Holiday! Well, soon, anyway!

Hello All!

I am going to the US this Christmas, for around 3 weeks *eek* I've not been in years and defiantly not since getting Elvis! Anyone know of any parrot holiday homes for parrots who don't like parrots??

Bob I don't know if you guys could take him? I know the Midland site says about holiday homes, but he's a hand full! He really needs someone who knows parrots! I have a pet-sitter who will come to the house a few times a day to feed him and so on, but it wouldn't be fair for any of them to be at home alone except 4 times a day to be fed and checked :/ I am hoping my in-laws will take our dog, my mate can pop in to feed the cats and rabbit - who couldn't care less who it is as long as there is food and they are left alone so that just leaves His Majesty, The Elvis.

Maybe having to deal with loads of other parrots and proper parrot savvy people would do him some good? :/ I could ask my in-laws to watch him too - they have his spare cage at their house, but I know they wouldn't have a clue what to do with him if he misbehaved, escaped or so on. Neither would my pet-sitter, he's alright feeding him over a weekend, but is afraid of birds, so wouldn't let him out for a play and so on.

Many thanks!

ooo someones going to have a task on their hands then lol. what about the folks across from you,would they be willing to look after him?

i'd say yes but dont have any experience with toos,there beaks are quite intimidating,like a macaws what would he be like with a grey? i know you said he didn't like the one before,but what if?

is elvis much bigger than a grey,and how hard does he bite

I don't trust the people across from us. they constantly forget the dog outside in the horrible downpour Cumbrian rain leaving it to bark all fricking night and smoke around their too all the time (though in her defence she has had him for 20 years, back before the time where they knew these things were deadly to them), I know the dog is their son's and lives in the lower flat with him, but knowing my luck he'd leave a door open or something stupid and let the dog eat Elvis lol

He's about grey size! I will have to ask his last owner what exactly happened, but I imagine they tried putting them in the same room together right off and they had a go - and Elvis is known for shouting back at anything making noise - movies where someone is arguing always have to be fast forwarded or he joins in LOL! I imagine if kept apart - separate play times etc and not allowed to climb around one another's things to save toes - that things wouldn't go horrifically wrong, they did have them both for three years after all! Though in different rooms LMAO

How hard does he bite... hmmm.... lol well, he's bitten through my finger - to the point where his bottom and top beak met under skin, and I needed stitch strips lol. He's never broken a finger though lol! He tends to nip, not bite, if that helps any lol. My advice would be to keep fingers out of the way I tell new people its only safe to pet him when he is inside the cage, if he's out and about - do not put your hand out lol. He's a good lad, but very untrusting of new people. I think at some point someone must have accidentally hit him or he's seen something being hit (aside from the dog getting a tap on the nose for trying to eat my dinner!)

we wouldn't have a problem looking after him at all, we are usually busy at Christmas time so let us know as soon as you can.

Beak pressure, well cockatoos will pull another birds beak off in a fight,
The beak pressure of a greenwing macaw is around 300lb per sq inch and I agree that too's tend to nip more than bite but that nip is like a vice

ouch and i thought jaspers bite was bad enough. 3001b per square inch,that is one powerful bite from a green wing then

it's a shame about your neighbours liz,you could have helped each other,but if they smoke around their bird then probably not a good idea

300lbs psi is quoted for 'toos as well - just had a quick google. Will email you tonight for prices Bob, I think you're my best bet now that Jules is terrified LOL He is a nipper alright, he only tends to fully latch onto jackets or his Fight Glove (I bought a falconry glove when I first got him, just in case - he loves attacking it, so whenever he's in a crap mood with me I let him take it out on the glove. Better the glove then my hand!!)

Yeah, I don't want him learning anything around there to be honest lol. My mate will watch him if all else fails, but it would be nice to know he'd have time out of cage and company.

Quote :

Moluccan Cockatoo (the biggest of the Cockatoo species) has been known to generate 2,000 lb. PSI bite force.

good lord,that would break fingers for sure!

not terrified liz,just slightly nervous. if bob can board him for three weeks,all will be well in too-ville

I can't help but feel that MUST be a typo! I know he can bite hard, but DUDE lol

haha he feeds on nerves like breakfast cereal when I first got him I was on heavy HEAVY pain killers, and we found when I was to zoned out to care if he bit me, we actually got along really well lol of course it could be because we ate nothing but toast and cookies *rolls eyes*

I think it will straighten him out Like a reform camp for wayward PidgeonToos LMAO

(we've nicknamed him Elvis the Pidgeon - I always wanted a white pidgeon named Frankie, so he can do half the work LOL registering him at the vet was fun! "Oh, right, a pidgeon, we don't have one of them!" ah, no, cockatoo, that is his full name... "Ohhhh! We don't have one of them either! Is he coming in soon? I want to make sure I'm here!" lol )

that and he can be a right dirty scratbag of ew sometimes. Soaks toast until its goo, wipes it all over a perch to dry, then peals it off and eats it *twitch* sometimes he adds seeds to the mix, looks horrible..

hey blacksheep, I went to america for over 3 weeks and left my cag in Bob and Dianes care. Rest assured. But beware of a grumpy fid when you get back! Mine was so excited to see me but when I took him home he had the hump with me! But on the plus side, he was completely converted to harrisons pellets when I got him back. Thanks to Diane. I know I can never convert him myself. I hope you'll enjoy your trip! I wouldnt worry too much.

I think that's where he will be going

Not to fussed about him converting, he eats Harrisons pepper mix with his breakfast, but will rattle and rattle and rattle if just given harrisons lol So he'll have it with something else, but not on its own. He loves it in omelettes lol

I think he'll be alright