Raposa

Yay Chloe bird!!! Happy to YOU! What did ya get????

Jenna is 13 months old, and she has had a couple of brief mini-molts, one where her tail feathers got pretty scraggly and one where her wings did. Right now she looks REALLY scraggly all over her body; her chest and back are pretty rough looking. Her head and tail seem fine, though. I called the breeder when this started and she said it was Jenna's first major molt and would mostly be over with in a couple of weeks

I have a house full of "critters." Jenna is the only bird at present. There are 2 dogs, a border collie and a collie. The border collie and Jenna pretty much ignore each other. The collie - well, she is SUCH a sweet thing that I've never found another animal that did not adore her. Jenna has flown to her and sat on her back a time or two, to the poor dog's bewilderment ~grins~ The collie will freeze, and stand there looking wide eyed and anxious. There are also 5 cats in the house; two of my mom's and 3 of mine. There is only one of the cats, a female, that I think might deliberately go after Jenna, but of course none of them are around her without supervision. There is also a ferret in the house, and he is NEVER out of his cage in the same room as Jenna. He is contained in one room, and when he runs loose in there Jenna is elsewhere. My experience with animals of all different species is that they can be surprisingly good buddies. As I said, I've never seen an animal that does not just adore my collie. But even with her, I keep a close watch; she might inadvertantly step on Jenna or lie down on her or something, and it is just not worth the risk!

With Jenna, it depends on her mood. Sometimes she chatters away, without the slightest concern for who may be there and listening. Other times, she shuts up if people walk in the room. Silly little girl!

Can I be next on the list of people Klaus will answer phones for?? Pretty please?

Jenna definitely prefers me, but she will take treats from other people (if she is inside her cage and they offer them to her between the bars) and she will OCCASIONALLY go to somebody else. I was recently away for 6 days, and the person who took care of her is someone she has known as long as she has known me, and has willingly gone to him in the past. But while I was gone he could not get her out of her cage, she simply refused to come to him. As soon as I got home, I offered her my hand to step up on, and she came right out. ~shrugs~ She is not always like that, sometimes she will surprise me by going to somebody different, but usually it is only me.

I had a few names in mind when Jenna was a baby and I was visiting her every week at the breeder. "Jenna" was actually not near the top of the list, but it is the name she responded to :-) AND it means "little bird" so that works! I guess she chose her own name

Happy Birthday Freddie!!! Jenna just turned 1; we have Saggitarian birds! Hehehe

I love this thread!! Haven't been around much lately, my elderly and disabled mom has been in and out of the hospital a lot and I've stayed pretty busy. Jenna turned a year old on November 28. She's talking a bit more, and making a LOT more sounds. The odd one is that she announces "I love you" in the strangest, deep voice I have ever heard! I promise, I never say it to her like that! And she's putting words together more. Like most of our birds, she is constantly asking what I am doing, and I always answer her. Yesterday, she said quite clearly "What are you DOING, Jenna bird?" Little goofball Hehehe

I am in agreement with BMustee. I think it is best if you can keep your bird free flighted, but there are times when it is safer for the bird to be clipped, as well as increasing the amount of time the bird can spend outside of the cage. My Jenna has been fully flighted since she came home, but there are a number of reasons to consider clipping her. Jenna is only out of her cage when I am at home and nearby, because I am very protective of her. But even so, there are concerns. 1) My mom has caregivers who come in and out of the house at varying times and are not always watchful of a flying grey parrot 2) There are 5 cats in the house, and although they are all very well used to being around a parrot and none of them mess with her(they were all around my previous parrot for many years), I still don't feel comfortable with the idea of Jenna being loose in the house where I might lose sight of her and have one of the cats suddenly take interest. 3) There are large windows and patio doors in the house, and Jenna has flown into them a couple of times. It has not happened often but I'm worried that she could get hurt. 4) There are places in the house Jenna can fly up to where I can't get her down, and in case of an emergency, I need to be able to get to her. 5) I am tired when I get home, and Jenna, of course, wants to fly all over when she first gets out of her cage. Because of the number of animals in the house, and the people going in and out, and the high places for her to perch and hide, I have to follow her all over the house for quite a while after I first get home to make sure she is safe. I love her and generally don't mind, but sometimes the thought of chasing Jenna around keeps me from letting her out, and although I feel badly about that, it is just truth. She would get more time out of the cage if I did not have to deal with that every day. I have really struggled with the decision about whether or not to let the vet clip her wings, and have just about decided to go ahead and do it. The thing that comforts me most is that wing clipping is not forever, if we decide (Jenna and I) that it was not such a great idea, we just won't do it again.

Jenna started saying "What are you doing?" at 8 months old, and for the past 2 months she has been repeating it with quite a variety of expressions and attitudes. She makes a LOT of other noises, but so far those are her only words.

I am so sad for you and for Alfie.

Thanks, Jane, that makes me feel better!

Hehehe Thanks, Siobha You know how anxious we get over our babies!

Yes, but what about several tail feathers, and the feathers on the back of her neck? It is not down feathers I am concerned about. Jenna is still pretty young for a full molt, it seems

Jenna is only 8 months old, it seems a little early for a moult . . .

Then maybe Jenna is NOT molting, she is only 8 months old . . . ~frets~

Thanks, Kitty, I appreciate your response!

My Jenna does not like cuddling, except after a shower when she is wrapped up in a towel. Then she doesn't mind ~smiles~ but mostly she does not want to be physically messed with, she just wants to be near or on me all the time

You are both beautiful!

Wow, I guess I should have read this before I posted my question on the same subject!

You must be so excited to have your new baby!!! I have 5 cats in my house. They are all older cats and used to being around birds, but I would never leave my CAG out with them on the loose without close supervision. It just is not worth the risk.

Hey everybody, I could use some input! Jenna is 8 months old and more fun than I ever could have imagined. But she's got some strange feather stuff going on and I'm wondering if it is just normal grey moulting or if I should be concerned. She's lost 3 of her tail feathers, and her tail is pretty raggedy. She's lost one grey feather that I've seen. The back of her neck is very scraggly (looks like feathers are not growing in quite right, or not getting free of the sheath) and she does not want me to mess with it to preen her. She'll let me do that after a shower if I wrap her up in a towel. (Towels are not scary to Jenna, she likes to be cuddled up in one, and that is the only time she'll let me preen her.) Does this sound like she's just moulting, or should I be concerned? Is there anything else I can do to help with her messed up neck feathers? I'd include some photos but I am writing from work :-) Thanks!

Oh, now that is funny! Josey is quite a character, isn't she? My husband is pretty indifferent to Jenna as well. His loss! ~chuckles~

Nychsa, what a lovely story, it is obvious that your Bella loves you very much!