Post by tammi on Aug 20, 2014 0:58:02 GMT -5
I'm so reluctant to do this, but my daughter thinks it would be best to re-home Chester (and he is her bird). He's made progress in the 2 months he's been here, but she is having "buyer's remorse". She originally just wanted a cockatiel, but we found Chester (and Ollie the cockatiel) on Craigslist together, and since they were supposedly friends, we brought them both home. They actually aren't that good of friends - usually it's the cockatiel pulling his tail, so I don't think separating them would be an issue.
I am so worried about traumatizing him by having him go home to home, so I really ask for someone with Quaker experience, or at least be willing to learn about them, and be willing to accept him how he is. I will try to be as upfront as possible so that there are no surprises (like there were for us).
He is about 1 1/2 years old. The former owners said they bought him from a breeder as a hand fed baby. He had learned a few words at their house, but hadn't been using them lately, and had mostly been ignored by the time we got him, because their kids had lost interest in both birds. I think the fact that he was just placed into the same cage with the cockatiel when they got him caused some problems (especially for the cockatiel, who seems to be very territorial). They seem to both not appreciate the other in their space, so I don't know how they spent the last 1 1/2 years in the same cage. It must have been very stressful. Surprisingly, he has never plucked while he's been here, so he looks great.
From the first day we got them, they have had their own separate cages, which I think has made a huge difference for both birds.
His typical day begins when my daughter opens his cage when she wakes up. He is allowed to come out on his own, and when he is ready, he gets to come downstairs for most of the day with the other birds (2 cockatiels), where he is in the center of the action. Normally they go back upstairs around our dinner time, then into their cages at 8.
He spends most of his day on the play stand, talking to himself, and doing usual bird stuff. He loves to bathe, and will often smoosh himself into his water dish. He has also come to enjoy a spray bottle bath as well. He had been clipped when we got him, but now that his feathers are growing back, he loves to take off and make a loop around the downstairs, before landing back on his perch. He enjoys his bird toys, but also loves fabric, so I have little scraps of fabric tied to his perch that he loves to pull on and dip into his water.
He came to us only eating seed, but now eats a variety of fresh foods. He looks forward to his salad greens every day, and loves watermelon.
Since being here, he has learned "Chester", "Hi Chester", "What?", "Good boy", "Hi good boy", "Hello", and "What's Up?". He also mimics my laugh, and the dog barking
He is such a smart little guy, and so entertaining. My daughter has also done some target training with a clicker. He is terrified of sticks, so the target training has been great for him. He now knows when that red stick is out, he gets treats if he follows it.
The main problem we have had with him is he will occasionally bite. He loves to "groom" you - nibbling along your ears, neck etc., then may bite (and laugh when he does). It's unpredictable, so most of us avoid holding him anymore. When we first got him, he would try to bite if you tried to scratch his head. He still doesn't like that, but has built up enough trust with my daughter that she can gently scratch his cheek without upsetting him. He also is a bit cage territorial, which is why we let him come out on his own terms.
All in all, he has more good qualities than bad, and I really hate to see him go. I am willing to keep him until the right person for him comes along, because like I said, I don't want to see him bounced around. If you, or anyone you know is interested, please let me know! I am happy to answer any questions as well. We live in Gresham, Oregon.
I am so worried about traumatizing him by having him go home to home, so I really ask for someone with Quaker experience, or at least be willing to learn about them, and be willing to accept him how he is. I will try to be as upfront as possible so that there are no surprises (like there were for us).
He is about 1 1/2 years old. The former owners said they bought him from a breeder as a hand fed baby. He had learned a few words at their house, but hadn't been using them lately, and had mostly been ignored by the time we got him, because their kids had lost interest in both birds. I think the fact that he was just placed into the same cage with the cockatiel when they got him caused some problems (especially for the cockatiel, who seems to be very territorial). They seem to both not appreciate the other in their space, so I don't know how they spent the last 1 1/2 years in the same cage. It must have been very stressful. Surprisingly, he has never plucked while he's been here, so he looks great.
From the first day we got them, they have had their own separate cages, which I think has made a huge difference for both birds.
His typical day begins when my daughter opens his cage when she wakes up. He is allowed to come out on his own, and when he is ready, he gets to come downstairs for most of the day with the other birds (2 cockatiels), where he is in the center of the action. Normally they go back upstairs around our dinner time, then into their cages at 8.
He spends most of his day on the play stand, talking to himself, and doing usual bird stuff. He loves to bathe, and will often smoosh himself into his water dish. He has also come to enjoy a spray bottle bath as well. He had been clipped when we got him, but now that his feathers are growing back, he loves to take off and make a loop around the downstairs, before landing back on his perch. He enjoys his bird toys, but also loves fabric, so I have little scraps of fabric tied to his perch that he loves to pull on and dip into his water.
He came to us only eating seed, but now eats a variety of fresh foods. He looks forward to his salad greens every day, and loves watermelon.
Since being here, he has learned "Chester", "Hi Chester", "What?", "Good boy", "Hi good boy", "Hello", and "What's Up?". He also mimics my laugh, and the dog barking
He is such a smart little guy, and so entertaining. My daughter has also done some target training with a clicker. He is terrified of sticks, so the target training has been great for him. He now knows when that red stick is out, he gets treats if he follows it. The main problem we have had with him is he will occasionally bite. He loves to "groom" you - nibbling along your ears, neck etc., then may bite (and laugh when he does). It's unpredictable, so most of us avoid holding him anymore. When we first got him, he would try to bite if you tried to scratch his head. He still doesn't like that, but has built up enough trust with my daughter that she can gently scratch his cheek without upsetting him. He also is a bit cage territorial, which is why we let him come out on his own terms.
All in all, he has more good qualities than bad, and I really hate to see him go. I am willing to keep him until the right person for him comes along, because like I said, I don't want to see him bounced around. If you, or anyone you know is interested, please let me know! I am happy to answer any questions as well. We live in Gresham, Oregon.
