katana600

This forum has everything to do with Gilbert's success. Reading how others have handled issues and approached a partnership/companionship with our birds and allowing them to show us their potential has greatly influenced my thinking and my ability to understand the needs of a parrot. But, more than the practical advice, those people who are the backbone of the forum not only showed the way and gave advice, but shined the light during dark times to support one another emotionally as well. The people here who have taken in older birds with issues gave me the courage and inspiration to try again and be prepared for a long road of building trust. The grin on my own face would still be there if I was waiting my turn for Gilbert to come out of his shell. The unexpected milestones that are coming faster than I imagined turn that grin to unabashed gleeful laughter. I can not believe this guy! Last night he had another "first" moment. While I was sewing Gilbert got onto the floor. He hid under Java's cage and my husband noticed right away. To my great delight and surprise, David went to him and offered a hand rather than calling me in to protect his fingers from the usual bite he is offered from Gil. When I came upstairs to see what was happening, Gilbert was back on his cage. David offered him an almond to celebrate, but Gil emphatically flung it to the floor. David offered a step up from the cage door and Gil growled at him. I didn't want to leave it on that note. I offered Gil to step up and he came to me as David was inches away. Then David offered a step up from my hand and Gilbert obliged. It is the first time he has allowed David that close without biting him. We didn't push our luck, Gilbert was looking nervous so he came right back to me and I put him back on the cage. Again David offered him an almond and again he rejected it. I put Gilbert into the cage on his perch of greatest security, and then he took the almond from David. I feel like dancing on the moon, it makes me so happy that Gilbert is extending his trust to his extended family. Slow, steady progress, not getting my hopes too high and watching and waiting for Gilbert to take the lead while his courage is building is what I learned from all the successful people here who have bonded with your own parrot have been my teachers and gurus and forum friends. Thank you all so very much.

I believe in small changes and to rejoice with every accomplishment and then sit back and watch and wait. When I think of myself as the "support staff" and not the boss, I get a lot further in the parrot relationship. It is a lot harder to hold back and wait, but the rewards are exponentially greater when we wait for them to accept us in their own time. I also couldn't have made the progess with Gilbert without the insights I have gotten from Sarah and to learn from her work with him. Plus, watching and reading all of the techniques others on this forum have found effective has been a blessing in our lives. It might sound like a cliche, but it does take a village to come together and make our parrot experience better than I could have done alone. This has been the most awesome morning ever. Gilbert was up before the dawn and today is a new day. He spent four hours exploring every inch of his cage inside and out. He has been like a kid with a new pony on Christmas day. He awakened with such joy and exuberance like I have never seen before in my life. I am just sitting back and watching him perform acrobatics, calling out triumphantly and just climbing and playing like a little energizer bunny. I should be getting some work done, but I can't bear to leave the room while he is in a state of euphoria. I am soooo glad I waited until he was secure and had a measure of trust for me before getting him moved into his big cage. This has been one of the best days of my life. He is a balm to my soul and I have never been happier than to see him reaching out and embracing his world and allowing me to be there to watch from a small distance. This is just an awesome day.

I do know how you feel. I want to hug Gilbert too, but that is just too much to expect, so I hug him from inside my heart and keep my distance until he comes to me. Our contact times are kept to a minimum so it leaves him wanting more. Well, it leaves me wanting more too. I am never too sure if the learning process was meant for me rather than for him.

Thanks Judy. Our family has been through a lot in the two short years of finding our forum. This little fellow has exceeded all my expectations and it really does feel like he was out there waiting for me to learn and be ready for him. I was ready to commit and wait for him to come around on his own terms and he changed up the game plans on me.... and I learned to adapt. One of the greatest things about a rehome is the unexpected thrills with the new things he comes up with. It is like Christmas here every day.

Thanks Sarah, it has nothing to do with me, Gilbert has a mind of his own and I am just one of his fortunate chosen ones for the time being. Someone along the way in one of his homes paved the way for him to accept me. I don't take it for granted, but I do savor being in his good will and we are working on getting him to tolerate the rest of our family.

Gilbert has emphatically decided this is NOT his chosen method of celebration. When I thought he was getting excited, it was not in a good way and he bit me! As cute as his whoosh was... he is likely thinking I am hissing at him and that is not a good thing in his world apparently.

