Pepito's adventure

[ruthpaton]

Pepito has not been out of our living room - until today... He's been obviously curious about the big wide world through that door, and often lands on my shoulder just as I'm about to open it as if to say, "Rightio, I'm coming too!" But I never got round to taking him walkabout since I worry about him flying into windows or maybe someone opening the front door.

Anyway, I phoned my Mum at lunchtime and she was all out of breath - the little horror had shot out of the door when she opened it and went for a fly around! My poor Mum had quite a time of it getting him to settle down - all those times he's landed on her when she didn't want him but d'you think he'd do it this time? No chance! He finally landed on a box so she just carried him through on top of it and put him back in his cage! She had to put her feet up for a while to recover!

Now I think I'd better take Pepito exploring so the other side of the door loses its appeal!

Ruth

[Marianne Marlow]

Ha ha. Good on Pepito.

Jerry has started flying down the passageway when we leave the light on. Last week he did a couple of laps of the bedroom then flew back down the passageway and into the front room. Little horror!

He's getting so adventurous!

[budgiefriend]

Pepito will have plenty of stories to tell you now. Your poor Mom. But she did well getting him back in his cage.

[Hezz]

I had to laugh! Pepito probably had the time of his life, and poor mum needed a valium! ;D

Just be aware (from experience!) that once they do start exploring on their own, there will be times when you just can't find them! All the times you wish they would be quiet for a minute, it is just these times when they won't say a peep! I wish I could have taught Blue especially to cheep back when I am walking around the house calling him. Makes for one panicky owner (and, I think, one quietly giggling budgie :. Even when logically I KNEW there was no way he could have escaped, just not being able to find him makes the heart race.

[samwiseg]

:-) I had to giggle, as you said "Pepito's Adventure" LOL! Dunno if its me and anyone else has experienced the same thing, but one day Mont will get it in her head that she is just going to have a mad day where she will want to explore EVERYTHING! So like Hezz says from experience be aware! ;D

[ruthpaton]

You're all so right! It's really a bit like having a toddler,you have to think ahead of them all the time and be ready for the next thing they'll do! The problem I can see coming with this boy is that he can fly around for ages without needing to rest,so he could be anywhere by the time he lands. We'll have to be sooo careful he doesn't get outside!

However, he is quite chuffed with himself now and keeps saying, "gorgeous boy!" He doesn't even seem to know he's in Mum's bad books!

[Hezz]

Pepito is probably still on a high! (and Mum's still on the valium. lol) ;D ;D

Make sure to watch the floor too. He will discover a whole nother world down there, and you won't know where he has gotten to.

Gorgeous boy! Of course he is. (Bluey's favourite saying was "cute little good boy gorgeous")

[barrieshutt]

Also be aware that they can fall behind radiators , if switched on this can result in injury or death.

I was lucky to be in the company of a friend that had this happen and we rescued it just in time.

[ruthpaton]

That's an awful thought Barrie, I had to get up and check how much space there is behind our radiator. It has a kind of metallic foil behind it to stop the heat escaping so there isn't really a space, but the radiator itself feels very hot so I hope he wouldn't try to land on in. So many hazards! Talking of the floor Hezz, my aunt had a friend whose budgie went up the hoover! Apparently it lived too.. I don't know if it was injured though I can't imagine it got away with that unscathed.

[Bonesy]

Taking my chicks out for the first time is always a chore. Close this check that, make sure the other thing is off, prepare with a stick and a long kitchen roll (useful for fishing bad fliers out of corners and from behind cupboards when your arm seems those few inches too short!) then prepare for war!

Once I made the mistake of letting two out at once as they were inseperable, both went a burton, one down the inside of the curtain lining and the other smack bang down the back of a very big and heavy spanish court cabinet...! I had to tape two kitchen roll tubes together and run them towards him till he climbed in and I could fish him out. The other was happily peeping out from the top of the curtain lining looking oddly comfy in his new "blanket" on the wall by the time I got to him!

I learned that day, one at a time! And the first lesson is always at night with curtains closed. Second one is always windows, third, mirrors, and fourth is reinforcing everything they know plus added training to keep them busy.

With my radiators they are far from the wall, I always lay a pair of newspapers rolled longest way along the top of them so birds can't slip behind if they crash land. Mikko once fell down a rad after a crash landing in midair with Molly, but it had been disused for years. I had to fish him out rather undignified by his tail feather. He went in blue and white, came out grey and blue! Bless him.

I once had a chick squeeze a door and fall into the toilet too, luckily freshly cleaned and he was fine after, but I also make sure the loo seat is down these days too if I get birds out, just incase!

[stace]

Feb 1, 2012 20:08:35 GMT ruthpaton said:

That's an awful thought Barrie, I had to get up and check how much space there is behind our radiator. It has a kind of metallic foil behind it to stop the heat escaping so there isn't really a space, but the radiator itself feels very hot so I hope he wouldn't try to land on in. So many hazards! Talking of the floor Hezz, my aunt had a friend whose budgie went up the hoover! Apparently it lived too.. I don't know if it was injured though I can't imagine it got away with that unscathed.

Oh no! "Vacuum cleaner sucked up budgie." There's a Clash song about that. I often hum those lyrics in my head when I'm vacuuming up around Boo.

[Hezz]

Feb 1, 2012 20:08:35 GMT ruthpaton said:

That's an awful thought Barrie, I had to get up and check how much space there is behind our radiator. It has a kind of metallic foil behind it to stop the heat escaping so there isn't really a space, but the radiator itself feels very hot so I hope he wouldn't try to land on in. So many hazards! Talking of the floor Hezz, my aunt had a friend whose budgie went up the hoover! Apparently it lived too.. I don't know if it was injured though I can't imagine it got away with that unscathed.

Poor budgie, what a story to tell the grandchicks, lol.

I have closed the door to both the fridge and pantry with a bird sitting on a shelf, examining the contents. But realised as I had closed it that there was something wrong with that picture, and opened up again. The vacuum cleaner takes the cake, though.

[BudgiesBuddy]

A budgie outside the cage is fun but risky as well. I hope Pepito enjoys the outside time

[samwiseg]

Feb 2, 2012 1:16:32 GMT stace said:

Feb 1, 2012 20:08:35 GMT ruthpaton said:

That's an awful thought Barrie, I had to get up and check how much space there is behind our radiator. It has a kind of metallic foil behind it to stop the heat escaping so there isn't really a space, but the radiator itself feels very hot so I hope he wouldn't try to land on in. So many hazards! Talking of the floor Hezz, my aunt had a friend whose budgie went up the hoover! Apparently it lived too.. I don't know if it was injured though I can't imagine it got away with that unscathed.

Oh no! "Vacuum cleaner sucked up budgie." There's a Clash song about that. I often hum those lyrics in my head when I'm vacuuming up around Boo.

Eeek! That sounds terribly traumatic but at least it wouldn't have to bath for a while ;D

[ruthpaton]

Hezz, after you warning me to beware of Pepito starting to go on the floor, I have decided you are one of those people who communicates with pets to find out what they are thinking and then lets their owners know. Because today, for the first time, he threw his ball on the floor and then went down to play with it! He then discovered the floor was actually a big space and quite interesting so he went for an explore. He seems to think he is a hoover though and I can see we will now have to add keeping the carpet tidbit free to our long list of budgie protection measures!

Bonesy - you are always a source of good ideas and I will now keep one of those kitchen roll holders just in case!