The Congo African Grey
My partner's mam has a 7 year old Umbrella Cockatoo called Pearl. She's absolubtly gorgeous and I just fell in love with her when I met her! It was pearl that started my whole love of parrots, and I was convinced that when I could afford it I would have a U2 of my own.
I read every book on cockatoos I could find, visited every web site, asked in pet shops and soaked up every bit of knowledge about them that I could lay my hands on. I though it was extremely important that I know evrything I needed to know about the care of these birds and even more on top of that if I was to provide a good home for such a brilliant bird.
One day when shopping in my local pet shop, I found that they had just brought in two 13-week old african grey babies for sale. They were so cute, and I was fascinated by the squeeky little dinosoar-like noise that they made! I visited the shop again the next day and the birds had been placed into separate cages. I cood over and talked to each baby individually and delighted in the happy and playful response of the more lively of the babies. He would come right to the front of his cage and bow his head down for me to tickle him, then look up at me with his gorgeous sparkly dark eyes. i just had to have him! Eventually I had to catch my bus and so I left the shop, but I visited again the next day, the next day and the day after that! I now started my parrot research agin, but this time into Greys.I was absolubtly smitten with the lively baby and had to put a deposit down on him to reserve him until I could pay for him and take him home. Just a couple of days later he was all paid for and on his way to his new home!
Although before I bought Tikki I was looking to buy an Umbrella Cockatoo, when I met Tikki I somehow knew that I was actually supposed to have him instead. I think that's the best way to choose your new companion parrot, because intuition and 'clicking' automatically with a bird is a sure fire winner for telling you you're going to be best buddies!
Tikki Loves...
-Tickles and cuddles when he's tired
-Grapes
-Destroying pretty much anything he can lay his beak on
-Being blow-dried after having a shower
-Seeing how far accross the room he can throw his feed
-Nibbling people's fingers but not mummy's
-Whistling, singing and general noise making (but it is quite funny!)
-Luke warm cups of tea (IMPORTANT! Never give your parrot any hot liquids or food because they do not realise it will harm them until they have consumed it, and they will most likely not eat for days or weeks out of pain)
Tikki hates...
-My brother
-The hoover (the sound of it, the look of it...everything)
-When I leave the room
-When I put my coat on (he knows I'm getting ready to leave)
