Talon

I have 3 parrots, one I got as a baby at 8 1/2 weeks old, an amazon I got at 6 months old, and a cag I got as her 4th home when she was 2 1/2 years old. M bond with her is as strong if not stronger than my others. I see no difference. A lot depends on the baggage they come with, their personalities and how you interact with them.

I have 2 small dogs who think the furniture in the house is there for them so they are always on it. I also have 3 cats, (2 are indoor) one of the cats is totally blind. MY cats never bother the birds, they are too big for them, but occasionally my outdoor cat will stalk my parakeets in their cage, but gets a stern no and a spritz from a spray bottle. It rarely happens anymore. All my animals are afraid of the birds, Nilah my amazon will run towards any of them and bite them, and they run the other direction. In the beginning though, I never took my eyes off of any of them until they felt comfortable and I understood their behaviors and acceptance of each other. Tragedy can strike in a second, so never allow them out unsupervised in the same room.

Curious...do you still own the amazon? If not, what happened to it?

IMO..I think the first one is too small. Once you add the various perches, toys, etc.. There wont be a lot of room. I have the second one like Judy dos, but I use it for my tag. For $300 that seems like a lot of $$. I think you can get a much larger one for the same money. I have 2 macaws size cages for my cag & amazon, I didn't pay more than $300 brand new.

Excellent! I will try this new recipe next time as well.

Oh SterlingSL, I am so sorry for your loss. There are no words.....I am glad you have a special memorial in his honor. Jeez, I tear up and cry every time a grey in our family here flies over the rainbow bridge..to join the waiting flock.

That's so cool! What a milestone. Doesn't it all seem worth the wait now?

I use non-toxic, no fumes oven cleaner. I do have a self cleaning oven, many times, I will start the cycle, but end it after about 10 minutes. I keep my fan on, open windows and birds in their cages. I have been doing it this way for 8 years....

Yes, that picture is my Rikki also. She does this frequently, her way of telling me she wants something or to go somewhere, although she is an incredible flyer!

WOW! Fantastic!!!

My cag does te same thing, but sometimes quivers as well. She wasn't allowed to fly until I got her, but I think it is because she was clipped and couldn't fly, but wanted to. It's as tho they want to take off and fly somewhere but can't or aren't sure. Usually when she does this, I talk to her and reassure her I am near. Or I go and pick her up and bring her with me.

Yes, my greys seem to be molting as well. Lots of spray baths with aloe is in order I think.

Funny, this these replies remind me, that Nilah my amazon prefers to step up onto the back of your flat hand only in the am when I get her out of her cage. Other times, she could care less as long as she is on you.

That was very sweet to watch. She loves you so much!

Thanks for the info....usually push into the lower tummy in and out repeatedly with encouragement works, but guess you have a stubborn one there...

Welcome to our family and thank you for such an informative post, it helps with the advice you will get here. I have a tag and a cag in my home. First off, there is o guarantee that your grey will talk, some never do, you need to know there is no guarantee it will. But they will be just as sweet and loving as one who doesn't. I can defininately say, that my tag is very easy going, less afraid of new things, but still fearful occasionally of some things. She is sweet and kind, but very much a practical joker when you least expect it. She even laughs after she gets us. She talked very early, she said her first word at 4 months. She is not a cuddler and doesn't like to be petted or rubbed unless she asks, and then it's only for about 3 seconds at a time at your request. My cag is scared of everything, has a much louder talking voice, loves loves loves cuddles at night. But like I said, much more nervous and fearful of everything I bring into the house even any new item sitting on the counter will make her shy way. Hope this helps, and please keep us updated. Don't think males vs females makes a difference, but I have all girls. And yes they all bite on occasion, so beware, some here have greys that never bite, but most wil Especially when they feel threatened and you have to learn to read their body language, which is a lifelong lesson.

That's great! Lots of praise whenever he steps up. When you ask him to step up, where do you put your finger in regards to his body?

Yes, this is completely normal for a grey. They just want to be wherever you are and e a part of what your doing. They are flock creatures and you are part of their flock. You could set up a schedule for them of out of cage time, and give them a few hours in his cage in the afternoon. That's when they usually like quiet/nap time. I was home most of the time for a few years, And allowed them out all day and they would misbehave a lot, I found once I gave them their quiet time, they were happier birds

Hi everyone, I just wanted to update. I decided not to take Talon to the vet for the time being. She appears to be doing very well after her soaking on Sunday. in fact, she has been very active, plying more and seemingly much happier. So I will continue the soaking events regularly, and see in time if I notice anything more. Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions, I have used many of them. I even added a paper roll in her cage and she has been having fun with that, also I poked small holes into an empty toilet paper roll, and poked long uncooked noodles (her avorite teat) into each hole and hung it in her cage. SHe loved that as well!

Wow that's excellent !

I mean it, and I, we, re here for you. Stay strong and any time you need a talking to, I'm good for it. You will have up days and down days, but that will only make you stronger. Rely on your flock to see you thru and they will. You are needed and loved by them.

Chezron, I have known you almost since the beginning here. I have always read and looked forward to what you contribute to our family. NEVER EVER make life changing decisions when you're going thru a divorce, depression or any other type of grief. You are grieving, but you are grieving for a person that didn't exist. He is not the person you thought he was, you were in love with someone you thought existed, but really never did, or he wouldn't have left you. He did you a favor, but you won't realize that for quite some time. Trust me on that. You are living day to day in a fog, unable to see things clearly. You NEED your birds to help you thru this difficult time. And you will get thru it. They will help you. They understand, and having you as a depressed person is something they will accept for as long as needed. They know your sad, and in them keeping quiet, they are just letti g you know they don't need your excitement and interaction, they will just be. It won't change them, it will make them show you their love for you even more. They need you and only you to keep their life and home stable. It is not the time to uproot them. I am very sorry for the difficulty you are experiencing, but we are here for you. Please come here and vent, share,cry, or just let us know how your day is. It WILL get better, but for now, you need to take care of yourself and your flock, one day at a time, don't look past that. The future will wait. We are here for you, we are your family

Thanks for the pics. Talon seems to like small toys, but maybe I will try something different with her and make her work harder! Thank you everyone for all the advice and suggestions. I need to get more creative. It's hard to remember to change things up when working full time and kids and other animals. Guess I need a kick in the butt.