I had the chance to see his mutilation over the weekend. His cage door was open and Thomas walked by with a broom, scaring Steve out of his cage. He landed on the floor, but no scared growling! He stepped right up on my arm, and stayed there for a few minutes until he was ready to go back to his cage. (I offered him the chance to step up on his cage but he chose to stay on my arm.)
He still has sores under each wing, but they are much improved. His right wing was almost healed, and the sores under his left wing were mostly dried and just along the crease of his wing instead of his entire under-wing area! I am optimistic that he will completely heal, though this will probably be in his new home.
This morning, I gave him a little toy. He loves unwrapping things. You can see that his eyes are pinning -- he is very interested in his treasure! He gave me an excited "Wooooo!" when he saw it, then eagerly reached for it.
When I got home from work today, he was perched on the perch that's on his cage door. I asked him if I could open the door, and he didn't run off to another perch! I gave him a pistachio to reward him for his bravery:
He stayed here for about 10 minutes before going back to his safe perch, even perching on one foot for a while! He didn't talk while he was here, but neither did he exhibit scared behavior, so this was very exciting!
Into his favorite (falling apart) foraging toy, I jammed a bunch of paper strips and the remnants of his favorite toy, which he'd ripped off of its hook. You can see what's left of that toy here:
and here:
He was busy while we were at work today!
5 comments:
I am going to miss Steve when he goes to his forever home, but at the same time, am so pleased that he has a forever flock in his future.
I see that Steve has one of those squishy creatures in his foraging toy. I've been wanting to give one to Timothy, but wasn't sure of the safety value. Have you found them to be a good toy for your birds?
Hi Michelle -- Steve's new flock also has a blog so you will be able to follow him, plus I'm sure I will post occasional follow-ups! More info about his new flock's blog will follow once he arrives.
Also, I am already planning on who I will foster next, so there will be another grey to watch before the year is out!
That toy is one of Steve's favorites. Like all toys, you have to know your parrot's play style to know if it would be safe. Steve doesn't ingest anything; he just likes to snap the beads off and sometimes slice through the squishy arms.
But this is the toy that I hung all around his cage to induce him to explore. He'll have one in his travel carrier for comfort, and I'll send several more home with him to help his transition to his new environment.
The only drawback for Steve is that he got so proficient at destroying them that they only keep him busy for an hour or so, so not very cost-effective! Therefore, I save them for special occasions, like trying to get him to feel comfortable in another part in his cage, or I'd go broke :)
If he relapses at his new home, will you take him back for a bit longer -- to give him more time to heal?
Does he know his new family from the rescue?
BP -- he has not yet met his new family as this is a long distance adoption. She's flying out to meet him for the first time next month and he'll go home with her then.
I just can't give more details at this time, but she has a blog so you can follow his continued progress and I think you'll agree it's a fantastic home!
She's read this blog, and we have talked extensively about Steve's problems, so she knows what to expect.
Steve's new vet has the contact information for his vet here so they can collaborate and continue with his vet care.
I would not have put him up for adoption yet as he does still have progress to be made; however, this perfect opportunity presented itself and I truly believe it's in Steve's best interest or I'd be keeping him (you know how I've failed fostering before as I am very picky where they go!)
But, to answer your question, if his new owner decides that she can't handle his issues (which I cannot see happening), I will be on the first plane to pick him up as his safety and happiness is of paramount concern.
He's really one lucky guy with where he's going, though!
Thanks for the insight on that toy. Timothy doesn't ingest any toy parts either, so I'm going to try him on one of these squishy creatures and monitor him closely. I think he will enjoy the texture. I will let you know how it goes.
Post a Comment