Inara

Very clever, that Misty! What a treat to watch. Talon, same here! It takes me aback a bit every time!

I do remember Miss Lewis and Lambchop, but I don't remember the song. I'll have to go out to youtube to see if I can find it, as I love the words you've put to it and I now simply *must* have the tune!! Especially after having just spent 2.5 hours doing the monthly deep clean on Inara's home. Certainly it would go faster if she was not "helping" me. . .

Just FIY, this is the one that scratched Inara's beak and skin between her nostrils so badly that the beak scratch is still red after all this time even as her beak is growing out. Avian Vet put her on topical antibiotics for 7 days and now it just has to grow itself out. The metal skewers that the toy is constructed on did not have their ends completely closed, and were jagged. I had thought I had done a thorough job of addressing that but missed the very bottom one. http://www.amazon.com/Super-Creations-10-Inch-Station-Medium/dp/B0087EWCMA/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1388294334&sr=1-1&keywords=space+station+parrot+toy

I'm wondering if this is happening mostly at night then, or is it pretty consistent during the day also? If mostly at night, perhaps there is something going on that is keeping him up or a bit sleepless? Are there xmas lights out one of the windows, etc? Just a thought. I do basically the same type of misting routine as described by others, although I just use filtered water and I keep a large extra water dish in Inara's cage with filtered water in it on the opposite side of her food and other water dish. She uses it for bathing, which is wonderful as prior to coming to live with us she did not bathe herself. Now she really goes to town when she does it, and oddly it's usually once a week on a Sunday -- who the heck knows why. We live in a very arid climate so I lightly mist her every day and I soak her every other day. She is not fond of the hissing noise of the mister so I sing to her while I'm doing it, and often I will do it at about the time I'm vacuuming. I'll leave the vacuum running and that seems to help disguise the hissing sound of the mister. I, too, use a hand held bottle with a pump action that will spray a very fine mist. Once I'm done, I make sure to say, "All done! That felt good! Give a shake!" She will then fluff up and shake, then I take her out and hold her on my hand while she flaps like crazy. She then demands, "Want a cookie," as this has always been followed by a treat. She loves it once it's over, and tolerates it really well while it is going on, but so far she has not asked for "rain." I also make sure that the nozzle nor my hand is within beak range! LOL You and your sweet Isaac will get this all figured out. Bless his heart, some little bee is under that bonnet and it's nice to know that he seems to stay his cheerful self!

Thanks for posting, Steve. A good reminder that while we are indeed stewards of our own companions, we should not turn a blind eye to contributing to conservation of their in the wild brothers and sisters.

