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.

danmcq wrote: This statement is incorrect. Not just gram negatives are pathogenic but also gram positives. It is not the bacteria that is just pathogenic but where and in what instance the bacteria are present. What for some may be pathogenic is for some normal flora. A gram stain only gives a clue as to what is present, it is the culture that lets the vet know what is the problem. Many beneficial bacteria look identical to pathogens in a gram stain. A primary gram positive bacteria that is pathogenic in some cases is MRSA but this same bacteria is normal flora for many people and never cause them a problem. Some gram negatives like Klebsiella Pneumoniae can be a pathogen but some have it as normal flora. Acinetobacter is normal flora of the skin and can be a pathogen given the right conditions. You have millions of bacteria that live on you in harmony and so does your bird. The fact that your bird lives in your home exposes your bird to your normal flora and can become normal flora for your bird. Do not let Gram negative scare you! It is not a bad bacteria based on it's staining properties alone!

Toni wrote: I would not just treat it without other factors such as a history of illness in a bird, weightloss, diarrhea, ect. Every bird has what is considered normal flora and when you treat with antibiotics you kill all the normal flora not just the bad bacteria(if it is actually bad). This leaves your bird without a normal healthy defense against bad bacteria. Also treating with the wrong antibiotic can cause additional health problems. I would be very concerned if a vet prescribed an antibiotic for a healthy appearing bird. This is a very dangerous practice that many of us microbiologists wish that doctors and vets would get away from. I was looking at some articles online about what is considered normal flora in a bird and the information I found was vague. I will do some more research with the stuff available to me through my association and let you know what I find out. I suspect there hasn't been a whole lot of research in this area.

Ok those links are giving false information. Gram negative bacteria is not the bad guys and it is impossible to put a percentage on what is good for each bird because each bird has it's own normal flora different from any other bird depending on it's environment. Gram negative bacteria is normal to the colon and helps with digestion, it is also normal flora in the mouth. You cannot use a gram stain to diagnose a bacterial infection and the information in those articles about the bacteria is completely wrong. I do this for a living and I am a little concerned that this information is being passed along. I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have in regards to bacteria but please do not take what is in those articles as fact because it is simply not good info.

I have teflon in my home but we don't use it regularly. I even keep the pans in a different place than my stainless steel. I have had stainless steel for a long time because I prefer the way they cook the food. I must share about some fantastic cookware that is safe for birds and non-stick, enameled cast iron. I would only recommend the good stuff, le crueset or staub. It is better than teflon and you can use it in the oven, grill or on the stove. I absolutely love my dutch oven and I plan on getting the skillet to use on a regular basis. This stuff is high priced but will last forever. I spent 220 on my dutch oven but I use it more than my other pans. You can get it in many different colors to match your decor.

Out of curiosity.... I hear about not sharing food because of bacteria but I was wondering what bacteria is of concern? I am a microbiologist and I can't for the life of me figure out which bacteria would be of concern because birds and people already share bacteria normal to the mouth. :huh:

My thought is that as a flock they want to stay in communication with each other. Making sure the whole flock is still there and no one has blown away :ohmy: .

You describe what happened to my Winston. He became nippy and aggressive and was moved to another room and never taken out of his cage. Birds are put into breed catagories instead of personality catagories. Some personalities are difficult for the general public to deal with and those are the birds that end up in rescues, not because they are amazon, grey, macaw, ect. I have seen just about every kind of bird in a rescue because they became nippy, aggressive, hormonal, ect. I think you should decide what your criteria of the person the bird will be living with and come up with a good contract to ensure your birds are well taken care of once they leave. Don't just sell to anyone and be wary of the first time bird owner.

LOL!! When I bought new bowls for Winston I got the largest heaviest crocks because he likes to throw things. You should have seen the look on the lady's face when I asked her if she thought a AG could toss it. He can't toss them so he shovels his food out in protest. I have no idea what he is protesting but he seems to get great joy out of watching me pick it up! I think secretly he wants me to bring out the vacuum out so he can take a bath. He only takes baths when the vacuum is on, lol :laugh:.

There is a list of airlines somewhere on the web if you do a search for traveling with your bird. I have taken my bird on a plane and it wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be. He was in the cabin with me and I had a dog as well. You will be required to get a health certificate and a carrier that is approved by the airline. I have done this several times and it can be quite the adventure. I think they are better behaved than most children .

A Grey is not a good first bird. The reason a grey is not a good first bird is because they are emotionally very demanding. My Grey goes from being the cutest bird in the world to a dragon in a matter of seconds. He can be hard to read by other people and has a tendency to bite first and ask questions later. He is a brat and he was cage aggressive and unsocial in his previous home. They take a large amount of patience and knowledge. Winston is no longer cage aggressive and is very social with everyone. I was just a teenager when my mom got Winston and I had a lovebird at the time. We also had a pheasant farm and I took in many unwanted parrots and pheasants and rehomed them. I have a ton of experience with birds of all types. I suggest that you get involved in a bird club and get to know some people willing to show you how to care for birds. You are smart to do research first. I have 2 dogs, a cat, a bird and 2 horses. The horses are the most demanding of my pets. I have been out of school for 6 months but I had a full time job and full time school. I keep my horses boarded and I drove out to care for them everyday and I maintained a 4.0 at school. If you want to do something bad enough you can make it work for you and your pets.