6 Pack Spicy Nuggets

One day I brought home a little domestic raptor... The next day the rest of their little pack... Life as an artist hasn't been the same since. This is their little corner of the internet.

[6packspicynuggets]

After some hemming and hawwing, and not without a good deal of fidgeting and well-placed claw stabs, we finally got our head of the pack decked in a bejeweled collar of her own! No name tags currently, but wouldn't mind suggestions on what to call them!

And the other lot got less complicated, but no less shiny collars of their own!

[6packspicynuggets]

... Y'know, making off with one of the D-rings I was making for collars doesn't make them get done any faster.. At least they don't seem keen on swallowing the piece - just found it apparently amusing to nick a shiny knick-knack. Like any other cat or bird really.

[6packspicynuggets]

This is a little later in the first week of having them, and their curiosity is boundless! If anything I'd say they're on par or worse than macaws and cockatoos in a pint-sized package! Had finally made a brew of cold-coffee I liked, and not five minutes after setting down at my desk three of these goobers were trying to figure out if it was Food for Them. Thankfully there's no easy way for them to get at the rim and into the glass, or I'd be cleaning little coffee prints all over the place.

Later with the heat I had decided to get myself a salted cucumber snack, and had also forgotten that... these guys are obscenely curious like a cat... Was a bit of a fight trying to eat and fend them off the dressing before they could sneak a forbidden lick. Also! A few friends suggested 6 Pack Nuggets for a pack name for them, and I added the 'Spicy' part to make it sound a little less like well.. Straight up fast food!

[6packspicynuggets]

Well, after hearing strange barking through the night (not too unlike sugar gliders come to think of it - though they tend to bark when they're reaching out to the rest of their clan), I did a little research and found out this breed of domestic raptor is the kind that fares best in a pack environment of like-species. So, I found myself scooting back out to the adoption center I scooped my little critter from, and thankfully the others were still there. I talked with a different adoption staff than the one I had yesterday, and they informed me the group was pretty tightly bonded from being in the facility for a considerable time due to past owners getting a little over their head trying to keep them as status pets vs actually working with them. Apparently the person I worked with previously was a newer hire, and hadn't noticed the notation on their information that it was strongly suggested they'd be adopted out as a group. Whoopsie. But, the resulting reunion was worth it -

If, albeit, a bit tense from five new arrivals being about as completely freaked out as Alpha (current running nickname until final names are chosen) from the whole situation, and suddenly seeing their older packmate again. Ever had multiple cats where the moment one comes back from a vet everyone else is on Freak acting like the cat that returned is a complete stranger on their turf? Yeah it was something like that - lots of hissing, growling, posturing. A couple swipes were exchanged as well - was a bit worried I'd have a full on brawl on my hands, and I wasn't keen on explaining to the ER why I needed a dozen stitches on my hands and arms within 2 days of keeping these guys...

Which made it a huge relief when they stopped long enough to recognize each others' scents. I couldn't do much on my desk for a good while with these guys reaffirming their pack bond. Didn't mind much though, meant I knew where they'd be for a while and wouldn't have to keep one eye out for potential accidents while getting things together for them. Six mouths get hungry fast.

One thing they did that I missed about my desk was when I had it in my bedroom, and my parakeets would perch across the top of the monitor while I worked or chilled to hang out with me, and this was within a couple hours of them starting to settle in. Guess that's one perk of having a raptor already ahead in the settling process to help the others adjust too! This moment was when I caught one of the younger individuals trying to join the Alpha on their perch. Turns out the five I brought home were from a completely different clutch than Alpha was! Would explain the reflexes of the lot to look to the older raptor for cues on what to do about situations. Don't quite know their genders yet - will need to keep researching to find out more.

[6packspicynuggets]

So, I'm not sure what compelled me to bring this little critter home... Were my cats not enough? I mean sure, they warmed my feet under my desk when they weren't tearing about the apartment, playing with the latest crinkly toy, or howling across the rooms for attention. But, something was still missing, and I'm always a sucker for little critters that do something to try to engage my attention. You know like the antics a conure has? Swinging upside down on their bars, scooting up to the front of the display, and giving you that absolute direct stare that is unmistakably aimed at you? Yeah it was something like that... Although once I got them home, they seemed a little standoffish, and spooked. To be expected of course - new environment, smells, sounds, lights, and the world getting a whole lot bigger all of a sudden after what was understandably a confusing and alarming ride in a loud machine going who knows where and being carefully coaxed from their carrier box. Couldn't get near them without having claws flashed in warning.

HOWEVER, once they had a moment to get their bearings and asses the lack of anything threatening or untoward, they settled down right quick into watching everything happening around them. They're still not quite sure of me trying to work around them though. They are occupying my desk space during this whole settling process, and I'd like to minimize getting unnecessary scratches on my well.. already beaten up tablet... No bites yet so far..

Albeit, my had came close to being a target when they had a startle and almost slipped off the desk. Thank goodness for all those years wrangling parakeets, sugar gliders, and wild lizards!

So for now, I'll accept their retreat to the top of my camera rig. They can comfortably watch me from there and not worry about further unexpected grabs. Gonna have to do a bit more research on these guys. I know their ancestor breeds were considered more avian, but with these guys being regarded as a toy breed, and drastically different in appearance - there might be some stark differences I'll need to prepare for along with learning their way of communicating. Also need to settle on a name as well... Hmm, that's going to take some thought.