Acappella

It's obscene to me that you're presented with a bill at all. I'll gladly pay taxes to support our universal health care, and so will almost all Canadians. We pretty much universally believe in quality healthcare for all. As for the VA, anytime you're dealing with a bureaucracy like that you abandon all hope of common sense. Even here we don't have the best record when it comes to our veterans. I'm sorry you have to deal with this frustrating idiot on top of everything else. I hope today is a better day. Love, Marguerite and Dorian (and Jac the cat).

I'm so sorry for your loss. She was beautiful.

Jayd, I don't think Erfan should try to towel his grey yet. The bird is simply too terrified to be handled without setting back what little trust they are building. Erfan, don't worry about your clothes. If you start wearing the same thing every day then he will become scared by change, but if you just dress normally then that will become his norm.

Yeah, that's not a game you want to start. They will "play" for hours after you have stopped, believe me, I know. We're still working on a certain sound extinguishing around here and, while progress is being made, it's being made veeeeeeeeeeeeeery slowly. Glad to hear about your kiss. Did she get an extra treat after that.

Hi Jay and Maggie. Dorian and I just wanted to say hi and we love you both. I think the activity in the forum is picking up with our new format, so hopefully there will be lots of people here to help lol. <3

Yes, katana600 and Miss Gilbert are good examples. They've taken 7 years to get used to each other, and their situation was quite bad at the start. Gilbert was a very fearful, untrusting birdy when she first arrived in her new home 7 years ago. They are a good example of what we mean by "grey time". Katana600 decided they were going to let Gilbert make all the decisions as far as how fast they moved, although there were a few times there was a chance to take a leap forward which sometimes paid off, and sometimes not. Through it all we were here to guide and encourage them and they're both quite content, I think, in their relationship now, although there's always room for improvement. We can be here for you as well if you'll let us to encourage you along the way. Maybe it would be a good idea to keep a journal of how you're doing so that you can look back and see the improvements. At least keep a video journal. This video is a big improvement over your last one. Keep up the good work.

I think it's a big improvement over the last video you posted. At least he's not screaming and clinging to the far wall of the cage to get away from you. He even did a little stretch in front of you. That's a sign he's getting more comfortable with you. What happens if you get a tiny bit closer to the cage? Like Jayd said, it could be years before he is acting friendly towards you, but you're making progress as far as having him not be terrified of you.

Can you sit on the floor in front of his cage? That's how I started with Dorian - sitting on the floor in front of his cage talking to him and playing with toys.

I'm not sure about the plywood, but it doesn't sound like a great idea so I'd err on the side of caution and do something else. Have you tiled up there yet?

Wow, she's already coming out of her cage on her own! That's not nothing. It took my Dorian over a year to stick his head outside his cage, and he was only cage-bound for 3 1/2 years. Sounds like you have a very brave girl. Check out the body language thread in the Training room, there's a lot of good info there. Spend lots of time by her cage just talking to her, reading to her (children's books are great). Where in the home have you got her cage? Is it where she can observe her new flock? Is she used to being covered and getting 10-12 hours of sleep a night? Greys really are slow to change, but as long as you're in it for the long haul, it can be very rewarding. Sometimes we recommend new owners keep a journal so that they can look back on it and see how far they've come later on. Thank you for taking on a rescue. She's gorgeous.

You don't have to whistle back, although I don't think it does any harm, but do answer him. He wants to know where the members of his flock are and what they're doing. Have other members of your household answer him as well. He's aggressive because he's still reacting from fear. Just keep being calm and consistent . There's no telling how long it will take him to feel safe and secure in your home, but it will happen as long as you don't give up. He's lucky to have landed in a home where his owner is reaching out for information on how to deal with him.

Can you post a picture or give dimensions, or both lol?

In the training room there's a thread called Body Language Most Commonly Seen, or something close to that. A bite is often their last resort after other signals he's sent you have been ignored. See if you're missing signals that he doesn't want interaction at the moment. If it's a time when you need to touch him, like you're going out and you need to put him in his cage, try the compromise Dorian and I have worked out. If he's in a pissy mood and I need him to step up, and I don't particularly feel like getting bit (lol), I get him to step up onto a perch and transfer him that way. I got him used to the perch laying around him, then rolled it towards him, then let him step onto it on the desk, then picked it up a tiny bit and put it back down . . . You get the picture. Now I can use it to put him back in his cage, move him off his playstand etc. . . I let him beat up on the perch when he's moved - it's pretty cute.

If you're worried the family room will be too noisy for sleep you can always put a small sleep cage in another room where she can get 10-12 hours of quiet dark time for sleep.

If she's been clipped a long time she might be like my Dorian. I let his wings grow out but he doesn't know what they're for. He's dependent on mom taxi to take him everywhere, unless he gets startled off his perch and he goes flying. I hope they let your girl fledge before they clipped. She is a beautiful grey. How long until you bing her home for good?

It sounds like Rescue Remedy isn't an option because they won't ship to his country, so Chamomile is a great option.

You don't have to read loudly, just a regular, soothing tone of voice will do. Background noise like music only during the day. Night time should be quiet and dark. If you do these things and don't give up he may start to figure out that you're not going to hurt him. That's a good first step.

It's a herbal liquid that some members here have used successfully with nervous/plucking birds. It seems to calm them a little. No one here has used it on a wild caught bird though, that's why I was asking for some other members thoughts.

These are the moments when we wish our lives were being filmed. How precious.

I wasn't blaming you for the capturing of wild birds, I can tell your heart is in the right place. I noticed he only started screaming when you got quite close to the cage. Can you move the chair to just outside the range where he starts with the screaming? The goal is to get him used to your voice and your presence, then gradually move closer, maybe an inch at a time. You're right, he's not going to take food from your hand right now, but it can't hurt for him to see you putting good things in his food dish. Chop up a slice of apple, put in an almond or some walnut pieces. Those are my Dorians favourites. Bring your meals and eat by the cage, letting him see you eating. When you have to clean the cage or change the food and water dishes just do it as quickly as possible, talking to him calmly the whole time. Guys, do you think Rescue Remedy would do any good in this situation?

Oh poor baby. He's terrified of humans. So far they haven't been good to him, and right now he doesn't know you're any different. I agree you should be talking to him gently while you approach the cage to get him used to the sound of your voice. Sit in that brown armchair and just talk to him, read to him. Having seen him now I think you should spend as much time as you can with him. When you have to be out of the room, leave a radio on very low so he gets used to some ambient noise. I know your intentions are good, but I hate the industry that pulled this baby from his home and dropped him in among humans. I hope you've signed on for the long haul because it could take months just for the fear screaming to stop and years before you're able to handle him. I wish I had more optimistic news for you, but he's terrified and time is the only thing that's going to help. We're here for support as you go along on this journey.

Is she flighted?

I wouldn't worry about training yet. You have to build up a trusting relationship with your bird first. If he's still screaming when you get close to the cage he's not ready for training in my opinion.

Are you spending most of your time in your room with him? Having a small child running around isn't ideal, but I agree with Maggie, I'd put the cage where the family is and ask people not to get within so many metres of the cage. If possible, ask your nephew to walk when in the same room as the bird. At 4 he might be able to understand that the bird is a scared baby and that running makes him more scared. Maybe other members of your family could join in reading to the bird and getting him used to everybody. Everything and everybody is scary right now so try to get the other members of your family to help you.

If there's a place in a living or dining room where his cage can be up against at least one wall, and where he can see the activity in the house and people can talk to him from a safe distance that would be ideal. Unless you spend all your time in your room, then your room is fine.