LNCAG

My latest issue (besides Snickers now refusing brown rice) is convincing him that my own homemade rice is the same as his favourite frozen variety of Birdseye. I even tried a rice steamer, which provides loose rice as opposed to the rejected stuck-together rice. I have made some progress. But how in the heck does he know the difference in white rice? He's fine with my own version of peas, carrots, corn, etc.. but he is addicted to this frozen brand of rice. CRAZY! Rice is rice to me -- but esp less-nutritious white rice all tastes the same. Yes? I have purchased 500 bags of this frozen rice mix... thanks Snickers. The cheapest food on the planet and frozen Birdseye makes it costly. lol [And oh how I long to get him on brown rice again -- so much healthier.] Gotta love a smart grey!!! He KNOWS somehow.

I've been blessed. I can add new foods from time to time and they are accepted and eaten by Snickers. Now, a whole dish of never-seen-before foods would probably be rejected. But by adding one new item at a time -- he tastes it. It will eventually be a regular in his dish. Patience.... No parrot will starve itself, not in my home. They want to live, the want to eat. Patience....

We all live with the parrot choices we made. Some get it sooner than others. This is an important thread if we want to change our thinking re: wild parrots going domestic. "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." From there: we do our best with forced-domesticated home companion parrots. Who knows, maybe evolution intended for parrots to watch Nick at Night and Spongebob! (hopeful -- haha haha). I just remind people that we humans don't live as our ancestors did either, if that's any consolation. It IS a new world out there.

Hindsight is 20/20. Second-guessing yourself will drive you mad. (sigh) I figure I made the best decisions I could, at the time, with the knowledge I had. I just try to make better decisions for my pets as time goes on. I originally viewed parrots as just 'pets' - whereas now I realize they had a right to their own life. Once tamed, they can't just be re-released into their natural environment easily or safely. So for me, parrot sanctuaries (which you have to pay A LOT to place your babies there) are sort of the next best thing. Heaven knows my parrots would never make it in their real wild environment now. And business men are tearing down their natural environments with complete disregard anyway. Plus climate change. I am satisfied with compromise and doing my best by my sweet Snickers (grey) who is still in my home. Don't we all sort of live fake lives these days? Away from nature? In our homes watching our laptops and phones? Internet, artificial light, heat & a/c? I guess parrots adapt as we have. But OH to have never been taken any from the wild in the first place. Or to never have been domestically bred where they never knew their wild cousins and natural landscapes! But what's done is done. I do sometimes imagine the families and friends in flocks my parrots might have had in the wild. We adapted and so did our sweet parrots. They may never have thrived or survived without man's interference anyway. Or at least I tell myself that when I need to believe it. I can't undo my past choices and my parrots must live with those choices. At least we can spoil them a little, say "I'm sorry" and give them the best life we can in our safe predictable artificial homes.

If I could go back to the 1996 when I first adopted a parrot; I wouldn't. At the time they seemed like amazing colourful pets. I have since placed 3 of my dear parrots in a parrot sanctuary so they can fly free. I kept Snickers (my grey) because he can be difficult but my other parrots were those well adjusted, social, never-met-a-stranger types. I think they are happier flying free with others of their own kind -- it's a HUGE aviary -- lot of room for full flight. Today I wouldn't think breeding parrots is a good thing. But 20+ years ago -- I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I have a meme on my fridge: "you are forever responsible for what you have tamed". Those words mean more to now than when I first put it on my fridge. We do our best with caged companions, try to give them lots of free time outside their cage, provide toys and attention, cuddles, offer healthy varied diets -- but it's not being free. Most don't even know better, our world is all they've known, and I want to believe they find some happiness in our homes in spite of us knowing better. Please... no haters. I kept indoor (my home) caged/companion parrots for 22 years so I AM you too. I still have Snickers in my home. But at my death, he too will go the parrot sanctuary and get a glimpse of the world he was meant for.

Alfie is blessed with an caring loving owner! I'm not worried -- you've got this!

