Modern Day Raptors

This morning I was finally able to get Zazu in to see the vet and talk through options for his feather destructive behavior. We discussed trying either a hormone implant or injections, and ultimately decided the implant made the most sense. It lasts longer, and with Zazu’s size, the amount needed for injections would end up costing about the same as doing multiple implants anyway.

There’s no guarantee this will fix the plucking, and it may not even reduce it, but I want to make sure I’ve explored every option for him. His hormones honestly aren’t extreme—I do my best to manage them naturally with a consistent sleep schedule, proper diet, and clear boundaries—but they have picked up a bit recently, so it felt like the right time to try this option.

I’m also including a screenshot of the estimate to give a realistic look at the cost of care.

Everything listed is either preventative or diagnostic:
1. Suprelorin (implant)

2. Lupron (hormone injection option)

3. CBC (bloodwork to check overall health, including white blood cell count)

4. ABX (to evaluate organ function)

It’s a good reminder that owning a parrot is a luxury, and having a medical fund set aside for them is essential. Even the exam alone was $127 just to walk through the door.

Food brings everyone together.

My birds are my whole world, and they bring me so much joy—but if they had any idea how many embarrassing photos of them I’ve posted online, I’m pretty sure they’d have a few things to say about it.

Today there was a great turnout of volunteers at the sanctuary, which gave me the chance to spend some extra time in one of my favorite bird buildings. I also focused a few extra hours on power washing one of the smaller outdoor aviaries.

What I thought would be a quick project turned into a bit more of a time commitment. I went in thinking it might take an hour or two, but three hours later I finally wrapped up the outdoor aviary.
It’s a big improvement, even if there are still a few spots I’d like to go back and touch up.

By then, time had gotten away from me and I had to head home to my own flock. They still needed their out-of-cage time and daily cleaning before I got ready for work this evening.

Zazu tends to cycle between being fully feathered and nearly featherless, and it all comes back to a deeply ingrained habit of feather chewing tied to his traumatic past. It’s something we’ve been working through for a long time.

I’ve tried just about everything—medical treatments, homeopathic approaches, preventative tools, and training—but nothing has stuck long term. I do know his hormones, along with any changes in his routine, tend to make it worse, so I’ve scheduled another vet appointment in a couple of weeks to revisit the issue and ask about hormone implants or injections. I’m not sure if it will make a difference, but it’s one of the few options left that we haven’t explored yet.

At the end of the day, I don’t mind if he ends up looking like a little naked chicken. What matters most to me is making sure I’ve done everything I can to keep him comfortable and give him the best quality of life possible.

With his heart condition, we do have to be careful about what medications we try, so every step forward is a thoughtful one.

Found out today that Georgie has an absolute blast taking out a little pent-up energy on a light-up dog toy. She was giving it a solid one-two punch and chasing it down like it owed her money. I can only imagine she had Chucky’s face in mind, considering she still has a score to settle with him.

It’s always great to see her this active and engaged. Amazons can easily turn into perch potatoes if you let them, which isn’t exactly ideal for their long-term health. Luckily, Georgie is always up for exploring and trying something new, and it definitely shows.

I decided to make a special trip out to the Magnolia Exotic Bird Sanctuary (Sharon Marie Markland ) and spend the day doing a deep clean in one of their buildings. I recently got my hands on a couple of new air purifiers for the space, and I really wanted to give everything a proper top-to-bottom cleaning before installing them.

The day turned into about eight hours of power washing cages, wiping down perches, clearing out worn-out toy scraps, and giving the entire building the attention it needed. I didn’t quite get every single cage power washed thanks to rain and time constraints, but I was able to focus on the ones that needed it most. The rest got a thorough wipe-down with some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

I know the fresh, spotless look won’t last forever because, well, birds will be birds—but it still felt incredibly rewarding to leave the sanctuary in better shape than I found it.

If you’re in the Houston area and want to make a real difference in the lives of these birds, consider applying to volunteer: https://www.mebsparrots.org/volunteer

Nonprofits like this rely heavily on volunteers to keep things running, and every bit of help truly matters.

Snapshot into how I spend my time when I’m not working or cleaning 🤣. Lots of made up songs and talk of dinosaurs.

I’ve been really trying to stick to the promise I made to myself and to my birds this year—to get them outside as often as I can.

Some days it’s just a couple birds for 15 minutes, other days I’ve got the time to let them enjoy an hour or two. Either way, it all adds up and makes a real difference in their health and quality of life.

Today I was able to get a handful of them out to enjoy some beautiful weather, and for the most part, everyone was pretty happy about it.

Well… almost everyone.

Baby Doug was not impressed. He kept sticking his foot out like he was politely requesting an early return inside. It was actually pretty funny. And when I finally gave in and brought him back, he made sure I knew exactly how he felt—landing on my shoulder, grumbling up a storm, and even giving my face a little nip just to really drive the point home.