MrsLangenohl

Elvis could not live without his swing and he loves his "smart" toys --- where he has to figure out how to get the goodies out!

We brought our CAG home when he was like 3 months old and he was talking and mumbling a lot before he was even a year old. I started to keep a notebook of eveything he was saying. Every bird is different though and will start talking when they are ready. Elvis is now almost 4 years old and if I want him to learn a phrase or something I find that about 5 days of repeating the phrase at least a few times throughout the day he will have it down. I like to talk to him like he's a person and he responds really well to that. But not all birds are talkers either so you will have to keep that in mind.

my CAG Elvis always seems to make sense when he "talks" and it scares me a little bit sometimes ... When I'm sad or upset he often asks me "You okay?" He also asks me what I'm doing a lot and not too long ago while I was in the shower with him, I was talking (a lot, apparently) to him and he looks at me, turns his head and says "You're really annoying this morning" .. LOL I about fell over despite having my feelings hurt a little bit haha He also talks to my other animals ( 2 dogs, 2 cats, 1 rabbit ) and knows them by their names, which I think is pretty impressive that he can tell them apart from each other.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed an increase in their greys irratability while molting and regrowing feathers? Elvis took a nice little chunk out of my thumb yesterday and he normally doesn't bite me that hard and he is in the process of molting right now. His body is basically all down and it look likes some of the feathers are beginning to come in. SO just wondering if this could cause him to be a bit of a sass? Thanks!

Thank you so much for your quick response. I thought he was molting but just wanted to be sure. As I type this he is sitting on top of the computer preening away, I wonder if he knows we are talking about him! :laugh: thanks again!

Here are some pictures I took of Elvis today and a few days ago. The areas where he is losing the most feathers are his neck and on his back between his wings. I took some pictures of some of the feathers as well. Let me know what you think! Thanks! http://s446.photobucket.com/albums/qq190/norrisjl/Molting%20Elvis/

Since about a week ago Elvis has been losing feathers like crazy. He's lost 2 red tail feathers and some medium sized grey feathers and as always millions of downy feathers... Okay, well not millions but you find them everywhere and when they follow you to work, it seems like millions... Anyways I initially thought he was plucking them but after watching him they are coming out quite easily with no force needed on his part, but what I am wondering is it normal for him to chew them after they come off? He didn't chew the tail feathers but after he gets the other feathers off he sits and chews them for a bit and then lets them fall to the ground, to the amusement of the cats. So is this normal and is he just molting or should I be concerned? Elvis is 7 months old and will be 8 months old on the fourth of January. His behavior hasn't changed at all. He seems a little more itchy than normal but we've been working on that, much to the dismay of Elvis. He does not care for baths but he sits in the hot steamy shower with me every morning before work. He has a large macaw sized cage with tons of toys and perches (even a heated one) and has a large 4 foot manzanita play perch in the family room. Whenever myself or my husband is home his cage door is open and he is free to go about his business. So I do not think he is bored, or unhappy. He's even been nicer to my husband lately. He steps up real nice for him and hasn't bit him with intent to harm in quite some time. So all in all, everything is peachy. Basically I'd like some reassurance that everything is kosher with my little baby because he's looking pretty raggy. I will post a link to some photos shortly after I post this. Look for them in the Photography forum. Thanks for stopping by and sorry about the rambling.

pugwash wrote: I know exactly how you feel. My husband is forever yelling at me about ebay! I spend way too much time AND money on there. This is a good distraction for me as well. Have a merry Christmas! P.s. My Elvis says Hello to your Elvis

I'm only missing a picture of our other cat, lol otherwise that's the whole family. My own mini zoo!

I posted a link to some pics on my photobucket account in the Photography forum, go check em out! Elvis loves to hear how handsome he is!

Here is a link to some pictures I took today. Not just of Elvis but our other non-human family members! http://s446.photobucket.com/albums/qq190/norrisjl/ Tell me if this works! Thanks! Jennifer

So far I've been having problems with the picture posting. I have tons of pics but need to know how to post them? A

Just wanted to take a quick minute to introduce myself. I am Jennifer. I live in Fort Atkinson, WI with my husband, our 2 dogs, 2 cats, 1 rabbit and our amazing CAG Elvis. We purchased Elvis from an awesome breeder in WI and brought him home August 14, 2008. He is almost 8 months old now and already says a few words and makes all kinds of goofy noises. Elvis is fully flighted and whenever myself or my husband is home his cage door is open and he is free to roam. He can be very mischevious at times so we do not let him go very far unsupervised. I have always have had a passion for animals but never really birds until I worked in a pet store. We got a cockatiel in one day that someone had donated because they didn't want him anymore. All the women I worked with advised me not to go near him because he had bitten them earlier in the day and would probably do the same to me. Me being the stubborn, head-strong person I am had to see for myself. I went to go meet this cockatiel and went I put my hand in his cage to pet him he put his head down and invited me to a little scratch. His crest feathers must have just recently grown in because he still had some little white pieces all over the top and I gently pulled them off and gave him another little scritch and so began my love affair with the avian species. Elvis is my 3rd bird since my first cockatiel and my first CAG. I am still learning a lot but have done a lot of research prior to becoming owned by him so I feel well prepared for the wonderful years ahead.