chezron

Studying for finals too, and it brought out the worst of Brutus today. Exhausting really. Good thing Archimedes has his attack bell. He is very energetic.

Is there any reason that you can think of that makes him feel safer down there? I remember my guy when he first got home went up to the highest part of his cage even if it seemed a little uncomfortable. I think that is instinctual, to go up high for a bird. Might not be a bad idea to get a checkup at the avian vet's.

Have you had his calcium levels checked?

Dan if I could thank you twice i would. Good advice.

While they "may" switch their favorite human (it did NOT happen to me) it doesn't mean you can't have a fulfilling and loving relationship with your bird. My husband certainly loves and is loved by our grey. They have a wonderful relationship! And when he comes home after being gone a few days, I might as well not exist since Brutus just wants Larry. It is ALL good.

Favorite food items, kisses, and petting requests are next!

Oh Brutus knows what he is saying. For example, in the morning when he wants out of his cage he will try simple logic "Ready to Go" or "Wanna go outside" with manipulation "I love you", and finally guilt "Gotta go to work." That last one really cracks me up! We take him outside most days for sun and he must stay in his cage until around 11am, so we can roll his cage outside. I wish we could just put him back in but once he is out, he will not step up because he is too busy. Another funny thing, he choses what he wants to say, he is a selective talker. We taught him our whole address but he doesn't like to say the street name, so he leaves it out. I was kind of hoping if he ever flew away knowing his address might get him back to us, but now it will be a puzzle for the listener.

Here is Brutus' new video. Dan, do you have your grey on You tube?

He is four years old. I can't remember when he started talking, but I think over a year old.

i do think some of the aggression is hormonal. Brutus was a little turd for a couple of months and now seems to be coming out of it. I mean they are wild animals and their actions don't always make sense, but I don't take it personally when Brutus bonks me on the back of the head and laughs. I have gotten very good at ducking at the best time. I just really love his zest for life. A few times while I was petting him in my lap and went to use the remote he flew at it unexpectedly. These sorts of behaviors seem to happen in the spring. Sometimes he seems momentarily possessed and held hostage by testosterone. I don't even recognize him for a few minutes. Even still, i try to redirect or ignore, so as not to add fuel to the fire. Basically I believe he loves me deeply and truly and never means to hurt me in any way. The vast majority of the time he is an angel.

From Dan, "Great video of Brutus. He is a very clear talker! Don't you just love it when they ramble like that? I do. " Thanks for watching. I will post a new video tomorrow. The problem is he is much more talkative when he is in the other room and not being videotaped. I LOVE when he goes on and on. For some reason, I always forget he can talk (that probably doesn't make sense except he is not human and it still blows me away!), and it always delights me. He just freakin' cracks me up all day long. Today he was being "Godzilla" and he is always Godzilla whenever I am doing something new. Meaning that, he flies right over and attempts to destroy whatever I am doing. I always have a Plan B with sacrificial lambs that he can destroy while I am doing the target activity. He LOVES to contribute! He aims to please! I think the You tube video will be titled, "Brutus wants a Kiss."

I really think they work things out. Jimpster, the quaker, bosses the other two around. Every other day or so i find Pancho, the Amazon, perched in some other room because Jimpster intimidated him into flying. I joked with my husband that Jimpster is Pancho's fitness instructor because otherwise he wouldn't fly. I worried at first but i think they always manage to work it out. I do feel they are comforted by the other's presence, even if they don't always get along. When Jimpster and Brutus are upstairs in my husband's office, Pancho calls out, "hello?"

Hi Dan, If you want to see a video of Brutus. i have one from last year. If you get on You Tube and type in, "Brutus has Questions" you will see it.

i tried the animal sounds toy with Brutus and he doesn't care at all about it. I wish he did it would have been fun. He cares more about our words and sounds.

Wow, Steve just like a willful two-year-old child. I hope Brutus doesn't learn the concept of "now."

I am so sorry your family lost Spock. i know last year when Jimpster flew out the door (we got him back, whew) Brutus our grey was SOOO depressed.

Wow, I have nothing to add except good luck with Skuttle.

After awhile, and being very observant, you will see subtle body language which will alert you to how Solomon is feeling. This will help a lot. Make sure and read the Body Language piece on this forum. It is very good at introducing Grey body language. I think it is good that you are saying what you are going to do before you do it.

You will be floored by all the stuff that will come out of her mouth. So much fun! Congratulations!

Parker, That happened to me with my first attempt to buy a grey. I felt very strongly that we weren't connecting, so i didn't purchase the grey. It turns out there was a much better fit for me in Brutus. I knew instantly he liked me and was comfortable with me. So I think you did a good thing trusting your instincts. Don't rush it. You will find the one. I looked at greys for over a year before I found Brutus.

That's awesome! Thanks a lot for the link. I wish I lived nearby so i could visit too.

It does your parrot no favors to only like one person. Your other family members and maid need to work with your bird, and within his comfort level, to create a larger family for your bird. When your bird "flipped out" he probably couldn't calm down because your family was upset and running high on emotions. I think you need to sit down with everyone and decide, as a family, on your course of action to make your grey an accepted part of the family. Greys' love to feel they are a contributing and valuable member of the family, and that they are respected and cherished. You can't just say it because they can FEEL it. They know.

A practice like that is just cruel.

Murfchick, It sure helped my guy, Jimpster (a quaker), who didn't know how to play, to see our Amazon and Grey play so joyfully. I bet Stewart will get better with time. If it helps you here are some ideas. Our Amazon likes little boxes and large whiffle balls with bells inside. He spends hours trying to get the bell out, or getting the box shredded. I put nuts wrapped in paper in the boxes. He also loves shredding corks. Brutus likes to hang upside down and play with his bells. He also likes to remove and throw little foot toys out of a bucket. We also play with a little ball that I roll towards his feet which he grabs and throws. They both like to destroy soft wood and reed-type toys.

So lately Brutus has discovered the words, "Go ahead" and is using them as additions to his other sentences. The thing that boggles me is he is not adding the words haphazardly, he is using them selectively and appropriately. For example he says, "Want to go to the office, go ahead" or "Ready to go? Go ahead." He does not say something nonsensical like, "Brutus is a handsome boy, go ahead." This just blows me away.