Hi Debbie, and welcome to the best forum ever! Great questions, and I'll answer from my own experience (each person's and bird is different). I was blessed to have had an Amazon and CAG share their lives with me for 20+years total. They both came to me independently from different places, both in extremely dire circumstances and conditions. Since you've had a 'zon you have an idea of size, weight, etc. My TAG (with whom I am absolutely besotted, so am warning you ahead of time that I shall try not be biased), is just shy of 2.5 years old and I refer to her as my "little" bird. She seems (to me) so small after my 'zon and CAG. I'm always a bit amazed when she steps up at how light she feels. Now on to your list: Do you find your TAG a lot different from your CAG in any of the following ways: - being strictly one person birds? - ------- Nope. Absolutely no difference. My CAG arrived horribly traumatized, as an older wild, caught bird in the 70's who had been horribly neglected and was trying to commit birdiecide. He was alleged to have bitten the crap out of people, screamed his head off, never talked, had plucked every reachable feather out, and would refuse any human contact, was handled with thick leather gloves, and sticks. After having lived with me, over the course of a few months, his feathers came back, he began talking up a storm (he had years of "listening"), loved to take showers with me, and would easily move from my hand to others' even strangers. He kept a good relationship with my son from childhood to early adulthood, and while he was super affectionate with me (would preen my hair, eyebrows, and lashes -- yes, I know, great danger(!) and I would not recommend encouraging this type of behavior these days) he was very attached to my son also. The two of us lived alone, I was a single parent. He stopped plucking, feathered out beautifully, talked like a maniac, and continued to learn more words/phrases and clownish antics. My TAG, Inara, came to me at 26 months and has been a complete sweetheart. She was hand fed, loved dearly by her first people, and was well socialized when she came to us 3.5 months ago. She talks up a storm, is smart as a whip, has dubbed me her favorite, but has an attachment to my husband and greets him with a happy fluff, special whistle, and will easily transfer to him and hang out with him very relaxed. She will at times, even seek him out. Much depends on you keeping your companion socialized and active with family members. Just like humans and other companion animals, your little sweetie will naturally prefer some people and may not particularly bond with others, but if you keep her/him socialized, your fiddo will stay more relaxed about interactions which is great when it comes to Vet appointments, etc. - demanding and independant entertainment? ------------ Nope again. With all of my birds I've always kept a basic household rhythm. Not to the minute, and with enough variation so that independent play, eating, etc. is encouraged and thus becomes a habit and way of life. Inara (TAG) is a bit more demanding than Lestat (CAG) was, but she is only approaching 2.5 years old and he was much older. He also was thrilled to be in a home where he was no longer tormented and abused. Inara has known nothing but love her entire life. Although, her previous people did say that they would put her in another cage that was outside "when I couldn't stand listening to her," and one of the phrases that popped up a few times after we got her was "damn bird!" That has since extinguished. I think this probably contributed to her being re-sold at age 2. That adorable little piece of fluff that they bought eventually started to grow up and become independent and the became a typical statistic of being rehomed. If they get plenty of attention and have a rhythm, just like human children, they won't learn to scream for it, nor constantly demand to be the center of attention, and just understand that baby birds do grow up (you're already aware of this, not being new to birds). - affectionate? -------------- Close to call on this one. Beak and Beak, if you will. My CAG once he learned to trust me, became super affectionate (see above), but still loved and insisted upon plenty of time to himself. Inara is very affectionate and loves to plant kisses and lets me know how happy she is to be close. She loves (once she has burned through energy playing) to perch on my shoulder and she will gently put her little foot up to my lips for kisses, and then will bend down and give me smooches back. She is not, however, what I would call a cuddler, nor was Lestat. Greys in general are pretty independent birds, some would even say aloof. - activity level? ------------- Inara (TAG) is more active than Lestat (CAG) was, but this could be attributed to age difference. She is soooooooooooo young, and he was muuuuuuuuuuuch older. - mimicking ability? ----------------- Nope. No difference whatsoever. Huge talkers, both of them, and this speaks to (no pun intended) how environment can and will enhance or inhibit behaviors. Lestat was alleged to never have spoken or done anything but click, whir, and shriek for the years that his first "owners" had him. He became abused because of their frustration at having bought a very expensive bird and then what they saw as his refusal to "perform." When in a completely different environment with peace, love, patience, and no expectations for him to be anything but a bird, he thrived and unleashed a veritable storm of pent up words and phrases (often in appropriate context) that he had stored in his brain. Inara, too, is a great talker and I can only anticipate how she is likely to outpace Lestat simply due to their very different beginnings and lives. - loudness? ---------------- Nope. Not a difference at all. In fact, for my "little" bird, I was quite taken aback that her capacity for volume does not seem to be inhibited by her size. - dust? ----------------- I do have to say that in looking back, I believe that my CAG was a bit more dandery than Inara. She doesn't seem to throw as much dander. The only thing I do differently with her, is that I only use filtered water to mist her with, and only filtered water in her bathing bowl also. Chlorine dries skin and we live in a very arid climate and have chlorinated water on top of it. I mist her and misted Lestat every other day until nearly soaked, with just a very light mist every day. Lestat used to shower with me, on my shoulder and loved it! Again, however, the water was chlorinated, and was very hard water as is the water in our current home. So that may have contributed to his dryness and more dander. To sum it all up? With my N of only 2 (1 CAG vs. 1 TAG) I see virtually no difference other than size and coloring. I was in school and then grad school when I had Lestat (CAG) and he sailed through parties, late night studying, my being gone long hours in my lab, and teenage boys coming and going from the house and he did it all with aplomb. If he was not keen on something or someone, he would spread his wings and give a firm "arrakarak" sound and stare down what/whomever was the offender. Inara (TAG) has dealt with everything thrown her way with grace and poise except for the occasional startle response to something loud, or highly unusual (like seeing the Quaker Oat Man on a box of oatmeal for the first time!). I also believe that both experiences above are great examples of how one does not have to get a baby bird in order to develop fantastic bonds and to have companions that are talkative and wonderful companions. My 'zon never spoke a word, and had Lestat never spoken a word, I would have loved him just as deeply. Certainly we all hope for a companion Grey that will be a great talker, but due to circumstances and/or personality that may not be the case. Like the others who have already advised, I would also encourage you to visit with several birds, consider even a very young bird that needs a new home, and trust your own instincts. When I chose Inara and Inara chose me, I was looking for another CAG. I visited with three CAGS and was working on making up my mind, when I met Inara. It was love at first sight for both of us, and I was completely taken aback at how instantly she put me under her little TAG spell! That being said, I would give anything to have had a few more decades with my beloved Lestat. Final verdict? -- It's not so much (in my experience) about which type, it's about the bird her/himself. Can't wait to discover whom you come home with, and am sincerely looking forward to hearing all about your new addition!! :)

Hi Steve! You've already received great advice/feedback (welcome to the best forum ever!!), so all I will add is my congratulations on the wonderful new addition to your family!

