Peanut
Well, we’ve had our Peanut now for a week. I guess I didn’t tell you that Michael named him that. We weren’t sure what his name was. The first night, Michael wouldn’t go to bed because he wanted to stay down in the living room with him. He apparently put a peanut in his food bowl and was excited that he went down to eat it. After a few times, he thought we should call him Peanut. Michael was disappointed that I didn’t let him name Pascal and I thought “Peanut” was cute, so we kept the name he chose. I wonder if it’s confusing to him to be called Peanut and have his favorite thing be a peanut. Anyway, we now know what to use as our training food.
The cage he came with has an arched top that opens. On Sunday, after having him only one night, Dave thought we should let him out. I was nervous about him, but I opened the top. He came right out and seemed happy about it. It’s been a trick to get him back in the cage at night. We’re trying to teach him “night-night” to go back in. In the meantime, we’re laying a light blanket over the top the cage and with him on top. If he doesn’t go right in, I can press his back a little bit to coax him into the cage. I wish he was touchable.
We did have one near catastrophe when he flew off the cage. Remember, I use the term fly loosely since he has one wing pinioned. Really, he plopped to the floor. Then he climbed into the living room fireplace (not being used, of course) and growled at us. He wouldn’t get on the stick no matter what I did. I had to kind of push him out of the fireplace and get the doors closed enough to keep him out. Eventually, about two hours later, he climbed back up the stand and onto his cage. That was stressful for us so I can’t imagine how bad it was for him.
Pascal is very interested in him. Peanut’s been watching Pascal interact with us. I think this might help us win him over. Anyway, Wednesday night, Pascal kept flapping like he was going to fly onto Peanut’s cage. I told him he couldn’t fly onto his cage. He did it a couple more times and each time I told him he couldn’t fly there. You know what he did? He jumped to the floor and climbed up instead! He outsmarted me–he didn’t fly there and disobey me but still did what he wanted. I watched so nervously. Peanut was pretty good with Pascal, especially since he was in his territory (on his cage). I think it might have been bad if I wasn’t there, but things went alright. Thursday night Pascal went to visit him again and he was a bit more agressive. He hasn’t gone back since.
I also gave Peanut a new toy which was a kind that Pascal likes. He didn’t seem to know what to do with it. A few days later I was so happy to see that he was actually playing with it and tearing it up.
Oh, he’s also not growling at us as much as before. That’s a nice change too.
Peanut and PascalNote: Peanut looks smaller than Pascal, but actually he’s larger than him. Remember, Pascal is a Timgo, a cross between a Congo and a Timneh and the Congo is the larger breed. Peanut’s feathers are also lighter color and his beak is black, compared to Pascal having some pink in his.