katana600

He is just precious. I remember those exciting first days. Glad your family is enjoying him coming, it gets better once he has had time to know he can trust you. In that top picture, his eyes look black. I could be just because it is dark and his pupils are wide. In a few weeks he will be wondering why he was so cautious getting to know you. Good that you are being patient and giving him time, you can tell him "I told you so" later. He is going to be so much fun for you. Congratulations on bringing him home!

Dorothy is lovely and your willingness to help fulfill your wife's dream is even more lovely. I don't know how my husband I would have laughed so much after the kids left home if we didn't have our rehomed 11 year old Timneh. It has taken us a while to impress him any, but it has been well worth standing on our heads to do so. LOL. I love her name, Dorothy. May you have many happy decades of enjoying her antics, there is nothing like a grey in your home to keep everyone smiling. Congratulations and thanks so much for joining us.

The laughing out loud like a real human being got me good. I love this Dan, thanks!

Thanks for that one, that was great. My first thought was they are better than most drivers I come across on the highways of Atlanta. And a bonus... they can't easily give you a one finger salute. I loved the serious driver look.

The best part is that she will get more comfortable with you and you will love her even more every day. You have been very patient and giving her the best opportunity to show her stuff. What is her name? I loved every part of choosing a baby and watching him grow and waiting, preparing for him to come home. It was only after our course and finally taking a deep breath and agreeing to bring Gilbert home that I realized the great reward of adopting an older parrot. It was not evident at first, it was very trying at times. But two years in, I feel like I have a big secret. For people that brought home baby, any mischief or naughty words are unmistakably matching their voice. With Gilbert, I can shake my head and say "who told you that?" LOL. Just kidding of course, I would have blamed it on my husband if we were talking about a baby bird. Thank you for giving your girl a fresh start and a chance to be loved as a integral family member.

Actually, I DID think this room was made for me, LOL. I was wandering around trying to figure out where Gilbert fit in the day this room was announced, I glued myself in. Funny it took me soooo long to go get Gilbert but I didn't think for an extra second to help our forum in any way I can. You know, I was a little nervous, a little feeling like I won't know what to do or when to do it. Then I realized that is exactly how I felt about bringing home "a used bird with a really sharp beak and an attitude". The hardest thing is knowing when to sit back and relax, everything is going to work out just fine.

That little girl knew a good thing when she saw it and was marking her territory. "You have to take me home now, I put my mark on you." LOL Happy Birthday to Corky, may you have wrap them around your talon a little more each year.

That was a lot of "awwwws" all at once. Delightful. Well done. Thank you.

Dear Santa, I hear Ray has coupons. Gilbert is making a wish list for filling his stocking.... but he is hanging a stocking that would fit bigfoot. Oh wait, that's mine.

I'll bet the Ho Ho Ho came rolling right out of you naturally Ray. You are going to have some wonderful memories and really good stories to tell about your "retirement". Kudos Santa.

I am overwhelmed with your kindness and faith. I have a lot to learn, but how could I say no after all this forum has meant to me while I was learning about how to live with a parrot? This is a learn as you go kind of thing, but then again, isn't that the case with our rehomes and rescues as well as our baby greys? Thank you all for creating the experience that exemplifies what this forum was created to accomplish.

Beautiful! I love a happy ending and this is great news for Clarice. Can't wait to hear all about it.

Oh wow. I love parrots in flight and even better in slow motion so we can see the expression on his face as he lands and gains his balance. Nicely done. Thanks.

