Monday, July 27, 2009

My cleaning buddy

When I wash the floors, which I do more than I'd like to because the mess the parrots make, most of the parrots have to be in their cages.

As previously mentioned, Beeps hates cleaning and would attack. When I clean the living room floor, he spends the entire time threatening me and sometimes throwing himself against the side of the cage in an attempt to attack. As soon as the bucket is removed from the room, he is angelic once again.

The greys are too interested in what I'm doing. They'll try to drink the cleaning water, walk through the clean floor while it's still wet (and since they eat with their feet, I don't want them walking through it). If I ignore them, Max may fly at my head, or they'll create havoc so I have to give them my attention. For example, fly to the fridge and eat my magnets.

If you've read any previous entries, you've probably surmised that Rocky would try to attack me. I can't fend off his attacks if I'm focused on cleaning, so he's got to be caged until I can focus on him again.

Calypso usually is fine, but he'll often get curious and try to go in the bucket, so it's easier to leave him in the living room as well.

That leaves Daphne, my budgie, to provide me with avian companionship.
She's so undemanding that she sometimes gets lost in the craziness that is the rest of my flock. I make an effort to make sure she gets adequate attention because she's not one to demand it if she doesn't get it. This is unlike our previous budgie, Ethel, who made sure she wasn't overlooked!

Daphne loves hanging out on the big birds' stands, but we can't allow her to do so while the larger parrots are out. It would only take a second for one of the larger birds to remove a toe or beak. But yesterday, when the rest of the birds were in the living room, she hung out with me as I cleaned the kitchen floor.

Budgies can be such amazing companions! Unfortunately, due to the size difference, Thomas and I have discussed possibly not getting another budgie after Daphne passes, which will hopefully be many years down the road yet. I don't know that I could live without one, though. People who focus on bigger birds don't know what they're missing! I can't tell you how many prospective adopters I've met who have told me that budgies and cockatiels have no personality. That couldn't be further from the truth!

2 comments:

Meg said...

Awww, Daphe is so cute. I just love budgies, but I know you know that!

I completely understand your delima with getting another budgie. I have to do a constant juggling here.... though, even if all my birds were Chester's size, he would still attack them, so I suppose it doesn't a make a difference!

And it is a constant battle to get potential adopters to understand the value of budgies. I am happy to foster budgie after budgie, but they are hard to adopt out!

Elizabeth said...

I hear that! The smaller guys are such characters. When I was little we had lots of budgies and they were so wonderful. They make such lovely noises when they're happy.