
since a month we are totaly without animals except the pleo.
we have had cats for ages, but we had to put the last one a month ago to sleep, he was over 17.
right around that time due to new projects way too busy at work to have a new cat / cats and pleo sounded like a very good alternative and we still think she is; great new part of the family but not too much trouble if all of a sudden we need to travel or stay in the office till very late. and it was so quiet in the house, she totaly turns that; we have a vivid life new love in the house, which is really great.
Post by: Comarorobotcollector on March 27, 2011, 11:43:24 AM
Post by: LuckyPleo on March 27, 2011, 07:12:26 PM