Oh dear, you have me laughing so hard I nearly snorted my coffee through my nose. You are a genius grey telepathy reader, I am thinking that is exactly what he hasn't yet put into words for me. The last thing before going to bed, I pick Java up and give her a little cuddle before tucking her in and Gilbert watches, calls her a pretty girl and waits his turn. I sometimes think he is tell her "watch this" on the occasions when he does a bow for a scratch as a lure for a quick spin and alligator snap. LOL. We had an office gathering last night and when I was turning off the main lights at six and telling the parrots night night, David said "Uh oh, they know it is not time for bed, you are going to be in big trouble when we get home." When we arrived home late, I still gave them their night time routine. Gilbert came out of his cage and went down to his travel cage. There have been foot toys down there for weeks and weeks and he has not touched them. It was the cutest thing to watch him pick them up one by one and drop them in the stainless steel dish like he was being a good boy to tidy up before bed. Then he snatched up that big bowl and flung it to the floor. Hahahaa. He was making a dramatic statement. He was well rested and didn't want to go to bed and when I offered a step up, he readily obliged. We put a cover on our bed and let him come in and wander between us for a while. This is one of the first times he has shown himself to be calm and cooperative out of sight of his cage. It was really endearing. After a few minutes of exploration, he walked over to me and lifted his foot to offer me a step up and said "night night Gilbert". He keeps giving me just enough to continue to get what he wants, then lets me know he only did it because it was in his best interest. LOL.

Thank you kittykittykitty, I appreciate all the people sending their best wishes to Gilbert to overcome most of his fears. Okay... I have a confession, today when David offered Gilbert a treat he knocked it out of his hand and gave him a warning pinch, I grinned. It really is about Gilbert's nerves getting jangled and him working to find ways to get back to a more relaxed state and not personal. He has been so quiet for a couple of days. If there is one thing I learned from so many of you doing this and sharing your story it is to just step back and not to push him. It doesn't work that way for all parrots, but Gilbert really has such a bankrupt trust system that he needs tiny little deposits and a chance to pick himself up, dust himself off and reinvent himself now and again. Every day it seems I find a little evidence of where Gilbert climbed down the floor stand to tear paper off a toy or have the great discovery of watching him pull on leather laces of another toy. Success is sweeter when we have to earn it and he is going to earn himself a happy life, all I have to do is wait. Oh, and pick up the shrapnel that he sends flying. Two hours of tenderness from him was well worth two years of waiting. I could not love him any more which is a relief because when I lost Juno, I didn't think any other grey would compare. There is no better, just wonderful in a different way.

As I expected, Gilbert took a couple great big steps forward, then had to idle in neutral a couple of days to figure out what it means to him. The very next day after having sweet gentleness toward me he was grouchy and I attributed that to being tired from staying up too late, so I kept busy downstairs sewing and let him get some rest. I made sure to keep track of bed time for him and focused on going to bed at his regular time. He snatched his night time almond with such ferocity and flung it out of his cage and tried to bite me and I just let him go to bed with his case of mad on. The next day he was determined to rid his cage of every food dish. He systematically and methodically worked and worked until he got every stainless steel cup out of the holder and flung it to the floor of his cage, then went down and flung them out the open door. He got his water dish out and spattered water ten feet up the wall he was so forceful. I have given him his space, talked quietly to him and he is coming back to center again. Whew, just breathe Gilbert. When David returned from his business trip, Gilbert was all over that, stepping up, giving him kisses and denying all the stories I had to tell. Then, David dropped a bowl of soup and as it crashed to the kitchen floor, Gilbert shouted his favorite cuss word about it being on the floor. And.... with that he has turned the corner from giving me the stinkeye to being back to his Dr. Jeckyl from Mr. Hyde. LOL. At least now that we have been together so long and I see a glimmer of hope of more good days to come, it is a lot easier not to take those scary Gilbert days so personally.

Awesome! Happy hatchday to Jasper, time sure flies. Two in the same week for celebrating together with Tico. It sounds like party time at your house! Congrats on reaching milestone moments.

It never fails to amaze me when we see a new picture that even though greys look so similar to each other there is a unique, individual look to each one as well. He looks like he is posing after a wise crack "gotcha". Great to have you with us, now that I have a TAG, I can't soak up enough new information nor too much information. I can't wait to hear about the antics of RaggaMuffin. Great name.

