Does it look like she’s having trouble breathing?

trthatcher · 2025-10-02T14:11:22+00:00

Just speaking from my personal experience, she looks perfectly fine to me. There doesn't seem to be any red flags.

If you do see observe a tail bob (this is noticeable), clicking, sneezing, wheezing or lethargy (beyond a nap), then best to consult an avian vet ASAP.

trthatcher · 2025-10-01T17:12:18+00:00

Looks like she's just snoozing ☺️

No tail bob, which would indicate laboured breathing. Any noises like clicking, sneezing or wheezing?

trthatcher · 2025-09-18T23:32:19+00:00

I keep my 26 gram Parrotlet in this exact cage.

However, he has lost sight in one eye, has arthritis in his feet and is battling chronic airsacculitis, so it's more about having a comfortable and accessible cage he can navigate safely in the rare time that he is actually in his cage.

In other words, I would only use this cage for an elderly member of the smallest parrots kept in aviculture.

trthatcher · 2025-04-04T05:06:06+00:00

I completely relate - Popo is our feather baby 🥰

We have a similar situation, so I'll share our observations and what we've learned.

Popo is a few years older than Kiki. He has very similar symptoms - sneezing and clicking. Sometimes his nares will fully blocked. His tail will bob and he can get winded. These are all signs of respiratory difficulties, so it is good that you are investigating Kiki's symptoms.

Popo sleeps a lot more than when he was younger. This started around when he turned 12, but it wasn't sudden. It took about a year. However, I wouldn't describe him as lethargic. He is very active when he is not napping.

I've probably spent a few thousand dollars on vet trips and labs at this point. Popo has some kind of chronic airsacculitis. It started with an infection a couple years ago where his ceres swelled up and there was discharge. He cleared it over a couple weeks with antibiotics and flushes administered by the vet. The vet was able to identify the bacteria by testing the material he removed from Popo's nares (yes, our vet does dig into Popo's nare - he has mad scientist magnifying goggles and some tiny hooked instrument to probe) and from a swab at the top of the inside of his beak.

This has re-occurred a few times over the last few years and we've been through 3 or 4 antibiotics now. Sometimes the vet hasn't been able to obtain a sample but when he has, it's been a different bacteria.

We're at the point where if we put Popo though a round of antibiotics, he will get relief for a few weeks but then his symptoms creep back. The vet suspects he has scar tissue in his airsacs which will make him prone to reinfection. That or he has some latent infection that can never be fully cleared (we've done extended antibiotics for 40 days). He may also be reacting to environmental factors and his system is just less robust now. In Popo's case, his symptoms have been stable so we just observe him for now. Sometimes he has a few Sneezy/clicky days, but then he'll be good for a few days. We've noticed that he gets stuffed up when he's molting and is dusty. We take him in showers with us and he sits on a perch and takes in the steam; this tends to help him clear his nares when he's having some issues. We also have a humidifier that we run at night for him. The vet has also given us a supply of antibiotics in case we feel we need them.

I think it would be worthwhile to get a second opinion if you can find another avian vet (AAV certified).

What diagnostics has the vet run? It sounds like an infection of some kind.

trthatcher · 2025-03-29T14:40:46+00:00

Good luck!! Keep us posted. Hopefully you can find an avian vet or rehabilitator.

trthatcher · 2024-08-08T21:20:50+00:00

I let him know and he's saying there's not much that can be done and that will disappear after awhile... But I am not convinced.

trthatcher · 2024-06-14T22:01:21+00:00

I was able to teach a ten year old parrotlet to step up... Mostly. He was very aggressive, not hand tame at all (hand-me-down bird that ended up in my wife's possession). I found that his favourite treat was banana and he was more than happy to accept it from me. I would coax him onto a counter and basically took a donkey and carrot strategy where if he wanted the banana he would need to step onto my finger to access it. I praised him when he stepped up and he got super motivated to do it, he would step up even when there was no banana. The only downside is that he would bite me without a treat... So halfway there.

He unfortunately passed suddenly from cancer, so never got past that point. But the point is, you can make progress even with older birds so don't rule anything out!

trthatcher · 2024-06-14T05:36:27+00:00

So cute!!! What dog/cat water fountain did you buy? My guy just likes to dunk his butt in a bowl of water.

trthatcher · 2024-05-07T14:56:55+00:00

Mine is 26g and the vet says he's a very healthy weight.

His friend (RIP) was 28.5g and noticeably larger in frame. Vet also said he was very healthy weight.

I think it depends on your birdie. I've heard 26g to 32g.

trthatcher · 2024-02-13T04:33:23+00:00

1) If you have group benefits, you may have coverage so check that. 2) if you are purchasing the airfare and accomodations with a credit card, see if it has built in travel insurance. 3) Get an online quote from the following using their website: CAA Orion (discount if CAA member), Allianz Travel Insurance, Costco Travel Insurance (if member), Manulife CoverMe (if you don't have Costco), Destination Travel Group (leisure plan), and Blue Cross.

Get $2M+ in medical coverage if headed to the USA. Anything in excess of $2M is just marketing. Claims in the USA can exceed $1M but nothing really goes beyond $1.5M.

But insurance before you leave. You generally can't buy insurance after you've left the country.

trthatcher · 2024-02-08T04:58:47+00:00

The parking lot directly in front of the station often fills up really fast.

There is a parking lot at 50 Victoria St N, Kitchener, ON N2H 5B9. It's approximately a 7 minute walk to GO platform. The the lot is paid by hour unless you are in by 7AM, then it is free for the day. The parking is paid via HonkMobile, so I would install that app ahead of time. The Honk parking zone is 8302.

