katana600

Thanks for joining us Michelle, we are just as glad to have new people coming in and sharing the journey. The signature line suggestion is a great idea but it may be too complex. Many of us have rehomed greys and other flock members that don't have a clear age, just a range. It would be a great time for each of us to update our profiles to include that information. Also, grey behavior is so individual and unique that each person's experience depends on the background, age, innate personality of individuals and the particular day in which we experience them. We couldn't interpret any given post as being a trait among flock members. Some things can be generalized, like getting a rehomed grey and progressing slowly to learn the body language and tolerance of the particular individual, or bringing home a baby and all the worries that come with first time companions. We are all really open to questions and in time we learn more about our particular flockmate. As far as the difference between the Congo African grey and the Timneh, I have had both and still couldn't tell you what they are like. LOL. They will keep changing the definition every time we attempt to describe it. Thanks so much for your appreciation. You have some good ideas for threads to take a fresh new look at the joys of grey companionship.

Well deary me, is he not the cutest little fellow I have seen? We used to take baby squirrels to a rescue in Houston every time we had hurricane winds because the palm fronds would come off and drop the nest to the ground below. We were not permitted to do home rehab without a boatload of paperwork but the rescue was fabulous. I would love to see Miles in your home as he seems to have boundless energy. I will see if I can find the links to another little rescued squirrel sleeping in a man's pocket. What a great home life you have.

Okay, now I recall being a newbie on this forum and the poop discussion included using it as skin softener since we already have so much on us anyway. One of my favorite books was "Everybody Poops" back in the day when my kids were little. For my husband, it was a the results of lab work from an annual physical while we were overseas. The report had a fecal section... "Color:normal and Odor:none" I believe he keeps this framed somewhere to convince himself he is the king and his poo doesn't stink. LOL. hahahaha. Back to you Keri and your original post. We have a rescue parrot too and with her and other parrot experience I have done a couple of things to protect the dog/parrot interaction. For one thing, once the parrot chewed a wood block, dropped it on the floor, the puppy ate it and we had an intestinal blockage to deal with. That is when I fixed the parrot's floor stand inside a portable baby playpen. We have grown past that and now I just keep wooden toys on the cage playtop so pieces fall down inside and the dogs are not as interested any more. The latest thing that has been really beneficial was to put the travel cage right below the open door of Miss Gilbert's big cage. I call it her "basement apartment". She needs it to be able to get from the floor back onto her cage because she isn't flighted. But an added bonus is there is a liner in the bottom and any food or droppings are "caged" so the dogs don't succumb to temptation to get the poop before I can. I KNOW they are all faster than me.

My trouble with Photobucket was long enough ago, I have forgotten my user name and password. LOL. I gave up too easily but now that I have enjoyed your videos so much, I may have to try again. I wonder if the posting of videos directly into a reply takes up our forum resources and that photobucket is a better option once we figure out the ins and outs of it? Good topic to get it sorted. Thanks. Nilah is such an enjoyable subject matter. I think I am in the contagious phase of the Amazon fever or MBS incubation stage. LOL.

Poo. Test one is incomplete. Shows a red box for me.

And so the transition and takeover plot of Miss Gilbert is taking form. A few days ago when I was doing some serious cleaning, I moved Java's cage just a smidgen too close to Miss Gilbert's and the next thing I knew there she was taunting Java from the top of her cage. Now that Miss G has had a quiet spell she is on the move again. Today she went first to Java's cage and started "pinging" the metal shelf on the bottom to irritate Java and let her know she was out and about while little Java's cage was still closed after breakfast. So, I opened Java's cage to make it a fair exchange. Java has an unfair flight advantage and I have been working for more than five years to train her to stay off everyone else's cage. She came out and dive bombed Miss G, and it was ON. LOL. Miss Gilbert is not going to back down and hunker in fear any longer. I believe we are at the beginning of a change in the hierarchy around here. For the first time, when I walked past Miss Gilbert on the floor, she did not scurry back to her comfort zone, nor did she attack my toes. This time she had a heated exchange with Java, then Java went high and I thought that was the end of it. Next move was Gilbert's, she was intent on finding a way to get from the floor to the back of a high chair. When that didn't work, she attempted to lure Java back to her level by pinging her cage again. That was effective but didn't give the desired effect of getting Java to engage in a ground skirmish so then Miss G decided to engage the dog instead by guarding his ball so he couldn't get to it. When I interrupted this and picked up his ball, she walked over to the wooden trunk, looked right at me and took a chunk out of it. My counter move was to put a blanket over the trunk. Even in the midst of a battle royale for Miss Gilbert to take over alpha female, it is so satisfying to see her find her happy place. She is getting to a middle ground, her highs of Sheba Warrior Princess and lows of Chicken Little are slowly shaping into a middle ground where she can find her voice and become all she can be. Love the result and the process is highly educational to me, sometimes at a price, always with love.

