Today is a very special day, because I got Sprite and Marshmallow exactly 1 year ago! We've really come so far in this year, and I love these two crazy birds so much.
They are both doing really well. I just got them a new play area, so they can be next to my desk when I work. They've been exploring that, and checking to make sure it's not going to kill them.
I've also taught them a couple new tricks. They both go under my hand when I make a tunnel, and Sprite brings me her toys when I ask for them. I had to work on that trick for months, and when she finally got it, I was so happy, lol.
We did have a little trouble in October, when Sprite got sick. I noticed she was very puffed up, and sleeping more than normal. Her poops were weird too, and when she ate a lot, she threw up. I took her to a vet right away (Marshmallow went with her for moral support), and it turned out she had a bacterial infection which caused her liver to enlarge. The vet said that it's very common in budgies, and thankfully pretty easily treatable. But, I had to give her oral antibiotics twice a day for 35 days. That meant that I had to catch her with a towel, and giver her medicine through a syringe.
I, of course, was terrified that I would mess up, and that she would get so scared of me, that she would never want anything to do with me ever again. The first couple doses were tough, and Sprite bit me pretty hard a few times. But then it seemed she realized that, even though I was grabbing her, I didn't hurt her. I just held her for a couple seconds, and then let her go. She also learned that she got lots of millet afterwards. So, she very quickly turned the whole thing into a game. I would chase her with the towel, and then she jumped onto the towel and started playing with it, playing with my sleeves, etc. Marshmallow started to join in too, and soon they both were looking forward to medicine time.
I actually think it made our bond stronger, because it showed them that even if I grab them, I'm not going to hurt them.
After getting the antibiotics, Sprite recovered really quickly, and has been doing great since. She's back to her usual silly, playful self. She loves to play, and is always doing something she shouldn't. Meanwhile, Marshmallow is always very sensible, and he looks out for the both of them. If Sprite is doing something that he thinks is dangerous, he'll call to her nervously, and do kind of a side-step move, trying to get her to stop doing what she's doing.
I can't get over how smart they are. They really act like tiny people sometimes. Sprite and Marshmallow have even learned some words. They can both say, "millet" and Sprite says, "yeah".
I just realized how long this post is, so I'm going to stop here. Sorry for the novel, lol! Sprite and Marshmallow are just always doing something worth writing about. There's certainly never a dull moment with budgies around!