katana600

Your kindness and sensitivity was surely a blessing in her life. I am so sorry you are all hurting right now, it is so sad to see them decline and suffer. Your vet has been good to all of you and I am glad you had support during this painful time.

Aww bless her little bald head. I am so happy for you to be giving her a chance to enjoy life with you in your home. Maybe she had other thoughts on becoming a breeder and wants to be your buddy. It is a splendid thing to observe when she is letting you get close to her and to share your home. Kudos to you, and good luck with her. Is her name Electra?

Capt'n Morgan sounds like he stepped up his game lately and is getting in on all the fun everyone else is having. He sounds like a delight. Glad his personality is blossoming and he is such a character. It is hard to remember my life before parrots but it was a lot quieter and a lot less smiles and laughter. Enjoy your time with the Captain and his crew.

@Shelly, I thought you were calling Ray a crabby ole bird and thought I had the game all backward. LOL. You meant Roy, your macaw... oh... nevermind... LOL. So for my house, Java a five year old poicephalus, red-bellied hen, have had her four and a half years. I would call her Jackie Chan 'cause she is witty and unpredictable, but when there is a stranger in town she goes into her sheriff mode and is ready to take on any intruder, human/feathered/furry critter with a ferocity and attitude that makes her small size look like a megasize ornery gorilla.

Can you believe how much fun I am having with Gilbert?

It has been heartbreak for Sarah and it does make it so much easier to be brave and take on life with another grey to know my home filled a need. I still think having him has been blessing my life a thousand times over what Gilbert is enjoying. It is exactly like having Christmas every day with him, only better than all my Christmas days added together. When I saw his willingness to step up for me, I don't know who was more scared, Gil, or me. His beak is very sharp and we have not even known each other half a week. I am beyond amazement with this little character. Today, he was calling out to me when I went to the basement to sew with my quilt friends. I came up and offered for him to come down with us, I could tell he really wanted to come, but he tilted and swayed and gave me the stink-eye, so back I went without him. A second time he called to me, so I tried again. This time, he stepped up willingly and I carefully carried him through the house, down the stairs and put him on a floor stand. He quietly talked to us and then, when it was time to go upstairs I asked him to step up and he willingly stepped up and was carried back to his cage. I have to admit, not knowing him, dealing with an adult bird where one wrong assumption could be a wicked mistake, I think I can feel my heart pounding in my ears, but each time, he has let me lead the way and he is willing to overcome his fears with me as well. I am in heaven. I am just loving his boy. With that said, I would love him if he took a lot longer and I know there will be times we step back before we can step forward and I hope he forgives me quickly for my mistakes as I will with him. Thank you all for joining this happy time with us.

From the moment the egg hatches, you have your hopes up and make plans and dreams of your baby. I am so sorry for you and for your breeder. It is so hard to know you never got to hold your little one.

This is hard news for your family. I believe no matter how short your time with Grey, you have been with her for a lifetime. You brought her to a loving home, you gave her every good thing she has had in life up to now. While this is so difficult for your family, it has been so much better for Grey to be in a place with such caring people, even for a short time. I am so sorry all of you are going through this sad sad time.

What a lovely welcome for Louie and a sweet boy returning your love and good vibes. This is a happy day for all of you. Congratulations.

Now that is one secure, relaxed bird even while he is having a heydey playing. This post will bring lots of smiles all around. Thanks.

Making changes and taking chances is scary for Gilbert, Sarah and our family. This has been a very exciting, happy time. Gil gurged for me yesterday and did his sexy dance. I told him no thanks and walked away. The next time he bowed his head to elicit a scratch, he quickly turned and bit me. Ouch! The honeymoon is over. I was able to supress a scream and softly chided him, that is not nice and encouraged him to be sweet. Then, I stayed away for a while even though he was chattering and making ammends. He did offer another sweet side for a scratch at bedtime but then refused to go inside his cage to go to bed. I decided to choose my battles carefully, put the dogs behind closed doors to keep Gil safe and left him on his cage top. I checked on him a couple of times and at four this morning, I asked him to step up, he obliged and allowed me to place him in his cage. I gave him an almond, stayed up with him until he finished, then turned off the lights and went back to bed. He is starting to test his boundaries, and I am prepared to meet him at the fence. LOL. I am reading up on hormones being in high gear during springtime, and he is definitely mature, so I am going to integrate showers, steady lights out bedtime and try to figure out how much is hormone and how much is new surroundings. He is such a delight that any of the unfavorable things are a flash in the pan compared to his sweet and funny antics all day long.

Yes! Someone else who admits to speaking parrot in public. Wherever I am in the house, I will make contact calls and yes, I have found myself in the grocery store making a quick whistle before I realize how ingrained it has become in my life to do it without thinking. Probably worse than the whistle is the laughter afterward. I take the long way back to my car in case the nutcatchers are in the parking lot waiting for me. Your pictures are beautiful, great job!

Thank you so much everybody for your cheers and support. I am glad I had the courage to do this again, it is already a dream come true. @Judy... did you notice how much his head position looks like your avatar? LOL I will have to photoshop in a background for him. Yours looks like a professional portrait.

Gilbert continues to simply amaze me. He accepts anything I show him, sometimes he pushes a toy gently away if I offer him something he doesn't like. I just leave them lying on his table so he can take a second look when he feels like it. I put a bell in for him and he rings the bell. He goes back into the cage when I ask for him to, and jumps on the bars eagerly when I come back into the house to let him out again. He does the cutest thing when I talk to him. He bows his head for a scratch, but bends over so far his beak is on his chest. Then he burrows his beak into his chest and holds onto one feather while he steadies himself on one foot and reaches up and puts his claw on my hand while he closes his eyes and just melts while I scratch his head. Sarah said he loves this. He also makes an unusual noise that is a little like a baby crying, just a little one syllable mewl. He eats everything I have offered him and it seems like he has lived here all our lives. I expected a long hard road and would have met him any way he needed, but this is bliss, I am totally smitten.