OOhhh, I tap my fingertips together with delight. I love that suggestion. "His" name was Gilbert and I dubbed him Sir Gilbert Machiatto Grande to integrate him into my coffee theme. It all started accidentally with Java, I was really naming her for the Sun Microsystem Java platform and loved that I found a decorative sign to put over her cage "Java House" and then the decorating came around her. Then Juno was a play on words because I traded up the big birthday gift of a dream trip to Alaska. Then came Kopi and his was short for Kopi Luwak (Kopi means coffee and Luwak is loosely interpreted as cat poo)and that way I had in my wicked little mind that if he grew up mischievious and I was irritated I could pretend in my mind I was calling him a little sh**. Isn't it funny I was thinking of a way to say "it" without teaching my baby parrot a naughty word to hold over my head and in comes Miss Gilbert with that being her one power word... I am sure they are reading our minds. I will get busy on that quilted hat with the tin foil lining. You know, because I really AM nutty, but will keep that under my hat and not "in your face" until I choose to vex my children.

Miss Gilbert has been especially quiet for a couple of days. No doubt she is gathering her reserves and plotting her next move after the great cloth placemat debacle. LOL. She did slide off her cage and go to the floor this evening for the first time in a few days. There is nothing cuter than the fireman slide down the vertical bars and a hop at the end when she reaches the drop to the floor. She has also taken more than a passing interest in my husband. She has been offering her love dance to him with wings drooped and much ado about producing "used" beans as her love offerings to him. There is a small part of me that would rejoice if they became inseparable, but since he travels so much, it might not be the best for her. Ah but the heart wants what the heart wants does it not? They will have their moments when they can and I will be happy for both of them.

Aww, I never knew how many different parrots I would love to have as housemates. Whatever will be will be. LOL. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks.

Hi and welcome to the family. You paid your dues and learned along with LeStat, congratulations on your success in getting to know him and condolences on your ultimate loss. But now you have Inara to brighten your days, to laugh with you and to spend her days trying to outthink and outmaneuver you. This is life with a grey companion. I also have a petite TAG Gilbert. We just discovered she is a girl after she has spent a decade or more in various homes in the witness protection program with an undercover identity so connvincing, we all thought she was a boy. LOL. We also have a bell on the door for the dogs to alert me when they want to go out. Miss Gilbert will shout to me to take them outside and she will ring her bell to get my attention just in case I miss theirs. Life is good with our critters. Glad you could join the fun.

Well, I have never been able to get my Photobucket to work, but after Ray does all the heavy lifting, I can come in and erase something to fine tune his. LOL. It's like straining to open a jar and when my husband takes it, it pops right open after I get it all loosened up. Your videos are inspiring Ray. Cricket is so affectionate, so eager to get out to see you. That is just priceless, what a team you make. Thinking about her being deemed a lost cause, then blossoming under your care opens my heart to the possibilities that have kept me working to change life for Miss Gilbert and bring her to a place where she can find her rightful place as her royal highness and grand poobah of our household.

Penny, I have been able to think about this from both sides and for Nilah, I can imagine that she has worked out that if she could just make you late, if she could just make you get fired, you would be finished with that thing called a job that keeps you from being home and being wonderfully together all day long. But life has its way of making us do what we must, buck up, do the tough stuff and go into the world to work in order to support the lifestyle in which dear Nilah has become accustomed. If a working trim is necessary to make her understand that coming out and enjoying flock time has a responsibility of going back inside to do her "work" to support the flock too, so be it. It is a short term modification. It doesn't have to be severe and knowing the joy that is Nilah, I am guessing it will be a short lived effort for a long term gain. I wish there was a magic jacket we could put on them to confine their escape maneuvers for the short term. In reality we have limited tools to use and you are not one to look for an easy way out. You will make it work no matter what you decide. You have my support in any changes you have to make.

