katana600

I have an older, rehomed bird and he is very difficult to entice back into his cage after being on the playtop when it is bed time. He is also cage aggressive when he gets into a grumbly mood. Recently I took a very short rope perch, bent it into a U-shape and attached it to the inside of his door. It literally changed our lives. He always has liked to perch on the top of the door. Now he perches on this rope. The beauty part is that I can walk over, give him his night night almond and close the door while he is on the perch. He doesn't have to be upset, I don't have the chance of a bite and it has been a godsend to the rest of my family because now anyone can put him to bed which means he gets time out of the cage when I am not home. He doesn't let anyone else pick him up yet, he has only been with us about six months. Also, he plucks so he can't fly so this might not be so great for a flighted bird. I just am so happy it works for Gilbert I wanted to share.

I would never have considered a chip could go missing. I keep thinking there is going to be a new method devised with something like the RFID they use on the toll lanes. We just got a new system in Atlanta and it is just a flat little circuit, plus the one in our credit card is pretty small. Surely we are getting to that level of technology. We might not be able to track the bird in flight like the GPS, but if we get within range it would be conceivable to get a reading if they can do it for cars from fifty feet away traveling at 80 mph. Since our greys have a tendency to hide and be quiet, if we just knew they were in the vicinity it would be an asset to someone actively searching. Now that I have started thinking about that, I've read about inventory tags that can be tracked even after the sale. What an asset it would be to our peace of mind if we had that kind of tracking aid.

Phew. What a scare. Glad to hear it looks like he is okay, my best wishes out to you and yours for continued good health.

I serve the cooked kind, mushy, mixed with the bean and grain "Soak and Simmer" so I am boring too. The funny thing though, our family recently adopted a five week old abandoned calico kitty with a missing tail and my daughter named her Pumpkin. That Pumpkin is not boring, but Gilbert would NOT want any part of that kind of serving. LOL. Back to the food groups though. I did get several of the pie pumpkins and cooked them combined with a couple of winter squash varieties and put away 14 cups in the freezer. I roast the different squash or sweet potatoes and share those with Gilbert and let him eat the seeds raw, it hasn't impressed him much but he is an older rehomed fellow and we have had him just over six months and veggies have to be snuck in with his beans on occasion because we haven't been able to find any that he will accept gracefully. I will watch your thread though, someone might come up with a great recipe.

I sae an amazon up close and personal only once. It was after we lost our first two greys to illness and before I got Gilbert. I stood and watched a young female playing animately and just having fun. She was beautiful and I really wanted to take her home but we hadn't gotten enough information about PDD and I was too scared that we might have a contaminated home so I sadly resigned myself not to take a chance at that time. My heart is with the African grey but I still watch all of you with this beautiful species that has so much to offer. I appreciate the Amazon room where I can come see what delight they bring to your families.

You certainly spend a lot of time with Marcus and I'm sure he is an integral part of your family. Thanks for the update. I do believe our birds understand far more than seems conceivable. VHS though? We do still a box of them in the basement, but I don't think anyone has actually used any of them for a year or more. Just kidding you a bit of course. I did hear of a parrot memorizing his phone number and being reunited that way. I don't spend too much time thinking about that really. My thoughts are if someone is predisposed to finding the rightful owner to reunite with a found bird, they will. I think a microchip would be easier and more reliable considering how long it might take for a traumatized bird to announce it's contact information and for the new person with no bird experience to understand. The real benefit to Marcus though is the time you spend with him and the way he understands and interacts with you. Amazing isn't it? Thanks for the update.

Okay, now that I have seen the castle, I think the kids win. You even put a rainbow up there for them! Ellie has a lot of catching up to do from where I sit. LOL.

I love that your flock has grown. My you have been busy. It is always such a treat to hear from you when you can come by. I thought I had forgotten how many birds you had so I was pleased to realize that you have had a couple of additions.

That Java is the master of disguise. She was our "starter parrot". Little did I know how much I would be intrigued and captivated by this little bird. She looks a little like your Sasha, Delma. I was absolutely bowled over by her sassy attitude and her clever ways. Every day I still find her adorable and delightful. Glad she grew out of her attitude though.

So happy for your home to be graced with the "grey whoop" once more. It was a lot easier for me to watch and wait for Wednesday since it came your way several hours ahead of Atlanta time. By the time I read the posts of her arrival, you already had her tucked lovingly into her new home. Congratulations to your whole family. This is such good news.

