LindaMary

I am really surprised to hear that a breeder suggested starving a bird - even "a little" - to elicit cooperation, never mind trust! DO NOT withhold food to get her to learn to step up. Look at it from her point of view: how would that even make sense to her? I think she is already showing you some trust by playing the "drop-the-food" game with you - as Irish said : it's one of their favorite games. I don't know if you have also tried getting her to step up on an arm rather than a hand - some birds are simply afraid of hands and take a while to get used to them. I also would suggest not relying on food treats as the mechanism for training. Try elaborate praise and happiness as a reward for any progress instead: I honestly think it works at least as well if not better. Keep us posted!

Relax, jhhuhma - you Are not doing anything wrong. He is experimenting, and going at the pace thaT feels comfortable to him. It sounds to me as though he's doing a LOT of "talking" for his age! My TAG Max didn't say a recognizbale word until she was about 11 months. When you get frustrated that he isn't talking "on cue", just remember: that may be a sign of intelligence, too !

And by the way - that picture is a memorial all by itself. Beautiful portrait of a beautiful cat!

Okay, Erika, here I am at work, with tears rolling down my cheeks... I'm so sorry to hear of Miss Kitty's passing. It has always been hard for me to say goodbye to an animal companion, or to hear about someone else having to. But what a wonder they are, sometimes, aren't they - surviving much longer than anyone thought they would. It sounds like you and she were truly blessed to have each other for so much longer than you'd expected, and it doesn't sound like she suffered much. God bless - I'll put you in my prayers.

Thanks for your replies. Maybe I shouldn't be such a worrywart! I wasn't concerned about him chewing on the wood, but I wasn't sure what I should think about him EATING such a big ol' hunk of it! He must've felt he needed a lot more fiber in his diet...:huh:

So glad to hear he's almost his old self again! I hope all continues to be well with all of you!

Does anyone know whether it is okay for a severe macaw to ingest cholla wood? I put a new perch in Tanner's cage Sunday - one with two prongs. Yesterday when I got home, I noticed that it only had one prong, and the end of the remaining one was chewed. I saw one small chip of the wood in the bottom of the cage, and no other trace of the missing prong: I think he actually ATE it! :blink: I'm talking a piece about 4 inches long and maybe a bit less than an inch in diameter. He's acting normal, eating normally last night and this morning, no weird poops. I've found conflicting information in the internet so far, so thought I'd check in with the folks here.<br><br>Post edited by: LindaMary, at: 2009/01/14 16:02

I named 58, but I can't type as fast as I can think and I had to re-type several. I should do MUCH better, as a former cartographer! :whistle: Got 74 the second time around. Try it more than once - it's good brain exercise. Thanks, Talonsis! BTW, I just checked: evidently there are between 192 and 195 countries in the world today (depending on who's being counted as a country...) Post edited by: LindaMary, at: 2009/01/14 15:54<br><br>Post edited by: LindaMary, at: 2009/01/14 16:30

WooHoo! Thank goodness! {Feel-good-000200BB}

OMG I am laughing just READING about Cooper's laughing antics! :laugh: :woohoo: And walking through the house to get stuff he wants to play with - I can just picture that little guy waddling from room to room. :side: What a terrific update, Erika! and wonderful pictures, too! I have never been particularly interested in Amazons, but your stories of Cooper are enough to change my mind. He sounds like a blast to have around. What a change you have made in his life - when I think back to his curcumstances when you first found him - what a big present you have been to him, as well! It is wonderful to hear how he is blossoming in your care!<br><br>Post edited by: LindaMary, at: 2009/01/13 00:00

What's a G2? A Goffin's cockatoo?

You're right, Erika - I just kind of realized today that I haven't been keeping y'all up on the shenanigans around here very well - and I miss hearing about Gizmo and Cooper, too! Tanner's very definitely used to being out of his cage now, and is usually (like right now) over there saying "Hello - Hi - Hello" trying to get me to let him out (like I just did). Upon which he immediately climbs up onto my shoulder and settles in and croaks "rrraak - rrrrrrraaaaaaak" to tell me how happy he is. I swear he would sit there 24/7 if I let him. And what a cuddle-bug! He's become much more predictable with that beak of his, too - much less actual biting going on. I am trying to get him to spend more time on Mary - for both their sakes, but he's pretty bonded to me still, and tries to run away if anyone else approaches (as in : runs around to my other shoulder so my head is between him and the other person). He is much more physical than Max - likes to hang upside down and swing from fingers or toys, and I'm realizing I'm going to have to get the boing and the net hung for him (Max is afraid of both of them) because I feel like he needs more exercise. He's had a couple of showers now, and once he got over his initial spookiness about sitting on the shower perch (after all - it's NOT Mom's shoulder!!!:angry: :ohmy: :angry: ) he was actually totally fine with me running him under the shower head - much more relaxed than Max was at first. He's even getting used to the mister bottle I use to spray them down with aloe now (both of them are, finally - tho they still try to bite it...). Perhaps the thing I'm working hardest on now - with some success - is teaching him it doesn't pay to screech. Because man, when he goes on a screeching tear it is truly ear-splitting! :huh: :whistle: I don't know which of us in the house hates it the most! Maxi has recently let me know that she is in fact capable of a little jealousy - and I'm not letting them both sit on me at the same time at present. She doesn't usually WANT to sit on me all the time, but when she sees him doing it, she gets cranky after a while. She's still my #1 little lady, tho - a real class act! Now fill us in on Cooper, okay? And thanks for your interest!

