Zpyder

Sure My husband loves it when they all lay on me because they leave him alone so I will get him to take a picture.

My cat knows that the bird would win in a fight so we don't have and issue at my house. All of my pets get along and even sleep together. The bird even eats with the dogs when they get fed. Just one big happy pack/pride/flock/herd . On a regular basis I find myself with 4 pets laying on me when I watch TV.<br><br>Post edited by: Zpyder, at: 2009/03/09 18:07

I can certainly sympathize with you. When I got winston he had very sharp nails and he tore my arms up. I just put up with it for the sake of the relationship. When I finally took him in it was a good experience for both of us. I have a cement perch but he will have nothing to do with it. It might as well be a snake in his cage the way he acts towards it.

I guess that is one benefit to having a previously cage aggressive bird. He finds comfort in his cage so at night he puts himself away and if he is being a pill I can tell him to go back and he will. But because of his previous lifestyle I have the opposite problem as the rest of you, it is a fight sometimes to get him to come out. I just give him fun things to do when he is out, right now he is pretending to be tom cruise in mission impossible.

GermX is an antibacterial that contains alcohol as the active ingredient. Thats what kills the bacteria but it can very drying and should not be used in place of hand washing with soap and water. The bacteria don't really build a resistance to that and it would be safe to use when it is not easy to wash your hands. The way you wash your hands is the key factor. You should be washing your hands long enough to sing the alphabet twice and then use a moisturizer to keep your skin from cracking. Your skin is your best defense and when it opens up is when bacteria cause infections. It is the way antibiotics have been used that is causing resistance in bacteria. When you get antibiotics for yourself or your pet you should use all of them to be sure that all of the bacteria have been eliminated. Don't save them for incase you need them the next time, they have a short shelf life and their are different antibiotics for different kinds of bacteria. So what you have saved may not be effective against what you are treating.

Congrats! Noah will settle in and find his groove in the house. The first day Winston was here the cat was very curious and we let curiousity get the better of him while we were around. He has not shown any interest in the bird since then. I believe if you keep the cat away it only fuels his interest. Supervise the interaction and when you can't be there make sure your Grey is safe in his cage.

I have a great respect for nurses, my mother and grandmother were nurses. I almost went to nursing school but found the lab to be more interesting to me. I am always happy to share information. The bird flu had a lot to do with frequency of transmission.

Of course you can share infections with your bird but it happens rarely so I wouldn't stress about it. You can also get gastric infections of the viral kind. Poor bacteria always get blamed but many things can cause your tummy to be upset such as stress, travel and diet. Wash your hands and be wary of antibacterial soaps, they only kill the good bacteria and leave you susceptible to the bad bacteria. If you wash your hands frequently use a lotion to keep your skin from cracking and allowing bacteria to enter your body. Keep your birds cage clean including daily water changes and removing old food stuffs. Exercise, good sleep and good diet gives your body and your birds body a chance at being free of infection.

I regret nothing and I feel guilty about nothing. I have provided a good home for all of my four legged and feathered friends and they deserve the best me they can get and that is a me without guilt or regret.

Winston gets so much joy out of killing a paper towel roll that I can't imagine taking that away from him. I do think it was puberty that got him where he was before he came to live with me so I would plan on being incredibly patient when the time comes.

I pick up an old school book, puts me to sleep in seconds :laugh:. I think it has something to do with the interesting things we studied in class .

I would like to be able to take the bird out safely. I have been looking at carriers and found several that all sound good on line but I would like some recommendations. I am not fond of awkward kennels to carry around. I am looking at a backpack type carrier and I think Winston would love to get out to see the world. Any ideas?

lol!! When Winston was with my mom he would ring the phone and answer it. He was so good at ringing the phone that you would have to look and see if the phone was ringing. The last time I went to visit she told me he would answer on the second ring and so you knew after the third ring it was the phone. While everyone was at work I discovered that this wasn't always true. Sometimes he would ring twice, sometimes three times and sometimes forever. I had to tell my mom that her trick doesn't work anymore :ohmy: . He doesn't ring now, he does the wolf whistle and I whistle back. His lastest sound is a growly sound and I call him the velociraptor :woohoo:.

My mom has the same problem as you with Winston, he used to be her bird. He refuses to step up and he does know the command. When you are not confident you reflect that in your actions. I can see that on your video and if I can see it so can your bird. You need to show more leadership in your actions. Not leadership in the sense of dominance but leadership in the sense that you have a plan and you know what you are doing. I don't think he is afraid of you but that you have not shown to him the confidence he needs to feel safe going with you and listening to your requests. A step up command is a big thing for a bird, they are prey and we are predators. They have to trust you to be able to that with confidence. Any kind of doubt on your part will cause them to doubt you. It is not about finding a treat they like, it is about the relationship. You cannot fool them. By giving them something special and without demands you are telling them that you would like to be a part of their flock. There is no treat in the world that will override trust. It's about your actions!

I watched the video and noticed a miscommunication. You ask him to step up and when you think he is going to bite you, you move your hand away. It is confusing to him and then he feels no confidence in you. I would go slow with him. Go offer him a treat, leave it in his bowl and walk away. Let him get the treat and then repeat this a few times a day. After a few times offer him a treat from your hand, let him take it and walk away. Then after a few times offer him a treat but put your other hand in the way so he has to step up on your hand to get the treat. After he takes the treat put him back on his perch and walk away. I would keep this up and add in the command step up when you offer the treat. You will have to be patient and wait for him to make the steps towards you. This will change his mind about you. That you won't always go in his cage to demand something. They like to be asked permission, just like you to get in their space. They also like to know what you are asking to feel confident to be with you.