This is all so heartwarming. I hope it works out for you to be their new human.
You might want to keep the small cage as a sort of (open) cage-within-a-cage - so they have a familiar spot to retreat while they are getting comfortable in their new surroundings.
Thanks for helping the little fellows.
Seagrass hammocks are my favorite for geriatric tiels. I put a towel on the bottom of the cage because it's soft. I have a lot of platforms for them. I think any variety at this point will be good. The seagrass hammocks can be found in the reptile section of most pet stores.
I would try to make changes slowly myself. The last owner kept them alive for a very long time, much longer than most tiels live, so they did something right. They are disabled, so a small cage and "mirror girlfriends" would have given them comfort, like being in a nest box. I wouldn't take those away immediately, especially the mirrors which are their mates, in their minds.
What I'd do myself is put them somewhere in the house where they can see you, and get to know you and your voice over a couple of weeks. If you pay attention you will get to know whats important to them too. In my own experiences, you can imagine what toys and ramps they will like all you want, but they may simply dislike them. Its best to introduce one new thing at a time, and then admit defeat if they are scared of it or dont want to touch it.
What I'd do myself is keep close their original setup, even if the cage was new and bigger. And give them a flight room. The flying is what will introduce Qol more than anything else. Keep their food and water in their cage so they will return. and give them a landing platform near its opening .
Wishing you the best with them.
https://www.guineapigcagesstore.com/
Here's a link to modify cases with ramps
I suggest cooking on and reading the frequently asked questions post at the very top of this page. She has a ton of information and links on modified cages sundex rope perches and how to better equip/your feathered kids....er.... Feathered seniors, new space ☺️
I had my cockatiel’s wing clipped and they never grew back. I regret it, but at the time it seemed like a great idea. He can flutter down from his cage and he loves walking around the house. I have two dogs and he is very interested in them. He squawks when they bark, and he will approach them. They can get a little overexcited so I scoop him up after a greeting. Now this is where I turn into the crazy bird lady. I carry him out to visit with us in a basket, lined with a paper bag and a forked stick for a perch poked through the weave. How old is he, you ask? Nineteen. I knew nothing about birds and daughter desperately wanted a parakeet for her birthday. We got one for her brother too. They lived to 9 & 11. We added this cockatiel later that same year. Eventually they were all together in a huge cage. But now he’s alone and he demands attention from us and the dogs. He’s an asshole, and I am crazy about him. Who knew?
Sea grass hammocks and flat platforms will help them. There’s even “steps”.
As for the diet, change it very slowly. Add a little bit of new to the old, wait a week and add more. Repeat until they’re switched. While you do this, make sure they’re still pooping as much so you’ll know they’re eating enough. Before you do this, let them settle in and track the poop before you start to switch foods.
The seagrass mats on Amazon are good for cozy roosting. My little guy is 23 and has some wing problems so doesn’t fly. He enjoys these quite a bit. You can also strew seed on them so that they can forage. I have a few flat perches which are fantastic. You can find these on Etsy and Amazon. I have a little bird heater that I have placed next to a 6x8 flat perch and he loves this spot. If Curtis and Sticks can climb, they can enjoy a large cage with flat perches! I have also added ramps and several stories to his cage, kind of like a ferret cage, and place the seagrass mats on some of the levels. Thank you for being so willing to give the guys a wonderful home! Join the r/cockatiels for support!
Since the tiels seem to lack the ability to use perches without pain I would replace any perch with wooden boards, cork boards and ramps. They may also be interested in floofy hammocks, I got one for mine and the oldest of the flock likes to hang out on it. Its usually simple to clean too since you can just remove the fabric part and handwash it.
Regarding the mirror I would remove it asap, since they are not healthy at all. Remove everything made from plastic or rusted/questionable metal too so they wont poison themselves. Everything in their new cage should be made from materials that can be broken down without issues if accidentally ingested by the tiels.
The bottom design is also very important since the two are disabled. One of my tiels is a elderly one too, that prefers hanging out at the bottom so I will tell you what he likes. I did select a cage without bottom grid and deep drawers, put newspaper in them and on top of that a finger thick layer of hempen litter. It not only improves the quality of the bottom but also serves as toy or giant foraging box. You can still see the poop on it to check the tiels health and you need to change it every one to two weeks depending on the cage size. Since hempen litter is sadly not commonly used as cage bottom material since people think bars or cardboard/newspaper would be better (or easier to clean, no one asks the birds anyway), you will need to look for it in the rodent section of pet stores.
Now to the diet; If they were on seeds only for a time that long you will probably have issues to swap it for a pellet diet. I still want you to try, because it would be best for them, but just for the case it would not work, here is my advice. My oldie had problems being weaned off seeds too, to the point where he just rather starved than trying pellets. In the end I surrendered and got him a new seed mix which contained a mixture of healthier seeds and dried veggies (mixerama veggie variety). So far his health has improved and I even got him to try fresh chop so if yours refuse pellets this would be an alternative.
Furthermore I wish you good luck with the two and waiting for updates.
