katana600

It sounds as if you have had a long day. I really feel for you and Jake. Be sure to remind him that you helped rescue him from that place where they held him against his will. Blessings as everyone's frazzled nerves calm down some.

Day by day, small changes add up. Gilbert and I have had a very quiet week home alone. He has been much more reserved and relaxed. Almost the laid back kind of beach vacation lollygagging kind of vibe rather than the clenched up fear frozen quiet of yesteryear. He quietly and systematically destroyed a sisal net foraging ball that he has had since his early days and was formerly reticent to explore. He has moved to come touch my hand as I fill his food dishes. He comes real fast around the corner of the door from the ceiling of his cage and slides down the bars and swipes at me first. When I go against every instinct to move out of his reach, he stopped for the first couple of days and just watched me. I stopped and watched him. He has progressed from doing that to the same fast and furious approach, watchful silence, then tentatively and gently touching my hand, then retreating. I think he is letting me know if he wanted to, he could stop me from touching his danged cage, but he is allowing me the grace to feed him. Hmmph.. some attitude to his devoted servant. The little pip. When we got home, I couldn't find a wing nut from the acrylic holder for the roll of white paper tape, adding machine tape. He wasn't very fond of it anyway and only tolerated it on his travel cage. I don't share toys between cages and didn't want to let the roll of paper get into Java's cage by mistake, so I just put it on top of Gilbert's cage and let an inch of it thread through the ceiling bars. He has been going out of his way, on the inside of this cage to pull it down bit by bit, or should I say bite by bite? Funny how that is the way he allows me to touch him, only when he is inside the safety of his cage. Well, now he has about 8 inches of paper "flag" that he battles when he sits on his favored perch. He is the one who pulled it down there but a breeze in the room will make it flutter and touch him and then it is game on. He seems to be enjoying the burst of energy and I am enjoying the fact that he is moving around and getting some exercise and kind of finding his mojo. He hung upside down from his ceiling and flapped and did the first pterodactyl scream yesterday and it make my blood run cold with the fearsome energy he put into that. He flapped like he was caught in a bear trap but it was all in the spirit of raucous play rather than fear and panic. Our little guy Gilbert is turning into a hell raiser overnight. LOL. Later David returned from a week away and Gilbert just chattered unintelligble but long winded babbling. Then he did the funniest 'new' laugh, "ah haw haw haw haw haw", kind of a mix between a crow and a beligerent bully and when we laughed he laughed his regular amused laugh. It was heartwarming to hear him welcome David home. It was the first time I felt my shoulders relax down from around my ears from the tension of the long time away from home in the circumstances of care giving. Gilbert and I seem to both have relaxed and sighed, we are home.

Hi Christina, welcome to the forum. I am not familiar with the Indian ringneck but there are other members on the forum who might be able to give you some advice. Maybe if you make another post in the health room it would get noticed by some more experienced members. I will try to follow you to be sure you are getting answers. Thanks, Dee

So good to hear that Gracie is sorry, she should be. Before you start feeling too bad about her saying it to you, Gilbert at first said sorry in a way that would just melt my heart and invoke instant forgiveness and trust until he said sorry then bit my lip. I am really impressed that you have been firm with her and doubly impressed that she is responding so beautifully. But for the understanding the two of you have with one another, this could have been the start to a rough patch. You have been so kind and understanding and Gracie responds to that. You are a great team.

I would definitely agree that the people on forums and seeking information to better integrate a parrot into their lives is definitely not going to fit a study questionaire. As we look at those ads, I am also reminded how many people think the parrot they saw on television or YouTube is cute and smart and they want one just like it. Before they consider that it takes time, effort, hard work, understanding, financial hardship and more time, they get to a breeder and see all the adorable babies and can't resist. I would like to see a study among long time parrot owners that asked "If I had known _____ about parrots, I may not have made this decision." Then go on to describe how they coped with the issue.

Thanks for the information. It will take a day or two for me to read it and understand it, but the initial reaction I had was surprise that a high percentage of rehomed parrots are stable in the second home. What I mean is that subsequent rehomes are less prevalent than I might have expected. When a young parrot comes from a breeder and bonds to the new family and is later given up, it surprises me that the second home is able to overcome the behavoral issues without having that instant snuggly kind of love from a baby stage.

Wow. That was a success. no drama at all. I love that placid, resigned expression.

I can vouch for you Ray, I did know you were speaking of the raccoon. We had some babies that were abandoned when the mama was hit by a car. When they were grown, they want to be left alone in the winter times when they would go into a torpor or slow metabolic rate. I think thats when they get unpredictable. We tried not to handle them or let them become pets and worked with a rehab to get them into the wild. But, Gilbert might say you were speaking directly about one of his housemates and we don't have any raccoons in this house. LOL.

