katana600

Inside every frozen statue is a sweetheart waiting in grey time for just the right moment to make a grand entrance. I am in your cheering section. What a pivotal moment. Glad you had that smile, long may the glow linger.

@Echo's Mom, the best part is, I am here on the forum to relate some of the tips and coping strategies of living with a rehomed parrot with fears and issues. To Acappella's point, there is no way of knowing how long it might take to make an adjustment. Getting to the top of those stairs has taken 4 years... the first time. Now she does it so fast, I think she is a ghostly apparition or has a transporter hidden in her cage. Thanks Sterling, I have seen some pretty cute videos of your crew too. Usually Miss Gilbert is in the witness protection program and doesn't permit photos. From the day I took that picture she has confined herself to her cage again. To be fair we have had a roof leak, new gutters, men on ladders and pounding so its just a matter of time before she is hanging out on the stairs again. Glad I was planning to get rid of the white carpet, she is having an artistic moment coloring it.

She is "letting" me pick her up ten to fifteen times each day now. She just goes up the stairs, hasn't had the inclination to come back down although I am sure she is capable. This weekend while her beloved is home, she is going up and giving him the "come hither" whistle. She is distinctly irritated when I am the one to come up to fetch her back to her cage, or stop her from chewing carpet. Regardless of her intentions, it is just great strides on her part to get out of her comfort zone and step up to an exciting fulfilling life.

Happy birthday Bailey!! Sorry to be a little late on the uptake. I gave Miss Gilbert a couple of pecans and told her it was Bailey's birthday celebration. Lets stretch it out a little longer.

Nobirdie wants to go to bed and close out a birthday celebration. Happy hatchday to a well loved little grey parrot and congrats to his family for all the good times together.

The sky is the limit for Miss Gilbert.... or maybe the top of the stairs for the time being.

I have a feeling ignoring her and playing hard to get gives her exactly what she has been working to create. If only I would disappear completely she has everything she needs for a world takeover. I wish you could see her coming out of her cage, stealthily making her way to the stairs. If I move an eyelash she freezes. If I turn my head or close my eyes, she goes to the next step. If I look, she is stone still for longer than I can focus on watching. If I leave the room, she is a flurry of activity. Today she repelled over the side of the stairs and jumped to the top of Java's cage while I was in the kitchen with my back to her. Right when I think she is a staunch adversary, I walk through the room as she scurries to the door to get into her comfort zone... But wait... Instead of ducking inside, she stops and lifts her foot. I carry her on a tour and she shakes so hard I can feel the tremors through her feet. Her eyes are wild, her feathers are tight and every muscle is tense. When we get back to her cage, she jumps off my hand races to her favorite perch and spends an hour just hanging on for dear life. She is figuring things out. She doesn't regress to barbering her feathers so a little give and take is building her confidence and inner strength.

I had no idea there were horses with such beautiful markings.

And better still, by taking reconnaissance missions you will find tools to use to plot your overthrow and grand escape plan. It's only a matter of time before LuLu wears down, makes a mistake and forgets what an intelligent, cunning opponent you can be... And David, then the world shall be yours!!!

Thanks so much for finding ways to connect and offer support. Something I read that makes sense is to have a bedtime ritual maybe a hot bath, herbal tea and making preparation to sleep a time to unwind and relax. I don't have anything that makes me panic but after wearing braces for three years and now the retainers, I have yet to relax. I find those retainers "biting" the slats on my headboard, inside my pillowcase, and other strange places. At least your CPAP has a hose to reel in to find it again in the dark. First you will notice it isn't horrible and then it will be okay. I hope soon you start realizing you are wearing it all night and noticing you have more energy and stamina during the day and that you look forward to a refreshing night of nourishing sleep.

Please don't hijack a thread meant to bring encouragement to one of our members. Even an MD has no place to be refuting or giving medical advice or opinions, nor it is contributing to making our forum awesome. C'mon.

