Inara

Jeff, just brainstorming also here. Will she let you remove the water dish from inside the cage, rather than removing it from outside of the cage? Could there be something different (sound, movement, view) about your process for changing the dish from outside of her cage? Another thought, could she be hormonal and the water dish (for the time being) is a nest object that she is protective of? Have you tried putting a different dish in the same spot, to see if she reacts the same to it? That might be one way to troubleshoot whether it is dish specific, or if it is you specific. If it is time specific, I wonder what would happen if you began changing her water dish in the evening. If she is not actually biting you, can you get her to step onto your hand, remove her from her cage, and then calmly point to the water dish with your other hand, and move to change the water dish and see how she reacts under that circumstance? If she seems OK with that, then perhaps walk with her and the dish to put the clean water in it, then walk back to put it into its place in her cage -- all where she can see the process? Again, just brainstorming. You know your feathered companion better than anyone, so when in doubt, trust your instincts.

I have loved reading the saga of Wilber and his buddy Bigwick70. I found myself cheering you two on through the earlier posts, and smiling from ear to ear at .." Wilbur is doing great and acting all happy and nice. He gets out of his cage and goes all over the house now and has become a valued member of our family ... Learning what to watch for in their actions is definatly the key. He is such a good bird now and you can tell he loves us as much as we love him. When I get in from work, he climbs down the cage to greet me, neck all stretched out there, begging for me to notice him lol... ?" You and Wilber have done such a great job with each other!

danmcq, interesting: last night when I was relating the above to my husband, he suggested that Inara will direct a "good gilr" at our dog -- i.e., "Dezi down. Go lie down. Good girl," (which is what we say. Inara has strung them together on her own), that perhaps as I came in the door with Dezi that "Woooo good girl," may have been calling to both me (Woooo) and to Dezi (good girl). It will be fun to keep seeing how this unravels. I am, now shaping, it though so this probably will no longer be objective. As this morning, when she greeted me with "Woooo" as I said good morning, I called back with, "Woooo hears Inara," and I've repeated that a couple of times already this morning when Inara has softly called it while I have been at my laptop.

Hi Red, I agree with Dan about leaving your new companion in his cage until he really gets used to all that is in his new environment. Birds, especially Greys are very empathetic and are masters at reading body language, and picking up on your anxiety. The more nervous you feel as you approach, the more your buddy will pick up on it. So take a deep breath, relax, move slowly as you approach the cage, and talk softly. Gloves can be really freaky to birds so glad you are giving those up. You've received some other very good advice, also, there is a lot of wisdom in these forums, and it's great while you're just sitting with kuku to read through a lot of the old posts here, especially the "sticky" ones. Here is a really good article, by an Avian Veterinarian,that is well worth reading from start to finish: Stress Reduction for Parrot Companions You will find in it some good ways to help reduce your new pal's stress, as well as increase bonding between you two. You will have a lifetime with kuku, so all the patience and work you do now, will reap you both wonderful rewards in the years to come. I'm just so delighted for you and kuku, and am cheering you on!

What a sweetie Tequila is! Loved the photos and introduction. Can't wait to see more and hear more about your journey together.

katieG that is so great! Paco must be feeling comfortable to be chatting so. My very first CAG was a wild caught, then badly neglected/abused rescue, who purportedly never talked. Once he settled in and felt safe (this took some major time), in a calm environment he wound up chatting up a storm. It speaks well (no pun intended) for you and your home, that Paco is feeling she can speak up. Really enjoyed reading this, and am looking forward to updates

How lovely to read this, this morning! You and Bailey sound as if you are just meant for one another, truly. I'm so delighted for you both!

No offense, taken, BaileysPapa, I was tardy in coming up for a name for myself (as her first people went by Mommy and Daddy), and apparently Inara took the lead I also agree that these intelligent creatures need, and are capable of creating, ways of identifying each other and their non-feathered companions as well. I'm pretty sure that "Woooo" is Inara's identity for me. Frequently yesterday she would say it when I would walk into view, and this morning, after I was outside with our dog, as I came through the door, Inara said, "Woooo good girl." It's very different in cadence from the woop or whoop sound. Yesterday, morning after my husband left for work, Inara climbed down to the rim of the splash guard on her mobile perch (she'd been eating and preening) and scooted over to one particular corner that is positioned by Joe's chair in our living room. She leaned and looked at Joe's chair, and said, "Jo-oe." He usually puts out his arm when she moves to that corner, and she climbs up, perches on his shoulder and "reads the news" with him in the evening. So she definitely associates "Joe" with Joe, thus leading me to believe that consistently saying "Woooo" when she sees me, is not random. It certainly could just mean, "Hey come take me out of my cage, and feed me breakfast, and play with me," but I'm tuned in to her subtleties, and it appears more than that. What exactly, needs more time to be determined. Interacting with these intelligent beings really gives us the gift of self examination also, doesn't it? Wouldn't trade it for the world!

