katana600

I am so sorry for the shock of your loss. Sometimes when that little voice in my head wants to say something and my brain tells me all the reasons not to say it, I say it anyway! When you take the time to write to someone and tell them you admire their gifts or that they made a difference in your life, it may mean more than they can say directly or immediately. When I went back "home" last summer to stay with the mother of a friend while she was in hospice care one of the things she kept saying over and over again in awe was she didn't realize that anyone cared that much. It makes me a little sad for the thirty years that passed without saying it, but the validation that my voice did count helped me to learn something. This man made a positive impact on your heart and is part of you still today. Maybe sending a card to his daughter to tell her what you remember about him, probably before she even existed, will give her a piece of his history that will bring her comfort.

It has taken a long long time for him to get comfortable enough to have a camera so close. He is changing every day and what didn't work yesterday might be a big hit today. I am so thrilled to see him interact more intensely with all the toys on his cage top. I'm not sure if you noticed when he lost his balance, but he regained his composure and kept on playing. A month ago he would barely touch any of the toys up there. He would just carefully skirt around the edges to get to his favorite hiding spot. I believe Gilbert is naturally a sensitive bird and he is taking some time to adjust but he sure is showing signs of relaxing a bit.

Jeff, I am so sorry for your loss. Bailey will always be a part of your heart and your history. It sounds like Gracie was begging you to be okay. Your love for Bailey was deep and your loss is heavy on you right now. It will get better. I wish I had some comfort for you. I am glad though for the love you had with Bailey and how much she meant to you.

Over the weekend when Gilbert was in an especially cooperative mood, he let me get close enough to get a short video. This may seem like just a bird playing with a toy, but it is huge for our boy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JPa2ymHmf8

I am so sorry you had to go through this. You are both such a comfort to Oliver. Our daughter has epilepsy and the seizures are much worse on us than on her because she isn't fully aware during a seizure. She sleeps for a long long time afterward but according to our doctors and literature I've read, the seizure doesn't cause any damage to the brain, it is described somewhat as an electrical misfiring and reset. Both my African grey Congo babies with PDD had seizures and all we could do is hold them and keep things quiet for them as they tried to make sense of it in their own way.

That was a clever subject line. I love how Koekie lets you dust him. He is such a confident and playful little friend. I enjoy your videos and sense of humor.

I love the name Piper, it is fitting. It sounds like he really needed you and is singing your praises. I love when a match is so evident on the very first day.

Merlin is a beautiful little senegal. I have never had the pleasure of seeing one in person. Java, our little red-bellied parrot is a relative of Merlin. From the neck up, he looks like her except her eyes are more red. Merlin came to a good home and he knows it. I just can't stop coming back to look at Merlin's bright colors, he is a special little friend.

Thanks Greywings, it makes my day to wake up to Gilbert and the rest of our household every morning. Gilbert is showing definite signs of getting just a little attached to us. He does somethings special with each of us. Yesterday as we sat on the screen porch, Gilbert was in the living room having a whistling duel with David. They were both quite creative and I was surprised at each of them. In the evening Gilbert suddenly wants the attention of Rachel after she goes upstairs to bed. He calls out to her and sings and says good night sweetheart. She comes back into the hallway over and over again to exchange sweet nothings with him. After we turned the light out last night, he was in the dark and he still kept telling her good night and sweet dreams. Some nights he is so excited and playful with her, she will come back downstairs and he runs and postures for her to scratch his head. My weekend highlight came while David was in the shower and was whistling to Gilbert. The back of his cage is on the wall shared between the living room and bedroom. As I went into the bedroom, he got excited and called out to me, so I came back around the corner and when he saw me he jumped a little. I took the opportunity to come in and out of the doorway and tell him peek-a-boo. He got really animated and jumped off his cage to get into the bedroom to find me. He stayed in with me on the bed and willingly did lots of step ups and was calm away from his cage. When I took him back to his cage he was playing and tugging his toys around and I got a little video. I will try to figure out how to edit and post a clip. As another plus, almost all of his tailfeathers have unfurled and he seems to have a full tail now.

Yes Ray, it is a bit like watching a miracle in slow motion. He has been so rigid, constrained and withdrawn so now his newfound confident strut is a sight to behold. The hardest thing to do is to wait and do little to approach him or ask too much too soon. He has been very vocal and involved with our family since the beginning, but now he is starting to show signs that he may broaden his horizons beyond the cage. There is such a contrast between Java and Gilbert. She has been with us since she was young and she is fearless and full of curiosity and adventure. He has taken a long time deciding if he wants to stay. If I could read his mind I still couldn't count on him saying this is an okay place, but little by little he is showing signs that he might agree to kinda sorta like us at some point. LOL. It sure helps to have others on the forum with much more parrot experience to say it will happen eventually. Giving him the choice to come to me on his terms guarantees when that moment does come, there will have to be a grand celebration.

