armchairangel

could it be GREEN CHEEKED CONURE? The next birdy to unscramble is: KACOOMAC CUTOCLON

SOOO cute!!! I just love wet birdies!!

Ohhh toooo cute!!! That would have been so fun to see. Jared did get some bath pics outside of another session a week or so ago, so as soon as he gets them uploaded I'll post some. He's been really busy with work lately though, so I don't know how long it will be. *L*

Yup! Today she flew one of her most amazing flights I've seen yet. Down the length of the living room (like 20 ft), around the corner into the kitchen, where she literally HOVERED (which I've NEVER seen her do) for a few seconds before flying back into the living room again. I'm dumbfounded at it almost! It makes me want to laugh and giggle and dance like a little girl. *L* And this was without the aid of meds even. It must have been the tea (which she drank quite a bit of this evening when I held up a spoonful for her) and everyone's support. Thank you! *hugs and happy dances all around*

OMG I just LOVE budgie butts! *(Laughing out loud)* I always giggle when Psyche eats cuz she sticks her fluffy butt up SOOO cutely! For some reason Cupid and Baby's butts just aren't quite the same though. *(Laughing out loud)*

I don't even know if she's gonna need the pouch, though it does look easy enough to make. She's MUCH more active and alert today, and she's a bit more bitey too. *L* She came to the front of her cage and down to the door when I came over to take care of her and when I brought her out on my finger and talked to me, she chirped and screeped away! Her poops are much closer to normal and she's continuing to eat. I'm actually tempted to not give her the meds cuz I don't want to stress her liver and kidneys if its not necessary. I'm gonna keep her in the hospital cage so she can stay warm and cozy and still monitor her eating and pooping as best as I can. It really seems like she's out of the woods - thank you for your thoughts and prayers everyone!

I'm sorry to hear that the news wasn't good. But like the others have said, I think you made a wise choice. Here's to a slow growing, untroubling lump so Akala can be happy for a long time!

Great that its working for you! We don't have an issue when Baby visits Cupid and Psyche either. But then maybe its because she only visits. Sometimes its overnight, but not often. However Baby seems to have her own definition of personal space, which might help the situation. *L*

oh, he's adorable!!! I love how the barring around his eyes looks like spokes or rays coming off from them. And yeah, its always sooo hard to resist getting more cute happy little birdies!

I think our little wonderbird has given us an answer for all our doubts. A few minutes ago, she was hanging upside down from the top of her cage! What dying bird in her right mind would do that?! *chuckle*

I totally agree with you Phoebe, that helping her let go is just as much a loving act as anything else. Its convincing the husband that's the tough part. *L* She's more his bird than anything.After talking with him more, he's realized that over the past month or so, she's seemed fluffier than usual, probably because we have the air conditioning on quite a bit more. Since I put her in the hospital cage this afternoon, she's improving, so maybe it is just too chilly for her old little body to handle. We decided that we're gonna see how she's doing in the morning, and if she doesn't seem to be any worse, I'll start the meds again. I'm gonna put fresh paper down so I can see how much she's pooped and eaten off her seed perch overnight to help in the assessment. I do have to agree that if she really is dying, she wouldn't have shown any improvement over the course of the day. Jared also pointed out that when we thought she was going to die and we first brought her to the vet in December, she looked much worse than she has at her worst this time around. And if she hasn't shown significant improvement by the end of the week, I think he'll agree that helping her go actually might be the best thing.well dang! Just as I finished the posts, she rang one of her bells and hopped down into her foraging dish! Maybe she is making a turnaround...... *keeping my fingers crossed*