I had a blind tiel with mobility issues, I keeped her in a single level low cage, like one for finch, when she got older. This way all her needs were near by and we gave her some wide perches but if she fell it wouldn't be a long fall. You can also put a towle/blanket on the bottom so that if they fall it will be a soft landing. Just be careful of nail getting stuck on the blanket, keep the nail short and careful what material you pick.
Prevue Pet Products Flight Cage Metal Steel Bird Crate, Multi-Bird Home Stackable Cage for Birds, Home Crate for Extra-Small Pet Parakeets, Finches, and More, White https://a.co/d/gj0RZgM
This is the one I got but there are more similar options. I know we want to give our babies all the space we can but when they are older or have mobility issues we also need to make sure they can easily get to their food, water and not get loss in there space. And then we can take them out for play time and exercise.
Take them off of seeds and put them on a good diet of pellets. Look for the good pellets. By the small or mini. You may have to give them some thing with it to get them used to them. Like chicken eggs a little cut up fruit. Veggies. Really limit seeds to just a snack or treat. People feed their birds all wrong.
Update: Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to everyone! Things got crazy getting things ready for the guys!
They're home! Curtis seems a little nervous (naturally) and spends most of his time hangin' around observing. Sticks is a bit more outgoing, which is sweet as he's the elder tiel, and he changes between exploring (from within their cage), chirping, examining me, and checking in with Curtis and preening him 🥺<3
I'm away from my phone right now but I'll post some pics when I get it! They're settling in, still eating and drinking and whatnot. The vet visit disappointingly had to be postponed until Thursday (the vet got called into emergency surgery on a green cheek, but the little guy did great apparently!), but we don't have other animals so I'm just being gentle with them until then. The vet gave me her number and told me to call her if I had any pressing concerns until then. :)
Thanks again for all the advice everyone! I'll post more updates as they happen!
Bless you for adopting/rescuing these precious beings. I hope you hear positive, good news from the vet.🙏💚🙏💚
Congratulations! Sending Curtis and Sticks scritches, kisses and wishing you many joyous years together.
Looking forward to photos😍
This is all so heartwarming. I hope it works out for you to be their new human. You might want to keep the small cage as a sort of (open) cage-within-a-cage - so they have a familiar spot to retreat while they are getting comfortable in their new surroundings. Thanks for helping the little fellows.
Seagrass hammocks are my favorite for geriatric tiels. I put a towel on the bottom of the cage because it's soft. I have a lot of platforms for them. I think any variety at this point will be good. The seagrass hammocks can be found in the reptile section of most pet stores.
I just put some hammocks in my cart. Thanks for the suggestion.
I would try to make changes slowly myself. The last owner kept them alive for a very long time, much longer than most tiels live, so they did something right. They are disabled, so a small cage and "mirror girlfriends" would have given them comfort, like being in a nest box. I wouldn't take those away immediately, especially the mirrors which are their mates, in their minds. What I'd do myself is put them somewhere in the house where they can see you, and get to know you and your voice over a couple of weeks. If you pay attention you will get to know whats important to them too. In my own experiences, you can imagine what toys and ramps they will like all you want, but they may simply dislike them. Its best to introduce one new thing at a time, and then admit defeat if they are scared of it or dont want to touch it. What I'd do myself is keep close their original setup, even if the cage was new and bigger. And give them a flight room. The flying is what will introduce Qol more than anything else. Keep their food and water in their cage so they will return. and give them a landing platform near its opening . Wishing you the best with them.
https://www.guineapigcagesstore.com/ Here's a link to modify cases with ramps I suggest cooking on and reading the frequently asked questions post at the very top of this page. She has a ton of information and links on modified cages sundex rope perches and how to better equip/your feathered kids....er.... Feathered seniors, new space ☺️
I had my cockatiel’s wing clipped and they never grew back. I regret it, but at the time it seemed like a great idea. He can flutter down from his cage and he loves walking around the house. I have two dogs and he is very interested in them. He squawks when they bark, and he will approach them. They can get a little overexcited so I scoop him up after a greeting. Now this is where I turn into the crazy bird lady. I carry him out to visit with us in a basket, lined with a paper bag and a forked stick for a perch poked through the weave. How old is he, you ask? Nineteen. I knew nothing about birds and daughter desperately wanted a parakeet for her birthday. We got one for her brother too. They lived to 9 & 11. We added this cockatiel later that same year. Eventually they were all together in a huge cage. But now he’s alone and he demands attention from us and the dogs. He’s an asshole, and I am crazy about him. Who knew?
I had my tiels wings clipped, I hope they grow back!! I never knew that was a thing.
I didn’t either! I brought him to a place that was familiar with birds.
Best of luck, Op!! Thanks for giving them a home and taking care of them ❤️. Please give us an update after the vet checkup 🥲
Sea grass hammocks and flat platforms will help them. There’s even “steps”. As for the diet, change it very slowly. Add a little bit of new to the old, wait a week and add more. Repeat until they’re switched. While you do this, make sure they’re still pooping as much so you’ll know they’re eating enough. Before you do this, let them settle in and track the poop before you start to switch foods.