This sweet little tyrant is definitely planning to overthrow LuLu, the lady of the house. This weekend, she gives David a "hey" and heads to their favorite seclusion on the steps. Over and over she would get on the step and call for him. He is so tickled at the attention she gives to him and how she is becoming more brave to leave the security of her cage he just can't resist sitting on the step with her. She nuzzles his fingers gently with her beak and croons to him. Yesterday she climbed to the top of the carpeted steps and was watching me when I fell asleep on the sofa. Today she has climbed up there so many times I had to pull her cage out just a little so she can't reach unless she is supervised. Usually she is happy to have David to herself and will then graciously step to my hand from his. Now she is decidedly on the offensive and has attempted to chase me and has bitten me. When she tried to bite me on the stairs, as much as I love her freedom and courage, I put her in her cage and closed the door with a stern word about being nice. Her original stink eye is nothing compared to her look right now. Oh goodness, it has been an hour and her feathers are still fluffed up. I'm convinced she is scoping out the upstairs bedrooms to choose a love nest to lure David up there for happily ever after out of reach of LuLu the troll.

It is time for an update on Miss Gilbert. Drum roll please... Miss Gilbert has been offering a lifted foot for a step up four or five times every day now! I have been waiting and watching for regression, feather barbering or her usual fearful trembling that says we have asked too much too soon. Nope. Nada. At first I would happen upon her on the cage top and give her an incentive by taking her to her beloved David. He would hold her until she was showing fear, then hand me a pecan and I would take her back and give her a treat. We kept interaction to a minimum and let her lead the way back as soon as she asked. Then, even when David was gone, I would offer to pick her up and when she offered her foot, I made sure not to press my luck, but just carry her in a small circle and offer for her to go back. Over the past month, she has declined the offer to be immediately returned to her comfort zone. In the past week she has spontaneously offered me her foot without me asking. This weekend she has not only offered her foot to David, but she got off her cage and came to him. I have been giving her tours of the main floor of the house and even letting her perch on my bathroom sink while I shower so she gets a little extra humidity. What you have all been telling me about building trust and waiting for her to be ready, in grey time, is paying off. She seems to have gained some insight to enjoy life just outside those cage bars and it is spectacular to see her coming to a good place of overcoming fear and distrust. She has recently decided her contact call to her beloved David is a wolf whistle. Of course he is preening and enjoying his love muffin status, it is just awesome.

What a gloriously beautiful girl you are Nilah. Congrats on getting outside in the fresh air again. Happy Birthday to you and may your affection grow for your mama every day. You live such a charmed life and make so many people happy with your Amazon love.

Yes! to the spring weather finally after shoveling yourself out of all that snow. Great news here in the Atlanta area is that I saw lightning bugs this weekend for the first time this year. My sister lives in Pennsylvania so I go out on my patio every day when there is sunshine and blow northeast to move a little warm weather up there for all y'all. :-} I'm guessing Nilah is celebrating her fresh air outlook too. And I am still laughing about the back alley thugs and wondering if you are getting outdoor fresh air every day too Sterling? Hahaha... you become like those you are around so are they corrupting you... or the other way around? Just kidding of course, I know the Sterling Ranch is paradise for all of you. All these outdoor aviaries makes Miss Gilbert envious and she put one on her birthday list.

You have already helped me think things through for our future. I also sew and quilt and my goal has been to get my grey to be brave enough to join me in the basement sewing room. Now... maybe not so much near my sewing machine. Our grey is a Timneh named Gilbert, Miss Gilbert after a DNA result. She is at least ten, has had several homes and came to us four years ago as a rehomed parrot with "issues". Mostly I am home all day and she is out of her cage. She was a plucker and has yet to regain flight ability and our vet doubts it will be possible but I am always optimistic her day will come. Like you I worried if she would be bored and have also wondered if maybe she just doesn't like me personally, but it is just a matter of time before I win her over... grey time, that is. Four years is a blink of a little straw colored eye in grey time. This forum is filled with dedicated, caring grey companions and we learned everything that has brought Miss Gilbert to a comfort zone in which she continues to amaze and delight with her newfound courage and curiosity. I look forward to reading more about the life you have with Echo, it sounds loving and far from boring from this vantage perch.

