katana600

Ray and Judy, we all know what bright little birds they are, that is why they found their way to loving homes. It was meant to be. I love knowing they liked people so much they came looking for someone special.

Beautiful music Cappy, thank you very much. That was lovely. The little gloster canary is an interesting little character. I am glad you posted this, I had forgotten you had a little canary and I don't recall ever seeing one in this color.

He is just in a hurry to get you into your happy new home together. He is just as cute as can be. Love his videos.

Aw, thanks. It's only because I am so in love with my subject. Tonight the dogs ran barking and startled Gilbert and he tried to fly away. He came looking for me like a toddler wanting mama when they are hurt or scared. He came all the way across the living room to me for the first time. I lifted him up and he had a little mark by his eye and he kept rubbing it. He sat on my shoulder and gave me his soft little "hey". He wanted me to rub his "boo boo". How sweet is that? He stayed warm on my shoulder for a half hour but was eager to go back when I offered. He is okay, happily playing on his cage top. I just have so much more of a vision for his future as he gets more attached and involved. He is so darn cute.

What a lucky pair you are to share companionship in such a beautiful setting. You do such a good job with your photograpy, and of course you have a beautiful subject. I love the contrast of the pink leash against the colors of nature including Cocoa's feathers. Thanks for the morning sigh of contentment. Well done.

This is a unique circumstance. Many times someone comes into the forum to say they have acquired an older parrot without much history. Your wife is a part of Casper's history so she will know many things that grandma may have done that will help along the way. You are the one coming in as a relative stranger and for him to be accepting food and an occasional touch is outstanding. I love your attitude, that you want things to be good for Casper but also to protect other family members from his outbursts. Casper is probably still grieving his loss and the changes in his life. Continue doing as much as you can just short of those things that elict a bite. If you are sitting on the floor and he comes running over, it seems as if he may be trying to drive out an intruder. As much as you can predict, don't set him up for that type of interaction, keep your distance so you don't establish a relationship as adversaries and reinforce the biting. Slowly and gradually he will start seeing you as less of a threat and eventually as a flock member. Don't expect it to be in coming weeks, maybe months, maybe longer before he chooses what kind of relationship he is going to permit. We have a ten year old Timneh and it has been slow going. He had been rehomed more than once as a bird with issues, so with Casper, he may be older, but he also may have less baggage. Best of luck and congratulations on the beginning of your journey of companionship with Casper. I love your attitude that you want to do more and understand him better. Kudos.

Something new and joyful to add to Gilbert and his "firsts". David has gotten closer to Gilbert in recent weeks, moreso now that he is feeling a little lonesome with Rachel out of the house. I was speaking of Gilbert, but I guess the same may apply to David. When David takes the dogs out, Gilbert is inside shouting and whistling for them "C'mon, c'mon in here boys". LOL. Yesterday to David's great delight, when he opened the front door to come in and release the dogs from leashes, Gilbert swung down from his playtop toy hook flapping his wings wildly, trying to "come" to David. Gilbert ran to the "railing" around the playtop and promptly ducked his head and asked for David's touch. I was welling up with happiness. It was last weekend when David was home that Gilbert walked across the house to get to him. Then, today, David came in and offered Gilbert a piece of his banana. He has been doing that every morning for several days and Gilbert will tentatively take a tiny bite, maybe with coaxing, a second helping. This morning, I heard David exclaim and begin to chuckle. Gilbert snatched the whole piece of banana, then clutched it in his talons and devoured it with great gusto while making gulping yummy noises. He is really drawing David under his spell. As I am out in the kitchen typing away on the computer, David is playing Pink Floyd "Wish you were here" and clapping his hands to the music, laughing and calling out "Ya gotta come see this." Gilbert is dancing, swaying, bobbing to the beat, stretching out his wings and loving every minute of it. There is a tiny piece in the back of my heart that might wish Gilbert were getting closer to me instead, just a little because honestly, if anything or anyone helps draw him into more interaction and relationship its all good. I am so happy for Gilbert and for David for this shared moment. Silly boys. I can't wait to see some new changes and improvements. I bought lots of new Booda ropes and I am in the process of making lots of areas of change for Gilbert's cage, play stand, three travel cages and it will give him more freedom to explore the living room and beyond when he gets the nerve. I do have to say, my living room is beginning to look like a game of "Mouse Trap".

Thanks Dan, I was successfully engrossed with reading her columns and watching videos of Cosmo for a couple of hours. Somehow I clicked on http://www.cosmotalks.com/ and that is where I found the videos. My favorite was watching Cosmo opening the drawers to the vanity as a step to get onto the edge of the tub, then opening a higher drawer to continue working her way to the countertop. She seemed to know when that last drawer was open in the "zone" where it may automatically close and she worked until she made it just the way she wanted it. Thanks for posting this, she is in my neck of the woods too, probably only an hour and a half by car.

