katana600

Krya looks like a smile a minute. She is just lovely. Your net making ability is admirable, your house looks like a lot of fun. About the time you attach the toys under the table without doing any damage, Buddy might use them to climb up and carve his initials in your husband's woodworking.

Just this morning, I was forgiven and allowed a really long session of head scratching. Whew, I am glad for that reprieve. He went through a few days of outright hostile onslaught toward me. He tried to bite my head while he was on the cage top when I leaned in to change his food and water dishes for a couple of days in a row. He had a little bit of tantrum moments and flung his toys at me when I was near his cage. In the same time frame, he was actively soliciting head scratches from my husband and daughter while he was outside his cage which is highly unusual for him. He has been opening up more and more to both of them and even though I was wearing the dunce cap he gave me, I was enjoying the interactions just for the sheer joy it gave my family. I know he is really peeved at me and it hit home when he went through great trouble of going to the bottom of his cage and carried empty almond shells to his cage top. He was stockpiling them to fling at me. He also has gotten "on to" me closing his cage while he is out so I can change his pellet dish without a battle. After successfully utilizing that tactic a couple of times, he now will see me coming and get on the top of the door so I can't close it. Then, I walk by as if I am going to take the dogs out and try to slip the dish into its frame and he can get in there in a split second and guard the spot so I can't add the dish... that time. I am very patient and I think I have as many tricks up my sleeve as he does. I gave him three new small toys today and hooked them to his playtop ladders so I don't get pelted with them. He stood within reach of my fingers while I fastened the quick links. I was in his zone and he was so close I could feel the warmth of his breath and I wasn't quite sure if he was going to accept the toys or give me some guff so my stomach was a little bit in a knot but he was just fine. He didn't play with them today, but he also didn't avoid them or hunker down inside his cage so we are making progress. We have another trip coming up over labor day and hubby is going to rent an RV so all the pets can join us and not get Gilbert in a dither again. LOL. Road trip from Georgia to Pennsylvania for my mother-in-law's 80th birthday.

It is inspirational how you have adopted all three of these flockmates. I love that Bubba says his name and he is bringing joy to your home even when he is a little ornery. He is a beautiful boy and lucky to have found his way to you.

We have two parrots, three small dogs and a young cat calling our house their home at the moment. The cat and one dog are temporary assignments and will go back home when their families get resettled and have less travel in their jobs in a couple of months. The cat is very dangerous for the birds and she is young and playful and wreaking havoc upon the little dogs too. It is all in good fun for her and she is just playful but it makes my job a whole lot harder to keep the birds happy. I can only have an open cage policy when I am going to be in the same room as the parrots for the time being, but I will take each of them with me when I go downstairs to sew and close the door to keep the cat separate. Another thing I have done when getting a new parrot acclimated is to make night time a free flight time because then I gradually turn off the lights in the rooms away from the cage and that encourages them to come back to the cage top and from there I could entice them inside with our night time almond treat. To this day when Gilbert (TAG) hears the tin of almonds getting opened, he climbs as quickly as he can to the inside of his cage for me. I have made it a point to feed the parrots only inside the cage so they just expect to go inside when it is time to eat. You will find a happy medium. Like you have said, your TAG is still new, still figuring out the rhythm of the household. It will take a little time to sort out everyone's boundaries and you will find a way to keep everyone reasonably free and happy.

What a nice intro, thanks for joining us Sarasota. I think we will learn as much from you as you will from the variety of people and topics on our forum. You have nice pics to share with us, great photography and creativity. I could feel the tentacles of MBS wrapping around my heart as I looked at your photos. I have been holding firm at two birds for a long long time, but it keeps getting harder to resist.

Wow, first I watched the kitchen video and it brought tears to my eyes to see him climbing and bouncing and even though he was cautiously reaching with a foot and holding tight with his beak, he was moving with great spirit. I appreciate that you noted that it has taken him two years to reach this point. It gives me an uplift and great hope for Gilbert too. Then I watched the one where he was really getting the bell going. It looked to me like he was hanging on the the boing with his beak and had his feet on the bell, that is awesome! I was wondering how he got his feet over there and how he thought of doing it the first time. I am amazed at your videos and how far Spencer has come with you. Great job on everyone's part to bring him to this place. He is a lucky boy to have landed with your family. Thanks for the videos, this was a really good lift right when I needed one.

