Kibibi

Very touching story. It's always refreshing to hear a positive story.

I use anti-bacterial soap and hot water on wood perches (manzanita wood) all the time. I've never tried soaking them but I don't think it would harm them. It may cause a problem with some of the soft woods. So I guess it depends on the type of wood. And as with all of your cleaned toys, just make sure you rinse them thoroughly after cleaning.

Hello and welcome Janie. Congratulations. You'll find a lot of very helpful people here. Keep us all posted on your new Grey.

Hello and welcome HaRRo. I look forward to hearing more about your Grey and seeing the pics.

Great pictures.

Great pictures Number6 Everyone's advice is correct -- three weeks is not even close to enough time. It's more like months (or years in some cases). It depends on the Grey and the Person so there is a wide range of time. That is one of the gifts that Greys give us all -- patience

Hello and welcome Brittany and Gizmo I look forward to hearing and seeing more about Gizmo. (BTW very cool name for a Grey)

Hello and welcome Lee. You have a HUGE flock. That must be a lot of fun. I would love to see some pictures if you have any.

Great link BMustee. Those pictures are bizarre.

Count your blessings if he willingly gets in the bowl and bathes himself. From reading this forum, it seems like a lot of Grey don't like baths or showers. Kibibi uses a bowl attached to the side of her cage for drinking water. It is strategically placed away from the food bowl so she doesn't put food in it and it's strategically placed so no perches are above it so no dropping fall into it. However, it still needs changed frequently due to feathers and dust.

Great advice from judygram. Patience is the key. Cookie sounds like he has a great personality. Keep us posted on his/your progress.

WOW 2500 years old? Impossible! Oh wait, 2500 posts. That's almost impossible! Congratulations Danmcq. The beauty of the matter is that your posts are informative and well thought out. Thanks for all the great advice.

Using their beak is how they explore new things. So letting him "explore" your fingers isn't a bad thing if you are comfortable with the fact that he may take a bite. IMO this is fine in the early stages of bonding. However, using this as a habitual greeting (which probably isn't your intention) probably isn't advised because sooner or later he will decide to take a bite if he's feeling bad or angry about something. Cute video BTW.

Hello and welcome Tiffany and Higgins. Nice intro.

Very interesting. I hope everything checks out okay. Keep us posted.

Hello Kaedyn and Rigel. Welcome. Great pictures.

Congratulations on getting a Grey. I like the name; Goofy. He sounds like an interesting character and I look forward to hearing stories about Goofy.

A topsy-turvey attempt at freeing a shelled almond from its prison. <br><br>Post edited by: Kibibi, at: 2007/11/26 01:10

There's probably something in the cage or the cage itself or something next to the cage that is scaring him. Does he act normal after he gets in the cage or does he avoid something in the cage? Greys can be frightened by some of the oddest things. It may look like a toy to you or me but to a Grey it might look frightful. I would investigate his cage, the stuff in the cage, and the cage surroundings for something that is frightening him. Danmcq's advice about gently holding his talons is good advice. If he attempts to nip your hand or fingers, just roll your arm slightly just enough to tip his balance forward. He'll naturally raise his head to balance himself which automatically moves his beak away from your fingers. You don't need to shake your hand. Just gently roll it forward.

Awwww. What a great story. It sounds like a wonderful environment for Merlin.

That's very good advice from chapala. Even saying "no" is considered attention for a bird looking for attention. Greys are very smart so if they find something that works (squealing) to get attention then they will stick to it so it may take a long time to unlearn the behavior. But if you stick to chapala's advice, you'll eventually be successful. It might get worse before it gets better (Extinction Burst Definition http://http://www.infosuperflyway.com/glossary.php#extinctionbursts) and you must be very patient because it could take a long time but eventually it will work.

My Boxer sniffed around my CAGs cage and got nipped on the nose. From that day forward, she wouldn't go near my CAG. So I have to keep the separated because I'm afraid my CAG will bite her.

My CAG recognizes the inflection in my voice. There is the optional "Step up" and the not-optionional "Step Up". Usually it's the optional version but sometimes the not-optional version is required.

I think the "No Shoulder" rule only applies if the bird isn't familiar with the person or the person isn't familiar with the bird. I'm comfortable allowing my Grey on my shoulder but I certainly wouldn't let your Grey on my shoulder. I also wouldn't recommend that anyone else allow my Grey to perch on their shoulder.

That's great advice from DanMcQ. Greys have personalities just like people so letting the Grey select you is just as important as you selecting the Grey. Spend some time with multiple Greys to see how you get along with each of them. It's also good to have multiple visits before making your decision because most Greys are tentative around new people.