katana600

Aw, just look at you go. I love the photo of your pug. Sweet Pea is almost the same age as my daughter. She is a sweetie all right. Glad to get you started, it was to my benefit to see your pets.

This room is a great idea and so wonderful to have Jay as a moderator. I saw my first Amazon, a blue front, a few weeks ago. She was beautiful and such an animated, happy bird. I look forward to learning more about these lovely creatures.

Your flock is wonderful. I love that Sasha is so playful and full of energy for an eighteen year old. That is amazing. I really look forward to hearing about all your birds. There is a forum thread for other birds and I have a feeling they could have a long thread in there for each of them. Dini is a fighter, it makes all the work you did helping her worth every moment. I am so glad you came in to share with us.

I am really happy for you that Argyle is working through his short temper. It feels bad to know you are getting bitten. You don't deserve it. I know it isn't personal and you are doing all you can to be patient through it. I hope you see your sweet boy a little more every day until he is back to being an angel, or as close to it as he is capable to get.

In time all of the birds and kids will get along as the kids mature, LOL. My girls are in college and it has take three years for them to not be scared of Java. I can't blame them, she has a beak like a can opener. She has just now gotten sweet and will go to any member of the family. She still gets a wild hair and will viciously bite my husband occasionally. I tell him I am sending her sign language, just do everything I say and no one gets hurt. LOL.

That is a cute picture. I am not faint hearted, looked real close and ...ahem... do I dare ask? Is Argyle flipping the proverbial bird?

Clearly, I don't have a crystal ball to know the situation but if you leave a bird in a cage in a room and don't put your hands in... voilla, you will never receive a bite. You are courageous and willing to try new things. A bite says, not yet, but doesn't mean never. You will learn Francis' body language and when to give him space, when to press forward to try new things. It does take a lot of time and patience. It sounds like you really are making good progess, just learning boundaries for Francis. Good luck to you both.

Sindbad, please don't waste any of your energy thinking of what you should have or could have done. It sounds to me like you are doing everything possible within your power and resources to find your boy. Focus on what you can do now and don't give up. Others have gotten their birds back with patience and creativity and you can keep going while you have hope. You have a lot of people praying for a good outcome for you. Keep your spirits up as much as you can. You will never regret all that you are trying to do to get back to your grey. Best of luck with all my heart.

It is so funny that she chats away but is mum to you when you want most of all to hear her speak to you. At least you know she is capable. When you discover the magic that is her safety zone and she realizes your delight in her talking ability, you won't be able to get her quiet again, I have a feeling. I am glad we are here to share with you when she starts talking just to you! It is going to be amazing for all of us.

Stop it Bernie! I don't have the strength to think of you without restraints! Now behave. Just a little. Please.

Sorry I can't help on the experience you need to consider clipping, I just don't have that knowledge yet. I believe you will find what is right for your home, for your bird and for your peace of mind and respect whatever choice you make. Since Abby can fly if she wants to, I believe it gives her confidence in herself. She doesn't know you well yet and in time she will see how much you love her and learn to trust you in the shower and other places, that she is okay with you and she is safe. Juno was a baby, he only took about two weeks to start seeking me out and flying to me. Since Abby has had some life experience it might take her a little longer to build trust. It might take her a lot longer depending on her personality and what she has learned about people. You already have a good relationship with her so that is a good sign. Enjoy her. Life is good.

Chris, your post just made my day. Where else could you go to have that conversation and have all of us know what triumph you must be feeling? You have brought Talula such a long way. I am really proud of your patience and dedication. I have faith in you that you are just the person to be Talula's hero. Can't wait until you get her recorded and play back her talking to her. It makes me happy to think of you together.

Ouch. I am sorry you were bitten but impressed that you hung in there with him. I like what I have read about greys being subtle communicators that resort to bite to get their point across when other forms are ignored. With an older grey, he learned his ways before he knew you. So, your response has started a new chapter in his life. It kind of reminds me of kids from divorce learning new rules in each house. You and Francis are ahead of the curve starting those new rules. Congrats on your patience.