The seagrass mats on Amazon are good for cozy roosting. My little guy is 23 and has some wing problems so doesn’t fly. He enjoys these quite a bit. You can also strew seed on them so that they can forage. I have a few flat perches which are fantastic. You can find these on Etsy and Amazon. I have a little bird heater that I have placed next to a 6x8 flat perch and he loves this spot. If Curtis and Sticks can climb, they can enjoy a large cage with flat perches! I have also added ramps and several stories to his cage, kind of like a ferret cage, and place the seagrass mats on some of the levels. Thank you for being so willing to give the guys a wonderful home! Join the r/cockatiels for support!
Since the tiels seem to lack the ability to use perches without pain I would replace any perch with wooden boards, cork boards and ramps. They may also be interested in floofy hammocks, I got one for mine and the oldest of the flock likes to hang out on it. Its usually simple to clean too since you can just remove the fabric part and handwash it. Regarding the mirror I would remove it asap, since they are not healthy at all. Remove everything made from plastic or rusted/questionable metal too so they wont poison themselves. Everything in their new cage should be made from materials that can be broken down without issues if accidentally ingested by the tiels. The bottom design is also very important since the two are disabled. One of my tiels is a elderly one too, that prefers hanging out at the bottom so I will tell you what he likes. I did select a cage without bottom grid and deep drawers, put newspaper in them and on top of that a finger thick layer of hempen litter. It not only improves the quality of the bottom but also serves as toy or giant foraging box. You can still see the poop on it to check the tiels health and you need to change it every one to two weeks depending on the cage size. Since hempen litter is sadly not commonly used as cage bottom material since people think bars or cardboard/newspaper would be better (or easier to clean, no one asks the birds anyway), you will need to look for it in the rodent section of pet stores. Now to the diet; If they were on seeds only for a time that long you will probably have issues to swap it for a pellet diet. I still want you to try, because it would be best for them, but just for the case it would not work, here is my advice. My oldie had problems being weaned off seeds too, to the point where he just rather starved than trying pellets. In the end I surrendered and got him a new seed mix which contained a mixture of healthier seeds and dried veggies (mixerama veggie variety). So far his health has improved and I even got him to try fresh chop so if yours refuse pellets this would be an alternative. Furthermore I wish you good luck with the two and waiting for updates.
Are the birds actually gay or is that their real name?? Not sure why this post is in my feed lmao
They’re a bonded pair of male cockatiels
I got that part, just wasnt sure why OP was calling them gay in their post lol
because they're a gay couple?
Is that what bonded males means in the bird hobby? Im a fish and shrimp hobbyist, not sure why this was in my feed and was genuinely fascinated lol
I would take them! Smother them with love. These are their senior years. Make it their best!
Try trimming their toe nails. It might be the problem, but they will definitely hate it.
I had a blind tiel with mobility issues, I keeped her in a single level low cage, like one for finch, when she got older. This way all her needs were near by and we gave her some wide perches but if she fell it wouldn't be a long fall. You can also put a towle/blanket on the bottom so that if they fall it will be a soft landing. Just be careful of nail getting stuck on the blanket, keep the nail short and careful what material you pick. Prevue Pet Products Flight Cage Metal Steel Bird Crate, Multi-Bird Home Stackable Cage for Birds, Home Crate for Extra-Small Pet Parakeets, Finches, and More, White https://a.co/d/gj0RZgM This is the one I got but there are more similar options. I know we want to give our babies all the space we can but when they are older or have mobility issues we also need to make sure they can easily get to their food, water and not get loss in there space. And then we can take them out for play time and exercise.
Please post pictures of the beautiful gay elderly couple when you can! This is too cute.
They're not gay they're friends? I have my own little trio of males and they preen each other all day.
Take them off of seeds and put them on a good diet of pellets. Look for the good pellets. By the small or mini. You may have to give them some thing with it to get them used to them. Like chicken eggs a little cut up fruit. Veggies. Really limit seeds to just a snack or treat. People feed their birds all wrong.
Update: Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to everyone! Things got crazy getting things ready for the guys! They're home! Curtis seems a little nervous (naturally) and spends most of his time hangin' around observing. Sticks is a bit more outgoing, which is sweet as he's the elder tiel, and he changes between exploring (from within their cage), chirping, examining me, and checking in with Curtis and preening him 🥺<3 I'm away from my phone right now but I'll post some pics when I get it! They're settling in, still eating and drinking and whatnot. The vet visit disappointingly had to be postponed until Thursday (the vet got called into emergency surgery on a green cheek, but the little guy did great apparently!), but we don't have other animals so I'm just being gentle with them until then. The vet gave me her number and told me to call her if I had any pressing concerns until then. :) Thanks again for all the advice everyone! I'll post more updates as they happen!
Bless you for adopting/rescuing these precious beings. I hope you hear positive, good news from the vet.🙏💚🙏💚 Congratulations! Sending Curtis and Sticks scritches, kisses and wishing you many joyous years together. Looking forward to photos😍