We got Gilbert's new cage yesterday. His is on the left, Java is on the right. I am still cleaning up, moving the power strip now that he will be able to climb all over. Java is a lot smaller, but she thinks she is big bird and I couldn't very well get a smaller cage for Gilbert. I am working on moving the little porch shelves and perches as I see how he gets around and where he prefers to play.

We do use two types of water dishes, our birds are dunkers. There are water dishes with dome tops that will protect them from being soiled from above. What was more gross than the bird poo in his water dish was when he got up and pooed in mine!

Watching Ana Grey open that jar is awe inspiring. I showed it to Gilbert and he was too busy noticing a pretty girl to care what was in the jar. I hope we can work up to foraging and see our bird learn to be as clever as Ana Grey.

Bless you for your attitude and acceptance of Neko. My family is in a similar situation with our sweet guy. My husband and daughters just admitted they are "scared to death of that beak". We are working to get him to be less spooked by them, letting them give him his all time favorite treat of an almond. I can't tell you how much I appreciate when they take the advice to go slow, not to push him until he is ready. You are to be commended for the attitude you have that you love him and talk to him and keep him company. Don't beat yourself up because he isn't out when you are home alone with him. He sounds perfectly happy to be in his cage until your husband comes home. A lot of birds are home alone while the family works and they accept cage time and then love when their favorite person comes home. You have a good relationship and it will go to a new level when both you and Neko are prepared for that. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It helps to think of your perspective when Gilbert is less than gracious about other family members approaching him.

This has been a great day! I got Gilbert's new big boy cage today. I have been a little apprehensive about moving him and making a big change. My husband brought the boxes in for me to assemble the cage. Just before I started to open the boxes, my daughter said "I'm going to go to the mall, can I get you anything. I was shocked, just stunned to hear Gilbert say something new. He piped right up and said "Got a cheeseburger?" That was a laughfest for sure. What a surprise. He refers to every kind of food as a cracker. It was so funny, I am still smiling. Gilbert then watched me carefully while my husband helped me put the cage together. When I got things together, I put it next to the table where his travel cage sits and when I put the play top together, I loaded a few nutriberries and an almond in the cups on the top and put him up there. He accepted the change with grace even though he was a little nervous. He climbed down on his own from the new cage to the old one and continued to watch as I moved his favorite toys and food dishes. I thought I would have to wait a couple of weeks to have both cages side by side. My plan was to move a few goodies in and entice him a little at a time. I had another big surprise when he asked to go night night, I gave him a scratch, put him in the new cage and bless his heart... it was okay with him. He continues to just amaze me and his attitude has been nothing short of a miracle. I didn't expect to watch him just jump right into new things. He has just exceeded every concept I ever had for a rehomed bird, he is a genuine character.

It is a beautiful room. If the images are a little spooky to him now, it could be because the room is empty. It will look more familiar as you get furniture and perches, cages, toys and stuff in there. Change is always a little scary, but you will enjoy your new room so much Slater can't help but to warm up to it. If you draw the designs on the wall before painting, it might be good to take him in with you let him watch you while you work so he knows you are putting the "pictures" on his walls. He will take it all in... in grey time. Congrats on your art work, it is lovely.

We sent our daughter to college and she came home and taught us the fist bump. LOL. It would be somewhat like a high five from the olden days. The new flair is to offer your fist up to your buddy, and just as they lightly touch, you bounce back with an open hand and a "whoosh" noise. It is fun, but I sure hope she learned more than that in four years. LOL. I think Gilbert is in on the crowd, he gets really excited, but I am not too sure if the whoosh sound he reciprocates is him thinking I hissed at him. He gets really excited though and bounces up and down, flaps his wings and at the very least he is getting some exercise. I would love to hear what he is thinking... probably on the lines of "crazy old toot... you aren't doing it right!" Kids these days. LOL.