We have been home long enough to get into a routine. Gilbert has been very steady and quiet. He has been asking for head scratches every time I walk into the room. It's kind of funny when he is outside on his play stand and he will scamper just as fast as he can to go inside his cage to the perch where he permits me to scratch him. He is also doing an interesting thing when I feed him. For most of the time since I have had Gilbert, if I touch the outside of his cage for any reason, he gets spittin' mad. He ruffles his feathers and he charges at me. I respond by being respectful and only touching "his" cage as is absolutely necessary. I will clean it and open the door to feed him. Occasionally, when we come and go, I take out toys or put toys in. When we came home, I didn't put a few of the bigger rope perches into his cage and subsequently moved his food dishes so I can get to them easier if he is "guarding" the regular food doors. His three food dishes are on the door of the cage with a wire stand connected for him to hold onto while he eats. If Gilbert guards the lower dishes, I fill the upper dishes and vice versa. He stopped rushing to the food doors now that he can't predict which way I am going. Most of the time when I open the main cage door and start putting his dishes in there, he will swing down really fast from the ceiling and try to bite me. Recently, I changed things a bit. Rather than retreating to give him time to get calm. I just froze in place to see if he would follow through with a real bite. It was a showdown and I didn't look him in the eye or challenge him, I just talked softly and asked why he wants to do that. I was quiet and calm but I really was sure he was going to take a chunk out of me and set us back a pace. Instead, he just held real still, his beak just an inch from me and he studied what I was doing but didn't attack me. Now he is doing that every day. There are times when it gets too intense and I hold back his favorite warm bean dish and tell him "go up on top" and he will go to the door top. I carefully keep my fingers out of the way and let him have a few bites of warm beans, then he lets me put the dish in the holder without getting into a snit. It seems like a small change, but it feels huge to both of us as we try to find that sweet spot where we can trust one another.

Um Ray... I am not sure I want to know the answer to this, but do you mean the raccoons or the naked ladies?

We just never know when the words or a memory will resonate with us as we are more and more emotionally ready to accept our loss. It is a tribute to your nan that you feel so deeply her loss. Watching her deteriorate had to have been crushing for your family. The way your family came together for her was just what she needed and gave her the peace to let go, it was a generous gift. And Dan, there may be a hundred days when you don't see your mom in there, but the one day when she has a spark of recognition and pleasure at hearing your voice, feeling your hand, lightening her day makes it all worth it. We are dealing with Alzheimers with my mother in law as well.

It is sweet for you to be thinking of Brutus' wellbeing and happiness amidst big changes in your life. I am sorry for your loss and what you are going through as well. I believe that our own emotions are picked up by our greys particularly and Brutus will fare well as long as you are taking care of yourself, not allowing yourself to be isolated. Since he likes the house to be active, it may be a good time to catch up with extended family and have visits from friends. It will give you something fun and positive and will be good for Brutus too. Gilbert has had a rough start and he has weathered changes in our life really well as far as our traveling and being separated for months at a time. I am glad since you spend so much time with Brutus and he loves you that you will have him in your life.

It was a very lucky day when Ana Grey hatched at that particular breeder to find you for her forever home. She delights me from far away so I can only begin to imagine how happy you are enjoying her in your home. Happy Hatchday Ana Grey!

Its a horrible sort of person who would grab someone's pet and sell it. I liked in the original article where there was a quote enlightening the parrotless that there is a bond between the parrot and its family or loved one. Its a horrible sort of person who would grab someone's pet and sell it. It does have a happy ending and was a good article. Thanks Dan. The video of the quakers in the Bronx was enjoyable too. They must be hardy little parrots.

That looks like all the excitement of a Christmas morning. Congratulations.

This thread has given me the kind of laugh I have been missing for a little while. Jake is apparently related to David. He comes along while I am washing the dishes and tosses things in for me too. Just last night he dropped in a plastic dish from his lunch... with leftover Thai stir fry still in it.... after two days in a hot car. What an adorable little helper. Hahahahaha. LOL. If you have a visual of one of Gilbert's "head-down-beak-open-bull-rush" moves, you will recognize the reaction I felt stirring up, just for a second.

I can remember and rejoice in the joyful times. I can appreciate the change and all things change. What I want to do is find the way to recreate the joyful experiences in a different form. I am close, but not there yet. Loss creates a void and it is in fillling that void that we redefine how it affects us. As in any change, the transitional period is the hardest part.

That is so sweet. All I can do is imagine whether Gilbert has soft feet. It is something to look forward to that discovery. It is such a wonderful thing that Cricket has that kind of trust for you and enjoys this kind of interaction with you.

I have been watching this fan type and reading reviews for a while now. All but one of our ceiling fans are turned off. The one I love does have a remote but the thing that makes a difference to me is there is a light above the blades and another below the blades and it cuts down on the strobe effect. I have read a lot of reviews and the general complaint of this "style" is the light shines straight down or is too low for anything but ambient lighting and the fan output is low and goes straight down, so unless you put a chair directly under it, it may not move the air the way the old style does. Of course, it does keep our birds safer. I am beginning to wonder why I don't just quit trying to combine the fan with the light and get two floor style fans on tall poles.

Wouldn't it be the triumph of his "recovery" to have everyone on the forum meet up? It isn't realistic, but Ray, you are only a few miles off my regular traffic circuit when I go to northwestern Pennsylvania. Leave the light on for me.

