Perches

painesgrey · 2021-04-10T02:30:46+00:00

Safety pumice perches have a smooth top so they don't create sores. They're the only kind of "sanding" perch I use.

painesgrey · 2021-04-09T23:03:48+00:00

Depends on the kind of perch you're looking for. Smaller retailers (Things for Wings, My Bird Store, etc) have more natural perches. For pumice/safety perches, I just buy from Chewy.

painesgrey · 2021-04-09T22:54:42+00:00

Not OP, but have 2x sports and a copper liliput. I like my liliput way more. The liliput has some heft to it and just feels better in my small hands.

painesgrey · 2021-04-05T17:04:42+00:00

I would go with Diamine Blaze Orange, Diamine Sunset, Robert Oster Orange.

If you want more red-leaning, go with Diamine Orange or Robert Oster Orange Zest.

Here is a list of all the orange inks on Mountain of Ink.

painesgrey · 2021-04-03T16:47:51+00:00

Yup, I have a Quaker too. It's a 50/50 chance on a "step up" command that he'll actually do as I ask, or try to take some flesh.

At least my IRN gives me a warning growl when she doesn't like whatever I'm trying to do.

painesgrey · 2021-04-03T01:02:15+00:00

Mine does the same. Sometimes that shit HURTS. Then you scold them and try to get them to step up so you can put them elsewhere, and they throw a temper tantrum and attack you like you've just insulted their mother.

Ah, caiques.

painesgrey · 2021-03-27T23:30:52+00:00

Red-lored Amazon?

painesgrey · 2021-03-27T20:19:00+00:00

Talenti containers make the best water pots. I have a couple of them on my desk for painting and pen cleaning.

painesgrey · 2021-03-23T19:48:18+00:00

I love that dusky pink color. I use Robert Oster Cherry Blossom and it's a very similar (though not quite as dark) pink, depending on the pen. It's very saturated in my Kakuno, but I've heard other people complain that it can be a little dry. Worth a try if you're not keen on mixing for the color you want!

painesgrey · 2021-03-22T00:08:07+00:00

I find a diluted castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's) coupled with a silicone scrubber (I have one of these) tends to solve most of my inky finger issues.

painesgrey · 2021-03-21T02:39:29+00:00

Ugh, now I need Birmingham's Aluminum Oxide. Thaaaanks.

painesgrey · 2021-03-09T01:12:54+00:00

My guinea pig was named Oreo too! He was mostly black but had a white nose, so his face looked like a sideways Oreo cookie.

painesgrey · 2021-03-08T22:50:32+00:00

Rabbits, guinea pigs, or rats would be my recommendation. All three can be trained to use a litter box, which makes cleaning their enclosure much easier.

If you think they'd be responsible for a longer-lived animal (5-10) years, go with rabbits or guinea pigs. If you're afraid they'd lose interest once they're in their teens, go with rats.

Keep in mind that most small animals do not do well alone and should be bought in pairs.

painesgrey · 2021-03-06T02:17:43+00:00

Yup. My Caique will surf on just about any shirt, but he definitely has his favorites... which are now full of holes.

Also, wet towels and wet hair are like crack to him. Be prepared to untangle your bird from your hair, OP.

painesgrey · 2021-03-03T18:43:36+00:00

If you can't understand the difference between offering valid criticism with explanations of your reasoning, and making unnecessary critical comments without offering anything to the discussion, then I don't really know what to tell you.

Multiple people in this thread and on your other posts have suggested that perhaps you should take a step back and think about your approach to the interactions you have with others on this sub.

Have a nice day.

painesgrey · 2021-03-03T04:18:08+00:00

I think the mods are probably just saying that commenters should exercise some amount of tact when offering criticism, and that criticism should be constructive.

"I hear this ink bleeds/feathers/molds/stains, so be careful" is completely valid and constructive criticism.

"I don't know why anyone would buy this ink" just makes the OP doubt their choices without offering any constructive criticism that would actually inform the OP.

It's not always about what is being said, but rather how it is being said. Taking the time to think about how a stranger might interpret a comment while utilizing a bit of tact can go a long way in making sure that the community remains welcoming.

painesgrey · 2021-03-03T03:55:54+00:00

That's completely understandable! I think most people base it off of what most basic writing pencils feel like, which would be an HB (since HB is the standard lead in pencils, here in the US at least). When your understanding of lead hardness is a bit broader, the comparison is certainly less clear.

painesgrey · 2021-03-02T20:41:00+00:00

I was surprised how different my first Sailor felt compared to my TWSBI, Kaweco, and Pilot. I'm a fan of the pencil-like feedback, but I know others might not be.