In order of age (and acquisition): 1 black tuxedo cat (Mathias Moreau) 1 grey tuxedo cat (Shadow Sly) 1 albino Rex rabbit (Snowball Bubboo) 1 Timneh Grey (Maximum Nymphodora) 1 Severe Macaw (Tanner Logan)

Here's today's episode. I was taking a nap this afternoon, and Mary was hanging out in the Adventure Room (which is what we call the big room in our house where the birds, the rabbit and the computers live) working on the computer and letting all the beasties have some out-of-cage time. I was awakened by a couple of (fairly quiet) squawky noises, and about that time Mary comes into my room and says "Mom, we have problem - Tanner's in Max's cage!" "Where's Max?" "Also in her cage!" So there they are - both in her cage, facing off, and neither of them would step up on Mary! I got them both out, and noone was hurt, but that darn Tanner!:silly: I should've seen it coming, actually - we have learned that, left to his own devices, Tanner climbs down off his cage and wanders around, and yesterday I looked up and found him sitting on the door to Maxi's cage (she was up on her playtop). It hadn't occurred to me that he would dare go INTO it while she was in there - but now I know better! (Actually - he may have gone in while she was out, and she may have run back in to defend her territory - we don't know.) I'm tempted to believe that he was just looking for company; he has never lunged at her, but she has at him. Still, we know not to turn our backs on these two now!

Yep, those severe macaw beaks can leave a pretty deep impression on a person, can't they?:huh: :blink::pinch: I've had quite a few of those from Tanner during our settling-in phase over the last few months - at one point my daughter was saying "Tanner, if Mom wants any more piercings, she'll pay for them!" (I don't actually have that many...) Thank heaven he is doing much less of this now!

Dan, you are a wonder. In the midst of all the stress you have experienced in the last 11 days or so - you are still able to step back three paces, analyze a highly volatile situation which I'm sure had lots of emotional tags for you, and glean from that a post that will be useful to us all. Just sent you karma, and wish I could send you 5. Thank god for your well-trained dogs, and thank god for your level head. All is well, and will be better, too.

Your post is interesting, Lisa. I had never thought of clipping only during certain seasons. I am currently letting both my birds fledge for the first time (over the winter)- hoping to be able to use the indoor season to let them learn to develop some flight control - and perhaps harness-train Max.

God bless, Kim.

Hey, that is wonderful, She! Thank you for filling us in! I'm sure you are proud of your city. I have lived in or near a couple of American cities which underwent dramatic revitalizations (Baltimore, Maryland; Hartford, Connecticut; and my own love: Portsmouth, New Hampshire). My only concern is that sometimes the "upgrade" doesn't know when to stop! I feel like Portsmouth is on the verge of becoming too popular now. But I would love to visit Liverpool and see all the things you describe. Someday!

WOW! Thank you for sharing this inspiring story! And now I even have some excuses for not having my garden tools as well organized as possible... Seriously - congratulations on your great good fortune, and on having a very tough and smart little bird!

I am so glad to hear that you are coming up with a solution that involves better discipline rather than re-homing. I don't know whether you have children, but I know when my parrots misbehave, it always helps me to remember the comparison of parrots with human toddlers. Would I have let my daughter get away with this without consequences when she was 2? If the answer's "No", then I need to come up with a parrot-appropriate consequence. And for some reason it still amazes me thet they really do respond - even though sometimes it does take time for them to learn the connection between their behavior and the consequence. Hang in there - just be firm and consistent - you'll continue to see improvement!

How soon are you leaving? I would think for starters you might want to give Lilo as much in-cage time as possible between now and then, so he can get a little used to the idea before it becomes a 10-day wait for him. It sounds like kind of a major change for him otherwise...

This behavior seems so odd to me - but that probably just proves how much I don't know!:whistle: I wonder if it has something to do with wanting to keep an eye on the human that the bird is least bonded to? Like: "I want to make sure that human doesn't get out of my eyesight and do something dastardly..."

Wow, that's quite a story, Berna. You are a gem for keeping your "little misfits" and caring for them. Aren't these little creatures amazing in what they can adapt to? Karma to you!

What a gorgeous gang you've got, Erika! Thanks for the pictures! I love your description of their various vocalizations - I am trying to imagine a parrot roaring!