I guess what gets me most is he sounds just like Kelsey's voice and I have been tuned in to that one for a quarter of a century. Its one of those things that once I have been trained, it is hard to turn it out again. You did pretty good Dan, sounded just like her. And yes Ray, I asked for this over and over again. I used to sit near him when he was frozen with fear and just pray he would come out of his shell. Even then, there was a little voice on my other shoulder saying "be careful what you wish for". And "Jamie" its okay to laugh, just not to have him repeating annoying things in your voice. Kelsey thinks it is pretty darn funny from a thousand miles away. I can be at her place in fifteen hours. As for Gilbert, I have been seeing some new positive things lately. He has been climbing part way down his floor stand and swinging on a toy. He usually will only perch on a "sure thing" solid, top perch of the stand. He climbed onto the rope and leather lace toy that is bigger than he is. He nibbled and explored and he pushed his beak against the wall to make it swing. Not too boisterous, but he is testing his limits. At night and again in the morning, he is showing a little more love while I give him a head scratch. He is starting to arch his neck and lean in to have a neck massage. I am able to put two fingers through the bars and not have him turn quickly trying to take a swipe at me. And finally, I think we are taking a turn in the assertive stance he takes when I change his food bowls on the door of his cage. He has been giving me the bull rush and has every intention of biting me. Usually, I will walk to Java's cage and put her food and water in and in the meantime, he goes back inside so I have time to pop his dishes into his holders. Today, I did something different. I called his bluff. Instead of moving away. I looked him in the eye and asked him what he is going to do. I left my hand on the door of his cage and he came running really fast and then stopped short, looked at me, looked at his beans and backed off. It may mean that he was just really hungry today and wasn't too sure if I would take those warm beans right back if he bites me. That is what I do with the night night almond when he gets in a bite on me. Slowly he is changing. I still look into his eyes every day to see if something in there is beginning to "click". I am still seeing such a slight movement in the eye pinning, I would be hard pressed to read his poker face, but I know he is slightly moving his pupils. He is quite the interesting little character.

So hard to believe I just posted in another thread about Gilbert's quiet ways. He is withdrawn and he doesn't like commotion, but he has not been quiet lately. This Maaaaa business is the first time since getting my first parrot seven years ago that I am finding myself pushed to the brink. He yells Maaaa at me while I am cooking, while I am in the room, while I am out of the room, while I am in the shower. Sometimes it sounds quick like "Mom" but more likely to be drawn out and urgent. My daughter started this, she has been doing it for ages, but over Father's Day when she was recently home, Gilbert took such a delight in it, he has been doing it since then. I sent her a message that if she thinks it is funny, laugh about this, every time he bugs me, I will say a quiet prayer for you to have triplets. By the end of this weekend, it was for noisy, hyperactive triplets. All boys. All in separate sports. Throwing the ball in the house. Wrestling and breaking things. Hahahaha... When he is annoying me the most, I try to hear the thing he says that I like the best "Hey", like Uncle Silas on Duck Dynasty. Hey can be said so many different ways and means something different based on the tone and the situation. My favorite is when he says "Hey" when I turn out the lights to go to bed because he wants me to come back and scratch his head. Then, just as my head hits the pillow, the last thing I hear is "Moooom".

Excellent thread, thanks. I was just thinking about the changes in Gilbert's life in the past year. As I have traveled and watched him change before my eyes, he is not the only one changing. I think if I were a parrot, I would be a grey. The more I learn to be patient with Gilbert and let him come out on his own, the quieter I am becoming in my own space. All of the Amazons you have here are so enticing, but when it comes down to it, my quiet little grey guy is just right in our home.

So true Ray. Sometimes it is the perception of winning the small skirmishes in life that give Gilbert the confidence to have faith and let me win the long term gains. He has had a couple very interesting days. Well, actually in observing him, I have had a couple very interesting days, LOL. He has been coming out and being more friendly day by day as he is getting adjusted to the idea of being home again. He has suddenly taken an interest in the television just inches away from his floor stand. He leans over and looks the front, leans back to look at the back. My take is that it is just inches from his reach and he is looking for a way to chew the bark off it, LOL. The other thing is he is climbing down the outside of his cage and unlocking one of the food doors. He is very quiet and stealth-like. Since I am home for the most part, I am leaving it unlocked until bed time to see if he is just curious or if he has a plan. It is kind of interesting how he will hang upside down, then lift the latch and rotate it and move it over without making the slightest sound. He hangs upside down there for so long I rarely have the attention span to notice he has moved on. He hasn't opened the door from the outside or the inside (yet), seems to be testing it. I don't have a food cup on that side so he is seemingly drawn to it simply for the mechanical aspects. He really is stepping up his game as far as exploration and playfulness. Whether he ever gets to the point of being that playful with his companions is irrelevant toward my goals as long as he seems happy engaging in his envirornment.

Beautiful detailed pictures. The top photo of "More Cookie" looks like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers with the pinky to the cheek move. Thanks for joining us, you have a lively flock.