Mistyparrot

It always gets to me that two such disparate creatures as humans and parrots can have such close and truly loving relationships. I am so grateful to have Misty in my life. It has convinced me that the most noble purpose of all human kind is to protect and nurture our shared planet for the benefit of all of us, both humans and all the other creatures as well. Steve n Misty

Yes they are. He says that whenever I catch him in some mischievous act. Living with Mistyparrot has strongly enhanced my appreciation for all avian species. Steve n Misty

I confess I am a bit of a tinkerer and like Mistyparrot I enjoy taking things apart and unlike Misty I try to put them back together. Foolishly I have decided to have a go at fixing my iPodtouch and this is not something for the faint of heart! You may have guessed that my big mistake is attempting this delicate operation without first locking Misty up! Trouble is as soon as I try to do that, all I get from him is a barrage of demands. "Come here!" "Come here now!!" "Can I come out?" "Come here!" He knows he has done nothing wrong so he just piles it on and there is only so much I can take so I let him out. He comes straight over to my work table and tries to steal my tools or the spare iPod bits. No Misty! I say. "That's not for you ?" he says.Thats right it's not for you Misty! "Trouble trouble!" he says. Obviously these bits and Grey parrots do not mix so it is constant battle to keep him at bay. I think I would rather put up with that than the constant guilt he lays on me for my unjustly locking him up!`He is always interested in anything I am involved in. "Whatydoin" is a frequent comment from him and of course I to actually enjoy his interest..... Now he has decided to have a snooze so with any luck I can complete my task in peace. Wish me luck....... Steve n Misty

Misty is just over nine years old and he was two and a bit when he came to live with me. Steve n Misty

Misty has been though at least five of my keyboards before I got smart and fitted a silicon rubber protector. Now the worst that happens is his jumping on it as I am in the middle of typing something brilliant :rolleyes: (well I think so anyway!). He did manage to find a key combination that disabled the mouse!:eek: Very irritating and it took a while to work out how to fix that! Steve n Misty

Ma n Pa and feeding time for babies. Steve n Misty

Decora Eagle mum(?) feeding two babies. I guess one did not make it:( Steve n Misty

:)At least one baby has hatched:) Steve n Misty

Looks like mum and dad are there now:) Steve n Misty

This Eagle is sitting on her nest on eggs that will hopefully hatch soon. Steve n Misty

Misty doesn't flop he just glues himself to my finger with his feet and refuses to step off some times. It can be hard to unstick him when he has decided he wants to stay on my hand. He won't bite but he won't budge either! Fortunately his talons are not sharp due to all the climbing about on his tree etc. He does this at bed time.If I try to put him in his cage to sleep he will refuse to step off unless I take him to the bathroom first! If I do that he is fine. It is an established routine for him now. Steve n Misty

This might seem bit off the wall but why not try sitting next to her and read her a bed time story? It worked with my kids and it might work with fids! Steve N Misty

Oh come on now Bosse. That is begging to many questions ! Steve n Misty

First of all thank you so much for taking in this poor ill treated bird. She obviously needs a loving forever home. It sounds like it is going to take a while for your new charge to settle down and come to trust you.With care and patience she will become a wonderful companion but it will take time. From what you have said about her previous life her diet was probably not the best as well. There is a very good bird food section on this forum that will give lots of good dietary advice. Although she might benefit a little from a feather trim at this stage the further trauma may be very counterproductive so I think it would be best to let them grow out naturally. It will take a good while for them to grow back so be patient. Gentle misting with aloe vera solution will help her get condition back. If misting upsets her try letting her have a splash in a large shallow dish. I use a very large plastic plant pot dish for my Misty as he is not a big fan of showers but he loves a good splash-about.If you have not yet taken her to an avian vet you should do so as soon as you can in case there are any other health issues. If she is out of her cage make sure that she has soft landing places to land on. A landing on a hard surface could cause her severe injury. If she is not happy about stepping onto your hand she may take to a hand held perch better so you can move her back to her cage. The main thing is to take things gently. Speak to her and if you can whistle to her as well it will help her to bond with you. I wish you both a happy life together. Steve n Misty

I think you are doing the right thing. He would probably fret if his favorit person ignored him. As you say he goes straight to sleep when cuddle time is over. Steve n Misty

Leave home 'till Summer comes !:eek: So glad I only have to deal with Misty! Steve n Misty

The only one I realy worry about is the one he saves up all night! As soon as I let him out in the morning I take him direct to the bathroom for his "Morning Glory"!:eek: Steve n misty

One of the bonuses of keeping a Grey is their poop seems not to smell, to me at least!:eek: Steve n Misty

Do you tell him you are going to the bathroom? It might help.Can you think of anything that might have worried him about the bathroom? Have you had an accident in there? It could also be that he wants to come with you because the bathroom is a special place. It is not like other rooms. It has water, mirrors and different acoustics that make it special in some way. My CAG Misty has no particular problem with me going to any room but he does prefer to accompany me if I let him and he will contact call me if I don't, but no freak out. I do take him with me whenever I go to the bathroom and he will do his thing when I perch him over the toilet. He is not a big fan of the shower but the mirrors interest him. Steve n Misty

Thanks for the link about moulting Danielsingh . There is a good article there about moulting.When I adopted Misty seven years ago he went through a couple of moults which at first I thought was a problem until I understood what was happening. Steve n Misty

Welcome Cheebamaster. I doubt you will have any problems. As others have said Greys rarely bite hard enough to do real damage. The most likely cause of a serious bite is when the parrot feels seriously threatened or angered. As long as you treat your bird with respect and understanding and it feels secure you will have no problems. I believe that clipping a Greys wings will make it feel insecure and more likely to bite in fear. Many breeders especially in the US do this as a matter of routine but more keepers are discovering the benefits of allowing the wings to be fully fledged. This is something I feel strongly about and I am sure Mistyparrot does as well:). Never force yourself on the parrot and it will soon learn you are a friend and not a threat but talk and whistle with it to help with bonding. It is possible that as it gets older it may transfer affections to another but as long as it is well socialised it will still appreciate your company and is not likely to become a biter unless it is traumatised in some way. The important thing looking after parrots is to learn body language and have good empathy and respect. Greys are great empaths. It is one of the things that makes them such wonderful companions. I can't wait to hear you duet with your singing Grey accompanied with you on piano. Steve n Mistyparrot (CAG)

I think that is such great advice Nancy. It can take a great deal of understanding and patience bringing a new Grey into the fold (flock?). You defiantly have it in spades! Steve n Misty

Joe I don't see what your point is. You say you wanted no one to send you parrots and no one would or could anyway. I have already told you I donate money to http://www.parrots.org/ and so do other forum members. It is a very effective way and achieves tangible results. Steve n Misty

Joe nobody here is attacking you. All of us here love parrots and will do what we can to give good homes to any that we can. You have seen for yourself the horrible condition the wild caught parrots are kept in but breeding large parrots is not something you can just jump into. It is expensive not just for the breeding pair but also for the veterinary help, special foods, equipment and time. Lots of time! I am sure nobody here thought you were really begging for someone to send you breeding pairs! No one here would send any to anyone they did not personally know, where ever they are. This forum is a repository of the combined experience of all the members and if advice is asked for it will be given. You invited comments and nobody here has criticised your acquisition of a wild parrot. I think we are all glad you have taken it from a bad situation. We, or at least I, assumed that you would like to do something to help the cause of preventing wild parrot trading. Apparently what you now imply is you want a free breeding pair. That will not help and it won't happen for the reasons already explained. You seem to take offence where none was intended and I am sorry for that. "Outsiders" are always welcome here. We were all outsiders once. Steve n Misty