That is a way cool playland for Elegua. We put our playstand in little portable playpen for babies, with mesh sides. That was after one of the dogs ingested a sliver of wood from the shredded toys and got really sick. The playpen is on wheels and we can move it around and the bonus for us is that with a flightless bird, if he falls off a perch he has a safety net. It keeps the mess to a minimum and was only about thirty dollars on sale at Target. Your little girl is a joy and I love seeing all the things you make for her.

Congratulations on the addition to your family. You are off to a great start. For his age, to be talking so much with just two weeks in a new home is remarkable. You are going to be hearing a lot more from Tucker and I hope we do as well. Thanks for joining us.

Thanks for sharing our story and being part of our lives. I haven't quite sorted out if we take in unusual and interesting characters through our pets or if... as some of our friends and neighbors suggest... the pets become unique because of the household. LOL. All I know is, we take what we get and just find all the good things about our little charges and try to make their lives as full and engaging as we possibly can. I never knew how much my heart would melt at the sight of one tiny little bird completely trusting and warm in my hand. There is something so endearing about the way she comes to my computer and sits on the mouse pad and nudges my hand trying to get me off the computer so I will scratch her head. Now that we have declared a truce between Java and Gilbert, both of them can be free all day and it has been working out for all of us so far.

Thanks, they are related to the Senegals and from what I gather they are not popular but I don't know if that is because of their reputation or if they are difficult to breed or if it is something else. They are one of the few parrots that you can tell the sex of the adults by the coloring. The males have a bright red underbelly. Java is a typical hen. At first her colors seem subdued, but as you get closer, she has an iridecense and subtle beauty that I find captivating.

Thanks for asking, Java's wings took almost two years to grow feathers. It was the saddest thing to see her lose her grip and fall hard to the floor. She had SUCH a sassy attitude. She would land hard on the floor, then go after anyone near as if they were the ones to have caused it. We used to joke about tiny little quarter-pounder of a bird who had the image of herself as a silverback gorilla on a bad hair day. She remains fully flighted and is the light of our lives. I never gave a thought to her being a "talking" bird but she shows us on very special occasions that she CAN talk, and explicitly clear. She just doesn't choose to do so except three or four times a year. I think Gilbert is going to encourage her talking and she in turn will encourage him to learn to fly. When I think about the propensity she had to bite first and bite again harder, I think she had learned to be vicious in self defense. Now though, she makes me laugh often with her antics and I think every laugh erases a little more of the memories of her early days and bites. Now she will lie on her back in my hand and make cooing and smooching sounds when I scratch her head and neck. If we have company though, I have to keep her under close supervision and most often in her cage because she will relentlessly stalk and harrass any newcomers. You really have to be accepted into the circle of trust for her to show her sweet side.

Okay, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to put Java's picture in the "Other Birds" room. It was our beginning and she is the reason I became entranced with parrots and worked up the nerve to take on the ultimate long term commitment in the pet world. I searched the internet for information while trying to figure out how to accomodate our exotic new family member and there is little out there on her breed except that they are relatively new to US breeders and considered "nippy". She was the reason I was drawn to the big billboards welcoming in the Bird Fair. So off I went to bring home toys and for two more years wondered about the African grey babies, but I held my ground and kept my distance. It seems so long ago that I finally followed my heart and started looking for information on African Greys, I found this forum and the rest is a roller coaster of emotion, but here I am with Gilbert and Java and I am grateful for the community of parrot people on this forum to share and learn and be the best companions these complicated, intelligent and magnificent souls deserve. If I can only live up to the expectation my parrots have in me, I will be a success.... because if I don't live up to those expections, I will be a blood donor. LOL hahahahahaha.... That may be the true motivation to master the art of living with a parrot and understanding their body language... pure intimidation. LOL. I don't think so, but it sure is an idea with merit.

Once upon a time the stars aligned with a cross country move, the symbolic empty nest of kids in college and one lonely little bird in a barren cage in a big box pet store at Christmas time. As my husband and daughters were in the pet store to buy "stocking stuffers" for the dog and two cats, I was waiting in the car in the cold because it was adoption time and I was absolutely certain I could not take on any more pets. The text messages kept pleading to just come in to the bird section and see dad with this bird. "Nope, won't do it, can't make me." Little did I know the power of this one little parrot to pull me begrudgingly to see a man being lulled into the spell that is Java. I literally dug in my heels and stayed in that car for almost an hour before I got hungry enough to go in to complain that it was time to GO. "All right, she is cute." She was pressed up against the bars clinging to hubby's finger with her little talons and rubbing her head on his finger and cooing. Every fiber of my being was telling my brain, this is a BAD idea, run to the nearest exit. Then, I saw her wings. I can not even speak today about it without crying. It wasn't just a clip, it looked as if she only had a jointed bone. The manager explained that she was vicious. No one could get near the cage and if we wanted her we would have to figure out how to get her out. They left the room, we opened the cage and she scrambled to get into a box to go home with us. That was six years ago and now I can't imagine what took me so long to find her.

