maesie

I have multiple rope perches/swings in my avairy and havn't had a problem. I just cut the tassle off short (if they have one) and check them often for wear and tear. Some budgies do shred them, so you'd have to watch them carefully when you put it in their cage. Homemade stuff out of natual branches are great too though :question:

My Parrot Shop is a great website... very cool products and great service!

:fear Very cool! Congratulations.

Photos will also be extremely helpful if possible.

okay guys... Everyone has their own opinions and no one is right or wrong. Let's leave the debate on what's stupid or not alone and get back on topic. Any futher name calling/arguing will see this topic closed.

I suggest you read through our FAQ's. There are many articles on Taming in there.

Cute photos. We'll need a close up photo of his/her cere (without flash) to confirm gender. Welcome too!

Thanks all :grbud: She gets around really well Amy, and yes, her other senses are very well tuned. If I get up in the middle of the night for a drink/wee she always stirs to see what the noise is, and she's the first to the cage door when I call them for dinner. Her hearing, sense of smell and touch overpower anything her little eyes ever saw! She also gets around the cage like she knows wHere everything is. Even after a clean and re-decorate, she takes it all in her stride and whips around in no time. She has no fear what so ever and is always the first to explore new things. Rats, especially the red eyed ones are known to have bad sight anyway, so dealing without it isn't usually a problem. She has the sweetest nature and loves her mummy . In free range play time she always comes back to me so she can get her barings, so I get lots of love and cuddles. Nothing like a warm snuggle to brighten your day.

So very deep and true Kaz and I agree 100% I also believe she came into my life for reasons beyond the healing of herself.

YAH VICTORIA!!! Congratulations to the Vic's and all those who entered and/or got places.

LOVE this photo!!! You should submit it for Budgie of the Month (BOM). Very cute bubs too

They look great! Well done.

They do look very happy on their new toy, just hope they don't look up at the wrong time! You could also add a few cup hooks to it and put millet/greens on it... mix things up a bit.

Thanks guys :fingerscrossed: but I can't take all the credit. My vet, Silka has been wonderful... not only has she been willing to undertake multiple difficult surgeries, she has also greatly reduced my appointment fees and been great support also. BUT... the most credit has to go to Lucia. She has more strength and determination than any other animal I've had the pleasure of owning. Throughout the whole process, from being taken from her home, washed, dried with a hair dryer, put into unfamilar suroundings, having her eyes poked, wiped, ointment squrted in, meds shoved into her mouth twice a day for months... all while unable to see much if anything at all, and not once has she attempted to bite me. Her nature is just beautiful and she has a very special place in my heart :rofl:

As some of you may know, I have pet rats. I currently have 5 little fluff balls, and this is a storey about one I named Lucia. ~~LUCIA~~ (pronounced loo-CHEE-ah) Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). I came accross a double rex cream coated rat who had serious eye infections/issues. She was going to be euthanised due to these issues, and me being a sucker for the underdog, took her in with the intention of fixing her eyes and giving her a better life. Being a double rex, her coat was meant to be patchy, but it was rough, dry and not in a good way. I got her home, bathed her and rubbed some olive oil into it. She was such a good girl, and although she was crying, she didn't bite me once. At the first of many vet appointments, she was put on antibiotics to clear up the infection so we could get a better look at what was going on. After a week of this, we returned and it was discovered that she suffered from Entropion, which is where the eye lashes curl inwards irritating the eye. Dogs with curly coats suffer from it, as to rex (curly haired) rats. We were faced with a number of options... removal of the eyes, an eye lift or life long meds to help discomfort etc... The vet, who specialises in exotic pets, was not keen to operate at all due to the complications- some rats don't do well under the knife, and becuase her eye/eyelids are so small, surgery would be difficult and fiddly. I got more meds and took Lucia home. I had to take another rat to the vet for another issue and went to my local vets. I took Lucia in for company. Here I met Lucia's life saver. My vet Silka took one look at her and said she'd be willing to give surgery ago, and was quite confident she could help her out... and here begins the first of multiple operations. In the first operation, it was discovered that her right eye, the worst of the two, had ruptured. The cavity was cleaned up and then the lids were sewn shut. What was left of the eye was left in as it appeared not to be causing problems, and would be hard/dangerous to remove. Her left eye looked a little better. It had some ulceration on it but Silka wanted to give it a shot to heal, so a small piece of skin above and below the eye were removed and sewn up. Lucia got through the surgery really well, and her left eye was doing really well. Her bad eye however, was leaking/oozing fluid. We returned to the vets the following week. She was very happy with the good eye, but decided it would be best to remove the remainder of the bad eye and clean it up again. She again flew through the surgery and recovered really well. A week on again, we were back for stitches removal and good eye check up. The 'good' eye was slowly going backwards, and we were pretty sure she also had no sight in it, so it was decided removal would be the best option... her third surgery. She again coped really well and was again in the recovery stage. We had some issues with healing this time, so meds and daily bathing was needed. After weeks of this, we had another appt and she was again scheduled in for her 4th surgery. Silka found a small piece of the eye still there, which was weaping/oozing. This was removed and again closed up. Finally, after 4 operations and months of meds/bathing, Lucia was infection/pain/eye free. Her coat is now so fluffy and soft, her surgery sites aren't visable... you'd never know that she had eyes before. I don't like to think about how much I spent on getting her better. I knew when I took her in that I'd do everything possible to make her better, and while I never thought she'd need 4 operations, her life is now 100 times better and I have no regrets. Out of the five rats I currently have, she's definately the most outgoing and adventurous... and to think she was going to be euthanased. :fingerscrossed: Here are some photos of her journey, enjoy!

G'day and welcome to our wonderful forum. I hope you feel at home here and I can't wait to hear more about Bruce. :fingerscrossed:

So sorry for your loss. You did what you could.

Awww...

I was going to recommend putting a light on for them, but you've already got one. Good idea. I know it won't stop the sound, but may make it a little less stressful if they can see better!?!? Good luck!

I'd recomend going through the faq's. There are heaps of useful topics there. I found the best way to get started was to read through so many topics. It's often the best way and then ask specific questions that arrise from this reading. If I had to give one tip regarding taming a new budgie, I'd say take it slow at work at their pace not yours. It takes a lot of time to build their trust but you can loose it in an instant but grabbing them or doing something they perceive as a threat. So, to begin with... cage in a quiet place until they settle in, then cage somewhere where you spend time (loungeroom/study), lots of talking to them... then slow and steady with your hand in the cage building up to getting them to step up on you... the list goes on but I've mummbled enough. This should get you started... read, read, read and ask plenty of questions.

Rest in peace little fella. Hugs to you and your family xoxo

Oh sweetie... I'm so sorry xoxoxoxox I'm pleased he was able to be with you in his last moments, with someone he loved. Biggest hugs to you and your mum and family xo. He's now at peace.

I'm really sorry you've had to make this decision. In the mean time, make sure you keep him warm overnight so he can rest peacefully. Hugs to you all xoxo

Oh Hannah... I'm so sorry. Do what you need to do and he will understand. Promise xoxox

Very exciting, but I'd be careful about putting your hand in the cage while it's outside. Birds get out of the smallest gaps when startled, and I'd hate for him to fly out and away from you. Great progress though, keep it up!