Char

Whisper is 15 months old. She uses several phrases in context. She really amazed me one day when she not only used it in context but combined words I had used in other phrases to make her point. example: She was on my shoulder one day while I was on the computer. All of the sudden she let out this squawk like she was in pain. She has a broken feather that poked her but I did not know it at the time. I got her off my shoulder and looked her in the eye and said "What is wrong sweetheart?" As clear as a bell in a pitiful voice she said "I NEED a scratch." I always say "want a scratch" and she says that all the time but never I NEED a scratch.

My Grey's name is Whisper because she was so quiet when we first got her. She is still on the quiet side but not as much as when she was new. I also saw a color gray once called "whisper".

nevjoe wrote: Joe, that might be working for now but you really should have the birds in seperate cages. Each needs their own space. They may be fine now but one day you will come home to find one of your birds (probably the Grey) injured. This will probably happen when they are a little older and the Amazon gets up one day in a bad mood and the grey cannot get out of the way. Both birds are known for being territorial. Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/03/10 23:01<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/03/10 23:02

Glad to hear that you are taking her for a check with vet. Is it a certified avian vet? Very important. Unfortunately so many new owners think they can skip this important step. The vet will be a wonderful source of information if you pick the right one.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/03/09 03:48

Pet stores don't carry Harrison's. It is only available online or from a vet. Have you checked with the vets in your town?

I get a few scratches occasionally but not much. Could it be that since you have only had the bird for a week that he is fearful and uncertain that he is holding on extra hard? Does he seem to be relaxed when you are holding him or nervous and holding on for dear life? If so then give him time to settle in and trust you before handling too much. It takes a while. As for the non-avian vet.. Your bird should have an avian vet if at all possible.

People can overdose on vitamins so I would assume that a bird can too.

uh oh..Since they seem so interested..you know they are going to try to dig them out of your ears to play with.:laugh:

That is a wonderful story of Omar. His abilities certainly are impressive. You are very intuitive to pick up on what he was doing. Whisper also plays around with her words. "Go poop" is sometimes " "Go,go,go poop!" For the past week she has been constantly saying "Are you Whisper?" I can't figure that one out since of course it is not something I would say to her. Nychsa: I liked the whoopdee doo of Bella so much that I started using it on Whisper. It took 2 weeks but she is finally saying it. Nychsa

Sorry to hear about your poor ears. My Grey is quiet. One of the reasons her name is "Whisper".

That really sucks!

Wow! Guess I will start reading more of the profiles. maybe he is dive bombing you because he read your profile.:laugh:<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/03/08 16:38

I posted a while back about Whisper's having low protein level on her blood work from her yearly check-up. The vet really did not think it was anything to worry about since she looked so good and everything else was normal. She asked me to wait a while after molt was over and recheck monday thru thursday when she could send it to the Univ of Miami as she felt it might be a lab error with the lab she sent it to. She had to send it to a different lab the first time since we were in on a Saturday. I am very happy to report that it is now NORMAL. I just wanted to update you guys. She commented again about how wonderful Whisper looks. She says she sees a lot that don't look so good. She says that Whisper is lucky to have me but I think it is the other way around. She has made my life so much richer. I am so lucky to have my sweet baby. I cannot imagine if I ever lost her.

My husband wonders why Whisper doesn't talk in front of him also. I told him if he would shut up and let the bird get a word in, maybe she would.:laugh: :laugh:

That is terrific!

I am afraid I don't get what is so difficult about cleaning the grate. I use a cloth with vinegar and water and wipe off. Takes less than a minute. I found it comes off easier if the cleaning rag is wetter than just damp.

What kind of fabric is your couch. My husband is a drycleaner. He knows all about stains.

Whisper's tail is really raggedy. The way she splays them through the cage bars when she climbs around I am surpised any have survived. Good new though is that we now have one NEW bright solid red tail feather. Can't wait til they all molt.

You have a Congo. As the tail feathers molt they will be replaced with a solid red without the dark grey on the ends. Whisper is 15 months old and just now got her first solid red feather. Only one so far.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/03/03 01:15

Whisper has days when she is quiter than normal. Also seems to take a while to wake up in the morning. As long as everything else is normal I would not worry.

Greys will regurgitate to show love.

My 15 mo old CAG also does some barbering. It is not excessive so I don't stress about it as I think that makes it worse. I used to worry about every little feather but I think I was just making us both crazy. You have ruled out medical reasons and are doing the best you can for your bird so just accept that this is a common problem with Greys. As my vet reminded me..This is a wild animal trying to cope with life with us. We cannot control everything. I found that when I accepted it the situation improved. I have re cently begun using a humidifier in her room and I see a big improvement in her feather condition and mood.

Amber wrote: Sadly it is true of a lot of them. After my last 2 negative experiences I would never get a bird over the internet. There is a breeder in Harrodsburg Ky that is really good. His birds are vet checked, tested and immunized by the best avian vet in the state. I am planning on getting an amazon from him. He is located close enought that I could drive down on Sundays and visit the baby until weaned. He weans to Roudybush but I asked if I provided the pellets would he wean my baby to Harrison's and he will. He said that let him know that I was the kind of person he wants one of his birds to go to. His aviary is closed but you can see the parents through glass. He is planning on putting in one way glass so as to not disturb the birds as much. I have talked to him several times and he seems to really care about his birds. Now here is the problem. His Amazons are just not getting that "LOVING FEELIN" right now so I have to be patient.

You should be proud. Sounds like a genuis to me!

I called the Estill County Shelter today to find out what happened. She said that the police found everything clean. Clean water and food. They told her they had received a complaint and that they would be dropping back in again. She knew when I was there on Friday that I was upset by the mess. She said several times that she had to clean. I think she anticipated the visit. Or maybe I just really made her feel bad. Either way the birds have a clean home today. I told the shelter that I would also be having friends drop in also to check up on the conditions. They told me to wait about a month. Bottom line is they did not catch her but she now knows she is being watched so hopefully the conditions will improve for the birds. Even if they had found it the way I did the results would have been the same. They would have told her to clean it up. I did what I could. Thank you all for the moral support. Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/24 19:520<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/24 19:57