katana600

Thanks Gwen, I had it relatively easy raising my two daughters, but Gilbert is challenging every creative thought I have had and certainly keeps stretching my definition of patience and courage. I think he is so close to flight. Like Roscoe, I think he is holding out on me. Probably not because I do keep seeing flight feathers that are hollow so I believe he is replacing damaged feathers with new growth. He has been doing the cutest thing. Before I put the rope perch on his door, he would climb out and perch on the door. I was always a little nervous that the cage door might get closed and pinch a toe and he doesn't need any set backs, so I would put a small bungee cord on the bottom of the door to keep it from closing accidentally. Now, he grasps the rope perch which puts him about four inches out from the door frame. Then he launches himself forward and beats his wings fiercely. If the bungee cord is on the door, he seems like he is "flying in place". At night, when I take off the bungee cord to put him to bed, he gets on the perch and "flies" into his cage and the door shuts behind him. It just makes me feel a little astonished that he gets such a motion going and that he seems to be practicing for flight. At least I want to imagine that he is preparing himself for flight. He will also hang by one foot from the inside bars of the top of his cage and flap like a little maniac in there. He is completely silent while he is doing it and afterward, he breathes hard and seems a little nervous. Another new thing is that I am getting a response when I sing him a bedtime song. I always sing the same songs and they are not really songs but mostly about "I love you forever" and lately he has been getting really excited and bobbing and hooting. I think he is singing back to me. LOL. There is nothing like the roller coaster of a sensitive grey of this age trying new things and learning to trust in a new home. It is a delicate balancing act to reassure him and to still give attention to Java who is sweet and not nearly as needy. She sometimes was getting the short end of attention when my other two were sick and when Gilbert first came and needed her to be caged to keep him calm. On a day to day basis, sometimes it seems like the progress is so slight as to imagine it is not getting better every day. Then I go back through and read some of our earlier posts and look at the scars on my fingers and I know we are definitely making progress.

That is adorable, it looks like Prince is preening Austin's hair while he wraps his wing around him. That is just about the most precious thing. I can't even get that close to Gilbert while he is that relaxed. You are genuinely blessed and you are doing something right to create this atmosphere for your babies, human and avian.

Has Cricket been talking to Gilbert? When I came home after a summer away with Gil, he was grumpy about the change and wasn't coming out of his cage or stepping up for me, so I put a short wired rope perch on his door in a half circle. He will let me swing him in and out and sometimes he will step up and sometimes he will not. A couple of weeks ago, my daughter found a tiny kitten abandoned and missing her tail. She was about five weeks old and with a new addition in the house, if I leave the room, I can easily close the door to keep Gilbert safe on his door perch. He has also been flinging pellets out. Here I thought he was trying to form an alliance with the dogs against the intruder kitten. Maybe he is offering me bribes after all to lock the kitten in a cage and let him back out where he belongs. LOL. On the bright side, kitten and daughter are moving into their own home in the next week or two and Gilbert will be the king of his castle again.

Thinking about your life with Cody and your loss brought me back around to the days when I was waiting for our first baby grey to be ready from his breeder, the homecoming and those six estatic weeks of him flying and chortling and getting a pink face with excitement to see me get up in the morning. It was hard to come back to the forum and not know what to say and hard to make the choice to make a second try and bring home his brother. As the loss of these two birds and the pain subsides and the new chance I have had with a rehomed older TAG mitigates the unthinkable circumstances, it does get better with time. You were able to bring back to me the magical happy moments I had tucked away with the grief. Thank you for being strong and coming in to tell us your loss, it helps to move forward and give yourself the gift of all the laughter and joy he brought to your life.

It is a tribute to you as you are living in such trying times that your flock is cheerful and talkative and giving you encouragement. If we could look inside their minds I am sure they are all thinking the world is a wonderful place because you are in their lives. Val sounds like such a happy little ray of sunshine in your life just when you need her the most.

