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I think there is a lot to the "unsteadiness" of an arm. Timber has a hand thing so hands are out. It has to be my forearm. I've noticed when he's on my arm he's adjusting to keep balance and fight slipping. I usually grab the bottom of my sleeve and make sure the surface he steps on is tight, which really helps. I can see that being at least a part of it.

I totally get this! He has communicated to you he doesn't like things from behind & it is great you underatnd that & respect it. There is no nail polish or a ring he might not like on your hand or wrist? When you ask him to step up onto your hand, what part of your hand are you using & where do you place your hand? Also, he will feel your hesitation, so always be confident & if you do get bit, don't react, they love to get emotion out of you & that will quickly reinforce his biting behavior when stepping up. Sometimes when I expect a bite, I will lay my hand flat & strong, palm down. I always place it at the belly just above their feet, placement can be everything. Let us know

I did wonder if it was balance related as obviously my arm isn't going to be as rigid/secure as the dowel- especially if I have long sleeves on. I have no problem continuing with the dowel but it would obviously be more convenient not to have to have one to hand just in case. Also there are times where I approach him expecting him to lunge/bite- which obviously makes me nervous... so that doesn't help. I find on the times where I approach feeling more confident, he is more likely to step up on the arm. So that's definitely something for me to work on and improve. The daftest thing is, he hasn't actually bitten me in a long long time because I've gotten much better at understanding his cues over the years. I'm more planning ahead for this one because at the moment I have two indoor cats as well, so Alfie mostly spends time downstairs. But my cats are aging and not going to be around forever (as sad as that makes me) so I'm thinking more to when he has the run of the whole house and I may wish for him to step up somewhere else in the house. I don't necessarily want to have a dowel in every room or have to run and find where I last left one for him to step up. 🤣 I always offer a treat whenever I ask him to step up (or for any of his tricks/commands) but if the treat is too close he will just take it without stepping up. I've not managed to get him to step up from behind as he always spins round to face my hand/arm or the dowel. He always wants to step up going forwards, not backwards and he doesn't like being approached from the tail end, which is why he always turns. It's by no means a serious problem or concern, just I'm out of ideas of how I can try and encourage him top step up for my arm more readily. One thing I did think of earlier today is putting my hand/arm nearby but not asking for the step up. And just getting him (and me) used to having my hand/arm near him but not necessarily needing him to do anything with it. Almost to get myself more confident that he's not going to lunge/bite and him to realise that he doesn't need to resort to a lunge/bite. He can turn a bit aggressive if I am doing things near him, so I tend to keep my hands out of reach and redirect him away from whatever it is I might be doing- e.g typing, wiping a surface down, eating etc etc. So maybe that's something to try and work on first- with me rewarding him for being near my hands and not lunging or biting. Sometimes it's difficult to know exactly what's going on inside their feathery heads!

Have you tried offering him a favorite treat while positioning your arm or hand behind him so he'll be distracted while stepping back onto you? Whenever my greys put out a spicy mood vibe, I'll grab a snow pea pod, offer it and while they're taking a bite they'll automatically step back onto my waiting wrist.

Gosh, I dont know what to advise. If he likes the dowel, I would just use that until he is so comfortable with that & time goes on that he forgets about stepping up on you & biting. can you take the dowel with you to your parents? Als, my 2 greys & my 1 amazon will step up onto my arm, but really don't prefer it as there is nothing to really grab onto, and your skin can slide..grap your arm tight with your hand & twist it, your skin isn't firm & it's easier for them to lose balance & fall. they prefer something they can dig their claws into if need be. He might like the dowel because he can wrap his claws & hold on tight making him feel more secure. I offer my hand in moments of being unsure about getting bit, but ALWAYS make a fist, if you have a tight fist, there really isn't much to bite or latch onto. I would contiune with the high praise & reward when he does what you like, but replace your arm with a sturdier item. keep us posted & Good luck. remember be patient as we live in their time which passes slowly vs our hurry up world!