LNCAG

Oh well. No biggie -- at least links work sans a preview pic of video being shared.

Is it normal for a youtube video link shared to not show a peek pix of the video? Mine just showed a link with no hint of thumbnail or anything. Just wondering -- no biggie. ---Ellen

That video reminded me of the infamous stomping parrot: Stomping conure -- oldie but goodie -- turn up volume!!!

The dust is the worst for me! Wiping down my grey's cage is a burden. He is constantly chasing and nipping at my cleaning cloth (and fingers!) -- he thinks cage wipe downs are a game. For a thorough wipe-down (and esp a real cage cleaning) -- he has to be caged elsewhere for a moment. He also dislikes newspaper removals -- lunges and grabs at them! Greys are real stinkers! lol

I will try the red palm oil. (I will search Amazon for it). I know I am deliberately offering the nut butters, peanuts and twice-weekly seed mixes (esp mixes with sunflower seeds) just to make sure my guy gets enough fat in his diet. While we all hate an all-seed diet, at least we know those parrots get enough fats. I always view fats as 'brain food.' (Re: seed mixes: this month my grey doesn't consider safflower seeds edible. It changes from only sunflower seeds are acceptable to only safflower seeds are accepted). I am proud my guy loves fresh fruit/veg/rice/pasta -- many here know, esp with re-homed parrots, that it can take a long time to convert a parrot to a healthier diet. But I can't imagine that in the wild they don't have some sort of fat source. What fatty foods are available to wild greys in Africa? (I've NO idea). But I do know that the fats that occur naturally in fruits/veg, imo, is very low.

An oldie but a goodie -- LOVE IT! One of those 'it's funny because it's true' dealies. This one NEVER gets old! Thanks for sharing it!!! lol And honestly, I'm good at cleaning up 'wet' messes fairly quickly. But the dust a grey makes??? Love the 'flour/sifter' example! I can sweep/vacuum/hoover floors, wipe down all surfaces and literally, the very next day, I see more dust collecting on my surfaces!!! I've got 22 years of near-daily dust clean-ups under my belt. (I use a dampened/wrung out microfibre cloth for the dust). Crazy. Give me poop projectiles, wet food throws, chewed wood/cardboard bits dropped on floor, anything -- and I can deal. But that dust is relentless. I have to change my hepa pre-filter weekly. I wonder why I don't have a serious respiratory illness, honestly (hence running a hepa-type air cleaner!) Gotta really love a grey to not go completely bonkers over dust!!!

I sometimes deliberately give peanuts, nut butters and some seed to my parrot purely for the 'fats' in them. My gut says they need this to maintain a healthy weight. I have a whole-foods attitude. I admit, my parrots diet is largely fresh fruit, veg, and some rice (or whole-wheat pasta). All on low-fat end of the fats spectrum. Should I add olive oil or something to this fresh veg/rice mix??? I don't want to cause fatty liver disease by adding too much oil, but my parrot could happily live on this fresh mix alone. I do realize there is limited amount of fat in most fresh veg (think of where corn oil comes from - veggies do have limited oils in them!!!) But such oils are in dilute amounts in a fresh fruit/veg diet. Cows can live on grass -- but don't parrots require more fat than that??? I also always have a dish with just pellets (mine enjoys them as a crunchy snack) and I figure they're loaded with the needed balance of nutrients/micro-nutrients (like vitamins and minerals -- almost like a vitamin supplement) but it's NOT my parrot's main diet -- more like a snack. Mine lives mostly on fresh fruit and veg -- with some rice (sometimes pasta -- not his fave) mixed in. What do you feed your parrot???

I know, should have waited for December to post this one... I am impatient! lol

My grey adores tearing up paper towel tubes and corrugated cardboard. I also offer toilet paper tubes but I let those 'sit' a while (3 or 4 months) before offering them to him. My main concern is cardboard. For interior cardboard (product comes in brown cardboard but is shipped inside a larger (Amazon usually) box. I figure that inner product box wasn't handled much -- but the outside packaging may have been exposed to a LOT of stuff. What do YOU do? I honestly cannot keep up with my parrot's demand for cardboard. He will chew wood sometimes, but he's a cardboard fanatic!!!

@Ray P I know cold kills but I do LOVE snow. I am a child at heart, remembering listening to radio to hoping for school closings (and me now in my 50s). lol

Thanks -- I hope we'll stay safe too! Re: Bahamas: Yeah, and we don't really have any data yet since the Bahamas are still being pounded and dealing with severe flooding inland. I wish this thing could go on back out to sea, but I think the Carolinas (where I am) are in for a hit.

@Timbersmom Don't feel bad... I've been chewing nicotine gum since 2000. But hey, it's not smoking, right? Just a different delivery system for my nicotine. lol Sometimes I believe giving up the gum would be harder.