I don't know anyone else in my bricks and mortar life who has any bird experience, much less with a grey. This forum, our breeder and our vet is where I have learned all things grey. Our rehomed guys need a whole different mindset than bringing in a baby. Both have really taught me a lot. I get so much enjoyment from the slightest little acceptance from Gilbert and I know when he has the ability to fly, it is going to be a wonderous and sometimes treacherous new dimension. This complicated little fluff of feathers and anxieties is going to reach is full potential with the help of our village of dedicated grey families through our forum. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel blessed by the association of peers. Thank you all so much for your dedication to your own flocks and to extending your knowlege to all of us new to the world of greys.

This limeade is the beginning of some sweet behavior from our little fellow. Usually, any sound of paper crackling or a walk past his cage near bedtime gets him started with "Cracker?" and he has always called any food a cracker when he has an interst, "want some". When I bring our dogs back inside, I give them a little tidbit of cheerios or a nugget of dog food and Gilbert picked up on my language. As he exhorts them to go outside, he whistles to them to come back in and asks "wanna treat?" Now, since the first offer of limeade, when I come into his sight with a glass he asks "treat?" or "wanna treat?". So it certainly has opened a new concept for him. All food is still a cracker, but now it seems a drink is a treat. He just takes the smallest little sips and that seems to be enough just to see what I have in the glass. Previously if I offered him a sip of my water or orange juice, he was looking under the glass to see if a finger was near enough to give me a scare, but now he seems more interested in what is in the glass. This really has opened up something new with him and I so appreciate that you made me start thinking in this direction.

I am so sorry to read the ordeal you have been through. I lost two baby CAGs in one year to illness and the devastation was profound. You gave Cody II all of your heart and did so much to enrich his life. My condolences to you. We did have the opportunity to rehome an older TAG and it took some soul searching. I was afraid I would come to feel like I was trying to replace my first loves, but he is a family member in his own right and I haven't let a day pass that I am not grateful for his company. Thanks for coming and sharing your experience with us during such a painful time.

Gilbert and I have become dance partners and even though I let him lead, it seems like I am always inadvertently stepping on his toes.... so to speak. When Sarah first told me about him she said he had issues and he does. I woud describe him often as a Jeckyll/Hyde character. We take two steps forward, one step back and bam, he has a meltdown and sometimes it seems like there was no provocation. Of course, when I sit and think about some small change that has been going on, he is extremely sensitive to any kind of change. Tonight, thanks to Birdhouse, he came out of his grump funk for a sip of Limeade. Oh the joy of sharing on the grey forums. I posted on her thread, but Gilbert did something that was much more like flying than I have seen to date. Granted he started from the tip top of his playstand on top of his cage, so he crossed more real estate in the living room from the vantage point of height, but he went about six to eight feet past his usual gliding stop point. My chair is the the farthest corner from his cage and he went right over my head and tumbled down behind the chair but came toddling right out asking for a step up and a "want some" for a sip of that limeade. Talk about soothing the savage beast. I cut it back a bit with water so as not to give him too much sugar, but this was the most enthusiastic he as been about anything since he has been here. I am getting ever more excited about the possibilities of flight for Gilbert. He has not know to have flown in nearly three years of history between our home and his previous home. Prior to that we have no knowlege of his past. I just see him getting more and more positioned for flight. Mark my words, there will be a day to come that will make me wonder why I ever wanted something so vehemently as to see him fly and dodge and swoop. About the day I get a sneak attack and a "Dayo neck pinch", I will be whining about why I was wishing for such a thing. Haha... but tonight, I feel like a six year old on Christmas Eve. I believe Gilbert, I believe.

