katana600

Thanks for the introduction to Roger and Elliott. They are both beautiful. When I look at the picture of Elliott so close to your toes, all I can think is that show "Go go gadget" and that Elliott's neck might really be fifteen inches long when he goes in for a toe sandwich. LOL. Are they new to your home?

Hi Chris, thanks for coming in and also for putting some tough questions out there for yourself before making this leap. It sounds as if you already have a soft spot in your heart for parrots and have a little experience and enough of an interest to work in a pet store. Don't rush into it, if it is meant to be, it is a lifetime together that you are going to commit yourself. The other members have given some great advice. As an adopted parrot companion, I have a couple of thoughts. It is harder than I thought it would be and more rewarding than I could have imagined. I get the impression that these three parrots came from different homes. It could be that the female is plucking from distress at being displaced from her original home. There is just no way to know how things will go if you bring one of these birds (or a new chick) home. Would you still be able to love her and commit to forever if she plucks at your home? Would you still be able to keep him or her if you never get to hold them? Rehoming is such a dear issue to me because the Timneh African grey (TAG) we have had about four homes before us and each one was well meaning and tried hard, but each time it made his life just a little harder. Holding an adult parrot is going to always be on his terms and based on trust and perhaps on their mood at the moment. My final thought is there is no such thing as a free bird. Our first experience was a healthy baby African grey that opened our eyes to what we didn't know and our vet bills were in the thousands of dollars when we lost him after only seven weeks in our home. One thought that comes to my mind is since you are in this unique situation because you work at the pet store, would it be possible to foster the female grey for a little while? Being in a home with you may be more calming for her and you will have the opportunity to make her life better away from the pet store while still keeping her available for adoption. It would give you a little time to consider if you are ready to make a full commitment.

I am so sorry you are parting company with your boy and understand your reasons and concerns for him. Hopefully you will get news from his placement. One of the nicest things when I rehomed Gilbert was that his former caretaker could follow our progress through the forum as we were both members. Having the experience of bringing in a troubled grey and feeling so blessed to have him, I am so grateful that Sara was ready to relinquish him right at the time I was ready for him to come to us. If you have contact information, could someone PM to you if they are interested in adopting him?

Good to hear that your mom's situation turned out well. Gold star to you too for helping Alfie understand. In our recent months serving as caretaker, driver, cook and support team, Gilbert has been a wonderful backup and support team member. I love that Alfie reminds you he is a good boy, Gilbert does the same thing. I love it. Yes they are our good boys indeed.

I don't believe in coincidence, I believe Emma found you for a reason and you are due to be blessed with this adorable little personality. I am celebrating your gain, and Emma's as well.

We travel long distances by car just to take our pets along with us. It seems like every place we visit is a minimum of twelve hours if we drive straight thru. Not too many food related stops are parrot friendly. In a pinch, I have zipped up the flaps on Gilbert's backpack carrier, put him in the grocery cart, prayed for silence and hurried like the wind. Like Gus, I have discovered my birds don't want to eat while on the road in the car. If you have time look into one of these "criss cross" rope perches, it was the best thing we found for car travel because it doesn't matter which way the cage is oriented, they can always find a solid spot to counter the sway in the vehicle. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=15508916 The backpack was the best option for us for travel because there is so little room in the car. We can then pack the travel cage flat and use it when we reach our destination. http://www.celltei.com/pakobird.html I like the idea of packing sandwiches and eating at a rest area, weather permitting. You might be able to enlist a couple of the older kids to get fast food and eat in the car with Radar and take turns with the group to choose the next restaurant. When we have had no choice but to leave any pet in the room for an hour or so, I first went eye-to-eye at the front desk and gave them my cell phone number in the event anyone needed to go in my room, then I put the do not disturb tag in the door.