Thank you everyone! Its been a crazy day in spite of Baby's condition. I'm guessing its not unknown, at least in the U.S., about one of the main freeway bridges over the Mississippi River into Minneapolis collapsed into the river during rush hour this evening. I live in one of the surrounding suburbs and thankfully I don't know anyone who was involved (that I've heard about, yet). Then, at about 10 this evening as we were taking the trash out to the curb, we discovered that an 18 month old baby walked out her front door and got lost in the neighborhood, just a block away from us. We we went out searching with a flashlight and the dog. Thankfully she was found not too long afterwards. It turned out the family had friends over and one of them brought her with them to the store and didn't tell everyone. I can't IMAGINE what her mom and family went through! Yes Orca, I read about your Sara and made some of the tea as directed in the link you posted. She's drinking a tiny bit of it when I offer it, and then she grabs the spoon forcefully and tries to shove it away. *L* It makes me feel better that her spunk is starting to show again, even if she is feeling so low. It really makes sense that she just might not be able to control her body heat anymore. Thanks for the reassurance about the temps Kathy! That she'd tell us that she was too warm is kind of like a 'duh!' thing, but you can't expect someone so close to the situation to think completely rationally and remember everything. *L* I mentioned bringing her in to my husband and he was totally adamant that I was not going to kill our bird. *sigh* Those were his words. I could rant on forever about it, but I'm not gonna bring myself there again. So I'm debating on whether I should do everything I can to help her get better, or just let her slip away. She has been chewing on the seed perch a bunch and I'm offering her the sweet black tea fairly often too, of which she drinks a little each time. She drank more plain water when I offered it to her just now. I think she's perking up a little, but I don't know if its a sign of her turning around so I should kick my nursing skills into high gear and medicate her to help the fight, or if doing so will only prolong her battle. I suppose giving her a dose or two of the antibiotic wouldn't hurt if she really is losing her ground, and if she is making a comeback, it would be the best thing for her. If she doesn't show signs of improving after a day or two, I can always stop the meds and let her go. The poor girl... *sigh*

The stubborn little bird keeps hanging on. I take all the opportunity to hold her for as long as she can stand. This morning I woke up really early and laid down with her on the couch and we slept together for 4 hours! Last night and this morning I was really thinking that she's has to be nearing the end. She turns her head at millet and hasn't had much to drink. In the 4 hours she was sleeping on me, she pooped twice. They were very large, weren't very watery at all, and they were sort of greenish. Nothing in her diet would have made them that color. She hardly moves. I decided I needed to see if she would drink something if I offered it directly to her. She took 3 big gulps of water from a spoon and then wouldn't have anything to do with it. When i have her out, she seems to do better on her playground, at least making the look of foraging and ringing her bell. So I decided it was time to move her to the hospital cage. I put the perch in low and added her two favorite toys. There's a ladder to get her down to the floor where I put a fresh bowl of seed, pellets and millet, and one of the rungs of the ladder is perfect for her to reach the water dish. The birds got some seed treat perches from my aunt for christmas, so I put one of them in there in hopes that she might eat it. The whole shebang is covered with a thick blanket on 3 sides and I have a heat lamp shining through the front. 85 to 90 degrees F isn't too warm for her, is it? When I put her in there, she immediately started picking at the seed perch, even climbing on top of it. She's still on it, but not fluffy or shaking anymore and she looks a little more alert. I'm going to look into other things to offer her to drink. I'm also considering bringing her in to have Dr. Larry help her join the flock of angels waiting for her. I don't think Jared would go for it though.

Yes, I hope its just a swelling from getting hurt and that rest will help her get better and back to health! Good luck!

Oh bless her sweet little heart and bless you too for all you do for Sara! She is SUCH a trooper! You and your family are lucky to have her and she is even luckier to have you!

Yay!!! Baby loves playing with our hair and earrings and necklaces when she sits on our shoulder. And I can't tell you how many times she's pooped in our hair! *(Laughing out loud)* Time will only tell if we'll ever get Cupid to go up there, let alone Psyche!

They acutally did seem to be a bit more comfortable later this afternoon. I fed them a lilttle sprig of millet from my hand and Cupid had to sit on my hand to eat it and Psyche bullied Baby out of her way for some. Cupid sang for quite a while too. Slowly it looks like they're getting used to it. Silly little guys! I'm not sure if we'll be able to put them back in their spot and still have the room be a functional living room. We'll need a little creative juice to see if there's another arrangement that will put them in that spot and still have the rest of the room work. As for the AC, I was concerned about it too, but we have the vent for it blowing upwards and seriously, its cooler way across the room than it is right by it. I stood underneath it and held my hand under it for cool drafts and coulnd't feel any. I haven't seen them fluff up at all, so I'm assuming that the sheet I have on the top and back of the cage is doing its job. I'm going to be keeping an eye out for that and if they do seem like they're trying to stay warm, I'll definitely move them.

