Laurie

Hi, and welcome, Katie! I'm sorry your bird has been biting - I hope things get better for you all soon. I'm not an expert by any means, but if I had to guess I would agree with Judy and say it's probably the stress of holidays that's causing your bird to do this.

Hi, and welcome! Thanks for sharing that great picture!

Thanks, guys! I love Klaus dearly whether he talks or not. But talking is a definite bonus!

Karma for you, Jimmy! I always enjoy seeing what Cosmo's up to... What would we do without our birds fixing our hair? LOL

This might be worth a try. When we got Klaus, he was not supposed to be my bird (at all!). So, while I checked him out and maybe showed mild interest the first couple of days, I pretty much ignored him. Well, he must have seen that as a challenge, because he fell head over heels for me. (And, of course, I for him.) So, it might sound crazy, but maybe you could try the old reverse psychology. Act like you couldn't possibly care less about her. She might view this as a challenge and make winning you over a priority. Good luck!

I still have to work on getting a better camera! The one I got for my son is pretty awful (as you can see from my avatar) and we've given up on it. Someday, someday! It's almost tax refund time, you know!

Ok, world travelers! I have won a cruise (going next month) and it stops in Cozumel, Mexico. It is Highly Recommended (I'm told) that we have passports (I'm a US citizen). I researched a Passport, and it will cost $200+ to have it expedited. I'm very broke right now. The people putting the trip together say that the risk is, if you somehow miss the boat when it leaves Cozumel, you could get stuck there. For $200, I would rather stay on the boat! Or, remain VERY close to the boat at all times while in Cozumel (it's only there for 9 hours, I think). What would you guys do? Do you think it's really necessary? Thanks!

Hey, everyone! This happened during the day today while I was at work, but my brother in law left me a note that said Klaus sang a song (he was probably whistling "Andy Griffith") then said, "Good bird." Plain as day! Good bird! Good bird! I'm delirious! He hasn't said anything since I got home, but I'm sure there's more to come...

Oooh, that's a good idea!

Yikes! Is it a new food?

Well, I'm still hanging in there at Curves. I really like it. I've gone pretty much every day except Sundays and holidays (they're closed)plus I missed a time or two with my father-in-laws funeral. Let's see I've been going for about 3 weeks, and already I feel stronger, I'm not as stiff as I used to be when I wake up in the morning, my pants are fitting a little better, and I think I may see signs of my waistline returning! I'm really motivated to keep going. If I'm feeling this good after only a few weeks, I'm excited to see how things will be in a few months! I hope you are all doing well, too! B)

Klaus will sometimes have things that have been flavored with garlic, but has never had access to fresh, whole cloves. I, too, saw the post from the member whose bird died possibly due to eating too much.

Ok, thanks! I thought the baby foods might be convenient, but I will watch out for processed, refined stuff & look for organic.

Ok, I'm NOT laughing! I think they do have one, but I'm not sure.

Aw, cute pictures & video! Klaus does that squeak, too. I take it to mean, "Help, Mom! I'm stuck here with Dad." or "Help, Mom! I'm stuck on top of my cage and you just keep whipping by with laundry baskets & saying you'll be right back!".

Klaus is like this with me. I'm definitely the family member he wants to hang out with. He will go to others, though, sometimes. My husband works afternoons, so he is in charge of giving Klaus his breakfast. This puts my husband in the "ok I guess I'll tolerate him" category. If you and your brother are always calm, quiet and gentle with her, she may come around. Getting yourself a reputation of "the treat guy" can't hurt either. Good luck!

At the grocery store today, I was looking at some of the different baby foods and wondering if they'd be ok for Klaus. For example, the little finger foods - crackers and things like that. I didn't throw some in the cart because they said they were fortified with iron & zinc and I wasn't sure if that would be good. Thoughts?

I find with Klaus that if I eat something, he wants it, too. If you don't like the veggie you're trying to get your bird to eat, maybe pretend to eat it. Judy makes a good point, too, about offering them in different forms (raw vs. cooked, chopped vs. shredded). Klaus wouldn't touch a piece of raw broccoli. I mean, he wouldn't even pick it up to play with it. And he picks everything up and plays with it! Then, we gave it to him cooked, and he ate it.

Hi, Ronda! We're glad you're back. Trust me, everyone on this forum enjoys reading about each others greys (from the little silly stuff to really big stuff like first words). Either that, or everyone on here is just humoring me! :lol: I'm not sure what to advise as far as developing more of a bond with Sweetheart. Experience has taught me, though, with Klaus not to give up on anything on the first try. Sometimes several tries over a period of months, and viola! You've made a breakthrough. Hang in there, Sweetheart is lucky to have a good mom like you.

Yeah, Klaus just gets exposed to whatever light we have, nothing special. Though I've thought it might be nice to get one of the special bird lights that mimic natural sunlight. Heck, it would probably be good for us humans, too, during this dreary time of year!

Thank you for letting us know that! I don't know how well this works, but I've heard of just leaving a shallow bowl of water out near your bird's cage and letting it evaporate. That seems like a very safe option.

Your story sounds so much like mine! I didn't even want a bird - I agreed to let my husband and son get it, and the little guy chose me as the one in the family he wants to be with! Because I'm a total pushover, I have never done anything to discourage it. In fact, I kinda like to brag about it. My husband is the one taking more action in this department. He will push the issue and insist on Klaus spending time with him. If I REALLY need Klaus off me, I can get him to go in or on his cage, or to someone else. I do give him lots of praise when he cooperates. I'm not sure about long-term psychological impact, but I think if you're consistent in the amount of attention you give him, he should be fine.

That's hilarious! Thanks for sharing, Dan... I think "making a mess" is one of those universal things that all greys seem to enjoy.:lol:

Wow, that was quite a disaster! At least you got all the junk cleaned out of your house! Best of luck going forward...

Aw, thanks so much, guys! My eyes are tearing up just reading your kind responses. I just popped on tonight for a bit to see what's been happening...need to try to get back to normal (whatever that is!). I see I have a TON of catching up to do! Thanks again.