No Nancy, I don't think you are wrong for thinking this. There are so many times with Gilbert where I felt frustrated, rejected, hurt (physically from a bite as well as emotionally) and when I wondered if I just wasn't up to the task. Then some things change and usually it is the external things that have left me feeling exhausted and with precious few resources to use for coping. I have been where you are. Seven years ago my youngest went off to college and I was introduced to the empty nest... well except for all "their" animals for whom I was now the sole caretaker. I promise, this too shall pass. You may be more sensitive to loss right now as you are adjusting to the void left by Sean going to college. That may be making you think of a permanent solution for what could be a temporary setback with Kiki. Maybe you could reach a middle ground. Could you use Sean's room to put things that are special to keep them out of Kiki's reach? When he is home, could he help you some way that would give you a break for a while? Maybe if he could stay with your animals and allow you a long weekend away with only yourself to pamper and not have someone yelling for one more thing they want it would give you a whole new perspective to hang in there until it is time for him to take Kiki to his own place. We went back and forth with our daughter's dog. She is really needy and high maintenance. The agreement was that after the first dorm year, she would take the dog with her. Oh darn, we signed a lease on an apartment (which parents are funding... by the way) and my friend said we could keep Bella, don't read the lease that says no pets, they are not serious about that. Then the next year, we have a new place, it says we can have a dog, its in the lease. Hey... what am I going to do with the dog when I come home for Thanksgiving? She drove from Texas to Georgia... can you just keep her until Christmas break? Its hard to have a dog... she got on the counter and ate chocolate chips... and then threw up in my bed mom!!!!! Finally, she graduated from college and found a job... but just needed to live at home for a year to get on her feet. You guessed it... she would come and go and it seemed the dog was still primarily my responsibility. Ah... but now the table has turned and the dog lives with her full time and she is doing great. Now when she comes home and I have only two weeks to take care of Bella and her neediness, it is a pleasure. Well to be truthful, it is more of a pleasure when my husband reads aloud from her facebook that Bella can now open the oven and use the door to spring herself to the top of the counters and eat all the cookies she made to take to work.

I had almost forgotten how to laugh so hard unrestrained that tears roll down my cheeks. As I laughed, I heard a tee hee from little Java first, then a full chuckle from Gilbert. I vote for Julie to moderate a joke room.

Thanks Judy, I do fully agree that even if I had it in writing, even if they had all the testing and safety assurances, getting the parrots completely out of the house would be the only way I would consider spraying inside. With that said, I do have some natural remedy spray that is avian vet recommended to me and even then I use it so sparingly that a quart spray bottle has lasted me for four years. Also in rooms that our birds never frequent, ever, I had some hang-tag bug repellant, also vet recommended. Now that I think of it, that is probably why there are some spider webs in the basement because they have not been changed in more than six months. Thanks for jogging my swiss cheese memory. Where any chemicals are concerned, I would definitely go with great caution and minimal use. With the brown recluse or other venomous spiders, it is one of those times where I would do whatever it takes and leave for as long as I could.

It is so rewarding to watch you take your time and earn the trust of a second-home CAG. When we got our first baby parrot, it was love at first sight and everything seemed effortless and wonderful. Nothing quite compares to getting a full grown adult African grey and working so hard to find ways to connect and help him recognize he is cherished and safe and after long months of longing for a connection he will just now come out of his cage and play. You are getting to know your Congo on his terms and it will be a lifetime of rewards for you, and for him. I am not sure what you mean by drumming, is he beating his wings? Jubilant is a good word and when you are talking about greys, it is the greatest joy for him to share excitement with you. Congratulations on getting him to eat pellets and all the healthy changes you have considered to give him the very best you have to offer. Great job Aaron.

Thank you Nancy, I think we have all been on edge more than usual and it is such a relief for you and Dan both to be kind and turn this back around. I'm sure glad there were no ill effects from the samplings of "mama's makeup". The joking on this thread did remind me of the time I came out of the shower with a towel on my head while I was trying out a new mud mask and our dog went out of her mind barking. It was the only time ever that we saw her get agressive. You could steal everything we had, but don't be putting mud on your face. With parrots, I can only imagine the reaction 'cause I have reached that special time in my life where a little concealer isn't going to help, we need a major construction bid process.

These have been trying times for you and for Neytiri. I am so glad you are seeing progress. You are doing so well with her. Glad the cone is working and not giving her too much distress. I am sure you are counting down the days until Saturday. It is so close now, Neytiri can count down the days on one foot.

We live in the south and since we have had our parrots, I have not allowed the pest control to spray inside. I just came inside from having the annual termite inspection and there were a few spider webs in the basement when the man was inspecting. He said he would recommend for them to come back out and do the inside of the house for spiders. I told him I am not comfortable with spraying inside with parrots and he said in the state of Georgia, they have to get all their chemicals certified that they will cause no harm to people and pets. I'm still not going to have them spray just yet, but let me tell you, I have seen the damage of a brown recluse spider on friends and now I am giving it some serious thought. You are taking some good precautions to be gone for a week.

Gosh THANKS Dan, I was clueless on this. The "Thanks" are right there in front of me and I am still not clear on what they "mean" to others. I will try to sort it out and learn more. So thanks are visible on the thread and in a count on your stats and reputation is reflected in your profile? I am still trying to remember which thanks are the ones I gave and which are the ones I clicked thanks on another persons post.

That is so precious and so close to my heart it made tears come to my eyes. We are so close! It's the last thing on my mind before my eyes close at night. I think through my day and how many new things he is doing and how it will change his outlook on life... And will forever change my life trying to keep up with him. Thanks Chelsea.

