My Bad!!! Bird Flies Away !

[marie83]

If you do get a dog and decide to feed him/her dry food (kibble), please add warm water to it. Most people feed it dry but dogs are carnivores and flesh is 75 to 80% water so, when they eat a dry food, they need to consume more water which could create all kinds of problems. I am convinced that the reason why my dogs all live to be real old is the fact that I always feed them a good quality dry food mixed with warm water and supplemented with either a good quality canned food or actual meat. We (humans, dogs, parrots, etc) all are what we eat (but I eat crap all the time -LOL).

my pets have always eaten way better than me, that said any future dog I get will eat better than my previous ones as I know a lot more now. TBH I'm leading towards a homemade but well researched diet for future pets but for now I still have improvements to make with my parrots diet first which I'm doing bit by bit.

[bogebrd]

I just joined last night. I have had Bogie since 1989 and probably it was 1991 I was clipping him but the wrong feathers. I had not inquired at this time. He was on my shoulder- we were both green in our ways back then - As I pulled the garage door down it scared him and down the middle of the road he went 4 feet off the ground. He swooped up into a yard. I bolted after him and ask the people if they saw a bird come this way. Now granted had they not they could easily have thought I was crazy as we were outside with lots of birds. So it was late in the day and due to clipping the wrong feathers he tired quickly and I could follow him by sight and sound. He had never flown but had worked his way to the tops of the trees. It was getting dark and he was near a clearing. I left for 5 minutes to get his stand. He immediately came down but missed the first time. Easy to fly up but clumsy to fly down. Ahh three things occurred to bring Bogie back down. He had total sight of me prior to my going for his stand.#1 I was out of sight, scary #2 It was getting dark -scary #3 I came back with something of his - definitely not scary. Needless to say he did not get that freedom again for many years. Now we live on a golf course. Our yard slopes downward. Last summer (I have been clipping correctly since the 1991 episode) I would give him the slope to loft to the bottom of the yard. Ok off running I went as he sailed over the unmowed area unto the green. How fitting his name is Bogie. Thank you for letting me share as I ponder what to do about Humphrey's health. I sure would like to have him around for what I had anticipated when I got him, 60 to 80 years.

[Pajarita]

It's doubtful he will live that long in captivity, especially if he's clipped because this atrophies his respiratory system and prevents his cardio vascular system from benefitting from aerobic exercise.