There will be a lot of changes and ups and downs with working out the status change in your home. It is still going on with us two years later. Just when we think there is a peace accord between the two parrots, one will find a way to vex the other. Just when we think we have worked out the husband and parrot becoming friends, suddenly I am on Gilbert's parrot poo list! Embrace every good change while thinking "this too shall pass" when you get exasperated. There are so many twists and turns when we are working with such intelligent and unique individuals, hubby included. LOL. Slow and steady progress is lasting progress. Enjoy these wonderful moments with Chico and your family.

They are certainly masters of knowing how to push our buttons. You all have great ideas on distractions and discouragement. I was laughing about the "horrible boy" comments made by Misty. Also Daniela, some people find a stuffed toy, plastic owl or other scary object to place near the spots that Jellybean knows will get you on your feet will be a short term deterrent until he finds the next spot that he can get his attention fix. Oh how the begging and pleading pulls our heartstrings when they get put in solitary confinement to alter the course of their misdeeds.

Oh how sweet, no pun intended. There is something special about mealtime shared with an appreciative companion.

Wow. You have done a lot of work getting a home in place for Darwin. I can see a happy little grey in there greeting the day and enjoying time with you. Well done.

Thank you, it was very emotional and not because it was a long awaited acceptance, but because he has reached a milestone of his life with us and relaxed enough to have trust and a close interaction that he did not want to stop once he let down his guard. We were up until almost two am because every time I took him back to his cage, he turned back to me and raised his foot for another step up. He has been really quiet and withdrawn today and that is is way, so I am giving him room and time to catch up on his sleep. The truth is, it had me so overwrought with conflicting feelings, I couldn't have gone to sleep if I wanted. Once I finally got him settled down, I sat in the dark with a small glass of wine... I don't know if I was celebrating or just trying to unwind and relax. He has been eating with us for the past couple of weeks and grudgingly trying new foods. I will cook a sweet potato and chop that up to give him warm off my plate and other foods that are good for him. Today he saw me with a bowl of home made tortilla soup and he gave me the "come hither" hoots and "want some" pleas. He ate off my spoon and loved the beans and some chicken. I was beginning to think he had a hollow leg, he ate way more than I would expect his crop to hold and continued to ask for more. We have turned a corner. I don't expect all sunshine and rose gardens, but things are really looking up for Gilbert. Slow little grey steps. Great big smiles and happiness here.

Your update saying "nothing new" means to me, no news is good news. You are doing a fantastic job getting to know these two. We had a rough time getting Gilbert acclimated and switched to pellets and tried lots. Some of it was just a distrust of change, plus he was suspicious that I might poison him or something. LOL. I have had a lot of rejection in the past two years, but I don't hear " I hate you, go away", but "maybe some day... not yet". I am sure you have heard of offering the "iron fist" to Dutch to avoid a bad bite, but I recently read something that makes good sense and also would have saved the tip of my finger from two deep puncture bites. It is a natural thing to hold out your finger and hope they come over to you, but if you offer a finger that is perpendicular to the beak the only path a bite will take is a puncture, where if you offer your finger parallel with the beak, the sharp tip of the beak will more than likely encircle your finger and pinch without a puncture. Does that make sense? You are just a natural with Emmy and Dutch and will have many years of evolving along with them, but you are off to a better start than many rehomes. Way to go!

When I saw the first photo of your outdoor aviary when you first brought home your first parrots, I knew you had an awesome team going there. When Timbersmom said you would need a baby carrier it brought back memories. Almost nine years ago, my teenage daughter got Bella, her Italian greyhound. On the way home in the car, I heard a cough and had her at "their" vet in the morning. She screamed in the car from her crate and that was just the beginning. She was a puppy mill puppy with "issues" to say the least. She was so sick that bronchitis turned to pneumonia and her lung collapsed. For a year, I carried that little dog in a puppy pouch on my chest and she grew up strong and healthy. That was a neat little carrier and I can imagine you could make something that Gus could ride on while he snuggles close to your chest but leaves your hands free to "serve" your flock. His pictures are incredibly beautiful. I am so glad you keep us posted on the forum of the progress of each of your rehomed bundles of joy. It is certainly enriching your journey, not to mention how each of them is thriving in a loving home.