Hi everyone!

[Rosemary522]

I was first introduced to parrots when my grandma got a Nanday conure when I was two. She used to take care of me because both my parents worked so Paulie and I would hang out while I was at her house. My uncle also had birds, which I would play with whenever he visited. My grandma got another bird when I was around 7 or 8, whom she named Ben. He is a Blue Crowned Conure who loves to talk and dance.

I got my first bird when I was 13, right before I started the eighth grade. Trillium was a pacific parrotlet and my little baby. Unfortunately, my little angel passed away only a year and a half later .

Soon after I got my current bird, a Cinnamon Green Cheek Conure whom I named Mint. The petstore I got her from wasn't the best; they had lost all their data , so didn't know how old she was and she was in with two other CGCCs who bullied her, which was evident because of her cracked beak! At first she was frightened of a lot of things and for the first day or so would only hang upside down from the top of her cage. Now a days, Mint is happy, healthy (though she still has some beak troubles from the permanent damage the bite caused, but it's nothing a little filing can't fix), and loving. She went from only eating seeds to eating pellets (but only the red ones) and absolutely loving fruits and veggies. The biggest struggle that I've had with her is that she doesn't know how to or want to play with her toys. I'm not sure if it's something that she will eventually learn (she does like to take crinkle paper out of things and forage for treats) or if she is the type of bird that prefers social interaction to chewing things up. I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about this.

I'm also in the very beginning stages of adopting another bird! I have definitely decided that I want to and am ready to begin the process as soon as I work everything out with the people that I live with. If anyone has any stories about adopting birds please tell me, I would love to hear them!

-Rosemary and Mint

[Chantilly]

Hi Rosmary Welcome to the forum.
i am very sorry for your losing Trillium, I know how hearbreaking it is.

I think that the best way to get Mint to play with her toys is probably to play with them infront of her until she is intrested and understands how to use them.

If you have photos of your babies please share, we would all love to see

[liz]

Welcome to the forum.
It did not occur to me that Rambo did not play with toys. He was very socialized and probably considered himself human since he did not have a bird friend other than the cockatiel who was raised the same way.
Myrtle came with a hanging toy but her cage was so small all she could do is just stand in one place. She was such a mess that I did not know if she would fit into my world but I gave her a try. She learned so much from Rambo. She did what he did and ate what he did but then she blossomed. She was so happy to get a plastic bottle cap that she would play with it for hours. That is when I realized that poor Rambo had not been taught to play. This is where Myrtle taught Rambo. She was only a year old when I got her and deprived of any comfort so I just kept giving her things. Rambo watched her play and realized he had been missing something. When she was done playing with a toy and move on to another one Rambo would get the last toy and tried to play with it the way she did.

Why do you think these babies are rough on key boards. They think they are our toys and want to play too. Play with your babies toys so he will learn how.

[Pajarita]

Welcome Rosemary and Mint! How long have you had Mint now? I ask because it's always best to wait, at least, 2 years between birds... Also, you might want to do some research in the diet forum - lots of good info there!

[seagoatdeb]

Welcome to the forum.
It did not occur to me that Rambo did not play with toys. He was very socialized and probably considered himself human since he did not have a bird friend other than the cockatiel who was raised the same way.
Myrtle came with a hanging toy but her cage was so small all she could do is just stand in one place. She was such a mess that I did not know if she would fit into my world but I gave her a try. She learned so much from Rambo. She did what he did and ate what he did but then she blossomed. She was so happy to get a plastic bottle cap that she would play with it for hours. That is when I realized that poor Rambo had not been taught to play. This is where Myrtle taught Rambo. She was only a year old when I got her and deprived of any comfort so I just kept giving her things. Rambo watched her play and realized he had been missing something. When she was done playing with a toy and move on to another one Rambo would get the last toy and tried to play with it the way she did.

Why do you think these babies are rough on key boards. They think they are our toys and want to play too. Play with your babies toys so he will learn how.

