Unlike Stuart Little, these toy-car-driving animals aren’t of the animated variety.
Chip and Milo — named after five-year-old owner Alex McConnell’s favourite video game, Minecraft — are a pair of Australian budgerigars.
Chip is female and Milo is male.
The feathered youngsters are just 12 weeks old, but are already firmly imprinted on the Girgarre tike’s heart, sharing playtime with him often.
They’ve been Alex’s besties for half their lifetime, having moved in when they were six weeks old.
He has quickly learned their varied personalities, revealing that Chip can be a little temperamental, while Milo is a lot more chilled.
Alex said the birds’ favourite things included being let out of their cage to stretch their wings, taking flight around the house, and being pushed around on his toy cars and trucks — the latter being Alex’s favourite thing to do with them, too.
“They also like to swim in their bowl of water on a hot day to cool down,” Alex said.
The birds spend time both in and outside the family home that they share with Alex’s mum, two cats and three fish.
When they’re outside their cage inside, the cats have to be outside the house.
“Because the cats might eat them!” Alex said.
Alex not only enjoys the fun part of pet ownership, he enjoys the chores that come with it, too.
“I like to help feed them, clean their cage and give them clean water,” he said.
It’s a labour of love for the little budgie-whisperer.
“I like playing with them when they are out of their cage because I love them,” he said.
“Birds are fun pets.”