Fresh boogie
Oct. 15th, 2006 11:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pjthompsonAs I've mentioned before, the roommate has a pet starling, Baby. They're part of the mynah family so you can teach them to talk. They're quite lively, intelligent birds (although they can get aggressive and mean sometimes), and good fun, but they are not an easy pet to maintain. I can't say I recommend people adopting them. They're wild birds and should stay in the wild, mostly, except that this one fell out of his nest when he was tiny and had to be hand raised. Being an experienced bird rescuer, if she'd known where the nest was, the roommate would have tried to put the little guy back with his mom because once a starling has imprinted on humans, they aren't very good at socializing with other starlings and can't really be turned loose. (Well, they can, but they keep coming back to the humans.)
The other reason I don't recommend starlings as pets is dietary. They're protein eaters--that's an essential element of their diet because can't really digest seeds and will die without it. They also eat fruits and vegetables so you have to make sure they get a good, rounded diet. Every morning the roommate has to concoct this elaborate mash of peanut butter, apple sauce, veggies, and I don't know what all else, for the bird. And she has to go down to Petco or aquarium stores all the time to buy...mealy worms.
The roommate got into the habit of saying to Baby, "Would you like some fresh bugs? How about some fresh bugs? Fresh bugs, Baby?" and etc. It wasn't long before he associated his favorite treat with the term "fresh bugs." So he started saying, "Fresh bugs! Fresh bugs!" when he wanted to be fed. Over time, this has mutated into several forms. Sometimes it's just "Fresh! Fresh!" Other times, it's "Fresh boogs!" or "Fresh buggies!" My favorite, though, is "Fresh boogie!" which lately has been a favorite of Baby's, too. "Fresh boogie! Fresh boogie! Fresh boogie!" said with wild enthusiasm.
Makes me wanna dance.
In other pet news: Min had her first vet's appointment yesterday. It was a general exam to see how her health was. She's apparently in the pink, although I've done a bang up job of overfeeding her. My tiny little cat weighs in a 9.13 pounds. ::chagrin:: I guess I'll be cutting back on the chow a bit.
Yesterday produced some trauma and some surprises. The surprise is that she's not an adolescent as I thought (I estimated a year old), but closer to five years old! She's a tiny girl and fooled even the nurses. The doctor examined her teeth and said between four and five, but closer to five. They shaved her belly to check for a spaying scar (an indignity that added to the trauma) and found one, albeit in a non-traditional place. "She's likely spayed," he said, "but since she's strictly a house cat it's not as big a deal. In March you'll know for sure. That's when they usually come in season." :-(
He also did the vaccines, and deworming. Poor baby didn't feel so good yesterday and I felt terribly guilty (not to mention considerably poorer). But she seems to be all better today. Except for the shaved belly. She was so mad at me after the vet finished with her that when I stuck my fingers through the bars of the cat carrier for scritches, she turned her head away. (Fortunately, that lasted all of ten minutes.) She's really the sweetest little poobie in the world.
Dr. Bone is a bit of a sour puss, but I think he's a good vet. That's what matters in the long run.
The other reason I don't recommend starlings as pets is dietary. They're protein eaters--that's an essential element of their diet because can't really digest seeds and will die without it. They also eat fruits and vegetables so you have to make sure they get a good, rounded diet. Every morning the roommate has to concoct this elaborate mash of peanut butter, apple sauce, veggies, and I don't know what all else, for the bird. And she has to go down to Petco or aquarium stores all the time to buy...mealy worms.
The roommate got into the habit of saying to Baby, "Would you like some fresh bugs? How about some fresh bugs? Fresh bugs, Baby?" and etc. It wasn't long before he associated his favorite treat with the term "fresh bugs." So he started saying, "Fresh bugs! Fresh bugs!" when he wanted to be fed. Over time, this has mutated into several forms. Sometimes it's just "Fresh! Fresh!" Other times, it's "Fresh boogs!" or "Fresh buggies!" My favorite, though, is "Fresh boogie!" which lately has been a favorite of Baby's, too. "Fresh boogie! Fresh boogie! Fresh boogie!" said with wild enthusiasm.
Makes me wanna dance.
In other pet news: Min had her first vet's appointment yesterday. It was a general exam to see how her health was. She's apparently in the pink, although I've done a bang up job of overfeeding her. My tiny little cat weighs in a 9.13 pounds. ::chagrin:: I guess I'll be cutting back on the chow a bit.
Yesterday produced some trauma and some surprises. The surprise is that she's not an adolescent as I thought (I estimated a year old), but closer to five years old! She's a tiny girl and fooled even the nurses. The doctor examined her teeth and said between four and five, but closer to five. They shaved her belly to check for a spaying scar (an indignity that added to the trauma) and found one, albeit in a non-traditional place. "She's likely spayed," he said, "but since she's strictly a house cat it's not as big a deal. In March you'll know for sure. That's when they usually come in season." :-(
He also did the vaccines, and deworming. Poor baby didn't feel so good yesterday and I felt terribly guilty (not to mention considerably poorer). But she seems to be all better today. Except for the shaved belly. She was so mad at me after the vet finished with her that when I stuck my fingers through the bars of the cat carrier for scritches, she turned her head away. (Fortunately, that lasted all of ten minutes.) She's really the sweetest little poobie in the world.
Dr. Bone is a bit of a sour puss, but I think he's a good vet. That's what matters in the long run.
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Date: 2006-10-15 09:16 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-10-15 09:24 pm (UTC)Congrats on your kitty's perfect health. That's always great news to get!
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Date: 2006-10-15 09:48 pm (UTC)It does. Which is why I always try to get people to take them to rescue stations. He's lucky he's got a dedicated mom in the roommate.
Congrats on your kitty's perfect health.
Yes, I'm quite happy!
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Date: 2006-10-15 09:33 pm (UTC)Vet story: After Brigid's been poked, prodded and stuck, she hisses at me.
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Date: 2006-10-15 09:49 pm (UTC)Min gets quite interested in the occasional moth.
After Brigid's been poked, prodded and stuck, she hisses at me.
Min didn't hiss, but the shunning cut just as deep.
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Date: 2006-10-15 09:51 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-10-16 05:04 pm (UTC)