I will try to keep this short and sweet.. but do have a bad habit of rambling on! I've been lurking here for quite some time now, but wish to thank-you all for being here and providing such wonderful info and support in a truly wonderful place!
I'm a bit of a 'net rat, and what convinced me to join was the firm guidelines in this community as well as the obvious kindness and passion the members share.
A little about me... here it goes!
I have been around animals all my life- dogs, cats, horses, fish, birds. I "detoured" from going into equine veterinary medicine after working with a great vet and seeing the very commercial side of that industry. My late mother always said that I have a bad habit of "making things difficult". On the other hand, I was blessed with a questioning mind! Over the years I have learned that my purpose and passion in life is to educate, accept and support others- be they 2 legged, 4 legged or feathered. Knowledge is NEVER a disadvantage, right?
I ended up becoming an NP. That career promply ended due to a head on collission in which I lost my mother in 2004. Back up a bit- I have not ever, to date went out to "purchase" any kind of animal They have always just sort of come to me. But, back in my undergrad days, "it" started with a roomie who had to move to follow her studies, and I ended up inheriting her cat and keet. Then my aunt passed and I inherited "Brandy" the (now 18 year old) rescued poodle something or other cross- that she got from the local "humane society" because he was thought to be "incorrigible and violent". That is when I really started into the world of granola crunchy-dom, and learned about raw feeding and natural remedies, non vaxing/dodds protocol etc etc. Brandy has been with me for 13 years, is the most wonderful and loving dog I have ever known. He has been with me through school, my mothers passing, 2 different careers, marriage, birth of my daughter (now 4), moving to a different province (I'm canuck!), divorce and countless other things! Through him I have learned a lot about loving, loyalty and not judging. He is in remarkable and vigourous health, people can scarcely believe his age, until they look into his lovely brown eyes that are starting to develop cataracts and realize that he doesn't hear quite as well as he used to. Suffice it to say, when boodle poodle, aka boo passes over, it will be the end of an era.
Then came Kaya, a feral brown tabby kitty who was previous a crack house squatter, who by best guestimates is now about 15. Right away, she became an indoor cat and raw, organic foodie. We lived together for about a year before I even saw her. Now, she is what I call re-domesticated, and while she is still a scardy cat, prone to yowling at various hours of night and season, and can be peacefully sleeping and for no apparent reason twitch, startle and tear around the house until she regains her head and sense of where she is- she is happy to come to me in the wee hours of the night. She kneads my chest, has the loudest purr you can imagine and likes to be "patted" in the same why I pat the dog. I guess she learned that from watching Brandy? When she came to us, she was half starved, wild eyed and badly burned by cigarette. She is not at all large, only about 7 lbs- and people who see her think she is an adolescent. She is very beautiful, despite the 3 patches along her back and side that never were able to regrow fur. I love her to bits, especially since she is an exceptional mouser- and I am absolutely phobic about mice. Not that I have mice in the house frequently- but I am confident that she wards them off and every year or two she brings me one very proudly. At which point regain my composure after climbing the walls like a possesed woman and call a friend, neighbour or my love to get it out ASAP because I can't even look at the dreaded thing! Very strange- I dont like them one bit, but I can't stand seeing them dead and mauled either and couldn't set out a trap for a critter even if the house was infested. I think I would just rather move! Enough of that topic, I've got the willies!
Then we have Sparkles, or "kitten" a lovely grey tabby that thinks he is a dog too and is technically my 4 year old daughters pet. They have an extraordinary bond and are invariably together, especially at night. He wears a pink sparkley collar, and my daughter insists that HE is a SHE and she feeds him, helps me scoop their box and change water bowls every day before breakfast. If it makes any sense to anyone, I have raised her AP and don't suspect it is both nature and nurture which makes her, at 4 so very sweet and compassionate while all the while extremely exhuberant! All the critters love her to bits, Kaya (who I forgot to mention already is AMAZING around the birdies!) "guarded" my daughter as an infant and when I was pregnant would snuggle and "massage" my belly every time I sat down. It was the cat, actually who "told" me I was expecting. I was NEVER supposed to be blessed with child, but- looks like docs are only human too!
