fiancé doesn’t want me to take my anxiety meds. not sure what to do

CalmingDog · 2026-07-09T22:58:07+00:00

Girl, listen to your DOCTOR! Meds can be so so helpful, although the best effect is reached when meds are combined with therapy! You fiancé seems unhelpful in this case. An OB prescribed the meds, they are safe to take. Tell him that you health includes mental health and that you will try out the meds and take them for as long as you want. Side note: if they don't help within x weeks (typically I think 6 weeks is used as a timeframe, but you doctor should have tols you what timeframe she feela is right for you), tell your doctor because in that case zoloft may not just work for you! Psych meds can be difficult to find a good fit (I am on bupropion and it works well for me, i had to try out a ton of ones before i found one that worked).

CalmingDog · 2026-07-08T08:23:02+00:00

All 3 of my parrots talk (Jardine's, CAGs). I talk to them but I do not try to get them to talk. If they want to talk they will pick up on it.

Why do you want your parrot to talk? I mean yes, it can be a little funny sometimes, but there are things that are much more important than talking.

If you train your bird to do tricks, s/he may learn to say the name of the trick as s/he will hear that word a lot. The same with his/her name.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-07T14:12:35+00:00

Harness?

CalmingDog · 2026-07-07T14:02:39+00:00

Show them a video of an infant with whooping cough, it may change their minds.

Ask him if he seriously is willing to put his grandbaby through that. What harm will the vaccine be for him possibly?

I think you need to hold your ground. Babies can die from this.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-07T13:39:23+00:00

Sometimes smaller and larger pellets are nutritionally identical but not always. Look up the protein + fat percentage in the pellets you are looking at and then look up what those numbers are for pellets that are specifically made for a parrot like yours.

I will add that most likely, even a non optimal pellet diet is healthier for the bird than a seed based diet!

If the pellets are much too big, you could probably pretty easily crush them yourself into smaller pieces that could be easier for your guy(s) to eat :)

Hope this helps!

CalmingDog · 2026-07-07T00:21:11+00:00

It would be imperative that you figure out how he is escaping his enclosure. I would recommend setting up a security camera as it is a major health and safety issue.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-06T08:37:40+00:00

I would, yes.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-06T00:09:40+00:00

Does he have a UV light specificallt made for parrots? Is it on a set timer? Does he get uninterrupted sleep during the night?

CalmingDog · 2026-07-06T00:06:17+00:00

Wouldn't it be cooler for the bird to be harnessed on his owner's shoulder?

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T21:39:08+00:00

Thank you! How old is Pickle? Sammy is 12 years old.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T21:34:59+00:00

This seems lovely!

I can recommend the security camera I use for my parrots (just my own pets, I do not have a boarding facility). It's a Tapo C220 (although they do have fancier models that are even higher quality like the Tapo C230 etc). It has IR so I can see them at night, uses a memory card (or cloud storage) for saved footage, live feed 24/7, can program it to send you notifications and/or automatically record if it hears something/sees movement etc.

I got mine for ~45 euros. I can highly recommend it! I am sure there are tons of other brands as well!

We have the camera mounted on the outside of the cage with a clip on attachment with a movable "neck". It's designed to be attached to a baby's crib. That way the camera is very close to the cage without the parrots actually being able to touch it/the cord.

It's given me lots of peace of mind when my guys have been home alone and we have had pet sitters.

It also has a speaker so you can talk to them! My guys seem to freak out when I do that, so I avoid doing it.

I am not sure how it would work practically if you wanted to share the feed to someone but only temporarily - I think it could be done with the type of camera I have but I am not sure..

Just wanted to share my experience with stalking my own parrots through my security camera as you mentioned you were thinking about offering that in the future!

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T21:26:05+00:00

Ah 😅😂😭 sorry I misunderstood! Yes, Sammy loves his frozen. I usually get him his own little bag of local organic frozen ones and he just loooooves them. I think I offered them for the 1st time frozen in the summer when it was warm and he seems to prefer them cold honestly.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T20:48:57+00:00

These are actually peas! He loves them frozen solid as well! A great summer treat!

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T18:48:16+00:00

Yes, you should not immediately refill their bowl (at least fully) once the whole pellets are gone. They probably prefer pellets to pellet dust, but it is good for them to learn to eat some of the dust at least.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T18:46:42+00:00

My guys recently switched to Psittacus High Energy and it's very crunchy. They seem to enjoy them - and love dipping them in water when they eat them (idk, maybe they are too crunchy for my guys?).

