Palemaleirregulars: Squirrel the Cat, Quicksilver the Grey Parrot, and Tig the Basinji Play the Great Tootsie Pop Game!

Well if you asked me, I'd probably have to say that the seed of the Grand Tootsie Pop Game had something to do with the fact that Squirrel the Cat was bored.

He'd waited patiently at the appropriate window until 1am for a opossum to appear but none had.

Therefore he made his way to the kitchen in secret, jumped up onto the counter in the dark, and looked out the window.

Still nothing.

Crapola! (A translation of a cat expletive.)

Well, while up on the counter, he thought, one might as well check for things of interest.

Ah ha! A bowl of Tootsie Pops.

Now Squirrel doesn't eat Tootsie Pops.

Oh dear me, NO!

He plays with Tootsie Pops.

Tink! A Tootsie Pop hits the kitchen linoleum and the game's afoot.
Tink....whizzzz...tink, tink, WHIZZZZ...spin!

Through the kitchen, through the dining room... tink, tink, whizzzz...through the second parlor, and into the first parlor office and bedroom.

Quicksilver the African Grey Parrot looks at Squirrel with the Tootsie Pop and then looks at me. He doesn't want me to see the game in play in front of his cage. I might retrieve the Tootsie Pop...and what fun would that be?

Squirrel keeps bating the pop and biting the stick.

Yum. Strawberry watermelon...not bad.

Note Silver his climbed further down the cage and is pointedly focussed on Squirrel...and the pop.

Missed the shot but seconds before Squirrel leapt up, hit a file of papers on the little table, they spewed onto the floor but he never lost his sucker focus.

And Silver is getting closer...

...leans in....

Squirrel nabs the stick and lifts it. He is no longer paying one bit of attention to Silver.

Squirrel suddenly realizes that he has a very sharp beaked parrot, looking menacingly, over his head.

Beat.

Squirrel retreats.

Silver checks. Yup, the Tootsie Pop is still there.

Silver readjusts his position.

He checks in on me to make sure I'm not going to interfere.

Digression Alert....
Note how much dust is on the cage cover, the cage, and all over the room for that matter...and it takes little time for it to happen. That isn't dust dust, that is parrot dust. Grey's don't have an oil gland to keep their feathers in good order, their conditioning product is the creation of "dust" by their feathers to keep them in condition.

One of the reasons people who think they want an African Grey Parrot suddenly decide after a bit that they are "too messy" and end up getting rid of them.

Something that is emotionally terrible for the parrot who has bonded with the family and who suddenly find that their flock has "disappeared". They mourn and sometimes never really get over it.

Silver is not going to have that problem no matter what. If I keel over before he does, daughter Sam is first in line, next up a grandson....

That said, off the soap box, back to the Tootsie Pop saga!