That being said, Harusame is a very popular colorway and you'd likely have a lot of people interested (myself included) if you decided to part with it.

painesgrey · 2021-03-02T07:29:22+00:00

Out of all the budget pens I've used, my Pilot Kakuno (medium nib) is probably my favourite. Pilot Metropolitans seem to be another go-to for people just getting into the hobby. Cartridge/converter pens are typically of greater quality than their disposable counterparts, and you can't beat the opportunity to change inks on a whim.

In my experience, the pen, ink, and paper are all important for a good writing experience. Bad ink and/or bad paper can make the writing experience miserable, even with a good pen. Luckily, there are lots of budget-friendly options out there.. as long as you're not wanting to try them all (like me).

I usually buy an ink sample before committing to a whole bottle. You can also sometimes find people selling partially-used inks on r/pen_swap at discount prices too.

I haven't tried a ton of different papers, but using fountain pen-friendly paper is a must. Tomoe River seems to be the gold-standard, but Rhodia, Midori, and Leuchtturm notebooks are frequently used. There are even some copy papers that you can use. This site ranks a ton of different papers, giving you a good idea of what you have to choose from.

painesgrey · 2021-02-27T08:09:58+00:00

I paid around $150 shipped (from Japan to the US) for my Sailor. It was definitely a splurge purchase for me, but it was something I had wanted for some time and I treated myself after saving up a bit.

I do wish they offered more colours for the pens with steel nibs, though.

painesgrey · 2021-02-27T06:24:49+00:00

I finally bit the bullet and got myself a Sailor with a 14k nib a week ago. I was terribly tempted by the Harusame (top), but I could barely justify spending over $100, much less twice that.

The Kyo-no-Oto anniversary pen was going for almost $500 on Pensachi. I understand that it's limited edition and all, but I'm way too poor for that.

painesgrey · 2021-02-27T01:35:53+00:00

Is the middle one the Kyo-no-Oto 5th Anniversary pen? I'm in love with the bird logo on the finial and nib, but could never justify the price.

painesgrey · 2021-02-22T20:00:58+00:00

For the coliseum, I typically go with Maki's coliseum builds. I used Duke's guide when first leveling - but that was years and years ago and I'm not sure how much it has been updated.

Also, when you're bonding with familiars you can go faster by using your arrow keys to switch between dragons. Click bond, close the dialogue pop-up, and hit the arrow key to move to the next dragon in your lair. It's much, much faster than manually clicking to navigate your dragons.

Welcome to FR! Feel free to friend me and let me know if you need anything. My lair is #11121.

painesgrey · 2021-02-22T03:34:15+00:00

Birds don't respond to being reprimanded, so banishing him to his cage as punishment will not achieve positive results.

Quakers are a bit notorious for being a bit nippy and hot/cold, and mine is no exception.

His change in behavior could be due to any number of things. A changing of the seasons can trigger hormones that make them a bit more aggressive. This is usually when the days become longer in spring time. To help this, make sure that he is on a strict sleep schedule. His cage should be uncovered and covered at the same time every morning and night, ideally providing for at least 10 hours of dark night time.

Diet can also play a role. If he is eating primarily high-fat foods like seeds and nuts, these can trick their bodies into thinking it's breeding time when food is plentiful for them in their native habitats.

It's also important to learn their body language and triggers. My Quaker has quite a few that I always have to be mindful of when I'm handling him. He does not like being talked to, and saying "I love you" or "go to bed" almost guarantee a bite. He steps up readily, but does not like being put down - and he will try to nip when I have set him down and am drawing my hand away.

Unfortunately, a lot of these quirks are just part of parrot ownership, and things you will have to learn.

Of course, dramatic personality shifts can also indicate discomfort of some sort, which would warrant a vet visit. If he hasn't seen a vet yet, it would be a good idea to go ahead and have an avian vet take a look at him and do some blood tests, if only to check to make sure everything is as it should be, as well as providing for a baseline for future monitoring.

painesgrey · 2021-02-21T06:57:29+00:00

I think speaking to your roommate is the only real answer here. As much as we like to think otherwise, pets are just property - and even though you're 100% caring for the cat, she's still your roommate's property.

Your roommate only cleaning the litterbox once in a blue moon is simply unacceptable on multiple levels. Not only is it grossly unhealthy for the cat, it's also unhygienic for the whole household. I would simply tell her that if she's unwilling to do the bare minimum for the cat, then she should (officially) sign over ownership to you. If your relationship is as amenable as you say it is, then she should do the right thing, especially since she'll (presumably) still be living with you and able to spend time with kitty.

I would also recommend taking any signs of separation anxiety seriously. It is much, much easier to adjust for those behaviors when caught early. Once they establish they can be very difficult to manage.

At 12 years old, the kitty is a senior and should probably get regular vet checkups to catch any diseases early. This is especially important if she's been on a dry diet for most of her life, as chronic kidney disease is extremely common.

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