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I've actually never given any of my fids dairy products in any form. I only give them raw fruits and veggies, sprouts, some seed home made birdie bread and some nuts. Occasionally they get a teensy helping of chicken and organic eggs.

This is why I wondered if Snickers might consider someone familiar "safe" if I was out of the picture. "Better the devil you know" sort of logic. I have mis-read Snickers (esp in beginning) and a few dear people got severe bites. Not nips. Missing chunks of flesh. Snickers bites with 100% of his beak strength. (My macaw never bit with more than 5% of her strength -- different parrots altogether -- macaw socialized and CAG Snickers traumatized from stuff from before I met him). I am Snickers 3rd home (I think) and he was originally considered unadoptable by the breeder he had been surrendered to. He took to me instantly -- been this way for 22 years. Not sure of his exact age. But want him to be happy long after I am gone. (I'd share his adoption story I wrote but too many F-bombs due to other people in story - sorry). I just want him to have a wonderful life. Maybe I'll live to be old and outlive him (my hope) but if not, I want whoever adopts him (or the most likely sanctuary/refuge plan) to have bird lovers who 'get' him -- and understand and make allowances for his early bad beginning. Just want him happy even if I am not there anymore.

My grey has rejected his new replacement stainless steel bowl -- it was too "shiny." Won't get within 3 feet of it. Back to the old dull dented ones. Today, as a treat, I approached him with his jar of almond butter and a spoon; but because my foot heel hurts (Plantar fasciitis), instead of standing there for 20 minutes while he licked the spoon, I just dropped a dollop into his bowl. He was not amused. Took one taste (and he knows he loves this stuff)... yet he decided to punish me by not eating it from a bowl. smh

I will add, I can't see any dairy products as being a natural part of a parrot's diet. (Or a human's diet after weaning). Not to say parrots don't enjoy treats as we humans do. Like, um, french fries. Obviously not a natural source of food for a parrot but loved nonetheless as a rare "treat." I also understand they cannot tolerate/digest salt on the level human's can -- so I take salt also into consideration when offering treats.

I've spent years finding ways to offer non-cheese foods. Perhaps the Bird Talk editor was feeding straight whole cheddar cubes in large quantities. lol Just made me be careful; but perhaps a liquid cheese sauce would be fine.

In away they are a lot like us, each is a individual.

They are so particular sometimes! Alfie doesn't really care what his bowls look like- so long as they have tasty food in them! He reacts differently to different toys. Some have to be introduced very slowly whereas others are no problem and are accepted before I even take the tags off. I can never tell what will be accepted or not until I bring it home and try it. He seems to have his own set of rules!

I've found it difficult with Alfie because parrots aren't a usual sight in houses so people tend to be wary or scared of him. Admittedly I failed to socialise him enough when he was young but my family all backed off and were scared of him after he bit them as a youngster. My mum tried the most but my sister is very fearful of him (and I don't even think she went close enough to get bitten). My dad is not interested. After I moved out my two housemates didn't really like him all that much - mostly indifferent but also a bit scared. I've never found anyone close enough who has enough of an interest to try and get to know Alfie. My current housemate is Alfie's favourite person (even over me). It has taken YEARS for them to get to this stage and they both had to get used to each other. Alfie will let my housemate give him scrtiches and and will even follow him around the room to be closer to him. He will join my housemate on the sofa or sit on his knee and ask for scritches. Sometimes you have to socialise the human with the bird as well as socialising the bird with the human! Alfie never used to make a peep if other people were in the room. He's never been particularly noisy anyway but he would clam up completely when others were near. Nowadays he is a lot more content to make some beeps and whistles at people and will say 'see you later' when he thinks they are leaving (or thinks it's time for them to leave!)

LOL nothing replaces the spoon. I've had exactly the same experience. When trying a new food, I always start with me standing there holding the spoon, which is annoying, but he loves it for some reason. He will often eat things from a spoon I'm holding that he won't touch in the food bowl. As to the shiny bowl, been there done that too. I always have to set any new thing close to his cage for several days (sometimes stretching to a week or more) before he will tolerate it. I'm retired now, and sometimes I wonder when I found time to work!