Rick, your account of you and Cosmo seriously brought me to tears. As stewards of our beloved companions, it is just heartbreaking to even contemplate how you must have felt. Thank goodness that you, Cosmo, and Sylvester weathered that horrific storm, and the ensuing days.

Also agree with the other posters. Be sure, if you do buy a used cage from Craigslist or other place that even if it looks clean, you (what we in our house call) "granny" clean it -- meaning clean crevices, etc. with an old clean toothbrush to get out every last bit of its former resident, and then sterilize/disinfect the cage with a non-toxic disinfectant (vinegar in boiling water, grapefruit seed extract in water, or commercial non-toxic product, etc) then rinse, rinse, and allow to dry completely. You probably already know all this, jgerardo, am just stating in case someone newer to bird life is reading

Really enjoyed picking up some new ideas here from everyone!

You are apparently a TAG magnet :D I commend you on your self control and your successful avoidance of a case of MBS! Like many others, I too believe that our non-human companions of all types of feathers/fur/scales often choose us as much as we choose them. As an artist, I love Escher's name, by the way!

The name is: Woooo. It began yesterday. I was approaching Inara's home to take her out for her breakfast and mobile perch time, and she said an excited, "Woooo!" I laughed thinking it was just funny as I had heard her say it a couple of times over the past few days. Throughout the day several times (not every time) when I would approach her, she would excitedly say, "Woooo." I began to suspect... This morning when I approached her home, she again said, "Woooo!" And when I opened the door, and began to reach in, she excitedly hopped up and down three times and said, "Woooooooo!" Immediately upon stepping onto my hand, she climbed up to my shoulder, gave me a kiss and said very sweetly, "Woooo." As I was fixing her breakfast she peered over my shoulder, then looked directly at me and again said, "Woooo." Later while we were just hanging out together with her perched upon my knee, she said, "Inara good girrrl" then mumble chirp, click, mumble. Then she climbed up to my chest and looked at me and again said, "Woooo." Then proceeded to just chirp and chat and mumble. When it was time for her quiet time back in her home, as I walked away, she whistled and called, "Woooo." So she definitely has associated "Woooo," with me. What exactly it means, is truly meant to be seen, She does now associate "Joe" with Joe, and "Dezi" with Dezi. I intentionally have not referred to myself as "Mommy" or any other name. I just say, "I hear you, I'm in here," or "It's OK," when she calls out from her home to ensure that she is not alone. Woooo could just mean, "come get me out of my cage, or I like that," or a myriad of other things. However, if my suspicions are correct, I'm suspecting that I shall be "Woooo" forever more.

Thank you all for the positive feedback. Inara and I are having a great time settling in together, as you can see

