...its imperative!
We bird-people all know, that to keep these wild and wonderful creatures in our homes there are a few key components that are necessary in our emotional-make-up. Namely:
1. ya gotta be patient.-- They are people and sometimes they dont have the same agenda as you.
2. ya gotta be even tempered.--those funny feathered creatures are sooo flock oriented they pick up on our temperaments. Nothing in the world like a house-full of PMS'ing parrots.
3. ya gotta be creative. -- they are so amazingly intelligent, keeping ahead of them in toys, activities, and even locking 'em up requires some real creativity.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT AND THE MOST DETRIMENTAL IS TO HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR. why is it good AND bad?? well lemme give ya an example....
Set the scene: i'm sitting on the sofa. drinking my morning coffee, watching my current favorite movie, Sky High. Each of the little feathered einsteins are eating breakfast happily (and quietly).
I hear a strange grinding noise from Caleb's room. now remember, i put seed guard pans on the window to protect that delicate wood. I look over and there's Caleb doing a contortionist move. he's holding on to the curved ladder on top of his cage that makes up the 'playtop', is hanging off the side of the cage at a kinda 45 degree angle, has his head on upside down and is happily chewing at the window molding.
i holler "CALEB!" and he jumps...yup a guilty jump much like that 2yr old that has managed to get the cookie jar off the counter... he jumps and looks at me with his crest pasted to his head. gives me a look that says: "yes mommy?? :pray: " That was it... i lost it.
i went and looked at the slightly shredded wood, looked at him, with a bit of wood on his widdle chin, and lost it again.
i offer my arm, he steps right up and as i laugh and tell him in a pleasant bubbly voice "now you know that is NOT a birdie approved activity" his crest comes up and he begins giggling and bouncing on my arm. can you say
positive reinforcement??? so as i sit here giggling and talking to him he says to me in his sweet voice "silly birdie" ... that was it, i melted into a puddle of mush...
how could anyone manage to survive without such amazing feathered fun in their lives????