katana600

We had another "first" this weekend. I was scheduled to travel with a friend and was apprehensive about leaving Gilbert behind at this early point in our trust and bonding. My daughter came home from school and has been here a couple of weeks and offered to stay home with him. We have been having success with him stepping up to family and recently to a brave friend. The first day, Gil would not come out of his cage and we thought this was good in case he would refuse to go back in and perhaps would not step up from his cage for someone else. The next day, he came out, talked and was relaxed and happy and obliged to go back inside at bedtime for an almond offering. When I came home after being gone three whole days and two nights he was chatty and happy as if nothing happened. I believe he slept better than his mama Dee did. I was practicing because we are going to fly to a wedding on a long weekend in a couple of weeks. I was prepared to drive back home five and a half hours if he was troubled, but this went better than I hoped it would. Every day he does seem to let down another part of his guarded behavior and I am just beyond delighted to see him letting others near his cage. My daughter called me the first morning to say he was her buddy when she gave him his warm bean mix. It is good for all of us that he is willing to meet us half way. He is getting new feathers on his whole chest and tummy and I am pretty sure he has more wing feathers too. Today when I took the dogs out, he came down from his cage to come looking for me. We pulled up carpet from my bedroom to replace flooring and he must have wanted to see what all the pounding was about. That is the farthest he has explored on his own. It is one thing to get a baby and have all the "firsts" but an older bird is teaching me some new tricks too. I LOVE having him grace my home with his abounding good spirit and energy. I try to think I deserve this but I just feel ever so lucky and blessed.

I also wondered about this space and never thought to ask if it had a name. Great question and equally great response. When I first found this little nook, I was aghast thinking I poked my fingernail in a "hole" but quickly realized it was just a space. It seems like such a trust when Java likes for me to gently scratch her and she likes for me to rub there in her interramal space. I never thought I would use that phrase in a sentence. Look how you help me evolve.

I was out of town a couple of days and nearly gnawed off a fingernail when I saw this thread. What a relief and celebration for Nilah and for you.

She really has been through a lot. The new pictures are awesome as we can see she is coming back into her beautiful feathers. Well done. I am glad she responded to her meds and is thriving and feeling better.

That was funny. He sure has a lot to say and I loved all the sound effects too. He is a hoot. I liked when he was saying "Let me out". You did well to catch his antics on film. He entertains himself well and provided a good chuckle for me today too. Thanks

This warms my heart. It takes someone who loves Sully very much to recognize that he might bond better to the next person. It is hard to let him go but happy to see him embrace Jordan. This is how I got Gilbert and not a day goes by that I am not blessing and thanking Sarah. He may well have associated her with his abandonment from the previous home, but he came home with me and is a jewel. Sully may have just needed you in a part of his journey to settle his nerves until Jordan came along when Sully was ready to move forward. I hope you hear many happy stories about him with Jordan.

My joy is magnified by sharing with you. Every day I think that I can not believe my good fortune. The past is gone, it shaped me and gave me patience and strength and Gilbert was out there the whole time getting ready to come to me. All I know is life is good with Gilbert.

http://s1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/katana_600/?action=view&current=Gilbertkiss.mp4 http://s1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/katana_600/?action=view&current=scratch.mp4 I found my photobucket and hope this will work for you.

He was hanging off the outside of the bottom of his cage. In the time it took to turn on my camera phone the little scallywag scaled to the top and was almost too quick to snap a picture. It is a start until I learn how to use the telephoto lens. He is a busy little fellow.

We have something new every day. I will try to get pictures for you. He has stepped up from my hand to David and was in a hellfire hurry to get back to momma. The next day he did the same for my daughter. I could not be happier at his outlook, he just makes me so happy every day. Last night I heard a blast from his past. He had a man in his life called Jim. On occasion he calls out to Jim and it sounds a little pitiful like he is trying to get Jim to come to him. Last night a naughty neighbor dog came into our yard and our little dogs were barking. When my husband opened the door to chase off the intruder, Gilbert called out "Jim!" in a tone as if he was calling in the Calvary. I am working on getting him to shout "Security! Security!" when he is looking for a rescue. LOL. It has been such a whirlwind with him every day I forget he has been here such a short time. I am in awe of him every single day. I appreciate so much the opportunity to share his life. Will see if I can remember my photobucket or YouTube usernames and passwords to post a couple short videos. I love this guy!

If I were a bird... I might be a Salsa sausage. LOL. I love her! And now Jay is in the same category as Dan with the wicked neck pinch. I don't know why that tickles my funny bone but I imagine when my time comes it won't be near as funny. Oh, come to think of it, yes it will. Hahahahaha. At least from your perspective maybe I can see what it is like for the rest of my loved ones to live with the bit of Salsa in me.

Good for Roy the guard bird! I would be sorely tempted to fill a squirt gun with skunk musk and let the intruders think a "natural" predator was hanging out in my yard to discourage them from poking around. Of course, I would have the tomato juice on the ready because knowing my luck, the wind would change and I would be the stinky one. In all seriousness, I hope you find a quiet neigborhood where neighbors look after one another and provide companionship instead of stress. You deserve that.

Welcome and thanks for sharing your time with us during this period of grief. When you are up to it, we could learn a lot from your years with Nikki. If you have pictures to share that would be wonderful too. She may be gone from your home but she will always be in your heart. Someday when you are ready the right match may come along for you to start a new journey and until then, you can share in our lives and enhance our appreciation of our own companions.