Over the weekend we were able to arrange our living room to a real room instead of one that was overridden with boxes. The process moved Cupid and Psyche from between two windows on top of a 3 shelf bookshelf to an end table in the corner of the room (sofa height). It is right under the air conditioner unit, and after checking for downdrafts from it (none that I could feel at the time), I put a sheet over the top and back of their cage to prevent chilling anyway. They are typically noisy as all get out through all times of the day, and they've been all but silent since they've been moved. Well, actually, since I started typing this very message Cupid started up a little bit of quiet banter, but its not near his usual carrying on. I'm guessing they were just a little disturbed by their move? They haven't been as active and they both seem to be in their tall, thin, scared pose a lot of the time. It just occured to me now that they might not be able to see Baby from this position too. They're now on the same wall as her instead of kitty corner across the room. The side of the cage that faces them is covered, so I suppose that could add to their discomfort. She's been quieter than usual too, so that could be adding to it too. Other things that are different.... They're closer to that scary doggy that lumbers and thrashes about (but he hasn't done anything but the random snuffle of the cage) too. Maybe the ac sounds MUCH louder and scarier to them (even though it was only a 10 or 15 feet difference)? We've also been trying to turn it off when we can to save energy and could the silence be scaring them? Are most budgies this easily frightened? My goodness! *L* We're just living! *(Laughing out loud)* I'm trying to figure out how to bring them out of their shell again. I should try some millet.... Maybe time will help. And how can we make them less sensitive to changes? Or is it really just a function of being a bird?

I'm gonna leave this one alone. I can only think of naughty naughty things! *L* Happy fun surprise I won the last contest! Good luck to everyone!

Incredible story and a great lesson on scaly face mites!! Congrats Feathers!!

Yes, Billy is gorgeous!!! But seeing him outside like that made my heart ache! Not only is there the risk of him flying too far to catch him even if he is clipped, there are dangers that could get him right where he is. Wildlife predators! I have heard a story where an eagle or hawk of sorts divebombed a budgie cage with the owners sitting right there! Luckily, the cage protected the little guys. I would also imagine that a cat or dog could snap up a little birdie in the split second your head was turned if they wanted. Budgies do love being outside, but please keep Billy safe in his cage when you bring him out! He has such pretty coloring. It would be interesting to see what color birds he would produce. But everyone here has great advice about the responsibilities of breeding and it sounds like you're doing your research and have some help, so good luck!

Thank you.... If it were up to me, I would let her go, but she's my husband's bird too. However, I think that his willingness to let her do her thing instead of pushing the meds is a blessing. He can do what he likes from his point of view, being optimistic about it. And I don't feel like I'm going against my wishes for her either. I just hope its what she wants.

