Caspersmum

Hey Beccy, Casper goes WILD for curry - I tend to feed it to him with some rice on a spoon. He's also very partial to eating the sauce with some Naan bread! I'd say go for it! Julia

Hey Beccy, To quote some of my more sensible lecturers - the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. I think it's always better to be safe than sorry, so ask away! Julia

I'm with Judy on this one Rae. I think its fine - Casper's poo changes colour quite frequently - from quite vibrant green to brown - I think it depends on what they eat. As Judy says, I'd keep an eye on it for a few days, and try feeding her different stuff (Angie, not Judy!) - it may be the pellet and peanut butter mixture you're feeding her that's causing the change. Also she's just a baby still - and certainly in humans baby poo changes colour a lot depending on what they've eaten, and if they're having a growth spurt - when they break down blood cells it comes out in poo as brown (sorry if that's a bit too much information! But I hope it puts your mind at rest. Julia

Jalapenos are one of caspers favourites too - whenever I get pizza we have a fight over who gets the chillis. He goes mad for any hot stuff! Julia

I think they all make similar claims, although I think Harrisons is the only one that's 100% organic (or so they say). I know it sounds expensive at this stage, but if Angie doesn't like the kaytee after a good trial of it, then try another one - as I said, Casper hated the first one I got for him (it was Pretty Bird), but took to the second one I tried. I think they've all got their own tastes! Keep us posted on the progress! Julia

I agree with what Monique just said - and wild birds are just the same - think about the dawn chorus, and the racket that starlings make at night when they're roosting. I think it must be one of those natural birdy things. I know Casper won't shut up in the morning when I wake him up - he whistles away for a good half hour, even when he's having his breakfast. Julia

Hi Rae, I think the odd bit of diarrhoea is nothing to worry about - it just depends how much fluid they've had recently - and there's lots in fruit and some veg, as well as drinking water. If you've been making pellet mush for Angie, it's likely to have increased her fluid intake. Which pellets are you using? there's a good thread somewhere on the site (I think its called Harrisons). I found that Casper didn't like the stuff I could get in a pet shop here, but then I tied him on Hagen tropican, which he took to really quickly. Try feeding angie with some from your fingers, then she'll think its a treat. Welcome to the site! Julia

I don't think sex has much to do with personality - I think they're all individuals. Alot of people think that male birds prefer female humans (this definitely seems to be true with Casper, my CAG), and vice versa, but I don't know how true this is. As for temperature, I think keeping it constant is more impertant than the actual temperature. I'm not sure about air conditioning, but it's not a good idea to have them in full sunlight all the time (like in a conservatory), because they can get overheated with no way of cooling down. Julia PS, in response to your instant message, I'm doing great - revising infectious diseases for a test tomorrow. The fun never ends. How about you?!

Hey spookyhurst, I had another thought that might help reassure you. Albimun is a way of measuring how concentrated the blood is, and potassium is excreted in the urine - if Nikko had done a big poo just before he had his blood test (which is very likely), it's highly likely that these measures would be at the edges of normal. Blood tests are a snap shot in time, and can vary quite alot in a very short space of time - which is why 'normal' ranges are quite wide. Julia

Hi estream. I have a suggestion - I noticed in one of your pictures of ? an amazon that you've got a turquise toy with lots of holes in it (not sure what it's called). I've got one hanging in Caspers cage, and stuff it full of bits of paper and lolipop sticks, which gives Casper hours of parroty fun as he tries to get all of the paper out, which he can then shred. He never seems to tire of it, and it keeps him occupied while I'm at uni. He's had it for about 5 months now, and it's still holding up to the abuse! Julia

Hi Spookyhurst, I'm no vet, gut I am a medical student! You were saying that the values were all in the normal range, but close to the edges - if this is the case, I shouldn't worry. Albumin is a protein that carries all sorts of things round the body, and it's produced in the liver. When it gets broken down it's pee'd out (or the birdy equivalent - the white bit of their poo). If it was low I'd be worried, as it means that the liver isn't working properly, but I think it's fine if it's a bit high. As for the calcium and potassium, these can vary quite considerably over just a few hours. If you want to increase potassium, there's lots in bananas and potatoes. As for the calcium, there's plenty in meat (I feed casper with small amounts of chicken and fish if I'm eating it), and I also give him small dog rawhide chews, which contain calcium. Julia

Hi Bronxboomer, The other thing I'd want to know is how old the other birds are - are they older? It'd be unusual for the pet shop to have just one bird from the clutch, while still having other older birds (call me suspicious!), Julia

Hi Zandische, When I got my baby birds they were the same - I'm sure you've noticed they've got really big feet, and even at 20 months, Casper's not good at walking on the flat. My other babies were really clumsy when I first bought them home - so I don't think it's any problem. I'd just suggest keeping perches in her cage low down to start with, then gradually move them up as she gets less clumsy! Julia

Hi, and as Jimmy says, welcome to the site - it's a great site, and there's usually someone who can answer your questions however bizarre! Julia