Snickers enjoyed this -- he head-bobbed to it several times. [they must wonder how such images come out of a laptop screen]

Your parrot is different -- he's sexually mature and he has changed over the years as you have. I do think parrot-human relationships have their ups and downs. I consider this just a less favourable season right now for you guys. And seasons change (sometimes slower than we want). You have my full empathy - it's sad to be have to be so wary and careful with a parrot -- esp when things used to be calmer/safer. Hoping better days to come!!!

I check here regularly also. And if there is anything I feel I can reply to -- I do. I started on Compuserve Forums -- loved their Birds Forum. But then they went the way of the web and sort of died out. Today there is just too much competition for your online time.

Wobble correction can help. Also, pushing into their beak -- they expect you to pull away. Pushing into the bite usually makes them let go and have a re-think since it's not pleasant nor fun for the parrot. Good luck, it's so hard to un-teach negative behaviours. :(

Snickers prefers the fruity pellets (Zupreem). I know there are healthier pelleted diets available, but since it's not his main meal - I just view them as treats (or something to snack on between healthier meals). I think it would be difficult to interest him in 'all-one-colour-healthier' pellets. I may be wrong. If his main diet was pelleted, I would probably mix pellet types. Hope your guy starts becoming more adventurous in trying new foods. Perhaps you could eat such stuff around him (like really in his personal space) and deliberately NOT share -- esp since they always want they can't have? Like a big production of eating around him, letting him have a sniff and then pulling dish back away from him? Force him to steal a bite? I dunno -- these greys are so smart, he might not fall for it anyway. lol

Snickers is always a talker, but I have noticed he talks (or whistles) a LOT more when I leave the room. He needs me to answer back to him -- guess he just needs reassurance from his flock (me). It comforts him to hear me reply back and know that all is well even when I'm out of view. He also seems to know when I am out of the house, because I don't hear him calling as I return home. So he appears to know when I am within range, I suppose.

I can't imagine a parrot starving to death as long as they recognize what's offered IS edible. I suppose mine has a varied diet because I would offer things that I was also eating. I made his first fresh foods seem more like me sharing with him than just dumping it in his dish and letting him figure it out. His main diet is fresh fruit/veg/starches. He came to me on a seed/pellet diet. He already liked seed mixes & peanuts but would pick through his pellets, eating only his favourite colours first. But if I am patient, he will eventually even eat the pellets in the non-desirable colours. I consider seed/pellets as treats -- not his main diet. With fruit/veg/rice/pasta... I guess he figured it out that this was what was being offered and relented and tried the foods I feed. Seeing me eat the same foods helped a LOT. He's so healthy, with good feathering and bright eyes. Patience works.

I was lucky - I bought mine from his breeder who had had Snickers returned to her twice -- so he already knew a lot of words and phrases. Plus he's learned a lot more with me. And he can say things appropriate to situations. He was considered unadoptable by the breeder due to behavioural/biting issues (due to poor previous homes) but I convinced her to let me have a trial period with him and found success. I really wanted a known talker... had no idea he would bond so well with me and lose all of his undesirable behaviours she claimed he had. Snickers also does sound affects -- worst is the sound of my smoke alarm; plus he can do the sound of a truck backing up. He repeats most household sounds (but not the phone - go figure). He's also an excellent whistler. Doesn't sing though.

Glad the tests were normal and hope your grey continues to rally.

We can name all newborn parrots "Flappers" then.

Hope it turns out to be nothing serious.

Happy New Year to all!!! Wishing greys lots of fresh fruit and veg plus new toys and a few seed/peanut treats!

I haven't done wrapped pet gifts in ages -- but I do remember Snickers could certainly unwrap his own gift! But only to receive a scary new toy. Life. Worst year ever I wrapped up container of catnip for the cats... um, long story short (and destroyed house later) the cats, um, sniffed it out early. But yannoe, the cats, not being sure exactly which gift actually held the tantalizing scent, messed up a LOT of other gifts and decor before they hit pay dirt. Cats, whatcha gonna do?