Prior to coming to live with me, Inara's human companions had fed her a 'southern comfort food' type of human diet replete with Hamburger Helper, Tater Tot Casserole, lots of cheese, etc. For many of us humans, food = love. These were given to her with lots of love. Well, too much of anything even good things can wreak havoc. Too much 'love' can become smothering rather than nurturing. Well intentioned as it was, we don't eat that way in our home, and even way back in the 70s, I didn't feed my birds that way, nor did I feed them a seed diet either. My "granola" mentality served both me and my feathered companions well as they got plenty of fresh veggies, fruits, sprouts, cooked legumes, and unsprayed/organic produce. In those days people just thought I was a health nut. Today, as we know more about the effect of nutrition on human health, we also know more about nutrition's effect on our non-human companions. Therefore -- after day 1, I began the switch with Inara's eating choices. Since 'taters' appeared to be one of her go to foods, I began by peeling and soft cooking a potato, but without adding the milk, butter, and salt. Instead I added some pureed organic baby food vegetables, and a tish of hot red pepper sauce. To say she loved it is an understatement! The wacky, wild, Grey head bobbing perch dance ensued after the first couple of bites -- which was offered warm, on a spoon. Daily I would add to the same basic mash recipe, finely chopped (think Order-before-midnight-tonight-magic-bullet-chopper) broccoli, carrots, and finally other greens (introducing one at a time). Inara continued to love the mash, as well as the addition of chunks of home made 'parrot bread,' but would not eat it in her cage, she would only eat it if I hand fed it with her perched on her play perch near our supper table. I believe because she was used to eating off of her former people's plates while she wandered around the table. (Not judging here, I let her eat while perched on me when we're just hanging out together on the couch, when I give her a small treat). As much as I adore her, I am not going to hand feed her every evening, she is two years old and no longer a baby and will benefit from more independence. So once I knew for sure that she would eat the mash, with less and less of the potato and more and more of the other veggies, I ordered a little 5 oz coop cup and attached it to her play perch. Naturally, I thought that this would be a 1-2-3 easy maneuver to get her to eat her warm/wet dinners on her own. Uh... no. Our heretofore relaxed and easy going girl, decided that the coop cup was something incredibly scary and refused to go near it. I had placed it down near the two cup rings at the bottom of this particular type of mobile perch. Well, it dawned on me that, if a bird is afraid of something, having to go down low to explore it will likely exacerbate the fear. So I put the cup up high adjacent to the top perch, made sure it was very secure, then inch by inch fed Inara her favorite treat (organic apple pieces -- yes, I know, not a lot of nutrition there, but great for training with her) and moved closer and closer to the cup with each piece, then dropped a couple of good sized ones into the cup. After much beaking and trying to move the cup, and bit of side to side dancing, and 'big wings' ( lifting her wings for me, which usually results in getting a piece of apple) she finally dipped her head into the dish and picked out an apple piece. After this success, I then put her warm mash in the dish, a couple nutra-berry popcorns, some organic 'cheerios' and a couple of sunflower seeds. She chowed down and was happy as a lark. This coop cup process took the better part of 90 minutes. Some important considerations: 1) Hunger is the best spice. Meaning, while I would not ever deprive her of food, I did capitalize upon her natural daily rhythm and introduced the new food combos during those times, and did not give her treats or snacks between those two times. She was ready to eat, and this made accepting the newer foods easier. 2) Mornings, I gave her organic sprouted bread toast and organic apple bits. These are now two of her favorite foods, and much better than white bread toast with butter and jelly (her former version of breakfast). She made that switch very easily because the toast felt familiar. 3) I took a favorite food (potato) and used it as the base to begin the overall change, by having it be the greater proportion at first, then daily reducing its amount while adding in new vegetables one at a time. 4) When Inara began eating her healthier versions, I then began putting dry foodstuffs (commercial mix) into her cage and into it put bits of homemade parrot bread and various other odd bits that she can forage around in when she wishes. 5) Having the patience to try, try again with the coop cup until like Goldilocks we found just the right place for it, has now made feeding her warm, wet foods (as well as clean up) a pleasurable experience for both her and us. 6) Every bird is different. What works with one may or may not work with another. That being said, patience, a calm approach, a sense of humor, rethinking original strategies, and being consistent go a long way. Now, Inara happily eats sitting atop her play perch, while we sit at the table nearby. I now, also hand her little tidbits when she scootches over and does the fireman slide down the perch pole to come in close. She then, happily heads back up top to finish up the good stuff in her cup. Soon, we'll begin working on more fresh, leafy greens woven through the bars of her cage, and will continue to introduce new foods. She's much more receptive now that we've broken through that southern comfort food barrier.

Welcome, DeltaDawn. While I'm not new to Greys and Amazons, I am new to this forum, myself. It really is a great place and I've enjoyed (after a loooong gap between birds) brushing up on older info and learning more up to date philosophies and information. Would love to see some photos of your companions, and am looking forward to getting to know you and them better.

Wow!! Very fun, and a whale it certainly is!

How beautiful and adorable is she??! Loved this!

Thank you all for your kind words! As my Scottish friend said today, "I can tell you two are completely besotted with one another." -- besotted, perfect description!

They are just so fascinating and sensitive, aren't they? I can't begin to describe (after no beaks in the house since the late 90s) what an absolute J O Y it is to experience this unique type of companionship again. Your Cosmo stories just tickle me grey.

Thanks for my morning dose of cuteness! I replayed it a few times also, as it makes me laugh!

Wishing for you a speedy recovery, and for your beautiful companion as little stress as possible.

Rick, very cool example of sizing up a situation and going for the most elegant solution.

I've often said nearly the exact same words. They are an alien (to us) species, and while we may be able to share some of the same spoken words we cannot expect them to be 'human' any more than we can be 'bird.' It is delightful, when we have shared language breakthroughs with one another, like Alex and "cork nut", Koko (the gorilla) and some of her idiosyncratic signed words, and Athena and "T-bird." Inversely, when we are able to read our companions' non-verbal signals and/or chirps and other native to them sounds, and offer (what would be to them) an appropriate reaction/response, they are often just as delighted, and therein is where the companionship bonds are formed that go beyond food reinforcement. Excellent thread.