LindaMary

Funny you should start this thread, she: I was just thinking of doing something similar. I have one of the several "Max"'s on here, and have wondered how many Maxes there really are. Our Max is short for Maximum Nymphodora, and I think I must call her Maxi more often than Max to her face, because "Maxi" is the name she is starting to try to say herself. Still, it does seem there are certain names that you hear more often than others - Tico is another one I've heard often.

That's one of our most common interchanges as well, she: The Battle of The Whistles.B)

Thanks for the advice, Judy & Dave! I'm running right out to get some!:side:

Aha - so a bit less than 100% is okay? What my health food store carries is the Lily of the Desert brand, which comes in a gallon jug and contains a bit of citric aid and also a mold retardant: it's 99.7% aloe vera juice. Is this acceptable?

Where do y'all find 100% aloe vera juice? I can only seem to find either a 100% gel (at the drug store), or big jugs of aloe vera juice with additives (such as citric acid) at the local health food store. Help!

We talk so much here about whether and when and how much our fascinating companions use our human language (as well as all the other sounds they like to use). I'm curious: how many of us find this to be a two-way street? I can't help myself: I often find myself in conversations with Max where I'm imitating noises she makes, too. (I remember learning a lot of "Robin" when I raised a robin once, too...) No idea what I'm saying, of course - except general tone ! I'm sure it means she'll pick up "human" more slowly - but we both seem to enjoy it and have a good time. After all, what does it say about species intelligence if they can use our language, but we can't use theirs? :blush: Does anyone else do this?

Hey, Mark - I actually woke up in the middle of the night twice last night thinking about you and your Max, and gave a little prayer for you to be re-united. First thing this morning I got on here to see if there was any news - sigh. I am sure this whole experience will greatly inform your approach to Scooby, and I'm also sure that your sharing it with us will help some of us on this forum to avoid making similar mistakes. Good for you for sticking with us despite the sharp tone of some of the responses you have received. We ALL make mistakes sometimes, and I believe you are doing your best to make it right. Do keep us updated on your search, and on Scooby! (Mama to another bird named Max...still keeping my fingers crossed...)

Maxi's Flock: Me ("Mama") Mary, my 13-year-old daughter ("Sissy") Mathias (10-year-old black tuxedo cat - Chief Cat of Neighborhood, despite being the smallest cat in the neighborhood) Shadow (5-year-old gray tuxedo cat - Pariah Cat of Neighborhood, despite being the strongest cat in the neighborhood) Snowball (3-year-old albino Rex rabbit with attitude) My mother ("MaeMae") - in town for a couple of weeks at a time

I'm glad this thread got started, because I have really realized within the last few months that we companion bird folks do need to be actively clear with others about The Bird Rules. Maxi is a pretty mellow little girl, and when people see her hanging out on my shoulder, and happily hopping up on my 13-year-old's hand and getting cuddled, they don't see any clues warning them that the 13-year-old is the ONLY one whom Max allows to cuddle her (not even me), or that the fact that Max is so "tame" with us does NOT mean she's going to be tame with everyone. It's a natural mistake for them to make, and that means it's up to us to protect them (both parrots and people) from that mistake. Of course, there is also an amazing number of people out there to whom it has never occurred that they shouldn't stick their fingers right in a caged animal's cage to "say hello". Why do you suppose this is such a knee-jerk reaction among so many people? I really like your method, Steve, of formally introducing people to Misty. I have done something like that on occasion, too, but not consistently, and I think I will start making it a rigorous habit. Thanks for putting it out there!

Mark, I am so sorry to hear that Max has flown away! I know you are getting mixed reactions here (especially to getting another grey so quickly), but I also appreciate your describing for us in detail the steps you took to try to recover Max over several days. How infuriating an frustrating it must have been to be so close so often and still not manage to get hold of him! I can really picture myself in that situation, knowing my own probably very-poorly-disguised panic was probably just making the bird more nerovus as well. I myself wonder whether the whole fire-engine exercise would have been to any avail: if Max was so skittish thathe wouldn;t even come to you in quieter circumstances, it's mhard for me to imagine that a stranger on a great big ladder would have much better luck. In any case, I really do hope that all is not lost and that Max will be returned to you! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you! Have you also notified the mail carriers? Put up signs? I'm sure you've read Andrew's article that he put on here after Tui flew away this summer - another heartbreaker. Please keep us posted. Mixed feelings doesn't mean we don't care!

Maybe Bella can fix Wall Street, eh?

Seankly, I have a full-time job that takes me out of the house by 7:30 each morning and often doesn't get me home until 5:30 p.m. Maxi gets to join me for about an hour in the morning as I get ready for work, and again for a couple of hours in the evening. (We spend more real quality time together in the evening.) While I am at work, I either leave the radio on or the television, and I try to alternate channels and stations from week to week so she has different things to listen to. She also has quite a few toys, of course. My 13-year-old daughter usually gets home in the afternoon a couple of hours before I do, and she will go in and say hi to Max briefly, but I know she doesn't spend hours with her. I know it's not perfect, but it works. I notice that when I am able to spend more time with Max, she "gives back" more, too, and I delight in the occasional days that I can actually take her with me to work. They are not frequent, though. Maxi is a Timneh, and fairly mellow in temperament; I know CAGs are reputed to be more "sensitive". I would be interested in hearing others' opinions on this in the forum. For my part, I don't think you should let the one website put you off right away. Soudns like you have your heart in the right place on this issue.