Gaugan taught Sunny how to play with toys and he likes the same toys she does. Gaugan loves puzzles and foraging toys so Sunny took to them right away too. When I took Sunny over to my daughters one day he watched a game her baby conure and baby Meyers play. The have a bead they keep taking from each other and then running away with it. The conure is a lot smaller but faster, so he can run in and get the bead and get away. Sunny wanted to play and although he is a Meyers he must have some conure in his soul, he is very fast and can be just as fast moving as the conure, so he got the bead and then he chewed it and dropped it and the rest of our time there he looked at the other two play the game as if he thought they were silly. Gaugan does not like hard plastc or acrylic toys, and Sunny likes what she likes, at my daughters house they like hard plastic toys.

[seagoatdeb]

I was first introduced to parrots when my grandma got a Nanday conure when I was two. She used to take care of me because both my parents worked so Paulie and I would hang out while I was at her house. My uncle also had birds, which I would play with whenever he visited. My grandma got another bird when I was around 7 or 8, whom she named Ben. He is a Blue Crowned Conure who loves to talk and dance.

I got my first bird when I was 13, right before I started the eighth grade. Trillium was a pacific parrotlet and my little baby. Unfortunately, my little angel passed away only a year and a half later .

Soon after I got my current bird, a Cinnamon Green Cheek Conure whom I named Mint. The petstore I got her from wasn't the best; they had lost all their data , so didn't know how old she was and she was in with two other CGCCs who bullied her, which was evident because of her cracked beak! At first she was frightened of a lot of things and for the first day or so would only hang upside down from the top of her cage. Now a days, Mint is happy, healthy (though she still has some beak troubles from the permanent damage the bite caused, but it's nothing a little filing can't fix), and loving. She went from only eating seeds to eating pellets (but only the red ones) and absolutely loving fruits and veggies. The biggest struggle that I've had with her is that she doesn't know how to or want to play with her toys. I'm not sure if it's something that she will eventually learn (she does like to take crinkle paper out of things and forage for treats) or if she is the type of bird that prefers social interaction to chewing things up. I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about this.

I'm also in the very beginning stages of adopting another bird! I have definitely decided that I want to and am ready to begin the process as soon as I work everything out with the people that I live with. If anyone has any stories about adopting birds please tell me, I would love to hear them!

-Rosemary and Mint

Hi Rosemary and Mint happy to meeet you!

[liz]

Welcome to the forum.

For her first year Myrtle was kept in a small cage next to a Grey in a small cage. He was so mean to her. She was terrified and could not even look at a Grey on my computer without being scared.

Looking back I figured out why he was so mean to her. The woman also had a Too. It had a big cage with the door open and all kinds of toys around it in a sunny living room. Myrtle and the Grey were in a dark dining room. The Grey was not treated right. He did not get the attention or privaligs of the Too and knew it. So when the woman got Myrtle he thought she was another reason for him to be ignored. Their little cages were kept side by side and touching. The Grey took out his frustration on Myrtle and Myrtle lived in fear.

This woman had no idea that the two of them had personalities because all her attention was given to the Too. The others were just posessions to be fed and cleaned. She had Myrtle from the time she was a very young baby but did not bond with her in any way. She had no feeling for her or the Grey and was happy to help me get her to the car and not even say good bye to Myrtle.
I hope she has given up the Grey.

These little being are much more aware of their surroundings and treatment than most humans can comprehend.

[seagoatdeb]

So happy you got Myrtle and so sad that the Grey may still be there. People do know that these are intelligent animals so why they think they can treat them like that just makes no sense to me at times.

[liz]

So many people ask me why my pets are smarter than theirs and that includes cats and dogs. Mine are not smarter but I watch them closer and learn their personalities. The dog they bought and tied in the back yard has no enrichment and may not progress in intelligence. Even if it did they would not know because they tied it in the back yard and did not try to know it.

A lot of people treat their birds like decoration to the house. They feed it and give it water as well as keep it clean but do not pay enough attention to know they are intelligent.

[seagoatdeb]

I am so happy that Gaugan has finally accepted Sunny as a member of the flock, she actually preened him yesterday for the first time. her eyes got big as she rediscovered what that was like. it has been 17 years since she was able to preen her sibling and she was so affected by the experience. I cried like a baby, I was so happy to see that it will enrich both their lives.