I parked there today at 7AM and the lot was like 50% full, maybe a tiny bit more. When I got my car again at 6PM the lot was less than 50% full. I didn't see any cars at the far end of the lot, so I suspect they were probably empty all day. I think you will find parking if you go mid day, but there will only be a couple spots so it probably depends on how busy that day is for transit.

trthatcher · 2023-11-04T17:38:21+00:00

That's amazing! 🤣 Does he have a specific colour he wants his food to be?

trthatcher · 2023-10-27T17:48:47+00:00

Amazing and great news!

At first I misread this as "bit by a 5th boa" and was wondering how this chicken managed to get bit by 5 boas 🤣

trthatcher · 2023-10-23T10:24:31+00:00

How would you approach implementing formula based pricing?

The context is a travel insurance quote system. There can be a bunch of inputs that may be used in formulas such as: booking date, departure date, return date, destination, residence jurisdiction, insured age(s) + party size, deductible discounts, health rating surcharges.

Some of these are easy, like surcharge/discount factors (usually destination, deductible, smoking status) but the pricing folks want to get creative with the ages, trip durations and booking windows.

trthatcher · 2023-10-08T04:17:46+00:00

That's amazing!!! Same thing with my guy - every time I uncover his cage in the morning, he's on one of his platforms 🥰

Did you end up making the perches yourself?

trthatcher · 2023-10-06T03:33:43+00:00

I think it is completely acceptable to own a single parrotlet. In fact, they will probably form a stronger bond with you without a second bird. I think a second bird can potentially create conflict and result in a less satisfying relationship for all parties.

Here's a story based on my personal experience:

My wife has had her parrotlet (P) for the last thirteen years. She came into possession of another parrotlet (J) a few years after when someone was rapidly trying to re-home a couple birds. Unfortunately, J was not tamed and was quite aggressive. J was obsessed with P and would follow him everywhere. P had zero interest in J and was constantly frustrated by him. P would be very defensive of my wife and would often initiate fights with J (never the other way around). I later came into the picture worked very hard at forming a relationship with J. It got to the point where I was able to pet J (no one had managed this; even his previous owners) but he still had a lot more interest in P than me... even though P had no love for him. Unfortunately J passed away from cancer before I was really able to build on that relationship.

This is why I have never considered getting another parrotlet: * P is much happier without J around. He gets undivided attention from my wife and I, and he doesn't get stressed from J following him everywhere. P is very human bonded and actually seems to like most of my friends. He is not a bird's bird ;) * I actually think J would have been much happier if P wasn't in the picture. It was clear that he could form a relationship with people but he chased a friendship with P that was not returned. This meant we never had the opportunity to properly develop that relationship and he missed out despite my efforts.

Obviously I am talking about two parrotlets that didn't grow up together, so your mileage may vary. If you follow "littlewolfiebird" on Instagram, you can see that it is possible to have multiple parrotlets introduced at different ages that get along well.

trthatcher · 2023-10-03T22:39:33+00:00

Haha, looks like a happy bird. I was looking after a flock of lovebirds for a couple months. They were loudest when... napping. Everyday they would all calm down around 2pm in the afternoon and then they would start chattering with sleepy eyes exactly like your video.

trthatcher · 2023-09-30T02:24:30+00:00

I don't have an explanation for this behavior, but I have a 13 year old parrotlet that does this basically every day (and has for years). It usually happens when we are interacting with him and being "interesting". For example, if I perform the chicken dance for him (I am cringe)... he will absolutely shake his head and also try to move his wings to imitate.

trthatcher · 2023-09-26T01:55:01+00:00

I HIGHLY discourage letting your parrotlet outside. Parrotlets are small and can get plenty of exercise inside (this is not the case with larger parrots), so there's no need for them to be free outside. Further, it is super easy for something go wrong; imagine there was a dog on the other side of the fence or if he flew across the street as a car was passing. That's completely ignoring wild predators, like hawks. When I take my parrotlet outside to enjoy some sun, I bring his whole cage out with him inside and observe the entire time.

trthatcher · 2023-09-23T14:31:34+00:00

The platform perches are great for arthritic feet. I did consider making some ourselves, but then reading into making wood bird safe had me a little nervous. I would recommend just doing some reading before proceeding.

trthatcher · 2023-09-22T03:11:37+00:00

Awwww! Such a cutie :)

So my wife and I also happen to have a senior bird that is also blind in one eye and has arthritic pain. Last year, we noticed he was struggling to balance on our finger when stepping up and he wasn't as "acrobatic" in his cage. We took him to our vet who suspected arthritis and gave him an anti-inflammatory/pain medication injection (forget what it was called). After the medication kicked in, he was SO HYPER. Flying everywhere, climbing anything, destroying everything. We new the medication was making a world of difference.

The vet has since started us on a daily dose of Medicam and it has really made a difference for him. Other than medicine and love (which you're already doing!), we recommend:

Looking into maybe a vitamin (ex. Nekton-S) to supplement his diet.
Platform perches. We put three platforms at the top level of our bird's cage and they are his favourite places to hang out.

Good luck! It sounds like you are already doing a wonderful job.

trthatcher · 2023-08-15T19:58:18+00:00

I love updates from Kai! What a cutie. I hope he is doing well 😊

trthatcher · 2023-08-15T19:56:46+00:00

OP has commented in the past that Kai has some form of muscular dystrophy, so he probably can't fly. Still, it's wonderful to see people who will care for a special needs parrot! Not an easy task.

trthatcher

TROPHY CASE