Special Care For Feather Pickers

This is Leo. He is a returning guest who has had severe feather issues in the past. He has recovered quite nicely, however, he still has bouts of relapse. He is quite accustomed to wearing a collar and it doesn't seem to bother him. When he spends time here, he gets special treatment.

His foraging toys get filled faithfully, he has a full spectrum light shining on him, and he gets showers regularly. I am vigilant about watching him when his collar is off. He comes out to play on the ropes in my office/bedroom and enjoys some freedom from the collar. It takes a keen eye to tell the difference between happy grooming (preening) and compulsive "over-preening" or picking out feathers. He does fine at first, but if allowed too much preening time, he starts to pull feathers from his legs. He is a cuddle bird and I spend during the day lowering my energy level and just meditating with him on my chest. He, too, becomes calm and quiet. It's good for both of us.