Okay, here's the truth of the matter. Back in the day, a couple of years ago, we had a light hearted thread and joked about having a tipple on a Friday night. So, I was having a bit of Bailey's Irish Cream when my bird distracted me, I turned to hear one of our puppies lapping from my cup. All was well and I caught him soon enough, but it frazzled me so much I now drink everything out of a locking sippy cup. Well, it is a Starbucks cup with a lid, but it reminds me to never leave any kind of drink uncovered or unguarded. So, now my birds nor my dogs never even give my drink a second glance. Once I read your post, I remembered sharing some tomato juice or orange juice with Java on occasion. I have offered Gilbert a drink from my glass of water and he has wanted no part of it, ever. So, after I read your post, off I went to the grocery store and got a little of the Simply Limeade. I have had some serious dental work and was dehydrated and it sounded good to me too, I had never tried it. Gilbert has been exceptionally grumpy today. This morning he got off on the wrong foot and was lunging at me when I served his favorite dish of warm beans. He was more ornery than I have ever seen him. When I got home from the store, I was eager to appease the boy. I offered him a sip of the lime drink. He bit the glass and made such a thumping with his beak and tongue, I was fearful he would break the glass, he was not happy to be approached this way. Then the tip of his beak touched the liquid. He looked stunned for a moment then he tucked in and guzzled several gulps. I didn't want to overdo, I have never given him this kind of drink. He asked me "Wanna treat?" Two hours later, before bed, I was having a second glass myself. He propelled himself right off the top of his cage and he did the closest thing to flying I have seen yet. He overshot the runway and went over my head and down the back of my chair. He was barely ruffled as he walked right around to the front of my chair. As I lifted him up to my knee he said "Want some". He was coming to get some more Limeade. I am with you, this is not something I would make a part of his daily diet, but just like Phenix, this is HUGE for Gilbert to show so much enthusiasm. I can't thank you enough for posting your experience. Gilbert has really shown a different side tonight.

She is so relaxed and happy in her crate. Your breeder has done a good job of exposing her to different things and she definitely has chosen you. This is a wonderful transition, so glad to hear you are doing so well with her. She is absolute beauty. Has anyone told you how much we love those baby pictures? Thanks for joining and bringing Amali to our forum.

When I saw Craiglist, hovered for a preview and saw the word unpopular. Then, I closed one eye and squinted so I could catch a word or two in case this was one of the horror stories I just might not be up to reading tonight. I was drawn completely in by Janet's response, so I read it and was glad I did. It is good to know that someone is out there doing what they know best, taking care of birds. Their arms are open to all these birds and not just the profitable ventures. That's love. I enjoy the happy endings.

Thanks for posting this story with pictures of Phenix enjoying his sharing moment. Funny, all this time with my birds and I am usually focused on keeping mine OUT of my drinks. Early on with Java, she had a thing for tomato juice. I will have to try some of this limeade and share with both my birds, I will be sure to give you credit if they love it. Until I saw his picture, for some reason, I thought Phenix was a CAG. No wonder Gilbert reminds you a bit of your boy. They look almost alike. I love that you made this your avatar, great idea.

Gwen, I totally agree about taking him back every time he asks. That is the one thing Gilbert can count on with me. When we have good progress, I will hold him and my husband will ask for him to step up from my hand to his. As soon as Gilbert steps onto his hand, we offer for him to come back to me because that is where he is most secure. I believe it is better to give him very small doses of anything that is new and he will show us if he wants more, but we take great strides by holding back instead of pushing them. Gilbert has coiled up tight and permitted me to stroke his head until he falls asleep but we have never had a proper snuggle as you had with Roscoe. Congratulations, you must have been breathless. It is all a matter of giving them chances and offers to rise above their fears and backing off enough to give them time to decide if they are ready. We have years ahead of us to get to know them better and give them the life they deserve.

