Mistyparrot

Yes I watched the program. It was very moving to me the way the pet keepers cared so much for their non human family members. I thought the man who made prosthetic limbs for pets was amazing! I think he said he would fit anything from rats to elepants as well as birds. The woman who lived with the screaming cockatoo looked a bit shell shocked! :ohmy: The Cutting Edge program is available on http://www.channel4.com/watch_online/ if you have a PC (not Macs !! sob sob). :huh: This particular program is not archived yet but it may be in a week or so Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/21 15:46

Misty is very alert to water , coffee, and tea. In the kitchen he watches as I pick up my coffee cup and says "coffee" , If I pick up the teapot he will say "cuppa tea". If I pick up the water bottle or turn on a tap he says "water". In the morning he can hear me rattle around in the kitchen although he can't see me but I can hear him say "coffee" as soon as I put the kettle on! I am surprised the CIA or MI5 don't train them as spies as they have such brilliant powers of observation......Or perhaps they do !! :ohmy: Steve n Misty

I give Misty warm water in the morning when I have my coffee. He will also drink with relish so I take care he does not over do it. It started when he first stole coffee from my cup. Caffeine is bad for parrots but I had to fight him for my coffee so I gave him hot water in a cup and he was happy with that. Now the first thing he asks for in the morning is "water water". If I dare to try to give him cold water he gets quite cross! I give him only bottled water and boil it in the kettle. Steve n Misty

You are so wrong Dave. Misty has informed me that only parrot people are normal! The rest are poor unenlightened fools who have yet to experience their epiphany. I can only hope your parrots treat you with compassion and guide you back to the correct path before you are forever lost. :ohmy: Steve n Misty

Give the poor chap a chance! He has had just a week to come to terms with his new situation and you. Just treat him with love and respect and I am sure he will soon accept you as his friend. Greys tend to bond strongly with their partners and friends and they have long memories so he may be still wondering about those he used to live with. You can encourage him by offering treats but generally he will want to be with you for companionship rather than bribes. I am sure you know that greys are wonderful and highly intelligent companion animals and he will soon feel at home with you. Steve n Misty

My guess is that he is a clipped bird. If he was not clipped he would fly to you if he could. Misty used to do this before his flights grew back. Greys do like to forage on the ground in the wild but they do it in groups and with sentinel birds on the look out. Your bird is behaving perfectly normally and he walks to you because he loves you. As long as there is no risk from dogs or cats he will be fine. Obviously you will have to take care where you step! Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/18 15:31

In the wild greys like to come down to the ground and scratch around for minerals and grasses to aid digestion. Many parrots like to do this. You need to make sure that the cage floor is clean, especially if your grey spends a lot of time in there and poops there. What your little chap is doing is natural behavior. Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/14 22:40

Isn't this off topic?? Steve n Misty

I just love hearing good news. Steve n Misty

Hi guys, We found the video report of the "Mama, baby" bird. Its a little green fellow but I don't know what breed. What a great story. http://mx.truveo.com/Parrot-Screeches-MamaBaby-Saves-Tots-Life/id/2427211913 Steve n Misty

Look at this Youtube vid and be amazed !! Steve n Misty

Have a look at this You tube video for an idea! I will definitely try this with Misty. Steve n Misty

I made the mistake of using the bathroom mirror to try teach Misty my name. Because we live on our own he does not often hear people call me by name. I am reasonably sure he knows his own name is Misty or at least he knows that's what humans including me call him. He picked up the cats name and tends to remember the names of friends he is introduced to quite quickly. So I figured that if we stood before the mirror and I point to him and his reflection and say "you're Misty" and then point to myself and my reflection and say "Steve" he would get the message. Of course that is not how it worked out. We ended up having arguments over who is called what with him saying "You're Misty" so I reply no "I'm Steve .. you're Misty" and Misty then replies "I'm Steve .. you're Misty". We end up arguing round in circles! so now I seem to have lost my identity to my parrot and I seem to be finding feathers growing out of my clothing !! :ohmy: I can't imagine where I went wrong ! Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/09 16:26

I do hope you are soon reunited. Can you tell us how he got lost? Parrot Link has a very good lost and found forum with good advice and lists of lost and found parrots. http://www.parrot-link.co.uk Good luck. Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/08 20:18

