crossfit

Hi Pep, I am new too. Though I am newer to Grey's than you as my girl will move in on Thursday. You can see my post for details. Welcome

Hi, I am new the forums and new to parrots. However, I do know that the trouble with H1N1 is that it is a combination of swine flu and bird flu together. I didn't check the link about but I am betting that is what it is about. My dog and cat vet says it is a very good time to be aware of all zoonotic diseases (those that can skip species) and has been taking a number of specialty courses in them for just this reason. Basicaly, I would be careful. I would also be careful of anyone handling your birds who shows signs of the flu. I still see way too many people who are going out and about trying to feel better and talking themselves out of the fact that they have the flu.

just remembered another phrase she says - go for a ride? When going out in the car.

I just got back from a visit with Ipo. She asked me to scratch her neck today and also talked up a storm in my direction whenever I tried to talk to her mom. All good signs. Tomorrow or Sunday they will come over here to visit and we will do a few visits this week before move in day on Thursday. I am also learning the hawiain words that Ipo knows so that I understand what she means as well as me being able to use the words she knows. For example, Good bird is Good wahini for Ipo. Another one is that she seems to have a sense of time and her word for a quick visit or someone being gone quick is wiki wiki (I think - I better check). I am going to have a list of the words she knows that mean specific things - fritos for favorite food, etc so I will have a clue and her mom will come over each day the first week to make sure Ipo and I are both settling in well and make sure I am not missing something. I think I was told Ipo says over 100 things regularly but at least quite a few are in English (gonna take a shower, gonna brush your teeth, see ya later, tear it up, names of people and the other animals in her current home, etc) She also understands a lot of words as well (gentle, etc). She clearly is interacting with language more than just repeating and I look forward to that. By the way, her owner has been reading the forums a bit and I believe she really appreciates hearing from you all that it isn't wrong to feel so sad about rehoming a bird as well as that the way she is going about it is ideal. It isn't a fun thing to have to do.

OH of course I have. I will be seeing her again tomorrow. Even so, hearing from others is useful though if there was something directly opposite from what Ipo's owner thinks, I might lean towards her ideas since she knows the specific parrot. I also gave her the link to these forums so she can read my posts. I tend to be more verbal in writing than in person. If she has links to the forums she can see what I am thinking and asking as things move along and help me as well. That is part of the point.<br><br>Post edited by: crossfit, at: 2009/12/11 01:17

So, this is what I am imagining my first days will be like: 1. I will let her stay in her cage if she chooses. When the room is safe (other household animals are put away) I will open her door for her to choose to come out if she wishes. 2. I will bring her food daily in small batches often so she starts to realize that when I come in the room, it means treats and good things. 3. If she gives me the okay, I will offer her to step up within the cage and get off again freely. If she seems comfortable with that, and has felt comfortable with the room, I will offer to bring her out for a very short period, very close to the cage door so she can retreat if she chooses. 4. When she is in her cage and the others are around, I will be available to talk to her and reassure her that things are fine and she is safe. My thought is that we won't change things in her cage much at all until she shows that she is ready to be fully integrated into the household. There will already be so much change with just moving her and leaving her family I want her safe house to remain the same. I might get her a few new toys to give her at the current house so she has some new things already that were put in the cage by her current mom. She needs a new rope perch and her mom and I were thinking of getting one and putting it in before she moves here so she is all set with it. Is this sounding right? So far I have been able to read her body language pretty well and getting better at it. I can tell when she just barely fluffs up to let me know she is nervous and so far when she does that I move slightly back (or move my hand back which is the more likely cause) until she settles back down. She did enjoy shredding a pen cap on my lap the other day so if she moves past those first four steps above, my next thought will be to start giving her fun toys on my lap while we just sit together or while I use the computer. Is this sounding good? Any thoughts?

Thanks for responding so quickly. I tend to stay up late and don't expect too much at this hour since its early for Europe and late for US/Canada/South America. I tend to have a lot of online friends from Australia due to it too. Here is my birds story so far: She was hand fed by her current owner and very lovingly raised. She was taken everywhere, and definate training has happened. Ipo speaks three languages and uses a variety of words to get the things she needs or wants as well as to state when she is happy or sad. She doesn't bite or at least hasn't in a very long time. She knows step up and a few game commands but not too many other tricks. She clearly thinks hard about things. I have seen her concentrating very hard and its remarkable. Her mom has become ill in the past two or three years and it has become clear she isn't going to get better and is likely to get worse and worse. This has meant Ipo has less stimulation especially since the daughter moved out and now its only Ipo and mom. Mom can't carry Ipo in her birdy back pack anymore so even when she can get out, she can't take Ipo. At home she is too tired and has realized she wants to find a home that will make Ipo happy before she is so sick that she can't be part of finding the right home. So we will see what happens. They are very bonded but Ipo has always loved being with lots of people in the past so I am hoping that if I focus on bonding with her during this transition, that she will find my very lively home to be one that brings her joy. edit: I spoke again with Rachel (Ipo's current owner) and she said her health concerns are varied but to please make sure people know she isn't dying at this point. She doesn't want people thinking of her in that light. There are a number of issues that make it so she can't take care of Ipo in the best way possible and that is what matters.<br><br>Post edited by: crossfit, at: 2009/12/11 01:22

Hi, I am new to this forum and will be getting a ten year old African Grey in a week. The current owner and I have been visiting for two months to get her used to me so we are good friends now. She even kissed me on my last visit. I am hoping to learn from you all as I go. I am not new to animals nor birds and have done a lot of training so I am expecting the transition to go smoothly. However, that doesn't mean I am unprepared for stress to my new bird, Ipo (Hawiain for sweetheart and she is). I am reading up everything I can find to prepare myself as well as visiting her often. If anyone has any thoughts beyond the obvious ones I might have found already, that would be great. I do expect to have a ton of questions once she arrives.