Welcome JR, Abby and Family. Congratulations on coming together and learning the pleasures of living with a delightful enchantress. Everyone has reasons for clipping, or not. Let me tell you my experience. Our breeders usually clip because they travel. They let our boy's wings grow. He came home and had a clumsy week or two learning to use his flight. Every time he flew he whooped with delight prior to his takeoff. We only had six weeks together and watching him fly is one of the things that has given me the greatest of joy. We have another bird, flighted for three years and it really is a gift to ourselves to keep them flighted if you can manage it. It is a hard choice, there are lots of threads to read. I was new, I was scared to leave him flighted in case he should hurt himself. I am so glad I took that path.

Thinking of you and Earl in the cabin makes me really happy. Also, good thinking on the certificate while you are there. They might never ask for it, but if they did and it upset Earl's return home it wouldn't be worth it. I hope your family enjoys your visit and what you have gone through to bring your little buddy with you. Kudos to you.

We also have gas heat and have had a parrot safe house. For me, it is also a backup plan because if a storm put out the electricty, the fan on the furnace may not operate, but the house would still be warm from the potbellied stove or fireplace logs. Of course, moving into a new house is a big deal. The carbon monoxide detector is a low cost great return investment too. Take care. Thanks for joining us. Dee

Merry Christmas to you, Sachi and Emma. It is a good feeling to see her happily playing with her new toy sent from a loving Auntie. Thanks for sharing it with us.

If you have a tall dowell with a hook on it to hang toys, you might get a couple of the plastic zip ties that are used for electrical wires etc. and use those to hold to the vertical support on one end or the other of this playstand. Good luck with Yoshi, if it were me I would want you to bring her to my house too! Seeing how much you love her is going to bring pleasure to your family.

One more little place to look for help is with the pet shops near the place he was last seen. They might post your name and address for someone who comes looking for a cage if they are trying to take care of a found bird by themselves. They may not know what the owner goes through. If you can post in the break room for employees and offer a reward for putting your name to anyone coming in to buy a cage, it is another way of making contacts. My heart is with you.

I am so happy for you. I love that you waited patiently, overcame your own fear and gave him a chance to come to you. Knowing he came to you out of love and trust has to be the greatest joy. I share and rejoice with you. Congratulations on learning the ways of the greys. This is going to be a wonderful relationship and I look forward to sharing your time on the forum with us. Thanks for joining us.

I am with you on your search. Stay strong for your boy. I promise he was not hiding from your voice, if he could hear you at the time, he is so scared and alone he is doing what instinct tells him to do, to hide from predators. You are going to the greatest lengths within your resources and your love for your boy is strong and pure. Don't be hard on yourself, look for all the hopeful things and keep your spirits up for him. Take care, good luck.

Cocoa lives in paradise. Just looking at those palm nuts makes me want to gather them up for the birds in the continents where they don't grow naturally. That picture of Cocoa devouring a palm nut brings me happiness. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks Dave.

Since all this happened during a move, and you don't have a choice to get him back to everything familiar, I am just wondering if you covered three sides of his cage for the time being to cut down on the overstimulation that comes with a move to the unfamiliar, if that would give him a little bit of seclusion and security for the time being. Once he sees that you are still here with him and he is safe in his new place, you will see your boy coming back a little at a time. You have a lot of experience with him and I am so sorry that you have endured such a horrible experience. I am very thankful that you still have your boy and will find better days ahead for your whole family. Take care, welcome to our forum. There are a thousand good kind people here plus one misguided, sad little misfit, but family is family and we still try to find the charity to love him too.<br><br>Post edited by: katana600, at: 2009/12/26 16:14

Way to go Harvey! He snubbed your birthday singing Jill because you mixed the numbers on HIS special day. LOL. He also told me on a PM that he hasn't started speaking yet because lord knows he couldn't get a word in edgewise with that woman. I can only assume he meant you he was too much of a gentleman to name names. He is a big boy now and he has been holding back on his tricks so watch our world, here comes Harvey.