By R. A. Chiger, F.R.S.B.
(Fellow of the Royal Society of Befuddlement )
(Fellow of the Royal Society of Befuddlement )
Sometimes, when I am on the computer or reading or just doing anything by myself and I suddenly find myself surrounded by my birds and dogs and cats, I realize what a lucky human I am......(where is the elephant?) Aristophanes followed me upstairs today and into the room with the computer and the cockatiels. He ran after Lola (my dog) as she came into the room and immediately chased her off the bed. The cockatiels were flying all around his head, but that was ok, he just had to be, "The king of the Mountain," when it came to the dog.
Often, knowing that she is around, he will hide under the bed until she walks by, then he will rush out after her and they take turns chasing each other. Aristophanes, for those who don't know, is my scarlet macaw. He has a healthy respect for Sebastian, my great Dane and a pretty good relationship with Maxwell, my older cat. Rosie, the younger cat stays clear of him and each bird has his/her own set of rules by which he/she lives.
I love watching the interaction between that macaw and that dog ( a mixed dachshund) They are like a brother and sister who like to argue. In this case the brother, Aristophanes, always wins. When he comes out of he cage, in the morning, Lola inevitably jumps into it and eats everything he has dropped, including some things I won't mention in the name of good taste (notice the pun).
Watching them play and all the other things, some, unfortunately destructive, that Aristophanes does furthers my own feelings about how awful it is that some birds live out their entire lives in a cage. I cannot leave him loose all the time, as I would love to do. because of the obvious trouble he can get into and the damage he can do to the house.
Unfortunately, nobody gets to see the incredibly sweet and loving side of this macaws behavior, because he gets moody and nasty to other people. He can be the most affectionate and delightful bird in the world when we are alone, just don't allow anyone else, except Jackie, to enter the room. If he can't bite you, he will nab me. I don't understand that part of his personality and I don't generally buy into all the reasons that our "self proclaimed bird experts" give. I can conjecture as well as the next person, but nobody really knows what goes on inside that gorgeous brilliant red little head. I adore that bird, no matter how many times he bites me. Right now, he is hiding under the computer desk as I attempt to type with my Antonio handicap (see my former letters for more explanation). I imagine he is waiting for Lola to come back into the room. I was right; there he goes!