I've always popped some popcorn for my parrots for the holidays. No salt, no butter -- just air popped. A big hit always for my grey! (It's not a treat he usually receives, since I'm not a big popcorn fan -- I only rarely have any). But the breeder I got my parrots from always did this on Christmas day for all her parrots, and I just sort of kept up the tradition. 22 years and my grey has never missed out on some Christmas Day popcorn! 🥰 (Actually, longer than 22 years since breeder also did this before I got him). What are your parrot traditions??? Hope everyone here has a lovely holiday -- whatever holiday that may be!!! Happy New year and hope you and all your pets & feathered companions will be happy and healthy! 🥳

I remember some years ago I got sick with what doctor finally treated as a sinus infection (I had thought it was just a really weird bad cold until I realized I was running fever with it and went to doctor like 5 days in). But I was out of work for 9 days. I felt so extremely sick and horrible. Plus, until sinus infection was diagnosed, I was sort of concerned I could give my parrots something. I remember washing my hands thoroughly before handling their dishes and sort of turning my head away a bit to side when around them. So, my poor parrots only got seed, peanuts and pellets -- and their water was changed every 2 or 3 days instead of daily, which I am ashamed to admit (unless they made parrot soup which demanded dish washing and fresh water -- I just felt too bad to handle the daily water changes they were used to). My poor neglected babies were offered nothing fresh (no veggie or fruit), no treats, no out-of-cage time, nothing. Just the absolute bare minimum of care was about as much as I could handle. I think I only removed the top papers in their cages every few days, not full cleanups. I wasn't even up to a proper shower or eating or anything. Just pushed my own fluid intake. My sink was so full of dirty tea mugs and water cups after 9 days, it was embarrassing. Floor was filthy from not sweeping and vacuuming. Ugh. And I remember being so impressed that my babies all seemed to understand mummy was feeling so horrible -- they exhibited no screaming or negative behaviours. They just played with their cage toys, I guess. I spent most of the 9 days propped upright on the sofa (so I could breathe -- wearing those Breathe Right strips on my nose) trying to sleep for all those days. Parrots are so smart, they seem to know when something is wrong with us. I even worried that they might be worried about me -- they can be so sensitive. Yet they were mostly quiet and so well-behaved during my whole illness. And when I got better, they accepted proper care again as if the 9 days prior were fully forgiven.

I've seriously wondered if my grey truly is incapable of shelling a peanut. Now, if I break one in half, he will sometimes play with it a little while and may actually nibble at the revealed peanut... sometimes. More often than not, it just gets dropped to the floor though. So much easier to buy salt-free dry roasted ones in a jar for him.

Interesting, learn something new everyday. I guess I call some rope toys, some chew toys (esp with wood blocks or leather), some challenge toys (holds a nut/treat inside a 'cage' toy), etc.. Never been to a bird fair sadly, just seen the selection at pet store (and I've rehung new wooden blocks on older hanging 'chain' toys for him before). I guess I pictured a foot toy more like when I hand mine a popsicle stick or cardboard strip (foot sized hold-able) or even twisted paper he can hold and chew. Although, mine usually wants to play 'pick up' with such loose toys (Um, he drops, I retrieve). lol Mine loves to grab the bell on hanging chew toys so he can immediately remove the clacker inside. I usually ending up replacing the bells on new toys with older bells I've kept (if possible -- some toys are more easily modified than others). Anyway, my older/stronger bells can still ring -- and gives him some challenge to try and remove their clackers.

Stupid forum member alert: Um, what are foot toys? Are they just simple smaller toys comfortably held in a grey foot? Are they loose items handed to a grey or toys hung on play gym? Anyway, always impressed with anyone crafty for making things!

I had a macaw that would also romance me with regurgitated food. She'd gag/bring it up (I could see the food in her mouth) and then she'd re-swallow it like "nevermind, you're not worth this delicious crop full'. Um, thanks -- really, but I didn't want it anyway. But my male CAG Snickers is quite the lover and is very generous with regurgitated food sharing. (Is there a gag emoticon in these boards?) I think the problem/joy of greys is how intensely they feel things. I admit, he does often think I am his girlfriend. As long as he isn't actually suffering/pining/sad with his delusion that I am his his mate -- it's fine. I provide lots of platonic love, good eats, adequate out-of-cage-time and toys. I just have to be careful where I touch him so I don't send a mixed message (which would be unfair to my Snickers -- I want him happy, not pining). I do think it's best to stay close to head/neck/throat to be safe and keep my parrot happy and within normal cross-species relationship boundaries.