Hamsters & Birds
Hello, hamster friends! I know I’ve been, again, a bit MIA lately.
Right now I’m house & bird sitting for my parents while they take a many-times-delayed trip to Iceland. If you haven’t ever taken care of birds before, they are pretty high needs. I put in a lot of time daily for my hamsters- preparing them fresh foods, giving them oral and topical medications, coming up with boredom breakers and getting them out for playtime, in addition to cleaning their wheels and bowls and bins.
Now, add two birds to the mix and my life is a lot!
Both of my parent’s birds are rescue birds (#adoptdontshop). We have one cockatiel, Chuck, who was found by my sister in La Jolla, CA, when he tried to land on her to her surprise. We tried to find his owner, but no one came forward, so he came to live with our family permanently (first with my sister, and then with my parents).
We also have a fancy pigeon named Vino. Vino was found by our vet outside, where he had broken a wing and a foot. The vet could tell he clearly was no street pigeon and took him in. Knowing my family loved feathered creatures, the vet asked if we would like to adopt him.
Vino & Chuck couldn’t be more different. Chuck is curious, friendly, wants to eat whatever you’re eating and loves to be massaged for hours each night.
Vino is the master of the floors and will let you know when you step into Vino territory with a little peck at your foot and a pigeon dominance dance. Vino is all white and so beautiful it’s hard to believe he’s real sometimes (and honestly, people often think he’s a statue until he suddenly moves). He likes to tuck under furniture and lay down next to the roomba or under a table. He can be a bit feisty but seems to have a bigger bark than bite - when you pick him up and rub his little head or belly, he gets very zen-ed out and looks insanely cute.
I moved the hamsters to my parent’s house to help ease the amount of back and forth. I keep them in a separate room with the door closed. I don’t think Vino or Chuck would intentionally harm the hamsters, but they might get curious and.. who knows. Not worth the risk!
Hope to be back with you soon with some more robust updates!
