Pascal has come a long way after "moody Monday". He's been vocal and up to being handled for the most part.
I took my lunch break late on Tuesday and headed to Rensselaer Birds to look into getting a playstand for Pascal. They had a lot to chose from. I chose a big one with wheels so I could haul it from room to room. I also got Pascal some new toys. I wanted some more toys that he could handle instead of handing toys. Teena was friendly and helpful. I also met another lady who had her grey with her. We had a great conversation. I had a hard time tearing myself away to head back to work.
Well, when I got the playstand home, I found it was about 1 inch too wide to easily fit through the doors upstairs. It took some finesse to get it into my bedroom. I guess I will not be hauling it from room to room afterall. Pascal has spent a lot of time on the playstand already. He likes to perch on top of the toy holder, much the same as he does on his cage.
I had been reading about "toweling" your bird by wrapping it in a bathroom towel. It's supposed to be calming, as if the bird's mother's wing is over the bird. I sat in my big comfy chair in my bedroom, put a towel on my lap and then placed Pascal on top. When I pulled it over him, he just settled right down. I held and petted him for over half an hour. Then, Michael came in running around and being loud, which always ruins quiet time.
I used the same technique to start getting Pascal used to a Feather Teather, which is a harness for birds. I think he'll have a more fulfulling life if he can take part in our normal activities, which includes going some places with us. I'm not confident enough to let him go without any restraint. There's a lot of controversy about taking your birds outside, using harnesses, etc. If it all proves too much for him, then I'm leave him home. Why not give him the chance to experience a wider world than just the living room?
Yesterday, I actually got him in the harness, cuddled him up in a towel and sat on the back porch with him for five minutes. He kept looking up to the sky. I made sure there wasn't anything hovering up there that would scare him. I think he was amazed how high the ceiling was! There were some morning doves cooing that he found interesting. I figured we'd take it slow and see how it works out.