I am happy you resolved this to give yourself peace and another parrot has been upgraded to a palace while Phenix is in the most spacious home he can tolerate. You know you are on the right track when you put so much thought and energy into what is best for each of your feathered companions. I love the custom approach you have chosen to give them each what rings his/her bell. You know them best and did an admirable job figuring out the cage logistics.

All of you on this forum are just the most caring and uplifting people I would ever want to meet. There is so much to share and you make the good stuff even more wonderful and support from others helps the tough parts of every day living be put into perspect. Glad to have all our members whether you can post every day or if you just read quietly and share occasionally.

Good news from his vet visit and I just hope he gets rested and back to his loveable self soon. What a scary week you all have had. Glad it is shaping up and looking better now.

When I was devoted to raising our family, my daughters meant the world to me and I worked really hard to do my best. They have grown up just fine and as they started college and moved along to create homes of their own, I have had more time on my hands. We had the usual pets, a dog and a couple of cats. Then, in a moment of weakness, in a big box pet shop, there was a lonely little parrot in a barren cage that "spoke" to our whole family that day. The rest is history. I have never seen such an extraordinary little creature and she doesn't even speak clearly. From there, the real object of my desire was the regal and intelligent African grey. The truth is, I have had a lifelong idea that I would like one, but didn't think it was realistic to wish for one. One thing turned to another, but the loss of two babies hit me more profoundly than most human interactions of joy and sorrow in my many decades. I don't get too many people being cynical about the bond I now have with Java and Gilbert. What I hear most is "If I knew I could get reincarnated as a little grey bird and come live with you, I would be ready to die today." LOL. I have lots of friends, family and things to do outside my home, but home with my birds is the happiest place I can think to spend my time. I have more people asking me to bring Gilbert along in his backpack so they can see him than people who would scoff or dismiss the joy he brings to our lives.

When I was introduced to Gilbert, I was told he is a stress plucker and that remains to be true. He will go a long time without damaging his feathers and then something will upset him and he will pull out a few of his flight feathers plus a bunch of the feathers on his chest. I try not to give it a lot of import, just go on with my day and hope as he builds trust, this acting out will fade away. With all the changes this summer, there were two or three plucking incidents which were certainly understandable from Gil's point of view. Today, I saw a change in behavior that I find really encouraging. Since we have all been home together, I missed Java so much, I have been giving her freedom for most of our waking day. She generally just flies to wherever I am and stays with me. I do think that is part of why Gilbert is intent to attempt flying from his open door trying to get to me. It has been when Java is back in her own cage with the door still open that it is almost as if Gilbert is trying to imitate her. He is still quite grumpy about my week of travel without him so he is very selective of when he lets me give him a scratch or a cuddle. Today was a little different. Java was looking to start trouble. She flew onto the open door of Gilbert's cage while he was inside. He immediately came to the bars to chase her off. I was watching carefully but standing back far enough to see if they would work it out between them before intervening. The funny thing was that Gilbert would act all big and tough and come after her, but he would stay inside the cage instead of climbing out where he could actually have gotten to her if he had wanted to do so. Then, when he got frustrated, I did go scold the little harrigan and chase her to her own cage. What I saw next was the part that gives me hope for change. Gilbert went to the spot where Java had landed on his door and reached over and started biting and tugging at the "cotton candy" preening rope threads rather than to pull at his own feathers. He is still a scruffy looking little scallywag, but I have high hopes of him getting even more settled and growing in his flight feathers so he can keep up with his pesky "little sister."

Poor little fellow is probably tuckered out from his big scary adventure. I am so happy he has returned. I am interested in how he handles his vet appointment. It is always good to have that followup and reassurance.

He may not have been speaking, but he has been listening. What an honor he has bestowed upon you to trust you enough to do his talking with you so quickly. The best is yet to come.

Lovely signature. I am going to have to go through some photos and make my own some day. I love that the way your husband arranged the photos on the perch, Cody looks like he is leaning away from Rocky in his wet look. That is pretty much what Gilbert will actually do if anyone comes close to him, lean waaaayyy the other direction. Cute flock you have.