OK, so now about the feathered set. I have 4 currently that are never leaving me. An additional 3 that I am helping to become healthy, happy pets. I don't have any QP's, and in fact have never had the pleasure of caring for one. I found qp.com/this forum looking for a new recipe for birdie bread! (I cook for all beings in my home, from scratch, all organic- forgot to mention that I live with a dear man, Jim who is 83 with alzheimers and a few other age related ails. Everyone eats organic, non nuked, mostly raw food around here!). Long story short- for the first time in my life- I am seeking to aquire a being- ON PURPOSE- because these little green chickens sound unbelievable! NO KIDDING- a little bird that talks? That would be likely to successfully join the flock? How come I only/ever thought of quakers as "those wild parrots in brooklin etc etc that are political like the staf terriers'?? I grew up with a B&G and a Too- but have to date only looked after/adopted small birds. I love all birds- but always knew I did not want the responsibility of looking after someone who I would worry about after I go. I have seen how heartbroken dogs can be after their owners pass, and know I will most likely end up with my Dads (former Grandmas) B&G in a few years if she keeps going so strong. Dad too! So, my forever feathers here now are
Shya- tiel- unknown age. Normal grey female. Really not shy at all anymore!
Oiseau and Birdie- keets- unknown age. Sky blue and violet males. Total clowns who seem to think they are BIG parrots!
Squeaky- precocious lutino Fischer lovebird. VERY male.
They all get along quite happily and are out of cages all day, every day, save when I/we go out. I take great pleasure in simply watching them fly, eat REAL food and healthy pellets, and (agasp!) PLAY with TOYS. They were all, to varied degrees- exclusively seed fed, bored sitting on perches only ever in a cage completely unsocialized birds. So, it is a great joy to have them land on me, cuddle with me, let me do about anything with them. But it is best, for me- to just see them being healthy, happy, joyful birds doing what birds do- like right now trying to disassemble my keyboard. Now, whoever said that keets are "quiet, ideal apartment birds" and that lovebirds were "moderate to high noise" did NOT know these birds. I adore the LOUDEST budgies in the WORLD- I don't even know how they can tweet and chirp so strongly it is nuts! Squeaky is so named because he is, well- just squeaky- like the bird equivalend of a hing that needs some oil. If he gets really excited, then he hops up and down and "peeps" like a chick in a nest. So, not MY def of "moderate noise"! Everyone (2 leggeds, 4 leggeds and feathers) follow me from room to room in the house, all day. Down in the basement- wherever I am. I move, and within 2 minutes I've got company. The only place I ever have any degree of privacy is in the potty. Generally though, I have 1-4 birds with me because they ALWAYS want to take a shower. Sqeaky has recently been banned from uninvited br visits however, upon his discovery (and near dunking...) in the throne. I'm not all paranoid about germs or anything- but that was my limit because of drowning risk.
I always have a GREAT, rather poofy, 80's style teased hairdo, courtesty of feather cuts inc. They take turns "preening" my long locks. Its amazing I have any of it left, actually!
I am happily engaged to the most wonderful man I know and am certain will ever meet- who happens to have the very same name as a very important Canuck politician. Now, politics and religion are 2 convos I avoid wherever possible, so that is VERY ironic. At any rate, he "gets" me, even when he doesn't always agree with me and I get him. Truly, maddly, deeply and we act like silly teenagers now and love it for going on 5 years. And, he LOVES dogs and CATS, and says "Honey, I understand that you really "get" birds. So, how about we built an indoor/outdoor aviary? On top of that, everybody loves him. Which means that not only do they not bite, growl, pee in his shoes, chew holes in his clothing, perform fly-by-deposits or pecking-fests but that they welcome him into the home as part of the family. Which is a miracle- because Brandy who has been here the longest and Kaya the second longest- have NEVER welcomed any mate I have draged in- including the (now ex) hubby. I should have listened, but then again, I got a great kid out of it! Everything happens for a reason.