I'm watching the news to see how direct or indirect a hit the Carolinas are going to take with Hurricane Dorian. I'm thankful I don't live directly on the coast (I'm 60 miles inland), but that probable-path 'cone' definitely shows my area most likely to be hit pretty hard. And we're already receiving a heavy downpour today from a different northern front rain, so the ground is going to already be over-saturated when and where Dorian does hit -- which always means trees uproot more easily in the winds. So, I guess I am just worrying right now. My generator is ready (for my freezer), gas cans full, water and non-perishables were purchased last week, solar powered lights and powerpacks for usb items (like iphone) are charged. I wish this system could give us a miss after we suffered enough during Hurricane Florence just last year. And I feel guilty for worrying about my own storm prep when I think of the system nearly stalled over the poor Bahamas right now, doing who knows what major damage there.

I like the whistling idea, (or just talking to the bird) -- both are such indirect contact, not forcing bird to be touched, held or anything (until he's ready and wanting this sort of contact). And I like that the primary direct interactions suggested involve the grey receiving foods & treats (very positive contact). This feels safe and non-threatening to a new parrot, as he settles in and learns he's in a loving safe environment. At least parrot settles in, and you can figure out if this is going to be a needy cuddly parrot, a more solitary stand-off-ish parrot, or a "you're gonna get bit every time" parrot.

I would add one more thing: Even if his previous home was not a good home, and even if your home would be better; the grey logic is going to be "better the devil you know than the one you don't." A mistreated grey could still grieve for what was familiar. Change is stressful to them -- even good change, in some cases. Sad but true. Also, with rehomed parrots (even ones from bad homes)... Remember that most people, when first adopting a parrot are very kind and understanding, lavishing toys, praise, excellent diets, etc., upon the new novelty parrot. And then after the novelty wears off, neglect may follow. Homes may turn into an all seed diet, water dishes not refilled regularly (dirty water), scaring or yelling at parrot for being too loud, etc.. The parrot would then learn that in a new home, even if the new care is good and the people are kind... it's not guaranteed that won't change to neglect again. Sad fact, and may NOT be the case with yours. But greys are sensitive, and esp with a rehomed grey -- they remember the past. So, trust may take longer to build. To prove you're ALWAYS going to be kind, offer fresh foods and clean water, and not hurt or scare him. This is a major reason why so many parrots are re-homed: an owner's lack of patience and parrot knowledge -- good care can eventually turn into neglect. And parrots remember and need to recover. NOT saying this is the case with yours -- but greys are sensitive and nervous even about good changes. Best of luck!

So much to think about. I also have a rehomed Grey (22 years now) who had some previous homes -- one of which was bad. Firstly, a new home takes a long time to adjust to -- many Greys are particularly sensitive and nervous about any changes in their life. Secondly, the parrot is still grieving for his/her previous owner. Greys are like humans this way -- they don't just get over a loss in a couple months -- it takes a long time to heal. Thirdly, you don't know parrot's history -- your grey may have a fear of men in general, or you may just resemble someone who wasn't kind or liked by the Grey in his previous home. We can't know if this is just a normal grey's reaction to all the changes going on in his life right now or if his fear is directed towards you personally. Time will tell. A good trick for getting a parrot used to you is indirect time spent around parrot. Letting the Grey watch you do things while NOT bothering him, letting him just observe you going about your life ... he might realize you don't present any danger to him -- but it going to take much more than 2 weeks, I'm afraid. Like SRSeedBurners said: patience. Best of luck -- would love to see a post later sharing a bond has developed between you and that you're both happy and adjusted to this new relationship!!!

Mine is definitely a perch potato! Macaws are sort of known for being big babies, always wanting to be held and carried everywhere; but a CAG? Mine rarely leaves his perch, or sofa, or play area or wherever you set him down. Lazy and not overly adventurous -- happily contented to just stay put and play where he is. That's not to say he won't chew & destroy stuff (toys or not) within in his easy/lazy reach... And like a cat, he takes joy in just knocking things onto the floor. I learned a long time ago not to play 'pick up' games with him! lol

My grey is so lazy... ...that he lifts one foot in the air and says "step up" when he wants to be held. Now, if he wanted, this bird could fly over to the sofa or even slide down his bar and hit the floor in less than a second and walk over to me. (Technically, I suppose I appreciate this laziness -- nice to know he can sort of stay-put). But he's using his foot like a hitchhiker's thumb! How lazy is YOUR grey???

My grey is so lazy... ...that he tosses peanuts that are still in the shell to the floor. He refuses (after 22 years) to crack open his own peanut. I gave up years ago, and just buy him the unsalted roasted peanuts in a jar (ready to eat kind). My other parrots never minded cracking open a peanut. My grey won't even crack open a small almond or ANY kind of nut! I get that some nuts are difficult to open and perhaps are more appropriate for a macaw -- but c'mon -- peanuts??? How lazy is your parrot???