Uzi BobuziPraxis loves to sit on the ceiling fan but doesn't understand the physics of the whole thing. He'll land one one of the blades and start it slowly spinning. He wants to look in a particular direction so he hops to the next blade and runs to the end, which makes it rotate slightly faster. It's quite fun to watch. Silly bird.
Someone either had a bath or trampled his enemies into the dirt. Unsure which.
#WetChickenWednesday #Birds #Budgies #ParrotsOfMastodon #AnimalCompanion
Praxis LOOOOOVES his morning salad.
My heart melts when Prax sits on my hand and lifts his little face so I can kiss him on the beak. He just now put his beak on my lips and held it there for several seconds.
To be loved by a little bird is bliss.
Praxis is sitting in the window imitating the calls of the house finches that often play in the front garden.
I was switching perches around in Prax's cage yesterday. He was standing on top of the cage letting me know in no uncertain terms that it's HIS cage and I need to KNOCK IT OFF.
This little one and a half ounce bird was grabbing me by the skin of my upper arm (with his pointy sharp little beak) and literally yanking my arm back and forth. Then he'd run back and forth and try for my other arm, finally settling on the front of my caftan, which he savaged mercilessly until I finished what I was doing.
I often tell the little jerk that it's a good thing he's not a bigger parrot or he'd really hurt me. As it is, I just end up laughing so hard I can't breathe.
I love that little asshole, who is only an asshole sometimes. My little best friend the bossiest little bird in the world.
ETA: He is never in his cage except at night when he's sleeping (for his own safety) or if I have to leave him home alone which is hardly ever. He is a free-roam bird, which is the best kind of bird. The only way to have one if you have a parrot. It's cruel to keep them locked in a cage most of the time. They have to be able to fly.
Prax has earned a new nickname. I've been calling him Hannibal Gwekter because of his penchant for unexpectedly biting my face.
I just watched a video about a cockatoo that had been placed in a rescue at the age of 4 for being "too loud", and was there for 16 years before being adopted.
People's cavalier attitude towards parrots really pisses me off. It's a bird. Birds are LOUD. Cockatoos are particularly loud, which any quick search on YouTube would have demonstrated.
So, if you don't like loud animals, don't get a parrot.
If you don't want to be pooped on, don't get a parrot.
If you don't like messes, don't get a parrot.
If you don't want an animal flying around your house and would keep them in a cage most or all of the time, DON'T GET A FUCKING PARROT.
If you are a busy person and are seldom home, don't get a parrot.
If you aren't ready to commit to anywhere from 5 years for tiny ones to 80 or more years for some other breeds, don't get a parrot.
Parrots are highly intelligent, destructive, messy, loud creatures that need a lot of attention and companionship, can be expensive in terms of veterinary care if you can even find an avian vet, and deserve someone who has been very thoughtful and deliberate about giving one a home. They are not for people who buy pets on a whim and then turn fickle and leave them locked in a cage due to their natural behavior.
After having several budgies over the past years, I'm now leaning towards the thought that parrots shouldn't be household pets at all. They're better off in the wild. But this is not the world we live in, and their habitats are being destroyed, so if they must live with us, they deserve a home that understands and appreciates them.
If you can't do any of these things, then get a hamster or something. Not a parrot. Not even a tiny one like a budgerigar.
/rant over
I had to get a silicone keyboard cover for my laptop because Praxis heard me say "computer" and thought I'd said "come poop here" and took it as a personal challenge.
I made a fresh batch of birdie bread for Praxis this morning and they're fresh out of the oven in cookie form.