Another source for beeswax candles with lead free wicks: http://www.avitec.com/category-s/29.htm If you're more concerned about the doggie aroma, you can get a little crockpot (the 2 cup size) and put water, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, and vanilla into it and just leave it on low. Makes the house smell great. You can do the same thing in a pot on the stove, but the little crockpots work really well, and you don't have to worry about having a hot pot of liquid forgotten on the stove. You can also take that same mixture after it has infused into the water, and put it into a little misting bottle and spritz a bit into the room. You can also have fun experimenting with other natural spice scents.

What a sweet, sweet one your Joey is!! Love that face, almost looks like a little smile -- no doubt from being so happy to now be in such loving hands. As others have said, he will certainly flourish in your care, and looks as if he has settled in marvelously! Loved the photos. He's certainly had a mysterious event with the "snow episode," and there is likely more to that story for sure. So glad that you have found one another and it's going to be so great to watch Joey continue to thrive.

Arrived late to the thread, as I'm catching up after Christmas and a houseful of people. It's so apparent how very, very loved and well cared for your precious Isaac is. You are doing a great job of maintaining your cool under what is certainly one of those periods with our beloved fids that can cause us some anxiety for sure. It's just so stressful when something appears amiss and we don't know what-the-quack is at the root of it. One thing for sure, Isaac could not be in more loving hands. Keep us posted on how he's doing and a big four-toed hug to you both!

Very Happy Hatch Day, Marco! Inara is not too far ahead age-wise and is a month shy of 2 1/2. We wish you a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong and happy life together! <3

What a great product review, and what a NICE Santa you have!! I'll really be looking forward to your aviary project and eventual rescue work. You're a good soul. <(')

Wow! I have never heard of those before. What an unnerving and remarkable experience. Am very glad that all is well.

Welcome, Riten and Mahi! What a beautiful name for such a beautiful bird. What a fortunate little fellow he is to have such a loving, caring human companion. I'll look forward to hearing more about your adventures together

YAY!! Isn't just uplifting when you see that change in maneuverability?! Go Escher, go!!!

LOVE this!! hahahaha!!

Excellent! Easy to remember. Thanks for the clarification, Dave.

It's nice of her to give you such a clear warning :D (Now I have that ancient Tony Orlando and Dawn, "Knock Three Times" song running through my head, thanks to you!! LOL) Inara picked up the screeching sound of the jays outside. Amplified to parrot-into-the-next-dimension level, it can be annoying for sure. My ancient CAG would do the sound of a piece of heavy equipment backing up -- beep beep beep. Not funny if I was bending over retrieving a dropped toy......

Way to go Chezron, and Breezy! Inara has always been very skittish about this maneuver and so I haven't spent much time on it with her. I can tell that it stresses her a bit more than just being hesitant.

Inara moved pretty smoothly into her new cage. We assembled it in front of her while she was safely in the cage that came with her that she had lived in most of her little life. She was a bit taken aback by the activity and the large parts, but we just were matter-of-fact about it all and chatted with her as usual while assembling. We then moved it at a 90 degree angle to her old cage and let it sit there for the rest of the day. She saw me cleaning every part of it, that was a familiar activity to her, since she had seen me do that with her old cage. Initially, I put one of her familiar perches into the new cage, as well as one familiar toy. Then just casually put her into the new cage onto the familiar perch, and gave her a bite of her favorite treat and let her just sit there for a few moments, then took her back out before she had an opportunity to react negatively. Did this a few times off and on over the day and evening, then back into her old cage for the night. Next day we moved her old cage into the kitchen area (to have it readily available if she truly freaked out) and put her new cage in the place where her old cage had been, and she readily went into it and was fine. She did have quite the time with the new covered feeding system but once she figured out that she could not tip the dishes and that the see through covers on the outside weren't going to be able to "get her" she adjusted well. Her first few nights, I left a night light on for her so that she could orient herself to the new space in the darkness. Her first night, she did not sleep well, I could hear her climbing around, and would occasionally give her a little flock call, but I allowed her the experience, and by the next night she was fine. It took her longer to adjust to the feeding dishes than it did to the cage itself. We then moved her old cage into our exercise room so that she can hang out in it when we're down there. She loves her new space, and as I type, she has discovered that it is a blast to talk and whistle and shout while she has her head inside the feeding areas -- it acts like a microphone/echo chamber! Am taping as we speak. I wouldn't force a bird or other animal to so something that they are terrified of. If they are simply hesitant, however, then (my opinion only, can't speak for others) I've never had a problem with a nudge. Birds in the wild are exposed to daily stressors and are often more adaptable than we give them credit for. I really like the idea of putting the smaller cage (with bird in it) inside of the larger cage, and allowing your bird to get accustomed while in his familiar cage. He may show some nervousness at first, but allow him a bit of time to calm himself, while you act normal and relaxed and just chat with him, about how cool his new cage is. Then open the door to its little cage, give him a tasty treat, ask him to step up to you, tell him how wonderful he is, and just keep him on your hand with your hand still inside the bigger cage, or put him onto the top of his old cage, then give him a tasty something and then take him to his favorite place outside of the cage. This focuses his mind away from nervousness and onto something pleasurable -- you and the treat, and lets him know that you and he can come and go safely from the new cage. Repeat this off and on, and also put him on top of the new cage even if he takes flight. Just approach it nonchalantly each time, and don't react when and if he takes off. It's normal for him to have taken flight at a new object. It does not necessarily mean that he is frightened of it, it's an instinctive response to something new, bigger, that was not there before. He could easily do the same with a new lamp, etc. You know your bird. Watch for the difference between truly frightened and merely wary or nervous. If truly frightened, don't force. If just cautious and bit skittish, then just spend the time taking back and forth, in and out, praising and rewarding and acting like the cage is fine. They take a lot of their cues from us. EDIT: Inara has a pretty relaxed personality, and is pretty intrepid. She does get startled by unexpected loud noises (the dog bellowing at the package man, loud pop from something inside of the microwave) or she will get startled if something major has changed in her environment: the xmas tree and decorations, and will take flight. But the moment I retrieve her, she's then fine with it all. So things that have moved pretty easily or seamlessly with her, I can take partial credit for due to my own scrillion years of grad school in (human and comparative) behavior science, but the larger part has to do with her particular temperament. So naturally, your mileage may and likely will vary depending on your bird's unique personality and background