My husband has sleep apnea and wears a CPAP and it certainly improved his life span because I was reaching the point of considering an act of wickedness against him. Thankfully, the CPAP lets both of us get a good night of sleep. Okay, full disclosure... or TMI... the worst I could muster against him was to hone a sharp toenail to gouge the back of his leg in the night when the gentle techniques of getting him to roll over in his sleep to stop that beastly snoring and gasping proved ineffective. Bwahahaha. All joking aside, the CPAP has been a fantastic sleep aid, he is back to better health than ever, running half marathons and keeping up with our grown daughters in their hobby. As an added benefit, the gentle white noise of the CPAP prevents him from hearing my snoring and devising methods of retaliation... that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Yes, Miss Gilbert, you have come a long way all in your own interpretation of "grey time". So many times you hear me say "See there, that wasn't so bad." Now I want to say you are doing so many things to get kudos and praise. It is all I can do not to whoop and dance when you lift your foot spontaneously to have a ride around the room. I know it is so you can get a ride to David and that's a gift you are giving him. While I may yet to win your affection, I promise to treasure the trust you are building with us both. You are ever so endearing most of the time and all our friends and family cheer your willingness to try again and again even when you are convinced we are up to no good. Oh yes... and just because David finds it amusing, the sustained siren blasts when I speak are not going to convince me to be silent. Think about it, if you drive me off, who will cook the beans, clean your cage and teach David to be a parrot person?

It has to feel like success to make it four hours. Every step forward is cause for celebration. At least for four hours a night you are getting the optimal oxygenation and rest. As time goes on just as surely as Miss Gilbert builds trust and that trust opens her heart and mind, your supreme efforts to overcome your resistance to your mask are creating changes. Thanks for the update. I'm looking forward to the one when you wake up in the morning and realize you made it all night. You are getting there. It's going to make a difference. My husband now feels worn out if he travels and sleeps without his.

Our greys are so sensitive that small changes create complex behavior dynamics. You have really gone above and beyond to observe, listen and have a give and take with Isaac to figure out what is happening. Changing your physical interactions with him must be a part of the equation. Congrats to you for the success, for not giving up when it looked rough and for doing the best thing for Isaac when it wasn't the easiest thing for you. That's unconditional love. Way to go daddy-O.

I don't know how I missed these posts, I must have been sewing instead of surfing. When I brought up this thread it was breathtaking to see Onyeka's photos and to read the unbridled enthusiasm and love you have for him already. Congratulations on his arrival! Thank you for joining us.

I am so sorry for your loss of Jojo, you were so very close to getting him to the vet. I know that his time with you he knew you were helping him and your voice and your gentleness was a comfort to him. You are doing a world of good for these parrots and they know you have a good heart and you are kind and caring. Thank you for the update. The video was ever so sweet with Casper and Molly.

The aloe spray is pure, the gel has no alcohol, color or analgesics. They are soothing and have been helpful to many of us on the forum. What you have going for you is fourteen years of history with Lucky. You are very astute in realizing medication and a collar are short term for the acute phase of this feather damaging behavior. You are wise for being proactive and seeking out the advice of your avian specialist and suggestions from fellow grey companion humans. What started the behavior may be long gone and what perpetuates it is complex. You may try things and not see progress and come back to it at another time. Our avian vet recommended Rescue Remedy as a trial before stronger meds and it seemed to make a difference. The important thing is your relationship to Lucky and what works for your situation. Some have had luck with a sock buddy. I know its hard to see but take heart, this too shall pass.

Your friends and family mean well and are encouraging you with the best intentions. Be kind to yourself and take this time to nurture and be kind to Nancy. You have endured a lot of losses over the past couple of years. It comes at the time when you are successfully launching your kids (no hurry, all in good time). My point is, there are too many changes and emotions going on at the same time. You know yourself better than any other soul on earth. Follow your heart. You may be ready for a major, well planned renaissance to fill the lull between children and grandchildren.

Thanks IzzyAngel, I posted Miss Gilbert in her own thread in there because without the context of where she has been and the challenges she has overcome, she didn't sound like a "normal" grey and with her progress in one spot, I didn't feel compelled to explain or think of her as less than normal for us. It's nice to have company in the rescue room and for those who consider getting an older parrot to read that they are all very unique and individual. What may seem like a dismal rejection to one person is a gentle "not yet" to the next. Feel free to post in other rooms as well. Once you have read a bit, you will pick up quickly what the forum is about. After all, you are a bird brainiac too.