JillyBeanz

I've been thoroughly reassured about leaving Harvey with my parents for two weeks from you all, and thought I'd solved the problem of my parents handling Harvey, but I think my parents are a little wary of Harvey and he may just end up in his cage for two weeks (he has given then quite intense "nips" when they've been handling him). My worry is this - He DOES NOT poop in his cage. We went away for a night a couple of weekends ago and a friend came in to "put his pyjamas on" and keep him company, but when we came back (approximately 28 hours later) there was no poop in his cage. The minute I let him out onto his playstand he let rip :ohmy: Will he hold it in as much as he can and will be forced to go, or can he make himself ill by doing this? I know he's keeping his cage tidy (and it does make a hell of a difference to our cleaning regime him doing this!!) but I don't want him to make himself poorly when we are away. Your advice (as always) is greatly appreciated. Jill x

Been to Brazil - but live nowhere near as exciting! I live in Northumberland in the North East of England (Hadrian's Wall county for you historians)! I live in a small town on the the coast - so have the sea and sand (but alas no sun) on one side of me and ages of rolling country and mountains to the other side!

What a cutey! It's so lovely hearing him auditioning!! I clicked on a couple of your other links - I particularly loved the one of Dayo taking a bath! What a water baby - he looks like he loves it. If only Harvey could get the message that he REALLY does love his showers and not stare at me like I'm a serial murderer!!

The minute Harvey gets put into his cage he is a maniac! He has several toys, but his favourite is his coconut with a shreddy bit in the middle. I too leave the radio on (radio 1 is his current choice!!) but when I come back there's always bits of wood, bamboo etc in the bottom of his cage. Harvey plays with his toys on his stand too (loves the acrylic and wood type hangy toys) - but he's not one of these birds that likes interaction with blocks and me on the floor or table - just flies off, totally uninterested! Perhaps Beau is just resting when you're out?

Thanks all - I'm now happier that Harvey isn't being sleep deprived - but on the other hand jealous as hell that some of you get some snippets of peace during the day!!! I tell you what - I'm 34 and knackered from his activities - what am I going to be like at 64!! Thanks again ~ Jill xx

It's a great idea - but reading this thread you've already put me off!!! Places such as You Tube do glorify the Grey (and others) as fantastic pets (which of course, if treated correctly they are) - I too think that watching these glorifies the "good" in our Greys, but sadly - as said, not the full time job owning a parrot incurs! Perhaps when this is set up it could be called "Chew Tube" :lol:

I've read loads about how parrots snooze during the day (my cockatiel used to loads) - Harvey most certainly doesn't! He's busy all of the time and moves from one thing to the next - be it cleaning himself, playing with his toys, eating etc - but NEVER sleeps during the day. He did on the very, very first day I brought him home, but since then he's awake all day, every day! We don't live in a noisy house, so it's not a case that he's disturbed and can't sleep - he just downright doesn't! Does anyone else experience this with their birdies?

Ha Ha - the funny thing is - the Royal Mint themselves are offering a stingy £50 for one of them - I know where I'd put mine if I had one - ebay all the way!! I haven't got one either Davey - but I wish I worked in a bank, a shop.....! I'd be checking them all!!

That's great Dave - clever Alfie. I'm willing Harvey to talk (he grumbles a lot, but nothing I can make out) and to be honest I'M sick of my own voice, never mind him!! He's probably thinking to himself "nah - not saying nowt - she'll give up soon when she thinks I'm going to be the only mute parrot on this site and then she'll give my ears a rest and I can carry on doing just as I want!!!" Jill xx;)

I totally agree with SSturm! The ice water thing is a no no! Harvey's taken to showering with me (he's actually much calmer than on his own) so the ice water thing will be skipped too! At the mo here in the UK it's quite warm so I'm tolerating the "luke warm" shower, but come the winter I think Harvey will be showering on his own - and the temperature gauge will be turned up for me!!

GorgAss - I'm the same - off in a weeks time on my hols and until I posted on here about my reservations about leaving him (at my parents - one of whom is in the house all day)and I got lots of reassuring advice (like you have too) and I am now more happy about leaving him. You never know - when we come back they mightn't want us at all!!!! Have a great holiday ~ I now intend to!! Jill x B)

Harvey does this around his food bowls - he stands on one foot whilst he uses the bowl as a "steering wheel" with the other - he's done it since the day we brought him home and does it as soon as we put him in his cage - such an attention seeker - he eventually stops too when he knows we aren't going to get him back out! Dave - that picture is amazing - what a sight to behold eh?

Thank heavens for that (actually, that sounds quite selfish me being happy that others make the same noise!!). We have to get Harvey acquainted with Suzy again before next weekend (where poor Harvey is going to be sharing the house with Suzy). I'll let you know how it goes tho - thanx to everyone. Jill x {Feel-good-000200A2} PS ~ TinyTimneh - I want to see that too - sounds soooo funny!!

