Parakeet of DOOM

[rachelmanija]

I am dog-sitting at the moment and, incidentally, also parakeet-sitting. The parakeets, however, already had their food and water filled up so I basically just ignore them.

A few minutes ago I saw a blue streak flutter past, low to the floor. Simultaneously the dogs (mellow chihuahua, hysterical mini dachshund currently in Elizabethan collar) went berserk, yapping and pursuing the escaped blue parakeet.

Once when I pet-sat for these same people their lizard (which they had forgotten to tell me had seemed lethargic) dropped dead on the first night. How much worse would it be to inform them that their dogs ate their parakeet?

I pursued the dogs, which pursued the parakeet, around and around the living room. Finally I hustled the dogs into their crate (very much against their will) and pursued the parakeet by myself. It bit me. Hard. Twice. And would not let go, even when I put it back into its cage. I had to pry its beak open. OW.

I then saw that the cage door had not been left open, and there was no obvious escape route. Odd!

Upon releasing the hounds, I quickly saw what must have happened, as the fiendish dachshund, which has a back injury and is not supposed to jump, leaped up to the bird cage, popping the lever and snapping the door open! Irritatingly, the cage is too big to move to another room.

I have now constructed a giant barricade around the cage (two chairs, six pillows, one giant bean bag. The mini dachshund has been hurling herself against it and whining for the entire time it took to write this entry.

I think I may stick the dogs back in the crate and go to Starbucks.

ETA: Forgot to mention: the cage door isn't the only problem. The parakeets get hysterical if she jumps against it, and I'm worried that even if she can't release them, they'll have heart attacks. The cage, unfortunately, is in the living room.

ETA II: Decided cage wasn't too big to move and crammed it into another room. Dachshund now hurling herself against closed door and howling.

...that dog has lived with these same birds for four years but NOW they're interesting.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

How early do the bar open? I recommend duct tape on latch

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

Ah, animals ... endlessly entertaining. Especially when you're pet-sitting for someone else ... I once sat someone's guinea-pigs while she was on holiday. She omitted to mention that one of them was pregnant ... I'd never served as midwife to a guinea-pig before.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

If you can get your hands on some wire, I'd twist some around the door and cage to keep it from accidentally popping open, yet be accessible to you and your opposable thumbs.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

...what does it feel like to be a chaos locus? ;)

[rurounitriv.livejournal.com]

Seconded. A twist tie from a loaf of bread or something of the sort would be enough, I think.

[oyceter]

Gaaaah! I hope the bite wasn't too deep =(.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Hey, nothing's on fire. You're ahead of the game.

[pameladean]

Oww. I was once bitten by a parrot, but it was entirely my fault. I've never been bitten by a bird because a dachshund had gone nuts.

P.

[cicer.livejournal.com]

Yep, the sort of twist-ties that are on loaves of bread and produce bags are perfect for this job. We used to do this with my cockatiel, after he learned to open his cage door. But be sure to keep the wire well away from the bars of the cage, or the birdie will nibble on it!

[branna.livejournal.com]

*figures out where you must be* What are you doing for dinner tonight?

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Well - the thing is, I'm on call. I could come over, but if I get called, I have to go. (And also can't be gone too long, because of the dogs.)

Still interested? ;)

[branna.livejournal.com]

Sure, why not? I was figuring on pretty basic cookery, and you do need to eat. And if you get called, you can always take stuff with you.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks! When should I come over?

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if I'm the first person to think "At least you weren't naked and dripping wet". Because this is such the sort of thing that would happen only to you.

[branna.livejournal.com]

I was originally planning on leaving work around 7---would 8pm work for you?

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Sure! Thanks.

[brigidsblest.livejournal.com]

I suggest duct-taping the dog's legs together and muzzle shut. Then attach the parakeet to the dog's nose the same way it was attached to your hand.

Teach the dog that the parakeet is not a toy, especially not a chew toy. But the dog can be, if he can't learn to behave.

Edit: If it's not perfectly obvious, this suggestion is pretty much tongue in cheek; I don't condone animal abuse. But you sound awfully exasperated.

[zdenka]

As a once-and-hopefully-future bird owner, I'm impressed.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Crap, a friend of mine actually lost a (beloved) pet parakeet that way, to the rotten dog of a loser house- and bird-sitter!

[marfisa.livejournal.com]

If the Elizabethan collar the mini-dachshund is currently wearing is one of those cones veterinarians put around dogs' necks to keep them from licking or tearing off their bandages, it might be suddenly trying to attack the birds because it's more freaked out than usual due to the cone/collar and/or whatever problem led to it.

Once when I was hanging out at my friend Susan's house one of her cats killed a pigeon that had apparently incautiously alighted on the windowsill. (This was in a New York City apartment.) Then when Susan put the dead pigeon in the garbage, the cat clawed a hole in the garbage bag, dragged out the pigeon corpse, and was discovered gnawing at it in the kitchen. At least the pigeon wasn't anybody's pet...

[foibos.livejournal.com]

"The fiendish hysterical mini dachshund dog in Elizabethan collar may have jumped up and released the blue parakeet that subsequently bit Rachel twice"

Hmm, it works.

[foibos.livejournal.com]

Ugh, no it doesn't. There's no "x".

[gaudior.livejournal.com]

...dude, your icon is perfectly accurate.

(Okay, I suppose the dog is more of DOOM than the parakeet-- the parakeet is just DOOMed. But still!)

[lizw.livejournal.com]

Ouch. Parakeets are vicious biters - they've got some kind of collective subconscious that tells them exactly where it will hurt most, generally the quick of your nails, as I know to my cost. It sounds like you've got the situation under control now, but if you ever need to catch a bird again, I recommend finding a large piece of fabric, preferably in a dark colour (towels or sheets are good, but I've used a coat before) and throwing that over the escapee. It means you don't have to aim quite so accurately at the small fluttery thing, plus most birds will sit still because of the surprise and sudden darkness, and they can't bite you so well either.