asterroc | Night Fright

I'm glad this isn't a weekday; I've stayed home from work the next day for less. T$ woke me up saying "I think Gabe is flying around." I'm not sure how many time he had to say that to get a coherent response out of me. The first thing I see when I turn her light on and go to look is her flapping the hell around her cage - the new flight feathers are not always a boon. The next thing I see is red on her wing, and I call out to T$, "she's bleeding, if it's bad we're going to a vet." The large size of the new cage makes it difficult to grab her out, but after I do and towel her I figure out quickly that it's a pinfeather that she broke in her frenzy, and yell to T$ as he comes out of the bathroom to bring Q-tips. Good thing I've some styptic powder handy - yeah I know it's supposed to hurt more than flour or corn starch, but it works and it's what's in front of me. The fuzziness in my brain right now means I'd probably shove her bodily into a jar of flour - not good for either Gabe or our future baking endeavors - so I'll go with what I have. While patting the stuff onto the thingit I explain to T$ that no, we don't have to go to the e-vet, though if I can't get the blood to stop I'll have to find a pair of pliers. And now that the bleeding's stopped I'm sitting awake with her for a little while to make sure her fright's over and that she won't reopen the wound. Everything's going to be ok. She's preening just like it isn't 3:16 in the goddamned am. I think I can go back to sleep now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Enjoy your sleep :)

Yeah, now that it's the next morning she's perfectly fine and none the worse for her lack of sleep. Of course, I was having dreams about an elfin orchestra in my physics class, so whether I'm ok is debateable...

The trials and tribulations of being a pet parent....

Wouldn't do without it though! I'm thinking about clipping her flight feathers that came in recently though, as T$ keeps leaving the doors open while she's out of the cage. :-\

If he's doing that it's a recipe for disaster. I'd clip her ASAP. My opinion is that while it's nice to have a bird that can fly, it's not nice to have bird who gets out and killed because it can fly. If he can't remember to close the doors, clip the wings.

And about her night frights: haha, 'tiels are so silly. I love them (can't have 'em because they are too powdery for me) but they are so silly.

*Nods* I'm not panicking about it b/c she's usually not near the back door, and the front door opens to a porch whose door is often closed, but still yeah. Got any hints for making the point to T$?

Strange thing is Gabe has night frights less often than Peeper did, but she's broken three blood feathers in the last year from them and Peeper never did! Her feathers seem to be less sturdy (not surprising in a lutino as opposed to a "wild type" gray), or maybe she just flaps harder when she freaks out or something.

You could post a friendly reminder note on both of the doors and see if that helps.

Also, both of your doors lead into "airlock" areas, so the chances of Gabe getting outside seem fairly slim. (Or does T$ leave both the inner and outer back doors open for long periods of time? If so, egads!)

Honestly, I would go to extraordinary lengths to keep from having to clip my own birds' wings. I know wing clipping is a really personal choice, but it would make me terribly sad to clip my birds wings.

You're right both are airlock areas (I've used that term myself actually), but he sometimes leaves both doors open - more likely at the front when he goes to get mail, and that's the one near her cage, though there is the porch outside that. Good idea posting signs at the doors, I think I shall try that. Peeper was never flighted, so it didn't bother her to not be, but Gabe definitely was when I got her, and she has the mentality of a flighted bird and she's acted so much happier in the last week or two since enough feathers grew in to give her good flight. But safety comes first - if I can't do this safely, I will clip her again.

From T$ as he went to the basement to do laundry just now: "Hey, this door has a sign now!" Me: "Yeah, I want to be safe!" T$: "She's not going to escape." And yet, he did close the door on his way down to the basement, when he didn't bother doing that earlier this morning. Progress! Thanks for the idea. ^_^

There are labels all over the house now, that I don't think were there last time you were over. You'll be amused.

Good one! And in the spirit of clicker training, you should thank him profusely whenever he does remember to shut the door. :)

That's just positive reinforcement in general. It's only clicker training if I make a clicking noise every time he closes the door. ;)

Au contraire - you don't have to use a click at all. We're humans, so we have the advantage of language. The click is merely a communication tool to let the trainee know exactly what he or she is being rewarded for. Since you and T$ have verbal language, you can just say "Thanks for remembering to shut the door! I feel much more comfortable knowing Gabe is safe." If you were training a nonverbal animal, the click (or flash of light, or hand signal, or what have you) would serve that same clarifying purpose.

Night Fright

Glad everything is ok!

Re: Glad everything is ok!

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