I was going to post this in the favorite budgie forum cuz Baby is our absolute favorite bird, but I think it's probably more appropriate here. Baby has been battling a chronic respiratory infection since December. We give her meds, and she gets better, and a while later she gets sick again. The time in between bouts is getting shorter and shorter. I talked with her vet in May about her continuing treatment and illness and what he thought would be in her best interests. He didn't think we should do much more. Tests wouldn't give us enough info to be worth the pain and struggle for her. He figures its a chronic imbalance of her natural flora in her sinuses as a result of being so old (her immune system isn't strong enough to keep everything in check). Continuing antibiotic treatment will stress her organs more and encourage resistant strains of bacteria. The move at the end of May was really hard on Baby and it took quite some time for her to get back to her old self (with the help from meds too). Since then, I finished her third round of antibiotics only a week ago. Before I started the last round, I noticed one of her nostrils was completely blocked! She didn't really show any other symptoms, but I knew it was best to treat early. I check her nostrils a few times a day to make sure they're not getting stuff built up and clean them when necessary. She's been sneezing more often than usual too. Today Jared called me over to her cage cuz she was so adorably fluffed up with her head tucked under her wing, almost completely round in shape! She really really was cute, but I know that it means she's not feeling her best. I keep 3 sides of her cage covered with a thick blanket so she doesn't get any drafts or chilled from the AC, but she obviously was trying to conserve energy anyway. I scooped her up and held her close to me, cupped against my chest so I could warm her with my body heat. The poor girl was shivering and trembling! Finally she stopped being so puffed up and started nibbling at my fingernails and my shirt and moving around in the little cave of hands. She seemed very content for an unbelievably long time for her. I've been SOOOOOO torn as to what to do. Do I start her back on the antibiotics? Do I just let her go quietly? Is keeping her alive longer prolonging her suffering? Is she suffering? She certainly doesn't seem like it, but of course we all know that birds hide their pain so well. She's alert, enjoys interaction, eats, plays, forages and she's been flying better than ever, not to mention how great she looks. Her feathers are vivid and full and beautiful. But she's a quieter, gentler Baby. She's always been full of spit and vinegar with a mind of her own, certainly giving you a piece of it if you were doing something she didn't like. Lately she hasn't been like that. She's content to sit snuggled up to my chest. Her change in personality tells me that she's not feeling good. Could it be her way of suffering? Or is she just entering a slower, softer stage of life and still enjoying things? Jared and I had a long talk as to what we should do for her. He's been around her for 16 years and has watched her health wane and improve many times, and December was the first time she was given meds. He thinks she's perfectly happy and that just because she's not as feisty as she used to be doesn't mean she's ready to die. I think that if we put her back on her meds, we shouldn't take her off of them again, unless we change them again. But I'm not sure how willing the vet will be to do that. And it will continue to stress her organs to the point of failure at some point. I'm not sure what would be doing more for her - giving her medicine, or letting her go. It was easy to know with Grizzly - I just knew, he kind of told me it was time. I suppose Baby will tell me too, but I can't help but wonder if her change in personality to the sweet cuddly girl is her way of doing it. So we've decided the following. We're going to be keeping a heater on her cage to help keep her warm and I'm going to continue to keep her nostrils clean and open. We're going to try to let her spend as much time as we can safely allow her out of her cage, so she can get as much enjoyment out of life as she can. And we're gonna watch her. And pray. Jared wants to let her do her fighter bird thing and he's optimistic about it. I'm prepared for the worst. If she continues to go downhill, we'll put her back on the antibiotics or see if we can get new ones. Or maybe she'll tell us its time in the meantime and then we'll act accordingly. I want to make a little nest for her that I can hang around my neck and keep her close to me and warm against my chest. I want to be there for her as much as I can and i really hope that she doesn't go while she's alone. I just rock her and hold her and sing to her telling her how very much she's loved. Any ideas for the little nest? Maybe something that can be nestled in a sports bra? But I'm worried it would be too easy for her to get hurt doing it.

Who belongs to the Clean Bird Club? ALL of my birdies do!!! :budgiedance: :sad: I was doing some work outside, so I brought the birds out to soak up some sun and fresh air. Baby started playing in the water bowl, so I brought out one of the little apple bowls we use for feeding, water, and baths. She played in it for awhile and then Cupid had to come and investigate. Then Psyche needed to see what all the fuss was about. Not before long at all, Cupid was splashing around and Psyche was fighting to get her time in the bowl too! Baby was all done and drying out on the top perch, kissing at me and watching the fun. I really wish I was able to get pictures, but I'm home alone and I was holding the bowl in my hand, so it wasn't possible. They were SOOOOo adorable, pushing each other out of the bowl so they could have a turn. These bowls are the best things in budgie world because they're about 2 or 3 inches deep, shaped like an apple and about as big as my opened palm - PERFECT budgie size! And here's an extra bonus. They're made out of clear glass, so essentially, Cupid and Psyche were jumping in and out of my palm! Cupie kept stretching his wings as FAAAAR as he could, which ended up making one of them rest on my wrist. He'd splash and wiggle and hop out and then Psyche would hop in and take her fluttery time till Cupe chased her out again. They both got SOAKED and Psyche even came over and gave my finger a little kiss! It was so sweet... I'm gonna have to do this at least once a week from now on. Its AWESOME bonding time cuz I hold the bowl and cheer them on and they have such a great time. And of course, being outside is really good for them as is getting nice and clean. Its too bad Jared takes his camera bag with him like a purse, cuz maybe I could get pics of the wet birdies before they dry, but I don't even have a camera for that!

Beautiful birds!! They are very lucky to get such a great second home! How funny and cool that Bea knows them too!