Vlam
is Afrikaans for Flame. I'm her third owner and we simply love each
other to bits. Her second owner inherited her, and although this person
dearly loved her, she had a history of biting. After looking for another
home for a long time, as a lot of people wanted her but the owner did
not fully trust anybody, I was privileged enough to get her. As the lady
gave her to me with a very heavy heart, she arranged for her mother to
hand the bird to me, as she didn't want to be present for obvious reasons.
It was love at first sight for both of us as she promptly jumped onto my
shoulder, gazing intently at me, and the elderly lady commented that
this bird really likes me. On attempting to put her back in her cage
upon leaving, she bit me. And that was the last time ever. I can tease
her and ruffle her feathers; she'll just growl, but never bites. I've
had her now for eight months and although she does not trust strangers, she
has stopped biting without warning. To the annoyance of my other
bird-keeping friends, I take extreme care with her diet as Eclectus' are
more affected by what they eat than other parrots. She did speak a few
phrases when I got her but subsequently stopped, although she makes all
sorts of funny noises on occasion, during conversation or while we are
driving. But in general she's very quiet, apart from emitting a
high-pitched screech when I move out of sight. She loves taking a shower
and has her own blow drier. She sits still while I trim her nails with a
nail file, and cooperates well enough for me to trim her wings
single-handedly. She loves going outdoors, digging and scratching on the
lawn like a chicken and going places with me. Of course she attracts a
lot of attention from the girls, but passes none on to me, her dad. My
advice to potential parrot owners: think before you get one. They demand
a lot of attention and are messy and sometimes destructive. I always say
to people, it's a wife and child in one concentrated package, but it's
worth it. I love you Vlam!
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