Candi

He was mad at me all day yesterday! Every time I talked to him he would turn his head the other way. When I left the room he didn't call for me like he usually does. When I needed him to step up to put him to bed for the night, he gave me this look, growled and then stepped up. He did what I asked, but he made sure I knew he wasn't happy about it, lol! He seems ok this morning...we are playing peek-a-boo, which he initiated...so I guess he is done giving me the silent treatment ...for now anyway!

Well we made it to the vet and we survived, lol! What an ordeal...he growled and hissed and bit, but we did it and he has a clean bill of health!

Well that was a disaster! Echo was sitting on top of his cage, chatting up a storm, happy as can be. He came right to me when I asked him to step up...and then I tried to put him in his carrier to get him to the vets. I moved slowly and reassured him very calmly, but as soon as I got him close to the carrier he flew off and flew around the room like a madman! He landed on the floor...thank goodness he didn't run into anything and hurt himself. He came right back to me and I tried again to get him into the carrier and he flew into his cage and wont come out. I rescheduled his appointment to a time when someone will be home to help me, so we will try again tomorrow.

Thanks for the tips guys! I wish I would have thought of that before making the appointment, I was just thinking get him in as soon as possible...since its been so long since he's been seen. Well I will remain calm and carry on, lol! I will let you guys know how his check up goes this evening! Have a wonderful day!

He doesn't like getting misted with a spray bottle, after he is a little more comfy with us I hope to get him taking showers with me. But for now do you think it would be ok to put a little aloe juice in his bath dish?

Im ordering it right now! Thanks for the help guys!

Thanks guys! I am so grateful to have found this site...you guys are great! Its inspirational to hear your success stories and gives me great hope for Echos future. I wouldn't love him any less if he was completely featherless...but it breaks my heart to think that he is so unhappy/stressed/bored that he has to resort to mutilating himself. You are exactly right Inara, I expect nothing of him but to be a bird, just hopefully a happy and healthy bird!

Echo has his first appointment with his new vet tomorrow. I don't think he has been to the vet in over ten years, and that was an emergency trip. Anybody have any tips on how to make this as minimally stressful as possible for him?

His previous family tried the sock buddy with him and said that he didn't like it... I think I will probably try it again with him after he is a little more comfortable with me handling him.

Thank you so much for your kind words! I am just thrilled with all of the progress he has made today! He has gone from a shy timid bird to a total clown, lol! His vocabulary is much broader then we previously thought...its absolutely amazing! While I love dogs and cats, I can honestly say I have never felt such a bond and deep love for an animal before him, he is just like one of my kids already. I see now why bird owners are hardcore bird lovers...how can you not be!

He is doing so well today, he just finished taking a bath for the first time!

Thank you very much for the info! Its a little overwhelming as a newbie...there are so many do's and dont's! I didn't think that advice was correct and now I know. Its wonderful having all of this knowledge and experience in one place, thanks again!

Thanks BaileysPapa! I wish I could take credit for his clever name, but it came with him, lol!

I watched a documentary the other day where they did an MRI scan on the brain of a killer whale. The scan showed that the limbic area of a killer whales brain, where emotion is processed, is far more developed than that of a human brain. Which poses evidence that a killer whale could possibly have emotions that human beings cant even grasp. Even after all we have learned in the last few decades, we still know so little about the creatures we share this earth with. Yet humans continue to treat animals from every species like we own them. They were here long before us and I'm sure most will thrive long after we are gone. This group may have a hard road ahead of them, but I salute their courage and their effort. To make big changes, sometimes you have to start small...but you have to start somewhere.

Any opinions on UVA/UVB/Full Spectrum lighting? I know Greys are notorious for calcium deficiencies so I thought it would be beneficial to have a full spectrum light by Echos cage. But I was told that they are not necessary and basically just a waste of money...any thoughts? :confused: