BaxtersMom

I will wait impatiently with you. You know the saying "All good things come to those who wait" They didn't say you had to be patient though:laugh:

Sallas, that's what my dog does:laugh: If I have one of my birds on me he get right next to me or on my lap, flip over on his back, put his nose under my hand so I will pet him. I thought the jealousy would stop but he is still very jealous. I really think he went through a depression for a good month in the beginning. He seemed so sad all the time:( He is still is jealous but not so depressed anymore, thank goodness.

Hello and welcome to the forum. Congradulations on Timmy. I love that name:laugh: You sound like you will make a great & responsible parront. I think it's great that you have already taken him to the vet and keeping your own records. I'm sure Timmy will flourish under your care.I got an adult grey last July, he was 12 years when I took him home. I loved him from the start and there is still never a dull moment 5 months later. I think a grey is one of the best pet/companions us humans could ever ask for:) Can't wait to hear more about Timmy.

I am so sorry Congo is missing and I truely feel for you. I am glad you are still actively searching for him. Hopefully, he will make it home to you. I know you are probably worried sick but please don't think the worst. Someone may have taken him in, not realizing he has a microchip and he may be safe and sound. I say this because we took in a lost conure in Augest. We looked everywhere for the owners, drove towns, put ads up online, called pet stores, vets, everywhere we could think of but no one claimed him. He is super tame too and I still feel bad that his previous owners are probably worried sick but he is actually living very well with us. I would be happy to give our conure back to his rightful owners if they would just come forward but in the meantime he is well taken care of, loved and considered part of our family too. Hopefully that will ease your mind a little but never give up on his return. You may still be reunited. Good luck in your search and his return home to you.<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/04 20:04

Hello Shazgeoff & Eddie and welcome to the forum. You have only had a short time and I bet you are still so excited about the new addition to your family. So, how old is Eddie? Is he/she still a baby or an older grey? It sounds like Eddie is settling in nicely if he loves his cuddles. I have a dog and a cat and my cat didn't care at all when I brought my grey home. My dog was very jealous though and had to let him know he was still loved to. Look forward to hearing more from you and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. There are many knowledgable grey owners on here ready and will to help out. Please check through the many threads here too. They are fill with tons of information.<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/04 19:55

I really hope it works out and you get him. Alot of it does depend on the birds past and like Dan said love will overcome all things. Baxters is 12, all I know about his past was a couple bought him, had children, then dogs and put Baxter in the basement and didn't do anything but feed and water him. He was never allowed out of his cage at all. They gave him to another guy when he was about 10yrs old. The other guy liked him but was scared of him and never handled him or let him out of his cage. He would give him treats from his hand and would pet him with one finger on top of the head, but he still was never allowed out. He only had 2 ratty toys when I got him which he never played with. Baxter didn't know how to play with toys and I had to teach him myself by playing with them to get him interested in them. He was never allowed to fly so we had flying sessions too:laugh: Baxter wasn't abused I don't think but pretty neglected as to what a greys needs are. I don't know about the first family but he was on a Seed only diet that the guy said you could buy at wal mart. I still have a hard time with him eating certain foods. We noticed he loved chips and french fries and pizza, any junk food really so the guy must have sharedt that with him but nothing healthy. It has been such a learning experience for me and so much joy to see Baxter flourish and learn and enjoy so many new things. Baxter had a sweet disposition from the start and was very willing to learn so I don't think he was physically abused. And like I said, I did get alot of bites in the beginning but that was more my fault than his with me pushing him so much. Getting Baxter and learning with him has been one of the greatest experiences in my life though! When I went to see him, I looked at him and tried to see what his disposition was. Did he have mean or wild eyes? How was his body language, did he seem curious or scared? Well, he was pretty nervous but they all are when they see a stranger I think. But I felt in "my gut" we could get along and it was my gut feeling whether to take him home or not. I didn't see any red flags as to why I shouldn't. But even if a bird does do something that might concern it may just be because he is nervous or scared of a stranger. And love will get through any bad stuff. Some just have to work a little longer than others. I do hope it works out for you and you do bring him home. Listen to your gut;)

Congradulations, we all know how long of a wait it was for you:laugh: . Sounds like she is settling in well. I know you have done your research before your baby came home but it might be totally different now that she's actually there so if you have any questions you already know this place is filled with experienced grey moms and dads and all you have to do is ask.<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/04 05:06

Luvparrots, I didn't know you had silver hair:huh: I just had some strand of grey coming in the sides but I get as close to my natural color as I can. No other color seemed to look right on me:laugh:<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/04 04:59

BOO. Now how scary is that{Holidays-000200A5} <br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/04 00:01

I got a grey last July. The reason that led me to this was because my cat got diagnosed with kidney failure and I didn't think I could ever own another cat after her. She is 12 years old and I've had her since she was 4 weeks old. I greived terrible. Had her in the kitty hospital on IVs for a couple days and they told me that there wasn't anything more they could really do for her and they gave her about 2 weeks to live:( I cried and grieved and sobbed. They sent me home with IV fluids that I had to administer to her once a day (under the skin) and some medication. She did improve somewhat in the hospital and I thought I would just take her home and let her live as long as she could comfortably and if she started to suffer or not have a good quality life I would put her to sleep. It was a terrible time for me thinking what I would do with out my "Ms Kitty" That is the reason I thought about getting some kind of bird. I thought after she passed I would get some kind of parrot. Well, Ms Kitty stuck it out and she defied all the odds. Ms Kitty did not pass like all the drs said she would:) As a matter of fact she is still with us today and doing quite well I am glad to say. The drs said 2 weeks and she has made it 6 months and still going strong. I am so happy about that. In July, I still had it on my mind that I wanted a bird. I didn't want to wait untill Ms Kitty was gone by then and we went on search. I thought I wanted a Sun Conure but found Baxter my grey instead. He is just wonderful and I am so glad I have him. He was 12 years old when I got him. He is the best!! So glad I didn't wait cuz then I wouldn't have gotten Baxter..he is the perfect fit for me.

Well, I think it is great that you read all the responses and actually heard what everyone was saying but don't let that discourage you from getting the grey. Alot of people ask questions and just get upset when they don't get the answers they were hoping for. Atleast you are hearing the good and the bad. It is true that I got bit alot in the beginning and I did get many bites that drew blood but the part I didn't mention was that alot of that was my fault because I had no prior bird experience and was pushing him too hard too fast. Therefore, I got bit:pinch: I chose to take him in and love him and make him part of our family...but he didn't sign up for it:laugh: He had no choice in the matter. He was probably very scared and nervous & He didn't know who in the heck I was, always wanting to touch him or teach him something or handle him and his only way to let me know he wasn't ready for it was to bite me. Once I slowed down the biting did stop. I think after the first month I didn't get bit anymore. And now we are so close and have such a great bond. Even all the bloody bites were worth it (and probably preventable if I wasn't asking so much of him so quickly)I did want you to be aware that alot of greys do bite though and it can hurt. Some don't bite at all. I think if you get a grey or a large parrot baby or adult you will most likely experience a good bite from time to time. It does not mean that you will get bit on a regular basis though. I definately would not rule the bird out. Even older birds need good loving homes and they can be so rewarding. I wouldn't trade Baxter for anything in the world! I think you should meet with the bird and get a feel for him. He may be the perfect pet for you. I think we all just wanted to let you know the good and the bad points so you would be aware. It is true all birds are different and we all have different experiences with them and there are a lot of opinions on here. So many just want a grey and don't think it all the way through. I think if the visit goes well and you have a good feel for him you would be a great grey owner. I'm glad you heard what we said but don't let us talk you out of a bird that you really want. Let us know what happens please. I can't wait to find out what you decide.

Hello and congradulations on your decision. The others have given great responses to your questions and a couple of very important reality checks that really need to be considered in advance. As long as you can picture yourself 10, 20 and 30 or more years with your grey. . I do think it is good to have as much knowledge from the previous owners as possible as to what he ate, etc but he will soon get used to his new schedule with you, too. Alot of grey owners work full time and are doing great, too. Please let us know if and when you get him and all the details:)

No pictures today. I tried taking pictures with my flock but I'm just getting over a bad cold and it showed in the photos. I looked like an old used wrinkled up duffle bag:laugh: The color turned out good though;)

Well, 2 good things came out of this post. Number 1~ I colored my hair and it didn't seem to bother my birds at all. Number 2~ We found out that Caroline & Dave have/had secret crushes on eachother:whistle:

I got a 12 year old CAG last July. It was my first large bird ever and I totally didn't know what I was doing. Luckily, I found this site right away and everyone on here was so willing to help me and me and Baxter flourished with the help of others. If I didn't find this forum, the outcome could have been much worse and Baxter would not have done as well as he did. Baxter made a pretty smooth transition with me. He was terribly neglected but he was not mean at all and seemed willing to do new things with me. I could not touch him except on the top of the head. Petting him was NOT an option. I got bit so many times. My hands and arms were bloody from his bites and it was painful!!! I worked with him constantly. I work from the house but honestly let almost everything go in order to get him tamed down. 4 months later we are at a good place. I can touch him all over and we have bonded very well. So it can be done but it all depends on the bird you are getting as well. Baxter never growled and you said the bird you are considerd did growl & that is a good sign that there might be some attitude/anger issues too but it might be only for the one person you mentioned in your post. After Baxter, I thought I had a natural talent with rehoming birds and did get a couple more older birds that didn't have any issues, then finally decided to take in a 1 1/2 year old amazon parrot. He is absolutely nothing like Baxter. He is coming along good but slowly, but he doesn't want to learn anything new, he is stubborn and he has worn my patience on several occassions now. It was not as easy as I thought it was going to be and I have found myself asking "What did I do?" Mainly because he is a hand full. He is friendly and curious and not mean at all but the stubborness drives me crazy:angry: I can tell he is going to be a good bird and will be the bird I want eventually but think this guy might take a good year to get him to where I want him and not just a months. Each bird is different but one thing is the same. It takes a lot of time and consistancy on an older bird. I think it takes a lot of time with a baby, too but it might go smoother. I used to tell everyone that rehoming an older bird with issues is such a rewarding experience and for me it was with Baxter but I put my all into it and I pretty much was obsessed with him. Now I say rehoming an older bird (or even a baby) is a huge responsibility and can be very rewarding if you are committed. This is a life long decision you are making. Just make sure you are in it for the long haul. It is heartbreaking to see a neglected bird or a bird that was fun in the beginning just to stuck in a corner or basement to be left alone when the new wears off. It is up to you whether to get a baby or an adult. Both are hard work but if you get an older bird just make sure you know what you are getting into. I also am home all the time since I work from the house and if I did work outside the house it would have taken much longer with Baxter. Baxter was my first parrot and I really wouldn't change it for the world. And although he was neglected he had a sweet disposition. Make sure you check this birds personality out towards you and go with your instints. I could tell when I met Baxter that we could get along later on. I think it's a wonderful thing to take in an older bird and give it the life it deserves but don't do it if you are not in it for the long haul. Keep us posted...Good luck.

The landing is the main reason I wanted Baxter to learn to fly. He got spooked a couple times and would attempt to fly but the landings were horrific and it scared me terribly:ohmy: He landed into walls and would fall with a good thump and I was afraid he was going to break some bones. If he ever was in danger I wanted him to be able to atleast fly somewhere to safety without crashing into something. That is where the pillows came in (or something soft) to land on. At first he didn't land very good even on the pillows but atleast I knew he wasn't getting hurt. Eventually, he started putting his feet down for the landing and now has even learned how to slow down for the landing with his wings. I used to do this with him all the time but we haven't done in much lately:( He still has a long way to go and I really should keep up on it better than I have. Although every now and then I will tell him "fly Baxter fly" when he is on my hand and he just sits there. I guess he is a lazy old fart and the new wore off of the flying game. He does not know how to make turns or hover. But he can fly for about 20 feet when he gets spooked and make a good landing. In the beginning I just let him be on my finger and flap his wings without letting him go anywhere. He got so tired so fast and he got out of breath so fast that we really couldn't do much in the beginning untill he got stronger and got used to it. Keep us posted on it.

Same with Baxter. He was cage bound and didn't have a clue about flying and his wings weren't clipped. I asked here on the forum and got tons of great advice. After I realized he couldn't fly~ What I did with him was put him on my finger and tell him "fly Baxter fly":laugh: He knew what it meant;) . He would flap his wings and hold on to my finger. Sometimes I would put my finger over his toes so he didn't get too much wind and fly off and he was comfortable with that. We would "practice" flying a few times a day to get his wing strength up. He did tire pretty quick and started breathing fast but was told cuz he was out of shape which makes sense. He weighs 480 so he is pretty average and not overweight. Then I started giving him goals to fly to. The couch worked best for us. (Something soft like a sofa, pillows or even the bed) Then instead of letting him perch on my finger I would put him on my wrist (so he didn't have a good hold) and when he flapped he would lift off my arm and head to the sofa pillows. He actually enjoyed doing this too and looked forward to our daily sessions. I started him solo flying from my wrist to the couch and gradually went farther and farther away. He still doesn't want to fly alot now though. If he gets spooked he will fly off his cage or where ever he is and he still doesn't gain much height but he can fly quite a ways and is landing pretty good now. He still can't make turns very well but think he has gotten more control over his wings than he had before. He really doesn't fly much though. I think cuz he just doesn't want to. Why fly when I will carry him everywhere. I know he really enjoyed the flying practice with me. I think he was a little nervous in the beginning but began to look forward to it. I would ask him when he was on his cage "Do you want to fly" and he would come to the front of the cage to step up, then when I had him he would hold his wings out untill I said "fly Baxter fly" then his wings would start flapping like he was really ready to do it. :laugh: It was hilarious. I need to do that more with him. Oh, I forgot to say that when I first started I would have him perched on my finger and kind of drop my hand down quickly so he would start flapping his wings. I didn't do it fast so I wouldn't scare him but enough for him to start flapping a little. He caught on quick.<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/03 05:16