Hi Jimmy, From everything I've read it's not good for them - although I have no idea why - I think there's another thread about this on the site, which might give you more information. On the other hand, I think that sometimes people are very cautious just because it's not known for sure - on the 'better safe than sorry' line of thought! Julia

Hey Deedee, I'm so pleased you're making such great progress. Just another handy hint in addition to what Monique said - about how they can seem really sweet and loving, then suddenly take a chunk out of you. I've had this problem with Casper when I first got him - he hadn't been abused as badly as Pepsi - it was more the case that his previous owners didn't understand about birds. He'd be sitting on my knee having a head scratch, then suddenly go for my fingers. I'm sure you've already noticed, but greys have VERY subtle body language, which you can only learn through time (and a fair few bites!). I dealt with this by very carefully observing Casper's body language - paying particular attention to his eyes. As soon as he gets 'that look' I withdraw my hand until he's calmed down. Keep at it - as you seem to have found out, it's sooo rewarding - I think even more so than when you get a baby, because you know that you've made a real difference in this small bird's life! Julia

I agree too - I think if you go for it, once you get him home it'll all change - it sounds like you've been really sensible in preparing for his homecoming, and if you keep up that enthusiasm he'll love you! Julia

Thanks FairY! I love Harrison's cage - That's the sort of thing I'm after once I graduate - only a year to go Casper!

I'm not sure how to teach her to glide, but it's likely that if her wings were badly clipped that her flying muscles will be weak. You can help to strengthen her muscles by encouraging her to flap her wings more to build them up - as Casper's clipped I do this with him anyway, to make sure he gets plenty of exercise. Once she's more confident on your forearm, if you raise your arm up and quite gently she'll start flapping her wings (you need to experiment as to how fast you need to do this). If you give her lots of praise, you can make it into a game, and from my exerience, once she's strong enough she'll try to fly too - just keep your arm pretty close to the floor so she doesn't have too far to fall. I'm sure other people will have more advice, but this has worked for me. Let us know how you're getting on - it sounds like you're ,making great progress, Julia

Hi, I'd be delighted to post pictures of Casper's cage, but I'm slightly ashamed! It's a bit shabby, and not as big as I'd like it to be - having seen lots of nice pictures of everyone else's cages, I'm a bit embarassed - it's kind of like having a beaten up old mini next to everyone else's rolls royce! Julia PS - he has got a FAB climbing frame thought - and there's plenty of pics on my profile page

Hi deedee, I just wondered what sort of play stand you're thinking of getting - I've kind of lost the tread of what everyone's been saying (the study's getting to me I'm afraid!)- I'm sure you've read all about height, and how important it is to keep a bird's eye-level below yours - if it helps, there are some great table-top play stand, and in your case, I'd be tempted to get one of these, as you can put it on various height surfaces so you can get the optimum for you and pepsi. Julia

I didn't have him at the time, but Casper apparently started talking at 6 months. I'd definitely go along with what Talon said. If you want to go all out, google the Alex studies - to get your birdie talking intelligently - it's too complicated to explain here, but fascinating to read about - alex uses language like a small child, and there's information about how you can train your own bird - but again, as Talon says, they pick stuff up, just because they hear you repeating words. Julia

Hi, and welcome to the site, Just thought I'd add my tuppence worth to what the others have said. I keep really odd hours, as I'm a medical student, and I can be at home studying alot of the time, while on other days I'm in the hospital for 12 hours at a stretch. Casper goes to bed at 10(ish), and gets woken up at about 7.30 - which gives him about 9.5 hours sleep each night. I have him out of the cage whenever I'm at home, but this varies greatly from day to day. This goes completely against everything that we've ever read about parrots, bed times, and schedules. It seems to work for us - and if you're getting your CAG as a baby, they're remarkably flexible. Casper gets pellets and fresh fruit and water in the morning, then 'human' food at night. I also have more pellets in the feeder on his play stand, which he can eat if he gets a bit peckish (who said he's spoilt?!). I'm sure some people will disagree, but you just need to make things work for you - and I have read other books that say parrots only need 8 hours of continuous sleep. Julia

Wow, that's really hard. It sounds like you're doing the right things. As for reward treats, have you tried banana chips? They have the advantage that if you get big ones pepsi's beak wont be able to reach your fingers. It's certainly strange that she seems to have taken so badly to you, but not to other people. I think you need to go back to the pet shop and ask for some more information about the previous owners - was pepsi actually abused by them? If so perhaps there's something about you - looks, smell, mannerisms - that remind pepsi of her previous life. Whatever the case, you're going to have to let Pepsi build up her trust in you, and it'll take alot of time and patience. Afew more questions for you - what's her cage like, where is the cage - which room in the house, and where abouts in the room? It can all make a huge difference to parrot behaviour (but then it sounds like you've been doing a lot of reading anyway). One more thing - keep at it - it sounds like you've let yourself in for a difficult job, but from experience, it can be very rewarding - you just need to keep on staying calm and patient. Julia

Wendy, That's really lovely. I'm afraid I have no idea why Casper's called Casper, except that his previous owners' children (2 and 4 years old) named him - and I felt it was unfair to change his name. It really suits his personality though, so I don't mind. Glad about the houmous! Julia