Cocoascaregiver

I knew it wouldn't be long before Zoey felt comfortable enough to venture out of the cage ! Last weekend after she stepped up on my hand in the cage, I was sitting next to her cage and just talking to her with the door open and she would come down, head first, and rub her head on my finger , stick her head out the door, then go back up on the perch. She 'd do this all week long after I got home from work as well. This morning after I posted my earlier post, I took Silverbelle, my little Mini Lop house bunny buddy to vet for pedicure ( it's a gal thing , right ? LOL ) and when I got home I started sitting with Zoey again. I had the door open and down she comes. The next thing I knew she was on the outside of the cage and looked as surprised as I was ! I quick grabbed my camera and caught her as she worked up the courage to venture on top of the cage. I let her check it all out as I watched from the couch, occasionally going over and letting her come over to my hand and next thing I knew she climbed aboard and sat there for about 10 minutes . The camera of course was over by the couch so when she got down from my hand I grabbed it and returned to the cage. She obliged me by stepping up again so I could capture the moment and share it here. I guess she was outside looking in for almost 2 hours, and while she showed interest in the play stand that I had made for Cocoa, which I put right next to the cage on the table, she didn't leave the security of the outside of her cage today. Tomorrow's another day and I'll let her move as slow as she wants too. I know she wants to be near me as she always chatters up a storm while I on the couch or in the kitchen cooking. When she's ready, she'll be on the play stand and then eventually will join me on my arm on the couch or at my desk ( kitchen is off limits for birds unless they come from the grocery store ! ) Was a Greyt day in Apopka for sure ! Lee

And before I know it, Zoey will be coming out of the cage ! I am so excited about the progress Zoey and I have been making since I adopted her. Not only does she let me scratch her head while my hand is in the cage, she drops her wings and lets me pet her "elbows". all without biting ! While she has been holding on to one of my fingers but reluctant to put her wieght on it for a while now, she finally stepped up last weekend and perched on my hand for about 5 minutes in the cage. Of course I just kept telling her what a good girl she was blah blah blah.....

Just a quick update, I'm happy to report Zoey has made herself right at home, she is almost a nonstop sound effects machine and has a broader vocabulary than I thought, but her favorite saying so far is "yummy yummy Daddy " which is what she says when I make her breakfast in the mornings and at treat time when I get home from work ! While she never has tried to bite the hand AS it feeds her, she has let me know when she didn't want me to interact with her which I respect as normal. She will grab my finger with one foot when I put it in the cage and hold on to it, all the while I encourage her to step up, still only one foot at a time. When i change her water in the evenings, she has been "helping me" reinstall the water bowl in the holder. I'm looking forward to the day I tell you she stepped up on my finger, I can't wait to be able to have her out of the cage on the stand I built for Cocoa.

Hi Arjadaga ! I had within the last year a rescue 16 year CAG named Cocoa that was birdnapped back from me and now have Zoeie, a cute little TAG I rescued who is letting me get to know Her more and more every day. I am by no means as knowledgeable as the fine people on this website but I must say, and please do not take this wrong, as I mean only good will for you and your prospective fledgeling as well, regardless the breed...... If a stanger took me to a new place and wrapped me in a towel n a quiet room and talked softly to me, They'd have to pay with blood when i got out of that towel ! Like I said, I mean absolutely no harm, just my own feelings. I wish you much luck with whatever you chose to take care of for the rest of your life and I"ll be looking forward to hearing you share the stories of glee only a parrot can provide as I'm sure the others will as well. Lee

My Timneh came to me already named Zoey !

Happy Happy Birthday to you !

Condolences from Central Florida......

Thanks for all the votes of confidence . Believe it or not, I'm already making progress with Zoeie ( I guess I'm spelling it right, pronounced Zoe- eee) Not only did I recieve my first kiss from her, I was taking snapshots while interacting with her at her cage and CAPTURED IT ! I knew she liked my cooking the way she chowed down on the piece of egg/ harrisons omelet I gave her this morning, but she also wasted no time with the little slice of warmed up sweet potato I gave her after she kissed me. Later on in the day, she hung with her head down near the side of the cage and let me scratch her head for about 5 seconds ! Looking forward to see what tomorrow will bring . Here's Zoeie and me almost 24 hours into our lifetime together.

Greetings everyone ! God works in mysterious ways. I told y'all that Cocoa was birdnapped by previous owner, and is gone after 9 months with me. This past tuesday I finally moved the playstand I built for him from the dining room table and was going to put his cage in storage when my wife got the call............ A friend of a friend of hers heard about what happened to Cocoa and had a friend who has cancer and is going through Chemotherapy. Well this Lady, needed to find a GOOD home for a Timneh African Grey Parrot. We called and arranged to meet the owner and the bird to see if the Parrot wanted to adopt Me. SHE LOVED ME ! Cheryl, the owner couldn't get over how Zoeie took to me. I didn't see anything special about the meeting cause the bird made no fuss, let me touch her beak and feet through the cage and Cheryl said she usually will not let anyone even touch the cage , let alone her feet or beak ! So after about an hour of chit chat She asked if I wanted to have Zoeie. I told her only if I could spoil her rotten, and that bright light y'all saw over Central Florida yesterday was not the sun, it was our Smiles as we both were overcome with happiness. So even though I was done wrong by one person, God was evidently preparing me to put a smile on a very special woman's face in Sanford Fl ! Now, while Zoeie was in a very good, loving home, she has never been "worked" so I have a long road in front of me as I work to gain her trust and build up her confidence in me. She already likes my cooking as here she enjoys her first breakfast with me , a piece of a Harrisons and egg shell omelet she took from my hand this morning. Have a greyt day ! Lee

Thanks for all the support, i haven't contacted anyone police or otherwise, but your response has spurred us to try to contact him again. Same result, no answer, left a message..........

