Alex and the Swing

I put a swing in Alex’s new cage when we brought him home. He didn’t use it for two or three weeks. I don’t think he knew what it was. I was at my computer one afternoon when I heard soft talking coming from the bird room. Alex was sitting on the swing, rocking not to and fro, but from side to side and exclaiming “Oh, my God” and giggling. He just kept doing it, like he couldn’t believe it. He uses his swing every day now.

I always kiss the birds on the top of the beak. They just know it’s coming and reach out for it. Alex wasn’t used to that either at first. After a few days I caught him kissing other things – his perch, the T-stand, his toys; almost like he was practicing. He would press his beak against things and make a soft kiss noise. Now he’s a champion kisser, with loud smacks that can be heard through the entire house. He even throws kisses; he puts one toe to his beak and as he throws the foot out he makes a loud smack. Mark did it once or twice and Alex picked it up just like that.

It’s nice to hear the things Alex says now. “Bad bird” has been replaced for the most part by “Good boy!” He yells out “I love you” and follows it with a kiss. A lot of the negative is gone, at least when he refers to himself. Now he tells the dog that she’s bad, especially when she barks. He still loves to argue, though, and draws on the things he learned before he got here. I don’t think that will ever change. If Mark sings he is loudly told to shut up. Alex asked him what he was doing one morning. Mark said “I’m making your breakfast.” Alex replied, “Don’t f*ck it up!”

Although I know that the birds are smart, it always amazes me when they participate in an actual conversation. As Mark was getting the covers out of the cupboard one night this is what I heard:
Alex asked “What are you doing?”
Mark said “I’m putting you to bed.”
Al: “I don’t wanna go to bed”
Mark: “Well, you’re going”
Alex: “I’m f*cked”

Another time I was in the kitchen cooking. The birds aren’t allowed out when the stove is on (the thought of a bird getting burned or even worse, set on fire makes me cringe.) Emelio could see me from his cage in the dining room. He called out: “Hey, hon.”
I answered:“Yeah?”
Emelio: “What are you doing out there?”
Me: “I’m making fudge”
Emelio: “Oh, ok.”

When I’m cleaning the cage and he’ll sometimes ask “What are you doing that for?” Or after I answer something he’s said he’ll come back with: “What did you say, hon?” And I end up repeating myself to a bird! Then there was the time he overheard Mark identify himself on the phone. Emelio picked up our last name and started pairing it with all the other birds’ names. He would recite each of their names with our last name. He even did it with the dogs’ names. We had never done that, so he didn’t hear it from us.

Rani used to torment our previous pair of dogs (a chow and another Peke) by asking if they wanted a cookie. Then she would ask again, but she added her own twist on it: “You want a GOOOOD cookie?” she queried in a voice eerily similar to mine. It drove the dogs nuts.

Cathy