Cheshire Cat

I found Tui on my desk this morning managing her Facebook account. LOL.

It seems whoever named 'Gandalf' are big Lord of the Rings fans. LOL! Hahaha! I'm glad she's back safe and sound though.

I was actually talking to my mom about this a few days ago. I don't know Tui's hatch date either. But we got her on 3rd June 2010 so that will be our 'anniversary' date. Not her hatch date, but it's still special to us.

I usually have to put old newspaper on the floor under the chair where Tui normally perches in the dining area. She now has her morning visit and sits with me and my mom while we have our first cup of tea.

I've seen some full picture tattoos of African Greys, but it's finding someone good enough to do a free hand tat from a picture which is the problem. I don't want to go in with a picture and they make a mess of it.

I was talking to my mom about it last night and she advised me to go back to the place I got my first one at. She said at least I know they're good and had no problems last time. I might get the design printed, take it in and see what they say and how they can modify it.

I don't know all that much about tats, despite having one. Mine was just black outline and plain colours. As you said, I'm sure they'd do grey but I doubt that many people ask for it.

I like the second one, too. I'll have to ask if they do grey shades. I'm not sure if they do. Otherwise I'd have the wing in grey and her name in red. I was thinking of having it on my shoulder blade as my other tattoo is on the top of my right arm. I don't particularly want it on the top of my left as I think two tats on the tops of my arms will look manly, but that's just me.

They make you do silly things you wouldn't normally do like walk around the room talking out loud about stupid things. They really do bring out the strange and wonderful side of you.

I want to have another tattoo in honour of Tui. My tattoo I have now is of the Cheshire Cat, hence my screen name. I'm obsessed with the character. I also wanted something which very few other people have. I like unique designs. I was thinking about this after my sister had one with her cat's name. Greys live for a very long time so for most of my life Tui will be with me. I've always wanted a tattoo of wings as I love fairies and angels. But now I've been modifying designs a little. I'd like either a wing or wings (obviously because she's a bird), with Tui's name in red (representing her tail feathers) Here are a couple I made. What do you think?

I agree with you there, Lambert. I'm only 23 so Tui will hopefully live a very long life with me. I'll look like her, all grey, when I'm old. LOL. I'll be in a rocking chair doing my knitting with a 60 year old Tui perched on the back.

Dave, I did realise that both our birds (mine and my friend) were from the same breeder. The initials are the same and we live in the same area. I did actually say that in my post.

That's actually quite funny as I call Tui my little pigeon sometimes.

I was under the impression that rings were only put on captive bred birds. At least that's how I was aware it works here in the UK. My Tui has a band on her foot which reads 212 JW. 212 is her bird number and JW is the breeder initials. I assume 212 is her unique number to that particular breeder. I know someone (who I went to school with) and we spoke on Facebook and her bird's band is almost identical to Tui's so her bird was from the same breeder. Sometimes I've only walked past Tui with something in my hand like clothing or a mug and she starts shrieking. As said before, Greys are very particular about their environment and don't like changes. So, personally, I don't think Cocoa's shrieking has anything to do with either being bred in the wild or captivity. Hope the replies have helped!

I agree completely with this. My mom said that during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles phase, people were going out and buying turtles and then once they realised they couldn't look after them were getting rid of them and even flushing them down toilets!

I've got to say that most screenplay writers and people who wish to start a film go to production companies and that is how they get their money; they don't come asking for it like a charity. I agree what was said earlier on the board, I'd rather give my money to an actual bird charity or rescue centre, not some film production team. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Alex on the big screen, but there are birds out there (and the people who look after them i.e. rescue centres) who need the money more than film makers do. Sorry!

This is me and my fiancee (I'm on the right, the lady! LOL) who co-own baby Tui. And here is one of me some time ago, showing off with my camera phone. LOL. I hate this picture because of how I look on it, but the grey beauty on my hand makes the picture SO much better!!!!