Am bumping this thread up, as it's such great information. Thanks again Dave007 for sharing your knowledge. I never fed my 'zon nor my CAG chicken bones, but would give them bits of well cooked egg and well cooked chicken. Catching up on modern bird nutrition, I was unsure about chicken bones, and checked here for the answer (was making a big pot of chicken noodle soup this morning, and thought I'd check here about the bones). So to sum up and make sure I'm clear: Boiled or otherwise well cooked bone with knuckle ends prefered gristle removed Did I miss anything?

So great to hear how Breezy is doing! He will probably grow up to be a little chatterbox. I love it that both you and BaileysPapa have expressed that you would love your fids even if they never talk. I had an Amazon for 2 decades that never uttered a word. He had been through the mill and back, and all I cared about was that he had a peaceful, stable life. He loved watching, listening, and music. I loved him to the moon and back. Can't wait to see/hear some recordings of your little one!!

When Inara first came to live with us between 25-26 months old, she was definitely a closet talker. I began repeating what she would say when she was practicing, and would add onto that my own commentary :> In the evenings when she would be on her mobile perch next to our supper table, for any little noise she would make, I'd say something back to her, and give her a little bite of something in that evening's supper that she liked. Eventually, she became more and more comfortable vocalizing to/with me rather than just around me. Three months later, she will chat back and forth if we are counting or she is learning a new word or if she wants to ask for a grape or cookie bite. But the majority of her chatting is when she is at home in her cage, about two to three times during the day. She does however, talk with me when I'm cleaning her cage -- she tells me "good girl," "thank you," "water," "watch out." She will often ask now, "What are you doing?" if she can't see me, and the other day asked, "What are you cooking?" when I was in the kitchen. (I usually answer her from the kitchen with, "I'm in the kitchen cooking," when she asks "What are you doing?"). But again, I'm not within visible range when those convos take place. My first Grey, a much older CAG, Lestat, once he settled in with me (long story, can read my introduction), began talking up a storm in front of me and then in front of anyone. I agree that a lot has to do with personality. Also with time of day, and likely maturity as time goes on.

As I was sitting here with my coffee, the house quiet, I tuned in to the sound of Inara's contented beak grinding noise. It dawned on me that of all the wonderful words and sounds that she makes, that this one truly resonates deep in my heart. It brings a smile every time, as for me it signals that she feels that all is well in her world. She spent a lively morning playing on her little PVC perch, alternating between just being "busy" checking out every little part of it to make sure that she could not pry it apart with her beak; shredding some paper stuffed into a cardboard tube, happily discovering an almond in its shell that needed a lot of attention and then some good eating; flapping her wings like mad and yelling, "roll," then throwing a bit of number chat in just for good measure; asking for a cookie; some good preening time; then flying off to head for her "home," where she is perched atop her favorite rope perch, just making that lovely, contented sound. I do love so many of the things she says, I do love listening to her practice chatting, her one-sided Grey T&T conversations make me laugh, her cleverness with some of her appropriate language usage, but none warm my heart like her sounds of contentment.

Thanks for posting! Love keeping up with Dr. Pepperberg and Griffin.