And Jill, somehow I swear I saw this say ... 4 Greys 2 Toos 3 keets 5 tiels and one cuckoo LOL ;~} I couldn't resist. It takes one to know one and I am cuckoo for my little flock too.

Ray, she is adorable, I love her voice and the sweet "purring" sound she makes. Don't know what is happening with your links. I copied and pasted it in my browser and then took out one thing at a time starting with the brackets. If you go to your photobucket and see on the right a box that shows links to share this video, once I got in to look, I just clicked on the one that said "direct". It turned yellow and showed "copied" and then when I came in to this reply, I pressed the ctrl key at the same time as "v" and it pasted it into the response. I will try after I submit my reply to see if that works. If there is a will there is a way, and I want to see more of Cricket and I know our forum friends do as well. You have so much to offer you shouldn't have to be frustrated by technology when you are sharing it with us. Thanks for the lengths you will go through to let us see your little beauty.

I don't know where to begin. Miss Gilbert has been afraid of literally everything since she came home. But, if I had to choose the top two wig out, frantic, vomiting kind of fear reaction, it is to the vacuum cleaner or the broom. At least that is my story and I'm sticking to it to explain the shambles in which we live these days. Just kidding on the former sentence. I discovered a little "over the shoulder" Shark portable vacuum that has the least noise and isn't quite as threatening and I bring it out and let her see it and talk to her before I turn it on, then turn it off, put it down, reassure her and finish the job in as many stops and starts as she needs. She is gradually getting less flustered by it. When I bring the broom and dustpan in and tell her I am cleaning, she will look suspiciously and then say "WHAT are you doing?" in an indignant tone. That has never failed, she always says it, kind of "How dare you! Just what do you think you are doing?"

@Ray, it was just a place holder until the right name came along, but I do think it may ultimately be our solution. She has lived with the name Gilbert for so long and she identifies herself by that. Several times today she has called out to me and told me "Gilbert okay". Time will tell but Miss Gilbert it is for now, its growing on me. @Howardine I got real excited about you going to see Precious tomorrow when it dawned on me today is only Thursday, I was rushing your reunion with family. I can't wait to hear all about it. As far as Miss Gilbert, she has had a couple quieter days. Thank Goodness, I had put the pot for parrot stew on a tall shelf and didn't want to climb up there to get it. LOL. It has been the most amazing journey to watch her change so much so quickly. She has been way more active than usual for a couple of days but she has not climbed down off the cage or floor stand. There was a cute moment when she was being really acrobatic and she slipped and fell about three feet to the base of her branch on the floor stand. She got herself upright and landed on her feet and stretched up real tall like a little Olympic gymnast. She didn't seem at all rattled by it and just looked around, explored a couple of her dropped toys and then gradually just came to the front to climb back up. She has also been playing with more toys. I have small things like the clear lid to a Pringle can, the can itself, a toilet paper roll with a couple of squares of tissue over it, lots of beads, leather strips, cotton preening toys, straw toys, a coconut husk ball and lots of other things hanging on the outside of her cage. I keep adding more as I see her acceTpt new things without getting panicked. Last night and today she has explored and touched every single toy on that cage. Val, (birdhouse) gave me advice that worked with Phenix which is to never hang any toy higher than her perch. So, I put all the perch porch wire cage extension around the bottom and middle of the cage and she has been going lower and lower to find new things. I just feel elated when I watch her gaining confidence and playing jubilantly and gregariously. She really is finding her mojo.

Congratulations on the choreographing of that photo! Getting them in one place is a feat in itself. Getting them still enough to get the photo is the icing on the cake. And somehow I was visualizing your house with at least twenty parrots by now, I keep counting to be sure I am seeing only six. LOL. With all the mischief and fun at your house, it must seem like more at times. Good thing to have this photo during a wild moment so you can count and assure yourself, there are only six of them. They still have you and Pat outnumbered though.

My former greys, Miss Gilbert and Java all fall asleep during the day, foot up, tucked in, eyes closed sound asleep. I think it depends on activity level in the household, its just me here most of the time, plus mine play hard in the morning and take siestas in the afternoon. If he doesn't generally allow you to see him sleep, he may have just had a long night of sleeplessness and felt comfortable enough to sleep in front of you during the day. Since it is a new behavior you were so adept at recognizing, weighing him and taking note of his behavior and also calling his vet to ask what else to look for would be prudent. At least then you would know if your vet was going on vacation or something so you don't get caught by surprise if he did suddenly appear ill.

