Hello, again!
It has been more than a little while since the last entry, chiefly because of my graduate school duties, but in no small part because of the lack of a Blogger app. My hope for this new year is that I will remain more "on the ball" with my life, and that includes updating you about Cocoa Bean, our findings about mustache parakeets as a breed, and the latest and greatest in the pet parrot community.
So, in the last four months (oops) lots has happened! Holidays, shopping, presents, decorations, thank you notes, finals ...... It's no secret that the end of the year usually ends up in a rush to tie up all loose ends. Beyond these normal activities, Cocoa Bean has been growing and entertaining me and everyone else around him! Here is a list of updates, with no particular organization:
- Cocoa Bean decided that pecans rule, almonds drool. In the matter of a month, he went from loving almonds to LOVING pecans. Now, whenever he sees a pecan, he runs to it as quick as possible (which is hilarious to watch) and then proceeds to stomp his feet, turn in circles, and say whatever he thinks will get him the pecan the fastest. On that note, the current phrase for treats is "hmm?" but we are slowly working towards saying "hiiiiiiii" for treats. Because it is adorable. So far, it seems that Cocoa gets so excited by the sight of pecans that he can hardly concentrate to say anything. Maybe pecans aren't the best training tool ...
- At four years old, Cocoa is now sexually mature, and he knows it! The list of girlfriends has now grown to remotes, cell phones (if they aren't a chew toy first), (human) feet, food bowls, and sometimes hands. If he's on the bed and the blankets form a sort of bowl shape, this usually sends Cocoa into an amorous mood. On occasion, I have noticed that he will act like he is pushing around something before doing his "thing," as if he was rearranging the nesting material. Additionally, when he is showing off for one of his girlfriends, he has occasionally started to hold out the tops of his wings, like I have seen some IRNs do. Maybe this is him learning the moves.
- For the last month, I was fostering an older cockatiel female, and though she and Cocoa never truly bonded or really interacted, they also didn't not get along, and I consider that a win. The whole month, they did everything they could not to look at each other. But now that she is no longer in my house, Cocoa seems lonely. The vet confirmed that mustache parakeets are indeed social eaters, though I couldn't tell over the last month if Cocoa actually ate more than he usually does. He did act more protective about his food though, watching very closely if she ever came near his food. No acts of malice were shown at these times though.
That's it for tonight's update! Keep an eye out for another next week!