You know what Ray? The secret is, I am just learning that my understanding of grey time is negligible. It's frustrating to not be able to read Gilbert's mind and know what to do next to help him to a new step in evolving the active grey he is meant to become. It's such an individual process and really, nothing I do can make him hurry up the process. It's his journey and I am beginning to see that he wants me along for the ride. It's the greatest music to my ears when he has been scared and has climbed back into the safe haven of his cage then reassures himself "Gilbert okay." He's okay in my book.

There is someone out there waiting for the chance to meet your mom's companion. Thanks for coming in to join us and to look for a solution among others who love of greys.

It is just one fast roller coaster ride lately. Lots of twists and turns and full speed ahead for this little guy. He waves his foot every time my daughter passes by his cage. She took him down to the den to watch them play video games and he didn't get anxious. He is trying new foods and ate a little sprouted wheatgrass. He seems so much more interested and curious in everything. He is chatting quite a bit, saying things we haven't heard before. He still tells my husband "Quiet" every day and then chuckles at himself.

Little by little, day by day the changes are adding up for Gilbert. He has been allowing anyone who walks past his cage to stop and give him a little head scratch. Actually, he is clamoring to get inside his cage on his favorite perch to request head scratches. Not long ago, I was wondering about him launching off the cage top trying to decide if he was attempting flight, if he was flapping and unexpectedly got some lift and let go or if he was simply being startled and losing his balance. The answer to that is becoming more clear after watching him yesterday climb to the playtop's highest point atop the shepherd's hook toy hanger, flapping, leaning to and from and launching himself. He is doing it on purpose and while he isn't getting "lift" he is getting quite a distance away from his cage each time. Also, he doesn't go right back but takes the opportunity to scout around longer and farther on each mission. He made his way to me this morning and obliged with a step up from the floor. He was winded and breathing hard when he climbed up my arm to my shoulder. It was an amazing moment when I realized I could hear his heartbeat for the first time. He is still very skittish and nervous so when he launched off my shoulder and landed about five feet away on the arm of the sofa, I just watched to see what he was doing. He climbed higher to get to the back of the sofa and once again he leaned, looked, swayed and beat his wings to get from there to the floor. Then he cautiously watched all around him and slowly made his way back to his cage where he could climb back up on his own. In the past couple of weeks he has advanced from getting startled and jumping off his cage and calling for help to being able to calm himself and get back up to his cage on his own. From there he has graduated to purposefully climbing down to explore and then returning to his cage and now to attempted flights and returns. It is hard to sit back and do "nothing" when he looks so panicked and desperate but it is building his self confidence and self reliance and he is definitely evolving into the character he is meant to be.

Even though I have had two CAGs and one TAG separately in my home, the behavior is so individual to each one, I couldn't say one is better than another. It would be a little like choosing a favorite child. What I can see from your post is this breeder or caregiver seems up front with you and has your interest at heart. What would be the harm in asking for your deposit back with the idea that you really prefer to get a TAG with the benefit of her reputation of acquiring and socializing her babies. This way, you are covered. If she were to get the same TAGs when the elderly couple IS ready to give them up, you could decide then if you want to redeposit and put your heart into one. If she were to get the CAGs and realizing it isn't your first option give you the chance to come get to know them. It takes such a long time to hand feed and wean, it isn't like you need to make a decision today or lock into a deposit when you have had significant changes in the expectations. I have found what is meant to be, will be.

Congratulations on getting Harry to a better place. You have a great outlook and are getting good results from your patience. Your time with Harry is going to be very rewarding. Well, actually, it sounds as if it is already rewarding you with smiles at his progress.

Great thread Ray. When I tell Java no she has a cute little mechanical voice she uses and says "uh oh" and she usually stops what she is doing... for a price. LOL Gilbert on the other hand, if I tell him no, he says "Ow ow ow" which I have learned is what he says when he is thinking about giving me a bite.

Thanks so much for keeping us updated about Neytiri. I am so sorry she is still having discomfort. You are doing such a good job watching over her and taking care of her. Has the vet had any idea what started this or is it relatively common to get an infected preening gland? Keep your chin up and know that even though she is uncomfortable, having you near and showing her kindness and soothing her is the BEST medicine. Hope she has a turnaround real soon.

What a joyful little spirit Piper has, I love how he came right up to the camera. It made Gilbert start whistling happily in the background too. Thanks for sharing your little sprite.

Happy Hatchday to you Josey! Seven years outta the egg and you still look like a spring chick. All the best things will come your way today as your flock gathers around you to give you the most special treatment. It is a great day to be an African Grey in Virginia!