HoundBlog

Well, Friday was one looooooong day! I went in to work at 2:00 pm and left around 1:00 am the next morning. Still had some things to do, but was just too tired to think them through. I got up around 7:30 Saturday morning and Charlotte and I drove to Atlanta for the bird show. We stayed there around 3 hours just looking and I bought a new cage for Taji and Reilly along with some toys and perches. We had a good time as always. Got home around 6 pm, cooked dinner for Ken and I then got on my computer and went back to work on my project for a few more hours.

I did get my heart broken at the show. There was a tiny cage with this pitiful looking Moluccan Cockatoo in it. She looked like she didn’t feel well at all, but was so sweet. She let me scratch her behind the ears (which is where Taji loves to be scratched) and looked at me with begging eyes. The man had this exhorbitant price on her which there was no way I could have afforded, but I gave him my card and told him that if he didn’t sell her to please call me as I would give her a good home. Of course he didn’t call (yet). I can’t help but wonder what happened to her. I keep telling myself that I can’t save them all, but she had obviously been neglected at best and mistreated at worst (she ducked her head everytime he swung his hand in her direction).

Sunday, Ken and I got up around 7:30 and went to breakfast, then to PetSmart to buy chew hooves for the dogs. Went home and put together the bird cage, then moved the birds into it. They seem to be thrilled with their new home — it’s a double cage that’s 6′ long and over 6′ high so they each have a whole lot more room to play. Taji immediately threw his food bowls on the floor of the cage and I’ve left them there. Cockatoos are foragers by nature, so perhaps it feels more “normal” to him than eating from bowls that are 3 feet off the ground. I also bought a play stand and Taji has loved every second of being on it, too. I will eventually be using that as my training place, but for now, it’s somewhere for him to hang out while we’re eating and watching t.v. When Reilly will step up onto either my arm or a hand held perch, he will get his chance on the play stand. For now, though he has to stay in his cage for training. I didn’t do any last night as I figured they wanted to explore more than anything.

Well, I’ve got to run.

Love to all,
Margaret