I think all greys do this to a point. Baxter is always calling me when I leave the room. It isn't a problem for me because we live in a house but I can see the problems if you are in an apartment with neighbors. I have one of those boing ropes that hang from the ceiling. Do you have one of those? You might want to get one or maybe even a portable perch and put him on that for awhile to keep him occupied and not wondering what you are doing all the time. Usually when I put Baxter on the boing or a playstand/perch he is usually pretty quiet enjoying being in a different place. I really don't know if there is a cure for those contact calls though. Maybe someone else will have better suggestions.

{Feel-good-0002006E}

I'm with the others on this one. Probably itchy skin and as smart as they are they know how to take a toy and use it for a tool or in this case a head scratcher:laugh: My conure will grab the back of his head with his feet and pull his feathers. Baxter has some new pin feathers coming in on the back of his head too and he really likes to be rubbed there now. Your grey might be going through a little molt too. And with winter coming, the air is much drier. I don't think it's anything to worry about but Aloe will probably make their skin feel better and less itchy.

Well, you can't really delete a posting but you can go in and edit it and remove all the words if you want to. Just go to your post and at the bottom there will be an edit button. Click on that. Then go in and take out what you don't want in there.

You just needed a good kick in the butt!!! And we will be glad to give it to you:laugh: My husband was laid off in October. We are here in Michigan~you know where all the auto companies are collapsing!? He's a machinest so it kind of ties into the auto factories even though he doesn't work for any of them. They told him it was only going to be for a couple weeks, then they told him it was going to be a couple more weeks, now they are saying it will be January before he is called back:ohmy: I know they plan on it but this economy is soooo bad right now that I don't think they can give any promises right now. I sell on ebay full time for the past several years I have been making a ton of money just working from the house. Ebay has collapsed too now (atleast for me). People just aren't buying so I am struggling to make just half of what I used to. It is bad!!! I never thought I'd see the day when ebay had a slump like this. So both of us here are thrown totally for a loop. :unsure: At least you know you are not alone and that many of us are facing trying times with you. I think you should seek comfort with Woody and Indy. I think if I didn't have my birds to entertain me I would be in a severe depression by now. Think of them as a blessing and not as something to worry over. Look on the bright side, too. You got laid off but found 2 new jobs.

I am sorry you are going through some tough times right now but it is all part of life. No one has a smooth life all the times and we will all have our crisis's to go through at one time or another. We can't get rid of our birds just because we face some trying times. They just have to go through the bad spells with us. If you are in a situation where their health is deteriorating or you know things aren't going to get any better you might have to consider finding them a new home if you feel it is best. It sounds like you are just stressed out at the moment but hopefully things will work out for you.I have taken in 4 older birds and I can tell you that you won't be doing them any favors if they get put into a home where the people don't take care of them or even know how to take care of them. If you rehome them how will you know the life they will have? How would feel if the next owner doesn't let them out of the cage at all? Or found out that they have gotten behavioral problems because of this? I've got 2 that were cage bound and am beginning to think that most people (outside of this or other grey communities) don't know a lot about taking care of greys and it is really sad.If you really think you need to get rid of them for their benefit perhaps you should check into a real rescue group that will find the kind of homes they deserve. Where the people will be interviewed and taught how to take care of them properly and know their needs before they take them home. Now lets say 6 months from now, things have straightened out...Will you regret letting your birds go? Will you want to go out and buy another one just to rehome at a later date?  I am facing hard times right now too and have a couple crisis of my own at the moment but I am thankful I have them around me to help cheer me up. I think you should hang in there for a little longer. If you do not feel like you can care for them then rehome them responsibly. But if you think there won't be more crisis in the times ahead you are wrong. Life is full of twists and always will be. I think of my flock as my kids and I wouldn't rehome my kids just because I was going through tough times. I think you should really think this through. You can't go through life thinking "What If" all the time or you will be a nervous wreck. Hope things work out for you.Â

Well, I for one was raised on a farm with pigs & cows & horses & chickens, peacocks, ducks, geese, rabbits and a billy goat. Gosh, we even had pet raccoons. I cleaned many of pig pens and horse stalls in my day and I always did it in high heels and make up!

:laugh: Well, that's what the excuse I thought of, but I know if I don't try and keep up on my appearance some days I do feel like an old wrinkled up used duffle bag, so Dave might have been parially right, but don't tell him.