With our little guy it is a cracker. "Is that a cracker? Want a cracker? You got a cracker? How about a cracker? cracker?" It cracks me up, no pun intended. We have only had him about a month, so I just get him what he wants and then tell him what it is. Sometimes I just let it pass as his way of trying to communicate. The longer we know him the easier it gets. Then again, we become like those we are around... sometimes I find myself perking up when someone is getting ice cream and call out "Is that a cracker?" Leo will eventually get it. I am guessing he is so thrilled to get a response from you he is calling out to you because he knows you care. I think you are doing the right thing just talking to him, naming things as you give them to him. We are just northeast of Atlanta, so it looks like we are almost neighbors.

That is just crass, putting it in the terms of commodity bidding. All I can say is that there is another who needs you more, waiting and hoping it is his turn to join your flock.

Glad you are keeping the big boy cage. I have to admit, I would want to put a recliner in there and climb right in myself. LOL. I am getting Gilbert's new cage this weekend and will keep you on my mind. In the open spaces of a huge warehouse, or in a catalog, those cages look just right, but it is hard to picture how big they are until we are trying to find a spot to sit in the living room after we moved out all our furniture to make room for the cage... or two or three. LOL. Since I can't carry my recliner in to sit next to the cage, I will be sure to remember a tape measure and a room layout to keep me from having to find a new house. I do love your cage though!

I don't know what happened to me, I lost my head and missed some posts. Thanks for sticking with us. I am just totally smitten with Gilbert and my family is getting in on the action from a safe distance. He is getting where he will let me scratch his head when he is on the cage top with someone standing just inches away. Slowly slowly we are working to get him comfortable with the rest of the family. Everyone is safe to give him his night time almond. He is gentle and takes it graciously. For a little while, he would fling it to the floor after accepting it and now he is content to take it and eat it and ask for more. We went to see Rio last weekend and it gave me the idea to try the "fist bump". I had my daughter stand near his cage and we did it and made the whoosh sound. Gilbert made the whoosh sound back and seemed really excited. When I had him on my knee I did the fist bump to myself and again he "whooshed". He got really excited, bobbing and flapping and when I put my fist up to him, he opened his foot and gave me like a high five! I whooshed, he whooshed and we laughed and he got really animated and excited. When I asked for a fist bump, I got close and he pecked me like a chicken! LOL. I am sure he was just overly jubilant, but I am not going to push my luck. He is just awesome and amazing and I feel so lucky that he lets me into his little world and is showing signs of expanding his trust to the rest of our family.

I like those pictures, especially the last one.. "you know what I learned today? Sharing" They were having a bonanza thats for sure. Thanks for a good chuckle today.

I am also very sorry to hear you lost Nikki. Even while you are heartbroken you came to our forum to let us know to check with our vets for this important part of our screenings. I will ask when we go to the vet soon. Thanks for sharing.

Aww, that was such a sweet update. I am glad you let him stay up a little later and I am glad you stayed too. We will have to have a rendition of the flapping game here. I love when we talk to our birds and ask them for what we want and they are so happy to please us that they oblige. He and Beaker sound like a lot of fun, I want to "stay here" too.

This is a great introduction, thanks for coming to join us. I love his name, that is a good one. Hopefully in his new surroundings he is getting so much more handling that he will get past the de Pinchi part. The time you spend socializing and chatting with him will pay off. I am glad he has time out of his cage with you and that you already are familiar with him.

Now doesn't she just color your world with delight? If her spirit is so sweet after being the little bird in a corner, think of how she is going to enjoy having feathered friends and devoted care in your home. She is beautiful and I am sure she is going to sing a new song when she realizes she is lucky to have a new home that revolves around her little red head. She is adorable. Congratulations on your new arrival.

There is nothing quite as magical as the sweet surrender of trust at the moment when your little guy closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel his devotion to you. It is such a tribute to your time spent earning his acceptance. Congratulations on finding Timmy's sweet spot. Thanks for sharing your time with us.

In the first picture of Salsa, I swear I saw her eyes pinning when I got too close. Great shot. Also, I thought someone was holding her spoon while she ate and then I saw the second photo and realized she was holding it in her own gnarly little talons. Cricket is beautiful too even with her messy little face. Great photos of your Amazons, it might be as close as I ever get to seeing one. Thanks, great thread.

When I first looked at the picture, I thought it was a perch on the floor and that he had a successful "jail break". Then I read the posts and went back to look again and sure enough, he was dismantling your house, not his. LOL. He does look a little startled... he wasn't finished yet.