Jeff makes a great point about Gracie bonding in her own ways. She obviously enjoys bringing you delight with her word games and is open to what you offer her as she joins you in companionship. Gilbert may never be willing to sit with me or to enjoy anyone's hands too close to him but he has slowly made overtures that give us understated and subtle clues that he really is accepting us in his own way. Gracie is still very much a baby and she is learning from you and taking everything in until she is the one giving you the cues of what she wants you to say. LOL. Sounds like fun at your house.

Slow and steady repetition has been winning our little red bellied parrot (sassy cousin of a senegal) over to be able to be out at the same time as our rehomed older Timneh. It has taken months of many attempts and finally she has stopped trying to drive out this intruder as she also did to our kids coming home from college. It took consistent vigilance to keep her from dive bombing and chasing Gilbert and there was at least one near miss where he could have hurt her badly. Now she doesn't give him a second look and they are out at the same time but they are not friends and I would not leave them alone in the room together any more than I would leave the birds out with our two small dogs without supervision. They seem to peacefully coexist all the time but I would rather be too careful than live with regret. It is all coming together in good time.

Aw, bless that sweet little baby face. The photo of Jude on a shoulder with droopy eyes and a foot tucked up is the look of bliss. It looks like a sweet smile on Jude's face, I bet the same smile is on your face too. What a cutie. Thanks for figuring out the photos, sometimes it still takes me a few tries. Great job.

Alas, once again in a nearly two year saga, the winds are not right for the balloon excursion. That's okay though, I am liking the idea of a quiet morning home. Gilbert has been adorable lately. He continues to hang out low on his "basement apartment" but hasn't had any more adventures. He has gotten very snuggly, in his own way. He is giving me ever longer sessions of permitting me to rub his head at night and in the morning while he is safe inside the big cage on his favored "touching" perch. Last night I was working on a neighborhood newsletter in the kitchen and he couldn't see me. After a few "time to go night night Gilbert" hints to me, he said something I haven't heard since his early days. "Wanna tickle?" That is what Sara told me he would say when he was in the mood for a scratch on the head. Sure enough, I went in to turn off his light and give him a proper goodnight and he warmed up and not only let me scratch his head and rub his neck, he allowed himself to rest his head in one hand while I massaged his head with the other. It was awkward to have four fingers through one set of bars at one angle and try to get the other hand in there where I could still see his eye to be ready if he spins around and snaps at a finger. Come to think of it, it has been a really long time since he has been that jumpy. Slowly, slowly things are changing for the better with him.

Moving can be a nightmare in the best of times. Glad to know you are getting settled in and everyone will soon return to normal. Best of luck in your new home.

Great news for Bubba on the vet check. I know I am more than relieved about that stretching and probing, and I am not even in the same room. Can you imagine how Bubba felt hearing that news and getting through the day at the vet without any "indignities"? Great job on getting his weight up a little too. He is so funny with his opera and antics. I am thinking how much fun it must be at your house with the faux flying and laughter and joy. Congratulations on your good news.

If I were Bobby, I may not have been so friendly to that guy either. With a bit older, rehomed grey, you will learn as you go and have new insights to share with us. Every grey is individual and unique, every home is also, so the combination makes for many possibilities. When we were considering Gilbert we were told he has "issues". I do believe a parrot who has been rehomed or has lost their favorite person, perhaps a whole family, as well as other flighted companions would probably go through depression and have a bit of attitude. Take your time and give Bobby a chance to pinch herself and see that it is true that she is getting a new lease on life and someone new to love her. When I first heard the term "grey time", I thought it just meant they would come around on their own time. It really does mean that but as well, it means that we can not judge success the way we might with a "pet" getting acclimated. This forum has been my lifeline and helped turn Gilbert's life around and I think you will find the same for you and Bobby. Welcome and congratulations on your journey with Bobby.

Congratulations on the introduction of Odin to your family. You have made tremendous progress in just a week. Hope everything just gets better and better for all of you. Welcome to the forum, thanks for joining us.

How special is that? We have only had a couple of those moments in all this time together and it is magical. Hooray for Timber making himself comfortable with you. Great progress for you to be this relaxed together.

I feel the same way about my grown children, it was a labor of love, I was in to it one hundred percent at the time but I wouldn't want to repeat it. Glad you and Stormy are reaching a new phase in your relationship. Congrats on the baby growing to a fledgling.

I am a believer. Even though repetition is evident, there is more than repetition. I may not ever be able to define Gilbert's mind, but he seems to be ahead of me to know mine better than I do.

You are giving us great new things to try. What creative minds you have, thanks for the ideas. Hope the vet trip goes well and is the beginning of Bubba's less invasive check ups. It would be great for him to have a memory of a visit where you could say "there, that wasn't so bad" for your sake as well as his.