Right, so I am almost done. Currently I support myself and assorted family/orphans in my care by running a home based business marketing (gasp) nutritional products. A functional health beverage actually, some whole food vitamins etc etc. I suffered a great deal after my car accident and did this and that from home to support us until about a year ago. I am "prone" to questioning everything and thus, despite "tradtional" medical training- I was open to a solution for my pain, low energy etc etc etc because I had tried everything and narcotics didn't even touch the pain so I was off of them in favour of being a cognizant parent. Especially important with an active 3 year old. So, I was buying all these supplements (glucosamine, cal/mag) etc and met a nice guy in the health food store who told me about this fruit. I researched it, and long story short tried it because I had tried everything and had nothing to loose. It is a miracle, I won't live without it! So, I started telling people about it that needed it too and it grew into a business that I will retire from entirely and be able to do nothing but play with children and critters all day, every day. Not that I work hard as it is really but that it would be nice to be retired with zero obligation save those I choose. Then one day around last Easter, I got a birdie (Chester, now rehomed and healthy) who had fatty liver. I mean- this keet was the size of a large grapefruit, very ill and my vet said that he wouldn't make it. His "diet" till then had been shelled/salted sunflower seeds- because "that is all he will eat and I can get it in the convenience store on the ground floor of my building". Uh-huh, I see). So, I started putting it 50/50 in Chesters water dish. In 2 days, he was much perkier and he switched to raw veg/fruit/pellets SUPER easy. Vet was amazed with I showed up with what LOOKED LIKE a completely different bird 2 weeks later asking for a second go at beak trimming. So, I gave it to Kaya. She stopped having seizures and calmed down a LOT. I gave it to Brandy. He doesn't seem to even notice his arthritis anymore and literally RUNS in the park for the first time in I think a good 5 years. I gave it to Shya- for the first time in 3 years she started being interested in the other birds (instead of just me) and playing with toys, stopped plucking and has full plumage since this spring! She goes to my daughter all of the time. Which I feel is quite remarkable for ANY bird. I gave it to Squeaky too- not much difference there, but he doesn't get cage aggresive anymore- which is great- because he has drawn blood more then a few times, and I think is colour is better. 2 Keets, no noticable change that I am sure of- but I keep giving it to them because they all drink each others water anyhow. Jim is off meds for type II diabetes, high cholesterol and bp and says his arthritis is much improved. My dad too- many people I know and love won't live without it either. At any rate, suffice it to say I am very happy and now am a big proponent of natural health. Before, I was a "first, do no harm and if it doesn't conflict with the prescribed meds and treatment, take it, absolutely" and now I am a "cut it out, burn it, or poison it treatment is a last resort to alternative health treatments on a case by case basis". Which, might not make any sense to anyone but me! BTW- this is not a pitch, its just that I found something that actually WORKS much of the time, and that research (lots of it) and the manufacturer stand behind. That is remarkable, because I am a massive skeptic and because I am seeing clinical results that DO NOT JIVE with anything I was taught at uni. It doesn't make SENSE that a diabetic can have a sugar of 17 which comes down to 5.1 1/2 hour after drinking a glass of JUICE?? Totally spins my brain to mush. Which makes me wonder how much we really know or think we know?
Don't get me started with if we are really here or not! OK, I will try not to laugh at my own jokes!
TOLD YOU I TALKED ALOT. Lol- but that is it in a nutshell. Save, the more I know the less I know! I can't promise that I will be a regular contributor here (I am pretty busy, if you did not guess!) but I will be a reader for sure and will always try to help and support where I can.
Have fun, because life really IS too short!
J