I totally agree. Changing homes for one of our unique companions is all dependent on what they have experienced and it also depends on their innate character. Sometimes even when it is a dramatic improvement on their lot in life, it is still stressful to them and hard to accept. There is a major difference in the way we can handle a juvenile bird coming from a loving breeder who has helped the new home prepare and integrate the youngster into our home and the contrast of a rehome, rescue of an older bird who has been mishandled and traumatized. We have had both and each comes with challenges, but Gilbert is more of a challenge just to work to keep him from self-harm and to gently find a way to break his cycle of fears. Someone who takes over the care of a parrot who had a loving home and help with the transition and finds themselves with a cooperative and receptive friend from the onset is fortunate. I guess that is why we have to consider every situation as unique and what works for someone else may be a good suggestion to consider and apply any kernel of good to our own situation, but it really is uncharted territory and unique to every home and every parrot. Gentleness and trust building may take a long long time and seem really bleak in the beginning but it is winning the day with our little friend.

There will never come a day when I have seen too many of these beautiful baby pictures. Ava is just the most adorable little baby TAG. Oh goodness, that is just the sweetest little face.

Back in 2006 when we brought home our first little parrot, I was shopping for decorating the kitchen in our new home in a coffee theme. My husband and daughters were in the pet store next door JUST to buy dog food. When the wrangling was over we brought home this little bird and put her little cage in the kitchen. I saw a little sign that said "Java house" and I love the Sun Microsystem Java platform from my previous life in computer science. We didn't know her gender at the time and thought Java was a good fit. Then, when I was buying HER toys and treats I discovered the love of my life in a six week old fuzzy CAG chick. My husband had agreed to take me for a lifelong dream to go on a cruise to Alaska. When I met the little guy, I was ready to turn in the promise and trade the trip for my boy, so I called him Juno. We thought if we were not going to see the city Juneau, our Juno would be an everyday adventure. It was the best trade in my life even though that had a sad ending when Juno passed away from PDD only seven weeks after he came home. We couldn't bear to leave his brother behind and his breeder was still calling him by the breeder number protocol so they wouldn't get too attached. We brought that little guy home and went back to the coffee theme and called him Kopi which is Indonesian for coffee. Then when we saw the bucket list we planned to call him Kopi Luwak for if he got into mischief. We enjoyed his sweet little self until he was taken by PDD before he reached he reached eighteen months. Then, a forum member with a serious health issue got together with me to get Gilbert. He already had a name and he knows it, so I didn't change it. But when he is really sweet, I give him a coffee name too. I call him Gilbert Machiatto Grande after my favorite treat.

I went back to watch Spencer again, he just is getting around with such vibrance and relish. Gilbert is so efficient with motion that Spencer moved more on that short clip than Gilbert moves in a week. Gilbert has a stray fleck of red on his "thigh" and I thought it would be way cool if Spencer had a "beauty mark" on his cheek. Your postings with your work with Spencer is encouraging, I am sure, absolutely sure, that in due time Gilbert will play and gain the confidence that I see in Spencer and others. There are days I see glimpses and there are small breakthroughs in his bravery that seem lasting, so I am going to keep watching Spencer and show his videos to Gilbert for incentive.

Nicely done, very creative and beautiful.

That first flight is so exciting, I am glad you were there to see hers. It won't be long before Neytiri is weaned and flying around in the safety of your home. You are one step closer, this is great news.

Oh wow, that was a good video of Spencer. I like what you did to the cage top to make a play area where you have the boing and the bell and all. He is fifty times more active and outgoing as Gilbert is so far. His feathers look better than Gil's too. Does Spencer have a little red feather on his left cheek? He was moving quite a bit in video so I couldn't really see well enough that it may just have been a fleck of his food or something. If it is a tiny little red feather, that is kind of like he has a birthmark or identifying mark. When I could see the results of his play, the torn up cardboard or whatever on the cage top, he is eons ahead of Gilbert for his play and confidence. Spencer is thriving in your care. Thanks for posting his video debut. I love it.

