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Inara

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Everything posted by Inara

  1. Gosh, since Echo's appointment is tomorrow, you really don't have a whole lot of time to prepare him by taking him in and out of a travel cage, handling his wings, feet, beak, getting him used to a towel (if your vet uses one with him), and stepping on and off of a scale. Also a couple short rides in the car where he returns home so that he would know that the car does not necessarily mean 1) being rehomed and 2) going to the vet. Those things can all be helpful, but given the short amount of time for you and Echo to prepare, right off the top of my head all I can think of is to act nonchalant and not stressed because Echo will pick up on that. Talk to him calmly, let him know that everything is OK, and that pretty soon you'll be going back home (when you're at the vet) -- or whatever words you use for your home, his cage, etc. He may or may not understand or he may, but he certainly will understand your tone of voice, your calm body language, and the reassurance. Others will no doubt have more advice that they can pass along. I have to admit for being a bit at a loss given the time constraints Looking forward to hearing that Echo is healthy and that things went well!
  2. Inara

    Sunflower seed

    Thank you for this excellent and informative post, Dave. I had been reserving sunflower seeds for Inara for treats during our up close and personal time. I wasn't worried about their fat content since fat is necessary for so many things -- and since I weaned her off of her family of origin's southern comfort french fried and cheesey diet I wasn't concerned about the fat in sunflower seeds and nuts. But I was concerned because of the way back in the early 80s when my then vet had mentioned that sunflower seeds can be addictive in parrots. So at that point, I began only using them as treats once or twice a day for my amazon and my CAG. I haven't looked up the "addiction" factor in these more modern nutrition times, and will go research that one post-haste, as those were wayyyy pre-internet-information-at-our-fingertips times and I honestly hadn't thought to delve into what may have been misinformation from way back then, I'm embarrassed to say.
  3. Candi, misting definitely is important as you are already aware. Others can speak to the aloe juice question as I haven't ever used it with my birds. I mist Inara with filtered water as well as making sure that her drinking and bathing water are filtered. We have very hard water here as well as chlorinated and it dries the heck out of my own skin so I know it is not good for hers either. Dave00 has an excellent thread in the Health forum on chronic and acute pluckers. If you haven't read it, it is a must read. Your Echo is one fortunate bird to have found you, and you him. I always have such a feeling of warmth and gratitude toward those whose hearts are able to see, appreciate, and find such deep love for their companions' beauty and value even when they arrive in a "less than perfect" state. Hugs to you!
  4. Welcome David Luke! So glad that you found this forum and that you are doing your "homework/studying" before getting your Grey companion. There are so very many wonderful Greys out there that are in need of good homes. You'll find everyone here willing to answer any questions you might have, and you will also find as I have in my own short time here, that the people here are very friendly, intelligent, and respectful of others' unique opinions and perspectives. There are some great topics to read through, and if anyone ever condensed them all together the information in these forums would make a top notch book. Are you looking to find a Congo (bright red tailed) Grey or a Timnah (slightly smaller darker colored) Grey, a baby or a young or an older Grey? There are all ages and types of Greys here so no matter which you eventually bring home, there are people here with experience. So don't be shy.
  5. Welcome, Candi and Echo! You've landed in a great place and will feel right at home in no time. Echo looks like such a sweetheart. It's always saddening to know that these wonderful creatures get passed along over and over. So happy that you two found one another. My first (long ago) wild caught, older adult CAG had plucked himself bald in every possible nook and cranny that he could reach and was very neglected, abused and ill when he came to live with me. He eventually became fully feathered and while he suffered lifelong health issues, he grew into an affectionate and incredible teacher and companion. All I asked of him was that he simply be a bird. I had no expectations and no desires other than to give him a peaceful home, safety, proper Vet care, proper physical care, and accepting companionship. It sounds to me that you have the same philosophy when it comes to Echo, and that Echo will respond over time and will no doubt flourish. In my Lestat's case, I have no doubt that the source of his plucking was a combination of lack of proper nutrition, being terrorized, neglected, injured, and isolated. Certainly there are other bases for plucking and some remain mysterious, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Echo feather out over time if his body is capable of repairing itself.