Koekie is delightful. He is so full of fun and energy. What a joyful relationship you have. Thanks for sharing.

Ha ha ha, got me there! It is still a great idea, I am going to try it. Gilbert loves his "shepherd hook" toy hanger and he goes down the vertical base like he is swinging around a stripper pole... not that I would know what that is like. LOL. Let's say a fireman's pole then. I am going to try a vertical "pole" inside the cage though.

He is so comical. Today he came off his cage again and was happy as can be to come to the back of the sofa with me for a little while. Of course, I plied him with pistachios and pine nuts once he came to me. Then, he heard my daughter upstairs and he started talking and cajoling for her to come down. She was so pleased at his antics, she sat at the opposite end of the sofa and he ate pine nuts from her fingers for the first time. I think she is in training to be his new friend. I just love to see him opening up a little and looking for attention. Every night now when she starts up the stairs he can see her from his cage and he starts pacing and calling out to her "night night" and "sweet dreams" and "come back soon". She is smitten. He is awesome.

And the worm turns. After a few days of being energetic and full of himself, Gilbert has been a grouch to me. When I come to change out his dry food, he sees me coming from the kitchen and scurries into his cage to perch right next to the dish. This is the one I have to fill with a long handled spoon or measuring cup because it is not on one of the swinging doors. He has chosen that particular cup as his battle ground and gets downright territorial and grumpy when I need to change it. Yesterday I decided to be clever. While he was on the cage top, I closed his door before I went to the kitchen to lock him out. What a great idea, what took me so long to figure that one out? He knew I was preparing food and was asking for a cracker in every way he knew. As he saw me coming from the kitchen he went clamoring to get to his perch to thwart me. When he got to the closed door, he said "Hey. What you do thaaaat?", in the same disdainful tone he uses to complain to the dogs about barking. LOL. It was the funniest thing ever. It is the first time I have changed his pellets in ages that he didn't fling them all over to show his disapproval of me touching that particular food cup. I didn't laugh at him out loud. I did tell him I did that because I don't like it when he tries to bite me. This morning, he let me reach in and take that cup out while he was inside and he didn't even try to come down to challenge me. He is so intelligent that it scares me. He is well ahead of me and the only thing I can predict about him in all this time is that he is going to continue to be unpredictable.

I came in to see his toy and then was more interested in the perch you put in there vertically for him. What a great idea. I have a boing in the cage to aid in the vertical climb, but never thought about a perch being turned the other way. Gilbert will thank you for your ingenuity. Smoky Bandit is a lucky fellow indeed for finding you.

When I saw the subject line, my fingers were crossed for you and Pats. Tomorrow afternoon you will be making fast friends with the little fellow. Congrats on having patience and getting through the vetting process. I am confident that when this woman meets you she will be thrilled to be putting him in such a good home. Welcome to the flock little Pats!

Stewart has some of the same kind of unpredictable Jeckyl/Hyde moments as Gilbert. For a few days now he has been dissing me and has taken up with my husband and daughter and asking them for head scratches. If I come close, he gets grumpy so I have been giving him leeway and being grateful just to see him respond to my family. This morning he decided to be my buddy and let me give him a little scratch. You are doing so well with Stewart for having him with you only five months. Do you ever wonder how we got to the place where we define success by the terms of a little feathered grumblebutt? LOL.

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us. We also have a rehomed grey, he is a Timneh, but a similar situation with Rosie. He had a few homes before I took a deep breath and decided we could make a home for him and stick with it no matter what. He has been with us for fifteen months and is just now starting to play with toys also. It is so good that your mother has some experience and has been able to support you in the rough times. You are right about taking baby steps and for being patient with Rosie. I have had some discouraging times too and this forum has been a tremendous source of support and there is consistently someone with an idea that I will try with Gilbert that seems magical. He may reject something a hundred times and then when I offer it again, he will take it and we both rejoice. I find a lot more rewarding days than discouraging days and just keep trying. I look forward to hearing more about Rosie and your journey with her.

