Monday, July 23, 2012

Parrot Lover of the Month- January 2011 Pat

Parrot Lover of the Month- Pat Gower
Pat and Tom in front of travel trailer
Pat and Tom in front of travel trailer

This month our Parrot Lover of the Month is Pat Gower, Professor of History San Antonio, Texas.

How many and what type of parrots do you have? I have two eclectus, one blue and gold macaw, one nanday conure and one galah.

How long have you had them? Our experience with parrots began with Bartleby,the conure, over 10 years ago.  The last parrot I got was Percy, the galah, and I got him almost 3 years ago.  

What do you like most about having parrots in your life? I  love to talk to them and interact with them--I love seeing their intelligence and curiosity.  I love traveling with them.  When we travel, the birds ride in the back seats of the SUV and they can see out the window. They talk to us, to the trucks passing by (Aloysius, the male eclectus, always says, "Whoa, careful!!" to trucks he thinks are going too fast) and make comments on things. In the trailer, they are great fun--they love looking out and seeing new things, they get to be close to us and they don't have to be walked like the dog!  They are easy to travel with--we have travel cages that are a nice size--even for the macaw. We make sure they have their same food and toys and all get time out each day.  They love meeting new people too.  They are great fun to travel with.
Bartelby, conure, in trailer
Bartleby (conure) in the trailer

What do you think people considering getting a parrot need to know? I think all folks need to know the time involved--it is time consuming to feed well and keep their homes clean. They can be LOUD when bored or isolated. They require stimulation just like children. I always think of them as children with beaks and wings.  They are curious, investigative, and LOVE to chew stuff up! You have to be ready to child-proof your house with a vengeance. And they can BITE.  But it is usually something you do that brings on the bites.

What do you feed them? Because elcectus in particular have specific dietary needs, all my guys eat a good fresh diet--they get a cooked breakfast with fruits, greens, sprouts and other good stuff in it.  I vary the ingredients and try to keep it interesting.  They also LOVE the UnPellet and get it in the afternoon as their snack--sometimes, I add some nice seed. For the macaw, who has a higher fat requirment, I add whole nuts.   
Emma in trailer
Emma in trailer

What are some funny things they have done or said? Aloysius, the male ekkie, is always saying funny things--he copies my husband and says "Don't bite my hair!!!" in his voice. He says "Dammit!" in my voice and says it when I get frustrated and sigh.  Percy, the galah, asks me where I'm going in the morning. If I say I'm going to work, he often says "Bye!"

Do you have some foraging or other enrichment ideas you'd like to share? I keep a stainless steel bucket in a small litter box on the floor of each cage and I stock it with footie toys and change them around--big variety of things for them to look at. They also love pinecones to play with.  

A favorite toy you made or bought? For all my guys, the adding machine tape toy is probably the favorite.  The birdie bagel toys are also big hits. The galah is VERY destructive and needs lots of shredding toys. The macaw likes wood to chew up but also puzzle toys to solve.  The ekkies tend to like footie toys and the conure LOVES to shred up paper and boxes in his litter box.  The bigger the mess the better, I think.

Angus in his travel cage in trailer
Angus in his travel cage in trailer
Do you change the cage around from time to time or do your parrots prefer to not have any changes? Some of them like lots of change--Percy, the galah,  and Angus, the macaw especially. Bartleby, the conure, HATES change and wants me to leave it alone.  Aloysius, the male ekkie isn't crazy about change either. Emma likes new toys in her cage often and doesn't seem to mind change.

What one thing do you most wish you had known before you got a parrot? How much fun it was and how challenging they are.  I would've gotten them when I was younger. It's lots of work but I figure taking care of all pets is work if you do it right.
  
Percy and Aloysius
Percy (galah) and Aloysius (eclectus) in trailer


Sincerely,

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