That video is absolutely fantastic - how lucky are you! I sincerely hope Harvey will become a talker (but as I've said before I'll love him still if he isn't!!). I love videos like this - but I've looked at them for years and years and it still took me ages to "bite the bullet" and buy Harvey - there's sensible and stupid people all over the world - no matter what the subject! Don't stop posting these videos PLEASE! It shows me what I might be missing!! Jill x

Took Harvey to my parent's yesterday to see if he would warm to them. Took him in his carry cage in the car (fine), took him through their front door into the lounge (fine) and then he spotted my parents' four year old Weimaraner, Suzy (loveliest doggy in the world)!! I was SO shocked to hear Harvey make a blood curdling noise which was a cross between a scream, a growl and a steam train! We removed him instantly from the situation. We got him out of his carry cage (on his Aviator) in the garden and my parents came outside and this time he jumped onto them no bother, with no adverse effects from meeting Suzy. Considerig he's stopping there in a fortnight we thought we best take him in again! Yet again, he let out this spine tingling noise - which I ignored this time and he stopped. Suzy wasn't bothered by him (she sat next to my dad no problems). After this I got Harvey out of his cage and he eyeballed Suzy a little, but didn't seem to mind her! So, after an hour he was happy with the dog and my folks (what a bonus eh?). Has anyone ever heard this noise before - was it an "I am terrified" screech or "Hey mate - don't come near me". It was so disturbing!!

I've learned absolutely everything I know from this site alone - I've never, ever joined a forum about anything in my life (I don't have a facebook account, myspace account, I don't twitter etc) - but because the people on here are so friendly and so knowledgeable I feel comfortable in posting. The sites here in the UK aren't up to much (sorry if their moderators is on here looking for clues on how to run a great site!) but I am so reassured by the advice given by all. Great post Dave - agree fully - join!! There's always more guests than members on here - I'm sure they'll be "regular returning guests".

Alfie's happy alright - like Dan says - he's happy it's over! Harvey will stand in the shower tray, get splashed at and soaked - but looks at me like his next move would be to gouge my eyes out whilst it's happening - Jekyll and Hyde of the CAG world my baby - once he's out and back on his cage or play stand he's the same as Alfie - Definitely "Yipeeeee - It's over"! Cute video tho x

I agree with Toni about his kids - It doesn't matter what anyone says negatively or positively about him - at the end of the day he leaves three young children - something the media (at least over here) seems not to have taken on board. I'm not a fan of his, but can appreciate the impact and moulding he had on the music world thru from the 60s. His earlier stuff was indeed better than his later material - but that can be said for a lot of longstanding bands and acts. This "story" will roll on and on ~ but perhaps a little relief for the Fawcett/O'Neal families in that the "spotlight" is greatly removed from their grief x

I'm jealous! Harvey is six months old now and hasn't uttered a word! He whistles all the time, clucks away, mimics a squeaky door and the microwave - but alas, not a word! It's great your babies are talking - I'll just have to persevere! As I've said before - Harvey's first words won't be "hello" or "good morning" - they're more likely to be "Harvey - no!!".

Since we got Harvey (and now I'm more aware of escaped birdies) I'm always driving along, looking at the top of lamp posts for "missing" birds. I've convinced myself that every wood pigeon and every seagull is a missing bird and scrutinize them closely to ensure they're not someone's missing baby! I'd have been the same Jooles - but a woodpecker - wow!!

Ha - mint - nothing on the PC ever catches Harvey's attention, but when Alfie starting whistling he was transfixed - Thanks very much Dave - kept Harvey from chewing the mouse, the phone, the keyboard......!!

Harvey's now 27 weeks and this site is my bible! You'll find that all of the above give great advice and they're all my heroes from the other side of the Atlantic! Harvey "bites" when he wants his own way. I say "bites" - you do get used to the pressure of their beaks and realize that beak to hand/finger doesn't necessarily class as a bite and soon don't even react as you know they're not going to hurt you. I did loads of research, like yourself, and Harvey is now the center of my universe (and don't he just know it)! Looking forward to some pictures of your baby.

I have to laugh at everyone desperate for their babies to fly - Harvey's never been clipped and has been fully flighted since the day we came home. We can't go to the bathroom without him following us and regularly beats us up the stairs - no place is sacred! He can even sneak up on you when you're not looking - All of a sudden as I'm sitting here he's flown from the conservatory, through the lounge and the hall to the study and landed on my shoulder! I just hope they're all potty trained or there'll be a few additions to your flooring, doors, benches.......!

I get strange looks in our house - Harvey likes nothing better than for me to lie on the sofa, with him on my chest, with a blanket over him and me - covering everything but his head (he looks like ET) - my husband shakes his head in disgust and thinks I'm turning him into a girl!!! Harvey loves this and if I stop stroking him he'll head butt my face so that I continue!!

It's that time of year again when we'll be taking our family holiday. When I had Spiky (my cockatiel) he went to my parent's house and stayed there for two weeks, no problem at all (he wasn't tame and therefore didn't come out of his cage). This year obviously Harvey has taken over our lives and my parents are absolutely willing to have him at theirs for the fortnight we are away.....but there's a problem! Harvey will NOT let my parents handle him. He flies away from them (and bites when he gets the chance) and they will have absolutely no chance whatsoever of getting him back in his cage. This is tried and tested in my home, with me being there to "retrieve" him when he gets away from them. I don't want my parents stressing about letting him out - they are kind enough to look after him (and he'll be talked to death there!!) - I have told them that he'll just have to be caged for the two weeks - will this have a detrimental effect on him? I'm stressing already - but there seems no alternative. Thanks in advance for your help. Jill xx<br><br>Post edited by: JillyBeanz, at: 2009/06/22 21:02