krosp

We do have quite a few non-teflon things so it's usually okay. This was a waffle maker given to us as a wedding present. I think this was even the first time I used it since we got Cosmo... I will be so wary of that waffle maker from now on

:rofl: Gorgeous rats!

I agree, not too many people would actively search for a pet that they know has an extremely short lifespan.

I'm sorry he looks so beautiful too.

Thanks everyone :thankyou: glad to know it's probably just dry flakiness.

This is what Cosmo's cere looks like at the moment. Piccolo's is perfectly smooth. My feeling is that it's just dry and flaky as he is moulting and the weather is dry and cool. But I just wanted to run it by you all. Is olive oil okay or should I use canola oil?

I did put up some photos about a week ago of their first introduction. Have been quite busy lately but I will try to get some photos of them together now they're settled, and show you as soon as I can :question:

Well, the two of them have been together in the cage since Sunday. Before that, I was taking Piccolo out at night and whenever I wasn't home just in case they fought too badly... but now they have been in there continuously since Sunday, so I guess that means they're now officially living together! They seem to be getting along now. It's really cute- Piccolo has learned not to try and eat out of the same dish as Cosmo, so whenever Cosmo starts eating, Piccolo goes down and eats at the other one.. I see them eating - one from each dish - always at the exact same time :thankyou: they've worked out their little system and it seems to be working lol

so sorry :thankyou:

Yes I am planning to.. so many to choose from!

Beautiful birds

Now Cosmo just tries to mate with poor Piccolo at any opportunity Piccolo doesn't understand but of course hates being stood on. Hope Cosmo settles down! I guess covering him for longer might help.

I know, he is... and it doesn't help that Cosmo inflates himself up and stands on tip toes next to Piccolo either They're both pet types though, but I think there'll always be a size difference.

I have been accumulating these photos for a while and haven't shown them yet. Some are just some quirky funny little things that Cosmo has been doing, and the others are of Cosmo and Piccolo first meeting. First, here is Cosmo lying on my arm getting his head scratched Cosmo loves baths so much that if he is on our shoulder and if we even so much as go near a sink, he will run down our arm with fluffed up feathers ready to take a plunge. We discovered by accident that Cosmo likes green things (well he sure likes spinach and sprouting seeds!). I don't even know how this happened, I think when someone was walking past with a green balloon and Cosmo jumped over thinking it was for him! And when Piccolo and Cosmo first met.... there was some threatening ..some copying of each other.. ..and just generally looking cute together!

Awesome job with the new kitchen! Such a big improvement hey

Kind of... not so much more social with me, but just generally more comfortable on me because Cosmo prefers to be on me and doesn't just take off suddenly like Piccolo does, so I think that makes Piccolo feel more calm sitting on me or having me around.

lol Richo I think the only consistent thing in all this is my apparent paranoia Thanks everyone --- I really couldn't imagine that he had swallowed it but I couldn't find any other explanation. I feel a lot better now. It's not just that he looks fine and healthy -- but he's actually very vibrant and full of life... bouncing around and dancing and being incredibly noisy now that Piccolo is in the same room. I was just worried that he might end up with an obstruction if he swallowed a lot of plastic at once, but there's no signs of it and I don't really know the timeframe of how long he chewed it up for either. Oh well... I guess it will always remain a mystery!

We discovered today that a twist tie that my husband had used to fasten a toy to the top of Cosmo's cage now has some of the plastic missing. :sadsorry: He had tried to stick all the twist tie so far out of the cage that Cosmo couldn't get to it, but he somehow did... we caught him trying to rip it off. But we can't see any of the plastic underneath on the floor of the cage!! It could be that he ripped it off a few days ago and I didn't notice it when cleaning out the cage, but I think I would have, as they were both in quarantine until today and I examined their poos a lot. So... either it has somehow compressed and shrunk into itself... or he has possibly swallowed it. He's looking and acting fine but I am a bit worried and will take him to a vet at any sign of not being quite right. Is there anything I should know about the possibility of budgies swallowing plastic? Anyone had this happen before? I really don't know... I would like to think he hasn't, because I can't even imagine it would be easy or pleasant to swallow... or if he has, I hope it's in tiny pieces and with food, so that it doesn't clump together and not be able to pass through. Oh dear, this is the third safety thread I've posted recently, am starting to feel like a bad bird owner!

Well, quarantine is over! I now have Piccolo's cage downstairs on the opposite wall to Cosmo, so they can see each other and get used to being around each other. It's weird not having Piccolo in our bedroom anymore, but we'll appreciate not being woken up by him every morning I've got them out to play together in a neutral area and they're so interesting and funny to watch. Their first reaction was that Piccolo just followed Cosmo everywhere and got way too close all the time, so Cosmo wasn't impressed with this young whippersnapper stepping into his personal bubble and kept either running away or biting at him. But whenever Piccolo stopped to preen or do something else, curiosity would get the better of Cosmo and he'd sneak up and gently nibble at Piccolo - but as soon as Piccolo responded and approached Cosmo, he'd be back in defensive mode again and bite. Cosmo spent most of the time fluffed up big and standing tall, and bounced around trying to be dominant. It was so much like watching a big brother who finds his little brother annoying because he copies everything and follows him around :sadsorry: At the moment they seem to both be curious and interested in each other but still wary. Certainly not an instant bond, but knowing them both, this is exactly how I expected them to behave. It's so funny, Piccolo copies everything Cosmo does EXACTLY... e.g., Cosmo stretches out his left wing, so Piccolo does the same. When they're out together, Cosmo still flies over to me and preens me, and seems to enjoy being around me without Piccolo there. He's doing lots of his human talking. I hope that this can get Piccolo used to the idea that I'm not so scary to be around (or on).

Just think about how the cage will go turning around corners and stuff. Any swinging objects or things that could spill should be removed, and if the rest of the cage is stable it should be fine.

I have been wondering about this. Piccolo has a big white spot on the back of his head. But he is opaline. I thought opaline was sex-linked recessive, therefore Piccolo being a male must have received opaline from both sides. If the big spot is for dominant pied then wouldn't he be pied instead of opaline? Or can opalines get the big spot too? It's not small and a few feathers like the ones I've seen on spangles and normals before... it's a whole round patch. This photo shows it best out of the ones I've already got, but it is side on so sorry it's not perfect.

Sorry to hear this :hug: it sounds like she was ill for a while and you gave her the very best of care.

I love your head shots

Oh the poor little darlings