The one thing that has changed is the drops the vet recommended. He said it would take a couple of weeks and I have not stopped them yet. It does seem to have been helpful in Gilbert's case. I don't see any increase in his feather damage. He was exhausted yesterday but not nervous. I just get giddy when I think of him coming out and making friends with David. It is sweet to see David be gentle and encouraging and for him to mention how far Gilbert has come in the past few weeks. I thought Rachel leaving would affect him some and we might regress, but instead he is taking up with David. In many ways I would love it he chose David to be his special person, it would be wonderful for both of them. To see Gilbert toddling the length of the house to be with him was a highlight of our life. I am seeing some other behavior from Gilbert that I would not have suspected. Every morning now, when I get up and open his cage, he goes down to the rope bridge to his travel cage "apartment" and just sits there. He seems to be more comfortable going low than getting higher. It doesn't make sense because he hasn't ever wanted to be in the bottom half of his cage even though it has similar perches on three basic levels. Now that he has been on the floor, he spends more time on the cage grates and lowest perches. His previous home had several small animals and he didn't come out of his cage for years. It has been a long time coming which makes it all the more magical to watch him find his place in the world.

Gilbert was a man about the house for about an hour this morning and he didn't seem to know to just go back. Maybe he was just overexcited to be seeing everything from a new perspective but he kind of wore himself out. When I asked if he wanted to go back, he waved his foot to offer me a step up. Then he was ravenous when I brought his warm breakfast, I've never seen him eat with such enthusiasm. One of the best things about his exploration is that he is seeking out with only curiosity to entice him a step further. At first, a month ago, I was putting a few pine nuts, an almond or a pistachio in a food cup in plain sight on the travel cage, just to get him to climb down there for the first few times. I really don't want him eating off the floor so most of his foraging has been in his cage and I would like to keep it that way for his safety as much as anything. His adventure this morning has exhausted him and he has been sleeping most of the day. He really was amazing me this morning and I am loving that. Judy, this hot air balloon ride was purchased on Groupon more than a year ago (Mother's Day) It has been cancelled so many times that I am not getting my hopes up for this time. Heck, it has been cancelled so many times both of our kids have moved out and moved on and won't be able to join us. Poor David is not keen on heights and doesn't like the amusement park rides but he is the only one left. The kids are feeling guilty and trying to give him an easy way out by saying he has to be on the ground so he can come home and take care of Gilbert. LOL. They don't want us to both go up together. It is good to know someone else would enjoy this. You will be with me in spirit. Up up and away.

Hahahaha. Oh Simon. I know it really isn't all that funny when you are living with him, but he will grow out of the terrible two's. Well... maybe, as long as while he is being such a smarty pants he also soothes your frazzled nerves with a few sweet nothings along the way. What a clever boy to be balancing out his naughtiness with sweetly spoken adoring words.

There just are no words to express how much it means to me to see him reach out and expand his comfort zone. He has been off his cage for an hour now. In his time here for more than eighteen months now, this is more than the cumulative time off his cage except for being away from home in his travel cage. Watching him as I read the forum I can see many things to do to enhance his experience and keep him safe. His travel cage on the floor as a safety zone has been a big part of his brave new behavior. He is standing on the base of his floor stand but he can't climb the thick branches so I am going to attach a boing to the floor with zip ties. Since we have three identical travel cages, I will put one in the kitchen and one in the dining room so he has a place to go if he needs the safety net. The first day he stepped onto the floor was just after our Labor Day travel, so in one month he has gone from just touching the hardwood, to being in every room today. Awesome progress little man. David is that much more entranced with Gilbert since he has chosen to follow him and to ask for him to share his breakfast. I am just beyond thrilled to sit quietly and watch them form a bond. What is even funnier to me is just yesterday my youngest daughter said "Mom, don't get any wild ideas on your hot air balloon ride next week, I am not ready to inherit Gilbert, he scares me to death." LOL. By the time she comes home for Thanksgiving, I know Gilbert will be ready to change her mind and win her heart too.

It just keeps getting better for Gilbert. For a few days he has expanded his floor area by about six inches in either direction. Today has been awesome. He has been on the floor for about fifteen minutes. It has been such a slow gradual change for him that the dogs don't even lift their heads to see what he is doing. As David and I sit in the living room, Gilbert has come closer and closer to David's chair. When offered a step up, he backed away. We walked out to the kitchen and he followed us. He asked for a cracker and when David offered him a bit of banana, he took that. He seems to want to be close to David and has now followed him to the kitchen while I am staying in the living room. I just can't stop grinning at the brave little fellow slowing joining us on his own terms. He has gone all the way to the kitchen where I can hear David making some toast with peanut butter. Gilbert has waddled out there to say "hey". It is hard to contain my excitement for his newfound courage.