Hey, Tommy - after reading your latest post, I'm especially glad that you have decided to redouble your efforts to build up a bond with Jake. I feel like he could be missing the closeness he had with your father before your dad became ill, and therefore may be especially in need of all the attention you can offer. Remember to keep your "time-outs" short (by which I mean the times you put him back in his cage and walk away after he nips). It's like working with a very young child - if the time-out is too long, they really lose the message : they no longer associate the "punishment" (the temporary cold shoulder) with the behavior they did that caused it. So after the few minutes of ignoring him after a bite, I would return to the cage and at least talk to him gently and put your hands close to him as you mentioned, or if you have time let him out again for another try. Let him know you don't hold grudges: he only gets the time-outs when he bites (or otherwise specifically misbehaves.) It'll take time - pace yourself and try your best to be consistent. I'm sure Jake will reward you!

Hi Tommy, and welcome to the forum! What an interesting backstory you have with your grey - I give you credit for recognizing that the relationship needs work after so long, and for trying to overcome your own biting-induced hesitancy in order to make life better for both Jake and yourself! It certainly sounds like your grey wants to interact with you more! Patience will definitely be a key in regainig and establishing a trusting relationship between the two of you. One tip I know of, relating to your comment "He'd put his head down to be petted and then have a go at me straight away": When his head was down, was he also looking down, or was he looking up at you? If he was looking up at you, it may be a setup: he's luring you in to bite you. My Timneh used to do this with me and still does it with strangers sometimes, but I honestly think it's not about hostility or being evil, but just their idea of a game. If you give a big yell and jerk away at the bite (natural response, of course), that rewards them for the "trick", and they'll do it again. I just stopped offering my hand to Maxi when she had her head down but was looking up at me, and now she doesn't even try it with me. Head-down-and-looking-down is likely to be safer. It also sounds from what you've said like Jake's first real affectionate overture to you was when you just "put your hand near him". Maybe it would help to slow down a bit and just put your hands near him more often, and let him take the intitiative to approach you at this stage. The regurgitating is definitely affection, and it sure sounds to me like he's showing you that he's interested in more interaction with you. Sounds like he is experimenting with what works, what he's comfortable with ... and what he can get away with:evil: . Good luck, and keep us posted! There are lots of people on here with LOTS more experience than I have, so keep those questions coming!

Welcome to our world! Abernathy's given you a great starter list! My Timneh also likes the edible perches and the rope perches (they're easy to hang on to), and bells (she likes to sit under one and use it for a hat! :lol: ) I put a concrete perch by her water dish - heard somewhere that it would feel natural to them to be standing on "stone" near water - and it helps keep her nails trimmed. I also got her a shower perch, which has been invaluable - she gets to hang out with me in the shower steam even on the days she doesn't get showered herself (which she does every few days...) Now she hollers at me from the other room if she hears the shower running and she's not in there with me. Last but not least, I've gotten a huge amount of use out of the Adventure Pack backpack cage I bought when I got her. It really lets me take her around with me when other factors allow, and lets her be more a part of my life outside our house. She obviously enjoys it:readily gets into it when I open the door for her. I don't mean to necessarily plug this particular product, though my experience with it for a year has been wonderful - there are other similar take-along cages. Once again: welcome! Isn't it fun to prepare the nest?

Welcome, Wendy! My house has been blessed with a little girl TAG since August 2007 - she's about 19 months old now. They are such a treat! Prepare for many years of love with your new companion! And post a picture when she comes home!

At almost 19 months, Max the Timneh weighed 258 grams yesterday. Petite even for a female TAG, but nonetheless healthy and energetic. My mom always taught me that dynamite comes in small packages...

This was a useful thread for me to read, because I had specifically been wondering about grapes. Knew they were bad for dogs, but I'd seen a lot of pictures of greys eating them. I'm comforted: Mary and I love grapes, and now Max will get to try some too.

Okay, this is really species-jumping, and I don't know if it has any relevance at all in birds. But when my daghter was a toddler, she fell, knocked a tooth out on a low table edge and somehow managed to bite through the end of her tongue in the process - sideways! She literally had a 1"-long fork in the end of her tongue. My eyes were spinning. The doc told me to just give her soft foods, ice chips, etc., keep an aye out for any sign of onfection, and that I'd probably be surprised by how fast it would heal itself. No kidding: within a week the tongue had zipped itself right back togetehr and the scar was even disappearing. It was astonishing. As I've said, I have no idea whether parrot tongues have the same magical properties, but if your vet is advising a wait-and-see, that's what I'd do!

Nychsa, Maxi also beats me to "step up". Usually she says it when I offer my hand (but before she actually steps up) - and quite often she says it to tell me she wants to step up (i.e., she's standing on one leg, flapping that free foot at me ). One thing I also notice with her is that she'll have some days when she's very quiet most of the day - hardly even whistles, just preens and eats and climbs around and pesters her toys. Other days she'll be gabbling away like mad, and other days still she's working on whistling-and-wild-bird-call medleys for hours. It's always interesting to see what the Activity of the Day is going to be.

Oh I am so sad to hear this, Pat. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Somehow it just means that much more when you experience that connection with an animal known for being solitary, doesn't it, Shanlung?

Maxi likes Curious George (cartoons) and Sesame Street, that sort of thing, on TV. She'd probably lobve Spongebob, but I don't want her learning that laugh! For music, she really gets going (chattering-muttering-whistling medleys) to old reggae (ancient Bob Marley is a favorite), and mellows out to pan pipes, recordings of whalesong and nature sounds, choir music. I've heard that lots of greys like any kind of techno beat, but haven't tried it myself. Have fun!

I am so sorry to hear of your loss, Gaevren. You and he are still both in my prayers.

I agree with your instinct to bring him home, and I applaud you for your measured and careful decision process. These things are so tough to go through! We're with you in spirit...and hoping right along with you that things will go well.