You are such a trickster. I read that thread subject and was cringing to go look. You got me again! Cocoa is so pretty with her jet black beak and her sweet attitude.

Good one! The pictures and comments gave my my first laugh of the day.

Gil and Java are taking our life changes in stride. He didn't want to get back in his cage to go to bed last night at midnight. When I did coax him and get him in, he was not happy about the addition of heated perch. Just like in the car, he clung to his ceiling and threatened he might hold his breath until passed out and fell down to break his neck and boy, then I would be SORRY! Five minutes later he reluctantly climbed down, tucked his head under his wing and went to sleep. He is taking food and foot toys from my hand and talking some. If he sees me coming with food he says "I want a cracker", when I give the dogs a treat when they come in outside he asks if it is a cracker. If he hears a rustle of cellophane in the kitchen he calls out for a cracker. LOL. When I attached a boing to the top of his cage for a play area, he watched me intently from inside the cage. He was calm and interested in what I was doing and said "Whachoo doin'?" He did offer his bowed head to my daughter for a "tickle" and when she was lured in by his sweet siren song, he spun around like lightning and put a knuckle cracking chomp down on her. She won't be so easily led down the garden path again. LOL. He didn't break the skin but it was a bruising clamp. He is doing just beautifully, he is interactive and does a lot of vocalizing and sleeping for now. I can't wait until his personality blooms and he trusts me enough to sit near me to play. So far, so good though.

It is all I can do to give him some space. I want to climb right into his cage and kiss his little head. I keep looking at his picture and thinking he is the most beautiful little boy in the world.... well, in my world anyway. I was resolved that I may never have a grey, but was open to thinking if it is meant to be, it will be. I just am so surprised that it did happen, I was ready and he is accepting of not only me, but Java, my husband and both my daughters. He acts like he is a brave little soldier and he is ready to take on the world. He has the cutest little face ever. Oh... and he has seen me at my worst, I am still in my pajamas and he has had the grace not to mention it. LOL. I am glad I have this forum because I want to call everyone I know, and only a small handful of people who know me would understand. Thank you all for understanding.

This has been such a wonderful day for us. When I had some leftover mashed potatoes for lunch, he was excited, so I offered him and bite. He ate a morsel, then waved his foot at me, so I asked if he was asking to step up and to my wonder and delight he stepped up and came out of his cage! He was shaking with excitement, so I just lifted him to his cage top and he was more than happy to jump right off, but it is a start. He has already blessed my life in one short day together. And then... I took a nap. LOL So did Gil. I am so grateful for Sarah for sharing his journey and for patiently waiting for my to be ready while she kept Gilbert's best interests at heart while she cared for him when he needed her.

Gil was accomodating enough to get a first day home photo. After exploring in and out of his travel cage, eating his breakfast and preening, he is sound asleep. Sarah gave me a travel cage that is bigger than some birds have for their permanent cage. I won't try moving him until he is ready. He seems relaxed and comfortable and as much as I would like to shower him with new toys and a new setup, we will keep it low key for a while. Did I mention, I couldn't be happier with our beautiful beautiful boy?

Thanks Judy, I am keeping contact to a minimum. I am giving him space and letting him lead the way. He had a long hard day yesterday and I am sure he is exhausted. It is just such a relief that he is eating, preening and relaxed. I am definitely not going to push him to step up or try to handle him until he makes the first move. It would be a devastating setback if he were to lose the modicum of trust he is willing to extend to me right now. Those are the same words I used with Sarah and my family yesterday, this is the honeymoon period. Even though I am amazed, astounded and excited to move forward with him, if it is not on his invitation, it could jeopardize his emotional well being. He is an amazing little fellow and he and I both need a nap. LOL. Java is quietly taking all the changes in stride. It will be a while before they formally meet, but hearing each other doesn't seem to be an issue either. Thanks for your advice, it really pays to be putting grey time into perspective and take baby steps forward and keep the path clear for a big step back.

When the decision was made to bring Gilbert home, I was prepared for anything. I was expecting the long adjustment period of a bird his age with all the expected issues. What I could not have hoped or imagined is how he is doing today, on his first day home. He is eating everything I offer. He takes food from my hand, he is calm and accepting of me reaching into his cage to move perches and add dishes. He bows his head readily inside or outside his cage to allow me to scratch his head. He gently nibbles my fingers as he tests and tastes. He is accepting new toys. He ate warm beans and grains from a spoon because he was getting into it faster than I could get the dish in the cage. He climbs in and out of an open cage and is brave and willing to explore. He is talking, vocalizing, preening, stretching, yawning and making happy beak grinding sounds. He must be exhausted after clinging to the bars of his cage for hours last night in the car. What a beautiful beautiful boy. As our British friends would say "I'm chuffed".

I never grow tired of Dayo videos. I have to say, I would not know if it was Dan doing a "voice over" or Dayo talking. I have to watch closely to see Dayo's beak moving and convince myself it is really him speaking. Amazing. He is such a charmer.

Your bird room is the epitome of harmony and diversity. What a beautiful place to call home, and pretty awesome for the birds too.

Thanks for joining the forum. We will learn from and enjoy Ruffles with you. I can't think of any other place in my life where I can go on and on and talk about birds with others who understand. Ruffles is a cutie.