Your updates are always a reason to smile. I love how you are teaching your daughter to love Isaac almost as much as you do. I respect how you are giving him a little cage time and he embraces that because he is so secure and a happy little boy. You are not only enjoying your life with him to the fullest but looking out for his future happiness as well. You will only get more delighted by him as time goes by. You make a great family.

One thing is certain Ray, the care and feeding of a parrot has finally surpassed the level of difficulty to husband keeping. I have had thirty years of practice with the husband part and it is still unpredictable and hard to figure out. I think Gilbert came along into my life to show me that the husband is really a piece of cake.... at least he hasn't ever bitten me. LOL.

Gracie is just as cute as can be. She still looks like a baby. Her barking is sweet and not too loud either. She must be a lot of fun for you.

The timing in which Gilbert was first offered gave me five months to really think about what I was about to get into. He was presented with his flaws as bared as his missing feathers. Fifteen months later I still don't set expectations for him. We are in it for the duration. You aren't really giving him credit though Ray when you call me his equal. He is much more superior and I can guarantee he thinks he has the upper hand. He doesn't reward me with any scratch under the chin, I can tell you. LOL. Instead when I think I am entertaining and impressing him he says "What are YOU doin'?" and "Why you do thaaaaat?" He is a tough audience.

Today was a cleaning day, so I pulled Gilbert's cage away from the wall. He watched and gave me orders while I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the wall, the back of his cage and the hardwood floor. He is just so much more calm and involved with us lately. When I started to move his cage back in place, he launched off the cage top and went to the dining room. He is getting a lot farther now with his flapping and flying attempts. The dogs were in the dining room sleeping in the crate with the door open and they left the room and hid in my bedroom. Usually when Gilbert goes to the floor he is in a big hurry to get to me and have me give him a lift back to his cage. This time he was in the mood for exploration. He climbed inside and outside the dog crate first. Then he went under the buffet and china closet to check out my lack of dusting. Then he made his way back to the living room. I was still cleaning and just watching him to see where he would go. He went under a chair and I sat down and offered him a hand. Usually he would be in a big hurry to come to me, but he was out walking about for more than thirty minutes. When our daughter came down to see what he was doing because he was talking and whistling and more vocal than usual, he went right to her and asked to step up. She sat on the floor and held him and put him back down. He had no interest in climbing the new rope back to his cage. I just can't describe how much fun he was having just checking out the house. It is like he just got here this week and is suddenly interested in his surroundings. I am just beyond amazed. Once he started to open up, he just keeps making strides and he seems like a new man. Now that he is back in his cage, he is grinding his beak and getting ready for a nap. Whew, what a busy day for him.

You and Stewart are making tremendous strides. You have every right to be excited and you make me excited and happy too. Our work with Gilbert is taking a lot longer but every little bit of progress is worthy of celebration. Stewart has realized you are good good good! He is a lucky little fellow and he seems to know it. Congrats on all your success and bonding with him. I love knowing he is so happy and he is making you happy too.

Gilbert is amazing me more every day. Just a few weeks ago he was still withdrawn. As he increased his activity he is getting so much more adventurous. He has been climbing all over the outside of his cage and even hanging by one claw off the very bottom of the frame. I read a post by Wingy on another thread and utilized her idea of hanging a rope on the outside. I will eventually move the rope to my chair so he could come to me if he is so inclined. For now though, I made it like a fire escape from the lowest bars to the floor. Usually anything new is met with distrust and fear. Not this time. He scurried right down to investigate. He picked at the rope, but he didn't make any attempts to climb down yet. It just made me happy that he is brave enough to investigate and is curious enough to see where this will lead. He is also embracing new foods. When I found nuts.com I ordered salt free pistaschios and that is his new thrill. I use them sparingly to encourage his bravery. He likes them so much, I am using them to begin to teach him foraging. I also got a dehydrated veggie mix for parrots and when I put a little sample in with his pellets he dove right in and munched away. In other great news he is getting a full set of tail feathers! It has been more than a year of stubble, so I am raising my hopes that he could have new feathers come into the gaps in his wings. The future is just full of wonderful potential for this little guy. In yet another area of improvement he was calm and relaxed last night through a loud and bright thunderstorm. When it awakened me about three this morning, I came out and turned on a lamp to check on him and he barely took notice of me. He gave me the reassurance "Gilbert okay" and it didn't even sound wavery or scared. I turned off the light and went back to bed. Not that long ago, he would be so distressed by a storm he would sound the sirens of warning, make the sound of a fog horn and be agitated and restless for days. Now he just takes it in stride. Another little victory for Gilbert the brave heart.