  6. Candi, your Echo sounds like such a delightful soul, and one who is no doubt feeling a sense of security, safety, and relief at having landed in such a caring home. I can't wait to hear what Echo has to say about it all as he continues to flourish under your care.
  7. Inara

    Sick Baby

    How frightening and what a concern for you. It speaks so well to how diligent you are in your care of your flock. Bless Mar's little heart, and you for being insistent, diligent and advocating for more follow up diagnosis and care.
  8. I, and likely the greater majority of people who use this forum, certainly would be very supportive of that end goal. It's likely that many of those hundreds of animals will continue to suffer under those abhorrent conditions while prolonged, complex, and precedent setting lawsuits are in action. Certainly the NHRP can't tackle it all, and limiting the number of species on whose behalf the NHRP will advocate is helpful. The question of personhood, even though a status now given to corporations and ships, is also now being challenged with regard to the former at least. What the NHRP is proposing certainly is a brilliant legal strategy. What I'm not seeing (and perhaps I've missed this on the website) is what the NHRP is doing in the meantime to work with other like minded animal rights organizations to get possible injunctions to move the current list of plaintiff and potential plaintiff animals to a safer environment while the court cases are going on? Similar to having guardians ad litem or conservators appointed to abused, neglected, or cognitively incompetent humans. This does then speak to personhood, certainly, but if the NHRP is advocating for personhood status, then wouldn't also advocating for an interim order of protection while the courts are hearing the issues be warranted? (Perhaps this has been done, and if so, my apologies for having missed it.) Some loose precedent may have been set with regard to the forgoing by lawyers who practice mediation in the cases of pet custody and visitation in the circumstance of divorce etc. and in the cases of Veterinary malpractice. Both situations having the spirit of 'beloved family member' rather than property/chattel only. The issue of animal rights is one that I personally have given much thought to over the past few decades. I don't believe that humans are the most intelligent animals on the planet. We only know how to measure human intelligence and we only know how to measure other creatures' intelligence by our own standards. We even today struggle with cross cultural methods of measurement within humans, and we are arrogant to think that we can measure cross species. If a human was thrown into the ocean among a pod of cetaceans and expected to adapt, which/who then would be the most intelligent? If we give equal rights to animals then we certainly could not spay/neuter nor even keep as companion animals without their informed consent. We could not take their offspring from them, we could not vaccinate them, give them medications or surgeries even life saving ones, and we could not eat them. What then happens when the millions of food source animals are allowed to roam freely, procreate without limitation, as well as the same scenarios with wild and domestic animals? It all sounds very fuzzy and warm (and I don't mean this with sarcasm) until the very real and practical aspects come into play. Who decides which animals are elevated to the status of personhoood? There is plenty of research that supports cats as being able to use logic, other birds and animals having the capacity for self recognition, etc.? Narrowing the scope by choosing those animals for which there are reproducible results in the body of research is understandable and a good place to begin, and in this area one would have to agree with the NHRP. This is a very complex matter, again it is one about which I agree in spirit, and will be interested in seeing how it pans out. For now, within my own mind and heart, I subcribe to the following philosophy: "We are called to treat them with kindness, not because they have rights or power or some claim to equality, but in a sense because they don't; because they all stand unequal and powerless before us. Animals are so easily overlooked, their interests so easily brushed aside. Whenever we humans enter the world, from our farms, to the local animal shelter to the African savanna, we enter as lords of the earth bearing strange powers of terror and mercy alike." -- Matthew Sculley In essence practice kindness, ethical treatment, and mercy with our food source and companion animals, and be ever mindful of our stewardship for the rest of the animal kingdom. Keep a watchful eye on the treatment of those in the animal kingdom whose evolutionary process is far longer than our own and therefor for which/whom we can't accurately measure their emotional and cognitive capacities, and work toward stringent laws that protect their well being. There are no easy answers, and by supporting any ethical efforts that work toward the betterment of treatment and conditions for all animals, we all win in the end. This is an excellent thread, and thank you Michaelmountain for your response, I am also curious as to how you found our forum. Inara's Human
  9. Looks like a very beautiful cage and I bet Breezy will love it! There are several different ways to post photos and some are a bit awkward. There is a thread at the beginning of the Introductions section that has instructions on how to post photos, you might find that helpful
  10. Certainly the project will garner a lot of publicity for the lawyers and others involved. "Personhood" is going to be a major barrier, because it is equated with "human-ness." So if a human's IQ or cognitive abilities are below a certain level, then if we follow this thinking to its logical end, that person would no longer be considered a person. While I appreciate the spirit of the organization, I think they would have a much better chance at success for saving specific animals, Kiki, Billy, etc. if they petitioned and filed suit toward "sentient animal" status and therefore lobbied to enact protective laws that would prohibit torture, continued trapping and capture for commercial gain/use, etc. Without a good, solid, operational definition of what "personhood" actually means, most humans and judges will say, "No." But approaching State legislators with proposed bills to enact "sentient animal" status for specific species, would narrow the scope, would not threaten "human-ness" and would likely be (albeit a less sensational and less charismatic) a way of getting some laws into place about the confinement, treatment, and future trapping/selling of specific species.