The great thing is when you discover something that helps Spencer move forward just a little, it helps me with Gilbert too and vice versa. I am thinking it was you that played with a water bottle and although that was not something Gilbert embraced, just putting on top of his cage spurred him into starting for the first time ever to actually touch his toys up there. Now he will play a little every day. It made such a difference in his activity level and his confidence. And... I used to bite my nails as a kid, still some in adulthood, slowly getting less likely. Then... I got braces on my teeth last year as an older adult... long story, but one crown has caused a LOT of medical issues. Anyway, now I can't bite my nails if I wanted to, and when I get an adjustment monthly, I am best friends with a blender, LOL. Just as Gilbert gnaws off a tail feather, I am guessing some day when my teeth are released from captivity, I will absentmindly gnaw one fingernail off. LOL. Some habits are just habits. Glad to see you online every now and again, I've missed you but understand you have so much going on with a family and job. Give Spencer an extra treat and surprise the little curmudgeon, LOL. I will do the same for Gilbert.

While not large in stature, the senegals and red-bellied parrots are interesting, snuggly, active birds with clown-like behavior. Our Java is six years old, she is very self assured, loves to lay on her back in my hand for snuggles and is entertaining, exuberant and just lots of fun. She doesn't talk much, and her words don't sound so "human" as much as a silly cartoon character, but she is every bit as intelligent and engaged in the household as any grey we have had. She is a red bellied hen. The male is brighter in color and the senegals are lovely too. I would call Java a quiet bird, she whistles and makes flock calls to me when I am in the house but I have never had anyone complain about noise. I am a bit noise sensitive and I find her to be just delightful. She isn't a "one person bird", will go to anyone in the family although she does prefer me and lets me do more with her than the others. I think that is just because I am home all the time. I have heard others say the Senegal family is good with kids. They really can't be classified as "small" birds, but she looks huge next to a cockatiel and is about half Gilbert's size.

Gilbert has a funny way of saying "What" also, it comes in the form of a quick rebuttal or denial. All I can think of is Vinny from Welcome Back Kotter from years ago. The tone and delivery is a little different every time, but is always with attitude, "Whut?" He does it when dog barks. He does it when he has been making mischief or if company comes and the house gets noisy. It always seems to be spot on and intended to make us laugh. Even someone who has never heard it before will laugh at his sassy retort. Of course, another favorite that faded for a while came back again yesterday. The same thing happened where one of the dogs couldn't wait to go outside and wet on the floor right by the door. Gilbert awakened me in my room with his one and only naughty word, pronounced with a definite southern drawl, male voice "sheeeeeit", spoken in disgust over and over. While I cleaned up the floor he said it again and again. While I mopped the floor, he said it again. I would say he said it at least forty times in an hour. That was yesterday. I didn't look at him, I didn't smile and I just totally ignored him and went about my business while he was having his tirade. Since then, I have not heard it one time. So, I am guessing that since he talks about "Lou" in reference to one of our dogs, who is named Baxter, I think he must remind Gilbert of Lou and I am guessing it was not received well when Lou had an accident.

Don't take his plucking as a reflection on your success with him Mark. Sometimes what they started before our time in their lives becomes habit which they revert to in times of uncertainty and change. Gilbert just got a whole clump of beautiful new tail feathers. It is the most filled in I have seen his tail feathers in sixteen months. I sprayed his little backside with aloe, and he was fine while the pinfeathers opened. We went away for a day and a half to see our daughter while he had the best of care with my other adult daughter whom he just treasures like I have not seen him care for another human. When I came home, he had barbered off all but one of his beautiful tailfeathers and once again, his balance is precarious at best. He also chewed the chest feathers. I look at it like chewing our fingernails and sometimes even when it is good stress, it still could cause regression. I agree that Spencer likely misses Anya as well as picking up the sadness and heavy heart that you and your family have following her loss. But, it isn't like that caused his plucking. I am balancing trying to find ways that will distract Gilbert when he gets the notion to destroy his feathers with understanding it is just one of those things that he will do with no illusion that I can control it no matter how much I wish I could. My saving grace is the realization of just how much worse it could get if Gilbert were really fearful or under great duress. Never again do I wish to see the flurry and fury of a real pluck of growing healthy feathers. After the first greeting in that condition, I have much to be grateul for in that department. I think there will come a time when Spencer and Gilbert really turn the corner and realize they are accepted, bad habits, baggage and all and when the day comes that they relax and accept our homes.

