Parrot’s Day Out

I have two birds living in my house, a Blue-Front Amazon and a Gray Cockatiel.

Michelangelo

Puff

It’s a bit like living with extremely social aliens who have no understanding of personal hygiene or human hearing. Some people think that birds are sweet and refined little pets, but I don’t know where this misconception originated. If you don’t think you can manage breathing feather dust, having to yell to make yourself understood over the loud squawking, finding seeds everywhere in your house, and picking up poopy newspapers everyday, you should not have birds. That said, I am a bird person, so the parrots’ personalities, intelligence, and amusing antics more than make up for the aggravation.

We have a big cleaning day two or three times a year when the outdoor temperature is not too hot and not too cold for me to haul the big cages outside and scrub them down with soap and water and then hose them off.

This is Michelangelo’s favorite day, because he gets to sit front of the big mirror and talk to himself.

Today he tired of mirror-gazing and did some exploring.

Having a good laugh at my expense. (He pooped on the white carpet.)

Puff is not quite so enthusiastic about the process. She doesn’t really like change, and a day of alternative activities is just not as much fun for her.

Looking at me suspiciously - she knows her cage is next.

 

This is the exciting life of a parrot “owner.”

Katrina