How precious these cockatiels are! I had never even thought of a harness that small, I may have to try it with our smaller parrot. Great job on all the time you spend with each of your birds individually. Love your videos.

Okay, I have to admit, I have once nearly destroyed my living room to get to a spider, so I can kind of relate to Cleo's heat of the moment. Great idea on the bug zapper and big kudos for not taking it personally and getting back into your groove with Cleo. I am so happy to hear you were brave enough to get past this and I echo Judy's sentiment that I hope it never happens again.

I love all the names you have selected for your flock. It sure will be a happy noisy place for you and will keep you on your toes watching everyone get acclimated to your newcomers. Congratulations on your new friends, I am also looking forward to pictures when they are ready. Jayd, your pictures are lovely, I haven't gotten my two to be buddies yet, but there is always hope.

Congrats on your baby girl. A name will come to you and you will know it when it sticks. Our rehomed "new" Timneh adopted me straight away and we are working on other family members. At first when they approached his cage, he would go into defense mode and sway back and forth and strike out toward them like a little cobra. Gradually, they can stand next to the cage while I am there between them and just this week, he stepped off my hand, onto my husband once and then to my daughter as well. He quickly wants to come back to me, so we keep contact to a minimum and there have been no bites. If you are not the chosen one it is hard to wait your turn, but if they can be patient and give her treats and talk to her while you are close to show her they are accepted flock members, your time and patience will be well rewarded.

Just look at your little Georgie getting all grown up. Who loves you? He is such a charmer. I happened in on the video of your adorable little blue eyed beauty as well. Your home is filled with love and happiness.

Be still my heart. It is so rewarding to know that others are making progress with their feathered companions and value every little postive move forward. I am here in my little corner of the world cheering you on and happy for Morgan to know your touch. There is nothing quite like the scent of feathers and the experience of feeling that sense of trust and adoration when they let down their guard and surrender to the love you have been waiting to bestow upon them with your attention and vigilance for waiting for the right moment. I am so happy for you and Morgan to have your moments.

These are some great suggestions and I hope it helps to get Sydney out of her obstinance routine at cage time. We are having an opposite work plan to get Gilbert out of his cage. One thing I have been consistent about has been to offer him to immediately go back when he steps up or comes out to me. That way, he is gradually deciding to stay with me because he knows as soon as he shows he is ready, I follow his lead and he can trust me. If you are giving her treats and praises to go into her cage, maybe close the door for short stints and offer for her to come back out so she gets adjusted to going back and doesn't equate it for overnight or long periods as you build up a routine and praise for her going in on her own. Chances are she is just enjoying the chase and the thrill of the competition with you rather than the cage time. She is very clever and sounds like a lot of fun too.

Thanks for sharing our joys with us. Gilbert just has the greatest spirit and I am seeing some of his personality emerge as he gets more and more comfortable and settled. He just loves his new cage and is the king of his domain. He takes an almond from anyone in the family now and he sits on top of the door to his cage and allows them to step within inches to talk to him without wigging out or giving them the cobra sway. This weekend we had a neighborhood gathering and I came home to get Gilbert in his backpack and took him up for about fifteen minutes. He was quiet, taking it all in, but he accepted it in stride and came back home to settle happily back in his cage, none the worse for his wear. I just can't wait to see what his confidence brings to our family next. And thanks Lyn for the vote of confidence. The truth is, I have all the time to devote to this little guy right now and he has been the saving grace for me when I was lost through our grief. He makes me smile every day and has just been a champion in my book. Every time I find something he enjoys, I just marvel at his character. I learn something new from him every day.

I am sorry for both of you to have had to experience this. Glad though that you could both let bygones be bygones and keep a good spirit between you.

I am gleefully anticipating the day when Gilbert begs to come out. As it is, I open his cage the moment I come into the room and he plays inside as often as out. But, the funny thing is if he is outside on the playtop and someone else approaches him, he grabs the chain that holds his bell and rings it furiously calling for Security to come and give him the space to scuttle back to his safety zone.

The move is certainly positive for your emotional state considering what happened with your dog. Our birds are so sensitive and intuitive that I agree that if you are thinking it is better to wait, you are on the right track for yourself. Our family moved ten times in just over fifteen years and the upheaval took every ounce of energy to keep my kids on an even keel. Progress is good, but even good stress is hard on you. It is great that your breeder is willing to keep Valentine while you get moved and adjusted, be kind to yourself and take your time. Think of bringing Valentine home as your reward for making a good change in your life and as an incentive as you do the hard work of moving. Then when you start fresh in your new home you will have all good things associated with the arrival of your baby. You deserve that.

I like that you are taking this into thoughtful consideration and think it is a great idea to have a vet consult personally either at the same time when the breeder is there, or afterward to ease your concerns as well as to prepare you for the commitment to any bird. I also agree that your breeder deserves much credit for being forthright and for taking the little one to the vet for further assessment. There is no guarantee that the most perfect baby coming home won't have medical needs in the future. If you are prepared and conscious of that your vet will give you the prognosis of lifelong impact on the leg injury so you have the best information to base your ultimate decision. Those tiny babies are fragile, but it sounds like yours not only overcame this injury and came out with a great attitude to attract your attention. It sounds like your heart already made your decision, but it is very wise to look into it with your head as well. Thank you so much for coming in to join us and for your due diligence. My gut feeling is that you will find yourself trying to remember which leg (?) when your little fledgling gets into all sorts of mischief. Hope it all works out and you and the little one you were drawn to are a team.