What I discovered parrotsitting for the first time

[Raque]

I posted here a few weeks ago thinking about getting my first parrot. My friend who has a parrot was going out of town so I thought I would parrot sit her African Grey, Missy , for 10 days to see how it is living with a parrot before getting one. This is what I discovered:

1. Missy defys the Laws of Physics – The first poop in the morning is about twice her weight….then 2 minutes later have another poop that is about ½ her body weight. She then does a lot of mini poops the rest of the day, which I assume is just to save up for the big one in the morning or for a SRLPT (Special Reserve Large Poop Target)

2. Missy’s favorite place to be on your shoulder.

3. Missy’s favorite thing to do when first on your shoulder is to make you a SRLPT (although she hasn’t pooped on me in the last couple days).

4. Missy doesn’t like me being in another room as her, so if I go jump on my computer for a few minutes I need to:
a. Lock Missy in her cage
b. Bring Missy with me but have her transform into a beaver and eat my desk and computer
c. Leave her on her cage where she will climb down and follow me on foot (she has all her feathers but doesn’t fly unless scared).

Proposed Solution: Buy Missy chew toys so that she gets her “chew on” with safe items other then my desk and computer; then bring her with me.

What Actually Happened: Although TVs, computers, mirrors, odd furniture, vacuum cleaners, etc are not really scary….toys made out of colored wood blocks are the scariest thing ever!!!!!! There is no way Missy is going to chew on them let alone even get near them. So I set them on the floor beside her cage so she could get used to them, only to find they are a great deterrent to her climbing down off her cage.

Final Compromise: She comes with me and turns shoe boxes into dust on my desk (BTW, anyone have any extra shoe boxes they don’t need?)

5. Missy knows I find her imitating my laugh hilarious, so she has trained me to laugh on que by imitating me first.

6. My dancing is scary to parrots as well as humans

7. Missy does not like fresh apples, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or grapes

8. Missy is a junk food addict and loves tortilla chips, French fries, and anything in curry sauce!

9. Having a parrot cuddle up to you and lower its head for scratches is awesome!

Anyway, I am having a lot of fun playing with Missy and enjoy having her around!

[liz]

LOL

I have been through it and it is awsome to be taught by a parrot.

Chewing is a natural thing for them and if you don't find something to chew on your world will become a chewy. Try tree twigs or popsickle sticks.

[Eric&Rebecca]

You shouldnt be feeding curry sauce or french fries!!!! That's so bad for the bird! The bird should not be allowed any junk food.

[Pajarita]

Yes, Rebecca is correct, don't feed her crap. They are like us, we love crappy food but it's real bad for us only for parrots it's worse because their bodies are not used to it and they have a real hard time getting rid of the bad stuff they eat. Now, my birds eat 'French fries' only they are not really French fries. I buy organic potatoes (they need to be organic as they are on the list of the top most chemical-laden produce), wash them real well (you need to leave the skin on because that's the part that has the nutrition) and cut them in think strips which I bake after spraying them with a bit of extra virgin olive oil (good for the omega 3). They will eat these with the same gusto that they would a 'real' French fry but these are healthy while the others are not. But no tortilla chips, please, they are LOADED with salt and that's why they like them so.

[Raque]

LOL

I have been through it and it is awsome to be taught by a parrot.

Chewing is a natural thing for them and if you don't find something to chew on your world will become a chewy. Try tree twigs or popsickle sticks.

That is what I thought, I had hoped the new toys would work but they didn't and Missy still won't go near them. But cardboard....oh my she loves cardboard. I am thinking of starting a gourmet confetti business beak crafted by trained birds (may contain 10% poop!).

You shouldnt be feeding curry sauce or french fries!!!! That's so bad for the bird! The bird should not be allowed any junk food.

Its not like I am feeding her meals of the stuff, just tiny tastes of things I am eating. I have tried a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit and she won't have any of it except carrots and raisins.

I am more concerned with the mostly seed mix my friend gave me to feed her then I am with a tiny bit of curry soaked bamboo shoot.

[InTheAir]

Hey Raque,

I found your post very entertaining , thanks for making me laugh!

Our bird would live on junk food if he was in charge of the menu. Luckily he is half piglet and eats almost every healthy food too, though sometimes he prefers you to hold it so he can eat it!

The confetti business is a great idea, give me a yell if you need more supplies to meet the demand of the market. We specialize in paper and balsa wood confetti here.

Regards,
Claire

[Eric&Rebecca]

Its not like I am feeding her meals of the stuff, just tiny tastes of things I am eating. I have tried a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit and she won't have any of it except carrots and raisins.

I am more concerned with the mostly seed mix my friend gave me to feed her then I am with a tiny bit of curry soaked bamboo shoot.

[/quote]

It should not even be just a tiny bit... honestly the combinations of spices in curry sauce are not good for the birds digestive system neither the fats that occur in them like ghee or naturally occuring fats or worse processed fats. Even a tiny bit isn't ok! Neither is a tiny bit of salt, the french fries and tortilla chips can contain many toxic substances too so a tiny amount could kill your bird. Preservatives and human grade foods have so many chemicals you wouldn't believe.The bamboo shoots are great, why not offer her the birdy friendly portion of what you are eating so the veggies without the sauce or if you make your own sauce the fresh chillis.