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Sherwin's WorldDecember 01 What is it about birds?What is it about birds? Not all are small like mine, but all I have met seem to have to most fascinating personalities. I have had dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and even fish, but none have touched me like birds. Don't get me wrong, I love my cat dearly and would do anything for her, it's just different with birds. They greet you with such enthusiasm. It's almost as if their entire day revolves around waiting for you to come home and once you get home, they follow you wherever you go whether it be flying or walking. Many times I have left the family room and gone into the kitchen only to hear peeps from Sherwin and turn around and see him waddling after me. They are one of the most demanding, high maintenance animals I have ever owned....but are worth it! Trust me, there's nothing like it. November 28 ConstructionA few weeks ago I had some minor repairs that needed to be done downstairs and had to move Sherwin upstairs until the work was complete. I temporarily put his cage next to my bed knowing that he would feel comfortable in my room as opposed to the guest room. I really didn't think anything of it until the first night, which left me sleep deprived the next day. First of all....he needs a night light because he's afraid of the dark, so the room was not completely dark. Then, once I hop into bed for the night, I see that he's really loving the fact that he's not alone and downstairs. I peek over at him only to hear him make a kissing noise and laughing at him only prompted him to repeat the "kisses". I think to myself, just roll over and don't let him see the whites of your eyes and he won't make any noise. So, not only do I have a night light illuminating my room....now I have my bird blowing kisses and refusing to go to sleep. I covered his cage with a towel hoping that would put him to sleep but he wound up climbing to the bottom of his cage and pecked at the towel through the bars letting me know he wasn't happy with that decision. So.....I uncover his cage, roll over so I'm not facing him and pray for a peaceful nights sleep, after all, how long does repair work take...no more than a day or two, right?? Two weeks later I move Mr. Sherwin back downstairs and look forward to a restful night in a quiet, dark room! As I turn out the lights and begin to head upstairs I am met with screams of Take Me With You (in bird language)!! Aghhhhhhhh!!! November 17 Heart wingsI was chatting with a few fellow bird owners yesterday which reminded me to share the "heart wings" story. This is my first male cockatiel so I'm sure that anyone reading this who has a male cockatiel already knows what's coming! :) I had been out running errands one morning and came home to the usual chirps of joy, only this time I noticed Sherwin doing something he had never done. He was in his cage, sitting on his rope perch (back to me) and had both wings held up in the perfect shape of a heart. I had never seen him do this before, but I had to giggle because he held that pose until I took him out of his cage. He has not stopped doing it since. It's really a sight......up go the wings and out goes the chest. Now he not only gives me heart wings, he also does it when he sees himself in the mirror. That's a man for ya!  I was so fascinated by this display, I had to learn what it meant. So......I Googled "heart shaped wings" and bingo......up came male cockatiel behavior with a very detailed description of what it meant. I know my sister's laughing at this part, she knows I Google just about everything.....right Amy?! This was one of the descriptions....."male parrot behavior and is a part of courtship and a way of showing off. A big chest is a great tool when flirting." No doubt about it.....he's a boy!November 15 Vet visitTook Sherwin for his first vet appointment after waiting 2 weeks for him to get adjusted to his surrounding. By this time he has grown more comfortable with me and I feel he was ready for a check up. His visit went well....all tests were normal but he was a bit underweight and was not walking normal. His weight was 58 grams which suprised me. I knew he was underweight...I just didn't know it was that low. It has been difficult getting him to eat different foods which is understandable when you've been on nothing but parakeet seeds. The one thing I found that worked for him was eating right in front of him....it made him curious. I started with sweet potatoes, carrots and corn......corn being his favorite now. I also tried Cheerios which he took to right away and is now his favorite treat! He whistles to his bag of Cheerios every time I bring it out! I have found so many different "bird" recipes on the internet and have tried a couple bird bread recipes all of which he has enjoyed. I took him back to the vet 2 weeks later for his first round of vaccinations and he was weighed again and had gained 13 grams and, according to the vet, was walking in a more normal fashion. She thinks that the abnomalities in his feet were due to poor nutrition and felt that he would gain some added mobility with an improved diet. I know he was beginning to grip tighter and was falling less. I invite anyone with adoption stories to share their experiences!! November 14 Welcome home.......I was so excited to bring Sherwin home after having fixed up his cage with all new toys and was really happy to have a new feathered friend! Buddie was my first bird and I don't know what it is about them, but you get so attached. I don't know if it's their personalities or the way they simply love to just hang out with you. I love all animals but I have really grown to love birds. I also have a 19 year old cat, Nikki. It was funny to see how losing Buddie affected her. You wouldn't think that a cat would care or even notice, however, she would walk around the house all hours of the night and howl. She knew Buddie was gone and in a strange way, missed her. Nikki is nothing short of an awesome cat and has never attempted in any way to harm Sherwin or even Buddie, although I have never given her any opportunity. Knowing very little about Sherwin's background, I was concerned about how he would react to seeing a cat in the house. Needless to say he was leery of everything......it was a new environment and he needed time to adjust although he seemed to welcome the change right away! It took a good two weeks before he felt comfortable coming out of his cage. He was amazed at the TV and loved to sit on the arm of the couch closest to the window where he could "people watch" while catching up on Survivor. It didn't take him long to settle right in to that routine. After having learned that he very rarely was brought out of his cage, I wanted to give him every opportunity to be out with me and to explore, something he does a bit too much of now, but that's much later! I did discover that he knew how to whistle, but has a tendency to put his head at or under his wing when he sings. I'm not sure why he does that but it's still cute regardless. He doesn't really whistle a certain tune.....it's more like a made up version.....Sherwin's version. :)
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