Charlie Cockatiel!

Well there we go, the announcement….!
We’re getting a cockatiel, and his name is Charlie:-) I’ve wanted a bird for years, but never had the chance to get one until now. Cockatiels, for those who don’t know, can learn to whistle tunes, talk (the males) and happen to have a lovely disposition. Of course, I got myself a male:-)
I was looking online for ages at the different breeders, as I wanted a perfectly hand tamed/handfed baby male. I found Tammy at DJ Feathers, who has a really fantastic reputation online and on the bird forums. Located in VA, they were a bit of a distance from Florida, but hey, what can you do? When Bryan and I first saw the picture of him in an email, we both just went ‘AWWWWW’ and our hearts just melted!

A face only a mother could love? Just a baby....

He is going to be shipped via Continentals ‘PetSafe’ program, which is, well, super safe, as he will be well taken care of and in a room with the same air as the cabin. He was supposed to arrive on Thursday, but the weather turned too cold to risk it:-( This was when we were going to ship with Delta, who had temperature restrictions. Continental is different, as they transport the animals in a heated van to and from the plane….much better in my opinion. In any case, it’s going to work out….I get to have him first while in the Keys! YAY! The drive to Miami Airport, however, is going to be a real pain because of the Superbowl. Stupid Superbowl! Please don’t send me threatening emails now:-P I’ve been told that the Superbowl is more important than religion down here….should I be scared for my life? :-P
Anyhoo….
I’ve been super impressed with Charlies breeder! Tammy breeds all kinds of different birds, so if you’re looking, go to DJFeathers.com and take a look-see! She is fantastic to work with and spends a lot of time not only taming these birds to be fantastic pets, but also answering emails and questions (boy did I have a lot!). When the whole cold weather/flight fiasco thing was going on, she was super cool and patient with me….and that says a LOT;-)
Well, I’m super excited to get him tomorrow. I’m sure Bryan is too, not to mention relieved. I’ve been driving him bonkers so far. And now he has to endure the drive to Miami….you’ve probably already guessed that he’s making ME drive! That’s ok, I don’t mind. I know he’ll soften up for the drive back so I can spend some time with the little guy:-) At least, I HOPE he will:-D

Charlie, with his feathers coming in….much better!

 
Charlies parents, his dad Arles on the left, and his mom Paris on the right. He will look most like his dad on the left, but a bit darker grey….

 

A picture I took from the breeders ‘feathercam’. Charlie is the one flying up at the cage when Tammy walked by….he thought he was getting a hand feeding, haha!

 

Charlie kissing his ‘friend’, a cute little whiteface cinnamon….awww….

 

I know what many are thinking….how is Theodore Mittens going to take this? Well, as a lot of people who have met him know, he’s got very little cat instinct. At least he USED to have very little before we started RVing. Bugs would easily scare him away, but now he’s a bit more bold. I can’t see him being too upset, other than a bit of jealousy at first. We’ve got the remedy for that….LOTS OF ATTENTION for Mittens:-) Oh and treats….haha. He adapts pretty well, so I think he may end up liking Charlie. I’ve been playing him Cockatiel videos with sound from youtube.com, and he just purrs and rolls on his back. Anticipating a good meal? I hope not! I’m sure they’ll be friends, and entertain each other. One thing though, I can’t let them actually ‘play together’ as cats have a bacteria in their saliva that can kill a bird in hours. All it would take is one time….ugh.
Anyhoo. Wish us luck with the drive. If anyone has any advice for roads to take in Miami, let us know. Although I’m guessing they will all be equally jammed. Charlie had better love me for this….!

Friday, February 2, 2007

Cats Journal

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