Hello again everyone, I can not believe what has happened to me and most of all Cocoa, To bring all up to date, I rescued Cocoa from a man that had been put into nursing home. His son is who placed Cocoa with me and Cocoa and I bonded fast and true. I had Cocoa 9 months. 2 weeks ago, Edward the son, called and said his Dad really wanted to see Cocoa again, I said he could come over anytime, edward said he wanted to bring Cocoa to the Nursing home and that he'd drive over from Riverside, Fl, get Cocoa Saturday and bring him back Sunday. Being the nice guy I am, I figured I would want to see my little feathered buddy too if I was in that position and I agreed. What an idiot I am, Edward took the cowards way out and kidnapped Cocoa and now Cocoa is gone. I spent so much time with Cocoa, literally sat at the cage after i ate dinner evry night until I finally had Cocoa comfortable enough to come to the table right next to the cage, and then finally to the couch and even down the hallway to lay on the bed and watch tv with me in there too. He actually would cry like a dog does when I walked into the house for me to come over and let him out. Edward told me lies and then woouldn't een answer my calls, I had my wife call as he didn't know her number and he finally said he was gonna sell Cocoa, she called me and I told her to buy him, Guess it was just another lie or cocoa was already gone as he said cocoa wasn't coming back. While Edward was here, he couldn't get over how well Cocoa loved me and enjoyed the play stand I made for him, it wasn't a case of him rescuing the bird from me. While I know this won't get me Coca back and didn't really even make me feel beter by telling the story, what I hope this does is make anyone who rescues a bird to get OWNERSHIP in writing at the time you get custody of the bird, so you don't feel the pain I do now. Lee

Thanks !

Hello all ! I'm feeling kind of "puny" with itchy eyes, sniffles and a mild sore throat. My question is can Cocoa catch my cold ? I've been in bed most of the day taking Alka Seltzer Plus , Cocoa has been in cage and now that I'm up , he's "crying" for my attention. I have him out on his play stand , I'm thinking he needs to stay there and not come on the arm of the sofa where he puts his head in my hand to scratch him. I'm sorry if this has been brought up before, but I did a search and came up with nothing. Lee PS. Other than my cold Cocoa is doing Greyt ! Took him for wellness check, and passed with flying colors, he has adopted me . He's really awesome !

SPANK HIM ! (But tell him it's cause you love him !!!!!!)

Greetings all ! I'm Lee, Cocoa's Caregiver, and it's been 2 months today since I assumed that role. Refresher; Cocoa is supposed to be 12 years old, but the solid band has the number 94 on it, so he might be 15. He was raised by his breeder who just had to be placed in assisted care housing, so I was chosen to adopt him by owner's son. I'm very happy to say that Cocoa has taken to me and the zoo I call home extremely well. He loves the time outside of his cage when I get home from work and has taken over the kitchen table as that is where the playstand I built for him is. He can climb right off the cage onto the stand. He is very vocal and at times carries on conversation with himself. He calls for the dog that he used to live with and tells him to "get over here" and "stay" He has started to step up on my asking, but only when he wants to. I can touch him anywhere ! He rolls over on his back for me and lets me touch and scratch his wings, under his wings, his feet I rub gently for him. He gives me kisses when I ask. While he has not bit me, he has let me know he is very capable of it. I think since they have no hands, that's their way of touching and exploring things/people etc. Reading some of the posts where people have problems with biting and other stuff, I am so fortunate to have a bird this well behaved. Because of the progress we have shown in such a short time, I believe the next update will have Cocoa hanging out with me on the couch or at my desk . Cocoa still has not warmed up to my wife, which I hope to report differently some day. Other than that, I must be doing something right for a bird of his age to warm up this quick to me. Sign me as "Having a GREYT time in Apopka, Fl" Lee

Nice Job ! It makes it even better when they use it .

That is funny ! I can picture Sully covering his beak with one wing and his belly with the other and laughing to himself uncontrollaby in his cage under cover knowing you are looking for an uninvited guest in the middle of the night !

well a little larger anyway, these are 250 x 250, I thought that was the max.

Larger photos for your better enjoyment !

He Likes It ! Well apprehensibly anyway . I'm very pleased that he ventured off of his cage and onto the table, getting in the playstand put a big smile on my face though ! Here's a couple more shots of Cocoa's new adventure. Maybe tomorrow he'll climb up and check out the view .<br><br>Post edited by: Cocoascaregiver, at: 2009/09/07 02:21

I hope this works.........

I'm really really sorry. I will have to try later or tomorrow for the picture..........

I'm really tring to post the picture, Sorry ......

Cocoa and I have been making great progress in our bonding /getting to know one another/ trust each other phase of our new relationship. He has been here one month come the 11th of September. When I let him out of the cage, I sit next to it and he comes down and forces his head into my hand so I can scratch his neck. He lays his head in my out stretched hand and lets my use my thumb to rub the side of his head. While on the side of the cage, he rolls onto his back on my hand, letting go of the cage with one foot. He has pulled my hand on top of the cage and rolled on his back with my hand securely in his grip. To show him my appreciation ( and to provide something to get him further from the cage ) I made him a playstand today. I am getting ready to let him out, I hope he checks it out. Here's the fruits of my Labor Day Weekend. The tallest vertical pole is 3 feet and the short one is 2 feet tall. The box is 24 inches by 18 inches and will fit table next to couch where I sit. I hope Cocoa will join me by the couch when the Basketball season starts so he can help root for the Orlando Magic with me !<br><br>Post edited by: Cocoascaregiver, at: 2009/09/07 00:32

Hello Ganzha ! Cocoa says Thanks for bringing Natalia to the forum ! Lee