Misty loves pomegranate. And yes it is super messy. I cut it in half and hang it from his "tree". To be honest I don't think much of it ends up inside him judging from the mess on the floor underneath . :cheer: He did impress me once by learning to say "Pomegranate" but he has not used the word for a long time. He has decided that all fruits are "Orange" and thats fine by me. Steve n Misty

Lyric , When Misty wants to come out he will say "Can I come out" or "Come out". Not that he spends much time in his cage anyway. Perhaps you could teach Lyric to do the same. Steve n Misty

Misty is a bit like the bird that Dave describes. There are times when he simply doesn't want to get off my shoulder. If I put my hand up for him to step up he will crouch down or avoid my hand. However he never bites in this situation. The way I get him off is by going to one of his high perches and lean toward it. He then seems to get the message and dismounts to the stand or my hand quite happily. I am not sure that bribing him is always a good idea. I don't want to turn him into a blackmailer ! I use praise to let him know I am happy with him. When I am unhappy with him I move him away from me and ignore him. Luckily he seems to prefer to keep me happy most of the time. :cheer: I am not sure I want him to give in to me all the time. I like him to have his own mind. That said he always comes to me if he feels the need for security or protection from sudden noises or strangers he is unsure about. Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/05 21:42

Only from my experience but I don't think greys like to poop where they eat. In any case it is not difficult to spot the signs when they want to go. Similarly Misty has not pooped in his cage at all since he is only in there to sleep. When he comes out in the morning I make sure he is in the right place to drop The Big One. Steve n Misty

"Thanks Dan, did not realize that is what the video was about, it was recommended to me. But now I really don't want to see it." Even if you don't want to watch it, and it is very upsetting, you could still buy it from the World Parrot Trust because they use the money they earn from it to rescue wild caught African Grey parrots in Africa. In fact they do amazing parrot conservation work world wide. http://www.parrots.org/ Steve N Misty

I am a non meat eater but my eating has never been so healthy since Misty came into my life. As he is very insistent on sharing my food I take care that I avoid salt and saturated fats more for his sake that mine. I do miss avocados but I won't take the risk. I also love chocolate but I have had to resort to eating it in secret. I do feel a bit guilty sometimes but I can't let him rule my life completely can I ? :lol: Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/04 19:25

The others have all given good advice. You need to take things very gently. This poor bird has been though a really traumatic experience and he has been thrust into a world that is completely unlike any that he has been taught to cope with. Most of his experiences with humans have been simply terrifying. It is bound to take a while for him to come to terms with his new environment and you. It is also common for wild caught birds to be particularly frightened of human males because most of their human contact has been with human males from the time they were caught onwards. You must be prepared to be bitten but you must never scold or punish the bird in any way. In time he may well come to accept you as friend but it will take a lot of patience and calm understanding on your part. I wish you both well and lots of luck. I hope any prospective new parrot keepers reading this will understand that buying wild caught parrots is a terrible thing to do. It encourages the trade in these wonderful intelligent creatures that will so often lead to tragedy and a miserable death for many of them. I am sorry for being so preachy but I feel very strongly about this. :ohmy: These videos show how greys are caught in the wild. :angry: Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/11/03 23:11

Perhaps he is depressed because you insist on clipping his flights. Some birds will tolerate it better than others but in either case it takes away a large part of being a bird. Many greys feel insecure on the ground especially if they are unable to fly. Does he ever come out of his cage ? Perhaps you could make him a play gym from tree branches and thick ropes to explore. Just makes sure he has a soft place to fall on the floor underneath just in case. Steve n Misty

They are not called FIDs (Feathered Kids) for nothing. Just like small children you spent a small fortune on toys only to find that they would rather play with the box they came in! Misty's favored toy of the moment is a rolled up newspaper hanging from his tree perch. He covers the floor in small pieces of torn paper but it will keep him amused for ages. :lol: Steve n Misty

I used to have a cat, Jezebel that liked to go for walks in the woods near my home with me and our dog an alsatian collie cross called Toby. Heaven help any other dog that tried to come near the cat. Although Toby was usually OK with strange dog he was very protective of Jezebel. Sadly Toby passed on long before Misty Parrot came to live with us. But Jezebel soon came to accept Misty as a tolerated but annoying member of the family. Jezebel died more than a year ago although Misty sill calls out for her particularly in the kitchen. Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/10/30 13:29

I love the net idea. As I live near the coast I shall be going on a net hunt in the next few days. I love the way you have fixed them. Karma from Mistyparrot and me Steve n Misty