It's wonderful to come here and know no one will laugh at me for loving my bird so much. *hugs to all of you*

Awww! Thank you, Jayd. I read a lot of posts on here and sometimes wish I could be like many of you. I sometimes feel as though I'm not good enough to be Tui's mommy. Today I bathed her; I put her in the sink and began pouring water onto her back and I know she hates it, along with being sprayed with aloe vera and it hurts me when she squeals and screams. But the aloe vera has worked absolute wonders for her plucking. You can clearly see all the feathers re-growing. She has lots of little grey/blue bumps all over her which are coming through the skin. I really do try my best and don't know where I'd be without her now. In a morning when I'm waking up she clicks and it always makes me smile. It's my wake up call. It's also the noise she makes when she sees my fiancee; she calls to him by clicking.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I seriously thought something was wrong with me. My fiancee even said to me, get this, "Are you going to put your daughter back in her cage?" LOL! I said to my mom when Tui began plucking how I would never, ever regret having her. I felt as though I'd done something wrong for her to begin plucking and the vets bills, well the one (I saw two vets) was ridiculous! But I'd do anything for her. I think my mom became concerned because of how much I paid in such a short period of time, but she's worth it...every penny! She really is like a child, my child. With Tui I act like a 5 year old kid and I'm 23! LOL.

I allow her to fly if she wishes. She's been downstairs and had a fly around the living room which we allow her to do just as long as she doesn't harm herself. I would like to get her a harness eventually and start proper flying outside with her.

I went out to a pet shop and garden centre today with my family. Lo and behold I see a beautiful African Grey parrot in one of the cages and I can't help but go absolutely mental. I don't know why but I still feel so excited around them when I'm out and I love telling people I own one. Is this normal or am I just being too childish? I've flooded Facebook with photos of Tui. I put on a 'Pets' album, and despite owning a dog, gerbils and rats, three parts of the photos are of Tui. I still love watching videos of them on YouTube, again, as if I'm still learning about owning one. It's just weird. Sometimes I even sit and watch Tui as if she's a child like how parents watch their kids with pride. I'll sit there and think about how beautiful she is. Most of the time my conversation subject with my family is African Grey related. Do you ever really get over that excitement? After two months (I had Tui on 3rd June 2010) I'm still acting like I'm sat waiting for one.

I have a perch which I can move about the house and usually when we have guests, I'll put the perch in the corner of the room and let Tui observe what's going on. She's still very suspicious of new people and doesn't really seem to like new people/situations. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable around people, yet I want her to feel included with us, so that's why I put her perch in the room at the side. She's not directly within the group itself, but people can go to her and introduce themselves to her as they wish. That's just what I do, but I hope that helps you.

My bird, Tui, hasn't said many proper words yet apart from 'hello' and 'scratch'. I think 'hello' is always the first word of most birds and it's what I always say to Tui when I see her so it's only natural she'd pick it up. We always ask her if she wants a 'scratch' so that is obviously where she got that from. A lot of the time it's gurgles and trying to sound out words more than actual words; she's only about 7 months of age so she's experimenting with words at the moment. Lol. I do say the same words to get her to understand particular situations. I always say 'Good Morning' when I take her sheet off her cage. At night I always say, 'Night Night'. But I don't keep saying the same words again and again just for the sake of it, hoping she'll pick them up. When I watch the TV sometimes I'll just comment on something which has happened and talk to her. I talk to her about anything and everything.

My bird began plucking a few weeks ago, but has thankfully stopped now, but when she flaps she is losing bits of softer feathers and down feathers so I'm gathering that the problem started with the molting process. If your bird isn't being 'misted' with water, the skin can get itchy for them and they begin to pluck. Aloe vera has worked wonders with my Tui; she's stopped plucking and I can visibly see all the feathers beginning to grow beneath the skin. She has a little grey lumps all over her breast where they're growing back. So to be on the safe side, just make sure he's sprayed plenty and it should help. I hope all goes well and please update us on Ecko's progress. I'm sure Dave is right and it's acute plucking. When I took Tui to the vet, I was in there with the vet for about an hour and he went through so many reasons for plucking and it's always hard to pinpoint the exact one. Strangely enough he never mentioned molting, but since reading a lot of forum posts and websites I can see molting can be a contributing factor to molting and my bird is the right age for her first molt which is always said to be the worst for them.