Tommy and his pet Kiwi

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FEBRUARY 16, 2009

Hello Marie,
Just checking in with you. Our little Kiwi is an ongoing concern and I thought you would like to know some of the new things she is doing. First of all, Tommy has her "working out" by taking her down to the basement and having her walk up all of the stairs back into the kitchen. She loves climbing up stairs and it gives her a great work out for her beak as well. Often when Tommy is carrying her on his finger, she spreads out her wings and it looks like she is pretending to fly. She loves to go upside down for him too while on his finger and she has now started to lie in our hand on her back and lets us pet her like that.

She is whistling the first few bars of "Happy Birthday" and she will say, "Hi Tom, what's up?" She loves to say "what's up?" She says it with most everything. She'll say it when I'm vacuuming or cleaning her cage. So, I tell her what I'm doing and then she says "o.k." I swear she knows what I am telling her, it so easy to have a conversation with her. When she gets bite if she's in a cheeky mood, then we will tell her, "Kiwi, no bite", and she says, "no bite". She definitely knows when she has been a bad girl.

She calls our outside dog by his name "Copper" and then whistles for him exactly like we do when we want him to come. Her laugh is the best and when she starts chuckling, you can't help but laugh with her.

And she always reminds us that "Kiwi pretty bird" as she says that over and over again during the day.

Well, I could go on and on, but I know you already know how fun these little monkeys are. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just to update you that everything is going wonderfully since we brought our little Quaker home this spring. Little Kiwi is stealing our hearts of course!!!

She and Tommy (8 years old) are becoming great pals and he is taking wonderful care of her, no worries at all. She gives kisses, dances, and loves to laugh. When she wants out of her cage, she whistles, "woot-woo" until someone opens her door. Is she smart or what?! One of her favourite things is sitting on Tommy's shoulder when he is playing on the computer.

We bought Kiwi a Happy Hut, for sleeping in and she loves it. We found it at Petcetera in the States recently. It is a cute little fleecy triangle canopy that is very cozy.

I mix her food 80% pellets to 20% seeds, but the stinker eats all the seeds and likes to leave the pellets. Should I try changing her pellets or just ride out the stubborness? Ha ha, trying to out stubborn a Quaker. I don't think it would be possible.

Thank you again for doing all of that driving and meeting us in Calgary. We couldn't be happier with our little bird and she is the center of attention. Her cage is open more than it is closed and in the mornings, she loves to sit out on the covered in deck and listen to all of the sounds of the country.

We will definitely keep in touch!
Hope all is well at the aviary.

From,
The Keehn Family
Fort Steele, BC

For more information, contact Marie or phone 780-688-2120.
Located in Alberta.