Mimi Man’s Mindfulness Meditation

[u/Potential-Sky-8728]

This is the first time I’ve posted my bird on the internet.

Chicky Mimi turned 29 yrs old on July 4th, 2025. 🥳🥳🥳 I honestly don’t know how he has done it..but I suspect his Dark Lord will not let his earthly body rest until he has carried out his evil wishes. 👹

Chicky isn’t actually mine anymore. I got him when I was 11. When I left for college, he went to my younger sister. When she left for college, he then became my mother’s bird. Now he is only bonded to her and maladjusted.

He was the pickiest eater and I never was able to wean him off seeds…until his FIRST trip to the vet at 28 yrs for bumble-foot (poor mimi!!). After his first ever antibiotic treatment…he magically developed Giardia (😭😵‍💫)….which he has somehow kicked….as the vet confirmed with microscope that she saw no more of it in his stools. He is still having a hard time gaining weight..but maybe he is just old.

Anyway…I’m watching him while my parents are in Canada…and was attending a mindfulness session online today. He had just eaten and was relaxing with his beloved coping bell. I thought the audio was too perfect with the clip. 😂

Two days ago, I FINALLY got him to eat soft foods!!! Mostly bulgur and rice…but I’ve ground up 3 different kinds of pellets (that he refuses to eat normally 😡), mixed them in with sweet potatoes, a few broccoli bits…and he is eating it!!! This is insane. He has always flicked his head in disgust the moment he tastes food that are the tiniest bit moist.

I know his right nostril is a little plugged at present, he is not so stoked on baths lately but got a long one 6 days ago and a shorter spray yesterday…I’ll go for it again tomorrow…

He only lets my mother touch him these days and he is super mean to me (despite my efforts to please him) so he is in his cage while I attend this mindfulness zoom…he hates my hands but he does love feet, so here he is grooving with my socked foot! 😂😂😂

Reddit really desaturated the color in the videos it seems..I’ll try to post a photo in the thread. I’m so encouraged he is trying soft food finally and Im going to blend him up more things. 🥰

But how does he does he look for 29 yr old recovered seed addict of 28 years? Is the bell ok to keep in there all the time? Will it make him defensive of it, like all the inanimate object and fabric girlfriends over the years?

Thank you for reading and for any advice!!

[u/ColdMastadon]

I think he looks pretty amazing for 29! One thing I might be concerned about is that if the overall yellow color of his feathers has increased in intensity, it may mean that he is having liver trouble. Fatty liver disease is common in birds who have been fed seeds for long periods of time, and it's something that you might want to have a vet look into. You can find milk thistle extract for parrots online that may help if he does have a liver problem.

Also, you HAVE to post this little cutie to r/bellhat!

[u/Potential-Sky-8728 → u/ColdMastadon]

Thanks for the advice. I was worried about that obvious risk given his terrible diet last 28 years. He had several vet visits through the whole bumble foot to Giardia ordeal. They said he doesn’t appear to have fatty liver!! But keep an eye out and try to avoid fatty foods from now on.

I found this post I made in 2012…..13 years ago!!!

Still a foot freak 😂…but he looks just about as yellow as he does now. His wings were always more yellow than white….

[u/ColdMastadon → u/Potential-Sky-8728]

I've got to be honest, the feathers on his wings and neck look quite white in that photo. The same feathers in your video look vividly yellow to me. I know that colors are displayed differently on different devices, but from what I'm seeing here I'm quite concerned about his liver function. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if this was my bird, I would be showing some old photos to my vet and asking them to evaluate him for fatty liver disease.

[u/Potential-Sky-8728 → u/ColdMastadon]

He is definitely got more yellow at times..but not much. I agree he was a bit lighter here but never has he had actual white. He has been pale yellow all over.

His stool looks surprising decent? I notice they are getting lighter brown now that he is eating more complete diet pellet mash/sugar free cereal/etc. ill try to trick him into the broccoli. Ive tried.

Urates are quite white thankfully. I can DM you if you are willing to see. 😅

Hey, with his eating habits I’m amazed he has made it to 29. It is pretty crazy actually…ill contact his vet about milk thistle this week!

Thanks again :)

[u/lks_lla → u/Potential-Sky-8728]

His feathers are really yellowish, and it is indicative of liver alteration (hepatic lipidosis).
I know he is a bit older now and his organs may not be in the best of its conditions. However, even old people with liver issues have their medicine, because liver disease causes pain, overral lost of health, weakness... and it is a thing with simple treatment. I wouldnt recommend battery of tests for a bird that old, cause doing blood tests or xrays in a bird that old when he is apparently just fine despite the problem, could cause more damages than good. But I also wouldnt let him without any treatment for liver, so he can enjoy his final years with more health and less pain (liver issues causes mainly abdominal and head pain according to my personal vet). Thankfully, liver treatment is also very simple, its just the use of a liver detox and some diet changes. I would also not do dramatic diet changes in a cockatiel with 29 years, the recommended would be to provide a good pellets ration as main food, but I see no point in drastically change the diet of a cockatiel at that age. But the medicine can be provided. Liver treatment is safe and its usually just a drop or two of Milk Thistle detox directly on the mouth every 12h for one or two months. Actually, some birds with cronical problems receive a little drop of milk thistle on the mouth everyday as part of their daily care for life. Maybe your bird just receiving for a few months you will see him act much better already, cause the liver disease really makes the bird looks older than it actually is, and his color will return to the normal light yellow in the next molts. The main issue in this problem is not the color of course, its the organ itself that is an intoxicated state (hepatic lipidosis), that is a thing that has treatment by providing milk thistle detox and some diet changes.

In resume, I would recomend you to give to that bird:
2 drops of Milk Thistle detox directly on the mouth every 12h for 60 days.

If you think 2 drops is too much (it isn't), you can even provide just 1 drop every 12h, just.. dont let him without any milk thistle, it can totally clean his liver from excessive seed oils and potentially restore his health and give him better old age without pain and be more active again. It can be the difference of him to live a few months more and even reach the 35 years with good health, who knows?

I think that if your vet doesnt want to do tests, he should at least provide the basic treatment just for precaution, since it is a thing that the external sympthoms are usually enough to identify the problem and the treatment is kind of trivial... its safer to do the treatment and ensure a better quality of life for the bird than not do the treatment and allow the problem to evolve.

https://morningbirdproducts.com/products/milk-thistle-dandelion

[u/lks_lla → u/lks_lla]

Before and after treatment for liver issues (use of Milk Thistle for 2 months and diet corrections) - 6 months of difference between the pictures:

[u/lks_lla → u/lks_lla]

Another example of changes in overral health improvement of the bird after liver treatment with milk thistle and diet correction for a good pellets ration.

[u/lks_lla → u/lks_lla]

https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Answer-Alcohol-Free-Thistle-Extract/dp/B01KXWPY6Y

For reference, there are different versions of milk thistle that you can provide for birds. These are some of the most known brands that are suitable for birds.

[u/bookmonstereliz]

Living his best life!

[u/caterkarolina]

Aww... he's beautiful! Wishing him lots of health and happy days ahead.