OMG, BlennyBabe, that sounds like something out of a horror flick. Spiders seriously creep me out. Just this past weekend I had a panicky fight-or-flight moment when I bailed out of our moving car after spotting a huge black spider on the windshield right in front of me. I swear it was going to jump on me because it was crouched down and glaring at me, and it was pitchblack in the car and I just knew it was waiting for me. LOL. Luckily we were just backing out the driveway and I was the passenger. Did those spiders attack and poison your macaw?? I'm going to have a nightmare about that one. Are there wolf spiders in Houston? *Shudder*
The bird's wings are going to be clipped, at least until the children are older. They're almost-10, 11, and 12 years old. I would hate to have the bird fly out the door. We have revised our decision about which species to buy, though, and we're going with a green wing macaw. I've spoken with a handful of breeders and although they encourage us to go with a better "starter" bird, I don't want to settle for one I really don't want, and the macaws have always fascinated me. This situation kind of reminds me of the freshwater fishstore owners that would tell us how horribly complex and difficult it is to have a saltwater tank. I wasted so many years believing them.
So, we are still looking for the right breeder to buy the bird from, and we are still considering whether to buy one weaned or to take on the immense responsibility of hand-feeding a baby. My kids are tame but they're not shrinking violets, so there's always some noise in the house, and I don't want to stress out a baby. The good thing is that I am a stay-at-home mom with homeschooled kids so I have the time to dedicate to round-the-clock feedings for a few months. I just don't know yet. While we're contemplating all this, we have some time to decide, and we're also cage-shopping. Holy cow, who knew stainless steel cages could cost so much?!
DC, your bird is a beauty. Thank you for the link.
~ Sherri