Kikki is beautiful. Even though he was kept in such a small cage and didn't have human touch, he certainly appears to be well loved and secure. It is wonderful for you to open up his life and allow him freedoms and exercise he hasn't had before. I hope you have the best of luck to build a wonderful relationship with him. It looks like you are well on your way. Thanks for joining us and sharing your journey together.

Say Ana Grey, being a cougar is over rated. What you really need sweet thing is a sugar daddy. I may be rough around the edges, but I am well experienced, world traveled, handsome and a man with a destiny. You can be my princess. There really isn't that much of an age difference, although I am a mature gentleman ready to find that special someone to make that lifelong commitment. I know what you mean about your O.W.L. I have one of those myself but I have her right where I want her. With warmest regards, Gilbert

Thanks for coming in to update Mark. We are on the same path with Spencer and Gilbert, I think. We have really great highs with mostly even days of him still learning that we aren't trying to poison him or chase him with a broom. LOL. He is a suspicious little character easily set off track by a change in what he can predict from us. All in all though, if we compare the early days with now, it is a huge improvement in his dispostion and communication. It is like have a lake filled one drop at a time. You can't tell there is an improvement on a daily or even weekly basis, but slowly and surely we do progress and one day we will find our relationship with Gilbert and Spencer to be full, productive and delightful. Keep up the good work with him, I am sure he loves you just as much as you love him. It is harder for our guys to trust and show their free spirit, but I think we are going to get there. Correction, I know we are going to get there!

Mark, I am so sorry you have been grieving. Anya looks like an angel in her closeup for the facebook pic. She was a lovely little friend and I know you have been the best of the best in caring for her. Your loss is shared by your friends here. Your tenderness and caring for her has been inspirational and she knew how much she was loved.

Even funnier, I read quickly and misinterpretted that you were talking about your wife "just standing there" with her broken leg. Fergie is on her way to the stand up comedy club. I love those moments when you are taken aback and have to have confirmation that what you thought you heard was exactly what they meant to tell you.

It is just precious that you are keeping these birds together. It will be interesting to see the reunion take place when these three get together again after some time apart. It has to be a wrenching decision for the man who is letting them go and I am sure they know you are going to be the best possible choice they could make to keep them together and in the best of caring loving homes. It makes me a little teary for all concerned. We have had the heartbreak of PDD in our home and it is hard to open up and be there for whatever it takes to keep them going and hope for a breakthrough in research. You have my greatest admiration.

Thanks for the tip, I will see if I can find a copy of the issue with the focus on greys.

I am in deep guano here. Since our daughter is temporarily living with us, Gilbert has taken a real shine to her. We went away for the weekend two weeks ago and he was not happy on my return. He interacted and was friendly to her and let her feed him but was a little stressed. I was a little nervous about having another travel commitment for this past weekend but it was a wedding in Colorado that I just could not take him along. He did much better the second time around. I can tell he was a little stressed because his droppings turned green and that is not his norm. Other than that, he is vocal and the only way I knew he was ticked off at me this time is that he flings pellets when I come to him and he flung his night time almond and has rejected every overture and offer of peace from me. He is talking to me, but he is not going to be so forgiving if he has to stay home the next time I fly the coop. LOL. On the plus side, he will step up off his cage for Rachel and just whistles and chats up a storm trying to get her to come back downstairs after bedtime. On the lighter side, he has taken whistling to a new horizon. He has been making up songs, blending tunes and just is a regular little whistling maniac. I have gotten so far as to stretch my lips over the new wires on my braces and can whistle a couple of notes and he laughs at me! He is a stinker. Seriously, I am grateful for the progress he has made that allowed me to travel just a little and come home to find him relatively secure, if not gracious about my departure and return.