Gwen, we have so much to learn from one another. That is why I just love this forum. No matter what experience someone else relates, there are those light bulb moments that give us inspiration to try something new, or even to try something again that didn't work initially. Gilbert has his moments. When I left town for a funeral, he became reticent for weeks upon my return. It is almost like he is afraid to enjoy my company. He entices me over to him but then stands on the door of his cage and quivers as I talk to him. Now, he changed again and when he is inside his cage, which usually is a sign he is retreating and no one should ever come in without his permission, he is enticing me over with signs he wants interaction. He will very slowly rub the back of his head and neck with one talon. Sometimes he does that to his throat. It reminds me of a wise old man with a beard thoughtfully stroking his beard while he thinks. When I approach, Gilbert has a way of holding the bar with one talon, tucking his head and holding tightly with his beak to the feathers on his right chest. I rub his head through the bars and he closes his eyes. I know he enjoys it from a safety zone perspective, he knows he is safe in there with the door closed. From the beginning, he has done the sweetest little thing ever. I will rub his head. He will pull away and look at me and make the sound of a crying baby. Then he tucks his head down for more contact. He has days where he just hunches up in his cage, doesn't want any contact and gradually he will start with the scratches on the head while he is inside the cage and then suddenly he will hold his foot out to indicate he wants to step up and come to my chair with me. For weeks, he will come every night to sit on my knee or the arm of my chair but he wants no further contact. Then, one night he will nudge me and that is my sign that he is willing to accept an approach. That will go along grand for a few days and just as suddenly as he warmed up, he will step up, come to my chair and as soon as he gets there, he will hold up his foot and ask "Wanna go back?" There is nothing better than when he is the one to approach me. I give him lots of opportunities and I am very sensitive to his body language and a subtle "no" is all it takes from him to let me know to wait and try again later. Also, when he comes looking for me, it is more to bring me back to his room rather than to happily join me where I am. It is often just a fluke that he will let me put his table stand on a counter in the kitchen or for him to stay on his play stand in the sewing room downstairs. He usually comes for a few minutes and asks me to go back. It gives him some kind of security to "see" me, especially if we have a storm. He doesn't want to be "on" me or to be handled, he just wants the familiarity of me being in the room. That is enough for me. My goal is for him to be relaxed and secure. He may be at an age where playing and cuddling are just not his interest. I keep my hopes up and my heart open to him and don't take it personally that he withdraws when he needs his own comfort zone.

I am so grateful to the greyforums family for all you do to provide encouragement and support. Keep coming back through the tears and fears, we are all rooting for you to be reunited with Oliver. Let the recounting of experiences we have had build your spirit while you search and search and leave no stone unturned in your quest to bring him home.

I am hanging in there waiting for his report, but I can already tell it is going to be a good one. Timmy is a right little character, always up to something new. While it is a good thing that work is keeping you busy (and paid), you and Timmy are often in our thoughts. It is always good to hear from you when you can get a spare minute. It really is hard to imagine a year has gone by so quickly. Happy Anniverary to you and Timmy, and a cheerful wish for many many more.

Congratulations on finding your boy and thanks for joining us. We have a rehomed TAG and have been slowly getting him comfortable over six months. The time waiting is well worth it, if he is not actively interacting and seeking us out, I give him his space as far as approaching him directly. I still give him his food and water on a regular schedule and leave his door open so he can come in and out on his own. I considered briefly to rename him, but when I heard him reassuring himself after a thunderstorm and using his name often saying good morning and goodnight to himself, I fell in love with his name as much as with him. The name will work itself out naturally if you change it right along with bringing him to your new home. I look forward to many years of learning about you and your new companion.

Gilbert has one sound effect in particular that grates on the rest of the family like fingernails on a chalkboard. My family begs me to make it stop, but of course, protest is exactly what he is looking to provoke. LOL. That is his call to alarm, something is upsetting him and he doesn't do it often. It sounds to me like a vacuum cleaner that is either bound up by a strong string or the bearings are going out of the motor. Sometimes the kids will ask "Why does he do that?" and they don't like my habitual reply "because he is a parrot and he can". Or, "I think it is his way of telling you it is time to move out." I must have a gap in my hearing frequency because the sounds don't bother me, the silence calls me much quicker because it is the sign that something is amiss, usually a parrot wandering. Nothing makes me jump like the quiet little voice of a mischief maker who is silently making his way to the kitchen and asks almost in a whisper "Whatcha doing?" or just announces himself with a very quiet "Hey".