  11. Breezy, when Inara first came to live with us at just past 2 years old she had been becoming very beaky and bitey with her original people. She was and is fine with me, but was bitey with my husband. He is a first time "parront," and was a bit intimidated by her beak after having read what kind of damage a good solid bite can do. His apprehension, I believe, played into Inara's bitiness with him. She never broke the skin and would go for his thumb about 98% of the time. It was my assumption that 1) she was feeling his nervousness which transmitted itself to her and so her bitishness was a peck to say, "Buddy, I can tell you're nervous, we'd better get the flock out of here now! Let's go!" and 2) naturally the more she did it, the more apprehensive Joe became. So I let him know to take a deep breath, and just really relax his body before having Inara step up. Also if he saw her moving to bite his thumb, I had him just gently twist his wrist backward a bit which turned Inara's attention away from his thumb and onto balancing. In no time at all they became best buds. She hasn't so much as beaked him in so long that I can't recall the last time. Joe now is relaxed and confident about picking her up from any place at any time and knows that even if she puts up a noisy fuss that she is just bluffing, and it's all squawk and no bite these days. If he sees that she sincerely does not want to step up out of her cage, then he does not force that issue as it's our philosophy that her cage is her home and it is up to her if and when she wants to come out barring a natural disaster or major emergency. Inara is likely to be more beakish when tired, hungry, or hypervigilant about something new. OR if she has been roughhousing with one of her toys. You will learn Breezy's rhythms and bluffs and serious times as you all move along together. I can understand your husband's initial trepidation given the background, and am glad to know that he's more receptive to Breezy now.
  12. hahah on the alien hand comparison! Miss Dayo is sooooooo pretty and sweet. Loved the video and am looking forward to more.
  13. hahahaha!! Oh yes, ditto, what Nancy said!! For being such a Royal Highness, HRH Inara can blast out with some of the more, shall we say, "earthy" sounds on ocassion also! LOL I love it that Escher laughs about it!!!
  14. HRH Inara refrains from saying her own name. After she came to live with us and we changed her name to Inara, she initially said it a few times (as if testing it out) and once she figured out that it was attached to her she has stopped using it. She calls Joe by his name, our dog Dezi by her's, she still calls me Woooo (in a lilting voice). She does respond to her name immediately, though, so I simply inferred that she doesn't think it is necessary to say it. I always enjoy reading about the similarities in our fids as well as their individual differences. Nice thread.
  15. Welcome, Quirky! Am so delighted that you stopped lurking and have shared your Jake with the rest of us. What a beautiful Grey; you are meant for each other. Don't worry about going on and on here -- I warned everyone right off the bat that if it can be said in 5 words, I'll say it in 50. LOLz. Loved the photos, and really enjoyed reading about your and Jake's journey to each other. Keep 'em coming!
