Results: A Parrot's Adventures at the Vet

After my last survey, danusha3 asked if Bongo's phone imitations caused issues when he was being boarded. I don't know about that, but my father wrote this: The first time we picked up Bongo after boarding, the clerk asked us if he could imitate a fire truck siren. We said yes, noting that our home was only a few blocks from the local station. The clerk responded, "Oh, good. Now we can explain to all the other owners that Bongo is to blame for teaching their birds to do that." If you have pets - or children - have they picked up any bad habits from their peers?

My father's journal continues: When we retrieved Bongo after another boarding stint the clerk told us that the boarders are kept in a long, narrow room with a central aisle. At feeding times the staff pushes a trolley down the aisle with all the foods for all the boarders. The clerk told us that Bongo was the only bird they'd ever kept that watched the trolley go by and named the foods he recognized and wanted. "Apple, green grapes, and so on." If you were the clerk, would you give him what he requested?

One quirk about African Grey parrots is that when they panic, their blood pressure can get so high they leak blood from their eyes (blood tears). From my father: On one occasion, the vet had to trim Bongo's beak and claws. When the vet brought him back to us, he explained "Bongo's eyes are pink because they literally bled a little from that stress." When the checkup was finished we put Bongo in his traveling case. When we got outside and approached the car, Bongo said "Whew!" Do you experience high blood pressure when you visit the doctor (White Coat Syndrome)?