It is so hard deciphering to which previous situation Gilbert is reacting, or if he is just having a complaint about something we are doing now. We just keep plugging away and going back again and again after he has an upset. He is learning that we don't get upset, we don't make a lot of noise and we don't stay mad at him. Hopefully he will do the same for us when we have inadvertently irritated him. LOL. After feeling like we were on a "step back" he was charming today. I separated our dogs and brought them downstairs for our quilt group today so I could leave him out on his cage upstairs to see what he would do. Sure enough, he was talking and chatting happily away, then he got very quiet. I came up to check on him and there he was at the top of the steps. He couldn't stand that we were down there talking and having fun, he wanted to join us. I brought a table top perch and let him work with me on my table. We had two new ladies here today and of all times I expected it would be too much stimulation for him, he came down and talked to us, preened and was absolutely charming. I guess the bottom line in a rehome or rescue situation is to be prepared to take what you get and understand there is no book of instructions. Come to think of it, that is the same as getting a baby bird. One fine day you may be looking at a bird you think has turned into a stranger and it just takes time and patience to figure out what to do with what you've got and where to go from here. The best thing about having an unpredictable little friend is that after several days of frustration, when he suddenly gets charming, it is like winning the lottery. What an awesome feeling when he gets through whatever demons he struggled with and to make a great effort to come be in our presence.

Yes ma'am, it looks like you have had a mighty fine adventure and certainly managed just fine by being resourceful. Having a generator for backup will certainly help. I am glad that you had extra time on your hands to take so many pictures. I love the one of Talon warming herself by the fire. I'm sure you accustomed to storms and take it all in stride. It has been a long time since we lived in the frozen north and we didn't have parrots at the time. Well done.

The picture of Nilah on the cat door is a classic. Her facebook photo is very artistic, interesting effect. She just looks like she is about to make mischief wherever she pops up.

What a relief to see you and yours come through the storm looking so good! They probably thought they had one jolly adventure. It is great to know you are back to normal at your house again.

Oh dear Gwen.... and next week I have an appointment to get my glasses changed. He does notice the most subtle change. Someone else recently mentioned a new bird who will not take food from her left hand. Gilbert has a strong preference to step up only on my right hand. He does observe absolutely every small difference. He likes a predictable routine and I generally can give him that. The only really bad bite I have had was when I turned the lamps in the living room off in a different order. When he came to sit on my knee as usual, there was a different shadow pattern when I reached for him. To that point, I had not been aware that I had an ordered pattern of dimming the lights. Now I know that and honor his needs as much as I can consider it "reasonable accommodation". LOL. That is just a little joke because I would go a long long way to be reasonable in the way that he would define it. I believe it is only going to get better and better and will look back on these long months of getting to know him as going by in the wink of his wary little eye.

Thanks for sharing my moments with Gilbert. Our first introduction was a forthright discussion of his previous history and issues. I knew going in, it would be a long haul and there would be good days and not so good days. His good days are stacking way higher than the other days, actually, not bad days, he just has a short burst of attitude and I give him some room to make a graceful reentry and to save face and pretend it never even happened and then he is always happy to go back to being a good boy, and he tells me this often. I so enjoy the wee hours of the morning, while it is still dark in the house, he will start his day and talk and talk. He decided five am is his preferred wake up call and I have decided to compromise at 6:30. But, when he hears me in there laughing at his antics, he knows five is just fine. There is something magical about him attempting to fly towards me. He is not an active bird, he does very little climbing and playing. He does like for me to take him with me when I go to another part of the house and is fine on any playstand or countertop perch. If there was a way to describe how he is pulled within himself, it would be to picture a small child sitting on the ground, knees up, head resting on knees and arms wrapped tightly, but his head is turned just a little to observe anyone coming near and one eye is tilted to make sure no one comes up behind him. We will get into the habit of him asking to come to me at night when he sits on my knee on a fleece blanket while I surf the net on my laptop. If he is in the mood, he might nudge me and that means I have permission to scratch his head. This will go on for several weeks and suddenly he gets into a mood where I am not permitted to even bring him to my chair. We are in that in between stage again since I got the braces so for him to come on his own is just heartwarming. Today is quilt group, so we'll see if he attempts to come down to the sewing room again. Regardless of his moods, regardless of his not so good moments, I am grateful every day that he came into our lives and I think of him first thing every morning and all day long trying to imagine things for him to explore and open up his world just a tiny little bit at a time, when he is ready. Patience is a virtue with these rehomed birds in particular, it doesn't come naturally to me, but I am hurrying to try to acquire it. LOL. Just kidding, I have a master instructor named Gilbert who is willing to teach me his wise ways.