  16. Sounds like things are going really well with your Joey! It is great that he is feeling safe enough to exercise (hanging on and flapping his wings) and that he is showing you all the noises he knows. I've read that young greys will go to a corner and scratch when they are a bit nervous (Inara's former people said that she used to do this all the time. She's only done it twice here and that was on her 2nd day with us, and once when I moved her cage). I have also read that this behavior mimics what young birds do within a nest as a cleaning instinct to scratch debris out of the nest. Most of my own experience has been with a much older Grey before Inara came to live with us, so she and I are learning together about age 2+ Looking forward to pictures and more updates on your sweet Joey.
  17. They may sound very alien to her since she has been brought up in a modern environment. My first CAG was wild caught and he would make some very eerie sounds on occasion that I assumed were from his native area. Very interesting, and definitely something to observe regarding whether she gets nippier from the sounds.
  18. That is great news! She sounds like a sweetie, and it's really nice to hear that things are moving along so smoothly. Can't wait for some photos and am looking forward to more updates.
  19. How over the top exciting!! Breezy is really a busy little guy and it is so great that you talk to him, with him, and attempt his own little native language too. You may or may not find it interesting to do, but I keep a daily log of the words and phrases and behaviors that Inara expresses and engages in. It has been fun to look back as well as to see how she has strung together phrases from words that were previously just used singly. Go Breezy! Yes, lovely "icing on the cake," as katana600 has said, and we all truly do understand how even without talking the depth of love is still there.
  20. Wow!! That is some kind of major pain and you're very fortunate that you were released so soon. This may sound odd, but I'm wondering if Isaac may have been sensing on some level that you were becoming seriously ill, causing him to be out of sorts. It will be interesting to see if he settles down now that your (potentially life threatening) situation has been corrected. Wishing you a speedy recovery!!
  21. My beautiful Inara was 2 years and 2 months old when she came to live with us. She was going through a beaky/bitey stage with her past people at that time. They were dog people, and first time bird people, had gotten her as a chick, and I think they were totally unprepared (as are many) for their sweet little cuddly, dependent chick to turn into an independent bird. Many chicks are rehomed after a couple of years for this very reason. At about age 2-ish in the wild is when babies begin to merge into the flock and are way less dependent upon their parents. So actually (just my opinion) this is a great age for a Grey to move from their people of origin to a new home. Inara made the transition beautifully, has blossomed like crazy, and is the sweetest girl ever, and we are deeply bonded, but I still would not refer to her as cuddly, nor would I refer to my first CAG with that term. Greys by nature (in general) are not cuddlebugs like cockatoos. In four-legged terms, I would say they are more akin to cats than dogs. Independent thinkers, choose people on their own terms, etc. Cute and cuddly babies don't necessarily "mold" into anything other than what nature intended -- a beautiful African Grey bird. As others have said, go visit the bird and spend time with it. Make sure to ask its current human(s) to handle it in front of you, and pass it over to you, etc. so that you can get a feel for how s/he reacts. Above all, trust your instincts. If all feels right, it probably is. If you have hesitations, then listen to those instincts. Also, don't make an immediate decision while there, go home and think about it.
  22. What a lovely transition! I love seeing photos of handsome Misty, and the depth of your bond is so apparent in every word you write, Steve. May this New Year bring you both good health, fun, and continued tenderness and love.
  23. Happy New Year everyone! May 2014 bring us all good things -- even if complete with beak marks! Given that HRH Inara retires at sunset, she will not be up and awake for the festivities, but she did just enjoy a few drops of cranberry juice to ring in 2014.
  24. How exciting! A wonderful New Year's surprise, and yes ---- I, too, am breathlessly awaiting photos and stories!
  25. From one of the recent reviews on Amazon: "Purchased for my Goffins Cockatooo and discontinued after the first use. First ingredient is Isopropyl Alcohol and it smells like that is all that is in this product. My bird winced in pain when I sprayed on his plucked area and then immediately started pulling feathers right in front of me. He usually only plucks at night or while we are gone, so I could tell it was from the spray. " So the first ingredient is Isopropyl Alcohol. As birdhouse said, not a good idea to use it.
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