July 2013 Potm Banter

[JoebW]

Haha true! Can birds only imprint when hatched?

 

[Shelster]

No RT isn't imprinted, just had lots of training put into him. He needed to gain our trust and rely on us for helping him become successful to hunt.

In the US birds get taken from the nest (illegal here) RT is a US version of our common buzzard - therefore slightly bigger, and has a distinguished red tail which comes through after his first moult.

RT was bred in a huge enclosure, so was bred in captivity.

It may sound harsh that in the US birds are taken from the nests, but in reality, it helps them survive their first year.

 

[dgwebster]

This entire thread should be renamed "Shelster and her mental wonderful pets". Best story i have is at the moment is:

I dropped our male sandfish last night and almost lost him!

 

[daizeUK]

He's such a handsome bird.  Do you have to fly him every day?

 

[JoebW]

Would you think if he was imprinted it would be a lot easier to train him? And what happened DG?

 

[Shelster]

At the moment he is moulting, so no flying as his feathers are dropping, when the new ones come through they are soft and can be damaged easily until they harden. He is having a lazy summer sunning himself and being fed to keep him heavy and happy
Oh my goodness DG! Hope all ok?

I know, I'm sorry, he has kinda taken over the thread, although I don't think anyone else has added a pet yet
Thank you all for your interest though x

 

[dgwebster]

It was fine. Little blighter tried to bolt under the vivs but was blocked by a vent guard, tried to turn the other way to get blocked by my foot and the wife grabbed him. Just one of those times, he saw an opportunity and went for it.

He seems fine from the short drop though, between the sandfish and the crickets, the viv looks like a Japanese Sand Garden right now!

 

[Shaddex]

Cat Vs Bird....   YEY !  Let the War Begin

 
He is a lovely looking bird though

 

[dgwebster]

Bird wins.

If this was top trumps, bird always wins. Unusualness: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

 

[daizeUK]

Love your cat Shaddex.  Reminds me of my last puddy cat

 

[Shelster]

Now that is one cute cat! Looks like he likes his photo being taken too!

 

[Shaddex]

I have 5 cats and he is very photogenic.

 

[Shaddex]

Just showing these photos as I would love to enter them but cant get confirmation on them as they died this year
 
Shad:

 
And Spooky:

 

[daizeUK]

What beautiful cats... so sorry you lost them.  I lost both my cats 2 & 4 years ago and really wish I could enter them too!  We can't get cats again now.

 

[snazy]

Lovely kittens. I lost my cat last Christmas as well. I am just about capable of looking at his pictures now without crying.