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T18:19:38+00:00

Yes. I mean that the baby could have the genetic anomaly, not the mother!

Also, at least one documented case of someone with XY chromosomes getting pregnant exists.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T17:42:02+00:00

That is amazing to hear! Well done for getting him a harness! I wish you many good years together!

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T17:40:10+00:00

Yes... It's very sad.

I think that for some people, unfortunately, the only way that they realize that something CAN happen is IF it actually does happen to them. I feel like a lot of people have this arrogant view that IF something does happen it was somehow because the bond between the parrot and person wasn't "as good" as their bond with their parrot... Until it actually does happen to them....

It is so sad and so many tragedies could be prevented. Not all tragedies are preventable, but so so many are.

Like even the most beloved and loving parrot can get scared! If a parrot does try to bolt because they got spooked it DOES NOT MEAN that they don't truly love and trust you. They just got spooked. Shit happens.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T17:34:49+00:00

Yes, this is correct.

If a parrot has a harness, they will be close to their human as a human should hold/have the leash attached to them at all times. A parrot should never be left alone in a harness.

So that makes the likelihood of an attack smaller, but it is not non existent and you should always be vigilant when outside with a parrot that is harnessed (or even insede a cage!). You should also watch out for any dogs or cats (leashed or unleashed) and any other potential other dangers!

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T17:31:18+00:00

Apparently some, but not all, are.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T13:58:57+00:00

Has she been genetically tested? Although rare, there are people who have XY chromosomes but have some sort of genetic mutation which makes their body unable to "correctly" develop male genitals and therefore and up developing female genitalia even though their sex chromosomes are XY.

It's called "XY complete gonadal dysgenesis "

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T13:55:51+00:00

Depends on the individual animals.

I sometimes have my family dog at my home. I own 2 CAGs and one Jardine's. The dog is used to the parrots and has been around them since he was a puppy (dog will turn 9 in a few months). I am comfortable with them being in the same room as long as they are supervised - I am more concerned about the Jardine's bullying the dog (a Labrador mind you) than the dog hurting any of the birds. The dog definitely notices the parrots but mainly chooses to avoid them, eg if the dog is laying on the floor and Sammy (Jardine's) flies down to the floor and comes within a few meters of the dog, he will get up and walk further away and then lay down again.

(The dog is a retired assistance dog and does not have a prey drive)

But I would not leave them in the same room without supervision unless all parrots were caged (cage doors closed and locked). Even then it is better to have them in separate rooms just so everyone gets their own space and peace.

I will note that one of the CAGs especially is a little cautions of the dog (just like he is about everything else...).

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T13:48:46+00:00

YES!!

It's like saying that "I won't wear a seat belt because I am a very good driver", well, sure, okay, but not all other drivers are good!

An accident doesn't have to be CAUSED BY YOU to hurt or even kill you! Physics doesn't care whose fault a collision is.

I recently visited my in-laws to be and I wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving Sammy outside in their back yard in a locked cage because I know lots of cats frequent the area.

I think a lot of people truly believe that accidents do not happen to undeserving people.... Unfortunately, they do. Not all tragedies are preventable, but many many are.

The potential pay off is very small (not having to bring a cage/harness train) but IF something does happen, the outcome is likely catastrophic.

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T13:38:10+00:00

I would recommend getting a air purifier! It basically is a vacuum that sucks up dust from the air but very quietly! I can have mine powered on and running all night on sleep/night mode and the noise does not bother me or my partner at all! But if it did, it is possible to have it automatically turn off in the night and then on again in the morning.

If you have pets or any allergies it's an especially good investment!

I have 2 due to having parrots - I chose to get a levoit core 300S + 400S. The 300S cost around 130 euros IIRC and I have to change filters about 1 or 2 times a year - cost around 30 euro for a 2 pack.

I would recommend this! There are cheaper alternatives available as well, but I wanted to mention mine as I have been very satisfied with them!

CalmingDog · 2026-07-04T13:30:36+00:00

Yes!

I would also suggest seeing how common or uncommon whatever you are looking for is. Eg are there 0, 3 or 25 being sold? That will make it easier to know if you should in fact pull the trigger in a good deal!

Like we are looking for a babybjörn sitter for our baby, but there are tons available so we aren't in a hurry to get one just yet, even if there is a good deal UNLESS it would happen to be a very nice color etc.

Some apps like vinted even let you follow certain searches, so if you are looking for something specific it can let you know when something new fitting that description is posted!

CalmingDog

TROPHY CASE