I am patiently waiting our turn and will enjoy watching your little grandson grow and take over your heart. Congratulations Grandma! What is his name?

I am the one to thank all of you for the encouragement. I am discovering my memory isn't what it used to be and things fall through the cracks but with so many of you watching and reminding me of things Miss Gilbert likes or doesn't from long ago helps me considerably. For now, she has one big day of exploring followed by one quieter day of recovery. But the greatest news is that she is not silent and withdrawn while she recovers now. The new behavior just keeps getting more and more brazen and normal. In her down time she is climbing all over the inside and outside of her cage, she is exploring all of her toys, trying new foods and accepting all sorts of things I would never have believed she would open her heart to consider even one year ago. Miss Gilbert's highs are not so high, her lows are not so low and her mood swings are become less often and more normalized every day.

I am glad you had the DNA testing. We are trying to adjust to the shock of discovering that our he is a she after she has lived 10 to 15 years as Gilbert. You had a good name choice that would have gone either way though. Congratulations on confirmation you have a beautiful little boy.

Congratulations on your progress, you have been so patient with him. Is it Motu? We have had Miss Gilbert for much longer and she is not ready to climb up my arm or onto my shoulder still. It could be that she doesn't have good balance but she doesn't want anyone that close even still. It makes me happy that you have learned so much and that Motu is feeling safe with you. Kudos to you for all the hard work. Thanks for coming back and letting us know how it is going.

Wow, you have all your bases covered with each of the greys and an Amazon. Thanks for coming in to give us an update. I look forward to learning more about your flock and how you manage with all three of them.

Funny, I have the full face helmet, ballistic nylon full body kevlar, gloves and boots and that is for my wild rides out in the open on the busiest highways in Atlanta with tractor trailers and hostile traffic, where I am generally feeling confident and relatively safe. And none of that would make a difference put up against a determined 385 grams of ruffled feathers and that beak. I got to reading Talon's thread about Nilah refusing to go in her cage and making her late for work. I am thinking moats, secret trap doors and a fire hose in the dining room this morning. Hahahahaa.... . she isn't going to beat me without a little skin off her beak. Just kidding, I woke up with a smile thinking about how she is now so active and how she is now capable of getting upset and expressing that with great drama and then moving on without any blood letting, feather yanking or nervous chewing and feather destruction. In fact, as I was standing there with my placemat in its proper place on the table, Miss G on her cage door and me with one eye closed and arms behind my back, I observed her chest feathers are completely regrown after the time I was away with family in the hospital. Last night I started telling David about her behavior, I showed him the wood chunks that need to be repaired on the furniture and he came in and chided Miss Gilbert. She went into a long explanation, we couldn't understand most of it, but she said "Marilyn" a few times. I think she was threatening to take her cage and go back to Pennsylvania without me. Now that I have read your comments, how thick could I be, she was telling me to pack my crap and get out of her house. She really has made a 180 degree turn in recent weeks. I have attached lots of porch perches on the outside of her cage and put things on them like a small roll of toilet paper, lids from plastic dishes, foot toys, small parakeet toys, extra adding machine tapes, extra perches and made it a little wonderland. It is great to see her brave enough to explore but the goal is to keep her occupied and interested without losing any fingers or toes. When I think of her hiding behind the drape, I laugh now because my first response was, 'oh poor little thing is hiding, she is scared". She wasn't scared, she was hiding to prevent detection so she could destroy my house without interference from the killjoy LuLu.

Oh dear. I am so sorry for your loss, it just takes my breath away. It must be devastating for you. You probably already are aware of this but a grey is a prey animal, that means if they get sick or look injured, it will attract a predator. They are famous for being able to distract you from noticing something is amiss. Hindsight is 20-20 and your vet has the training and foreknowlege to make that observation. You would have done anything for Cesar had you had prompting and instruction. We lost two young greys and it was excruciating. Be kind to yourself and don't let the self doubts and recriminations take you down that road. Just feeling the void is a grief you will need to process. Find something about Cesar that will help you remember the smiles and joys of living with a grey and the sadness will fade with time. I am ever so sorry you are living with this raw pain.