Tule

So for some time I have been wondering if Greys, or more likely parrots in general, can suffer from any mental illness. I found out some months ago that squirrels can have Down Syndrome. I also read just today that birds can have epilepsy. I've looked it up a few times on google, but all I get in return is maintaining good "mental health" in your parrot, which is not what I'm looking for. It would seem to me that maybe some kind of mental illness might be the cause of those "few" Greys and/or other parrots who just don't ever talk like us. Anyone know anything about mental illness in birds? Down's, autism, even senile things like Alzheimer's? Also, somewhat related, I've wondered if the learning of speech by parrots is something like that of humans in that when you are young you learn language incredibly quickly and almost instinctively. As you get older though, learning a new language is a lot harder. Could this be similar in parrots?

Check this out. It's a (death metal) band with a 19-year-old African Grey lead singer named Waldo. Awesome, right?

Okay, thanks guys. I won't give him any on purpose, but I won't worry about if he gets a little.

Are onions an acceptable food item? The reason I ask is that my boyfriend LOVES onions, so they are used in just about everything I cook. The most prominent is stir fry, I like to let Tule partake in the leftover vegetables from my plate, usually slightly cooked carrots (how he likes them best), peas, bell peppers, and lots of onions. They have been sautéed and are cooked enough to be clear and sweet. So far I haven't really given him any, instead I pick out the choice veggies and put them on his own plate. So I don't know if he would even like them! But, I googled it and most articles said things like "Until more study has been done you should be aware that there MAY be a potential hazard in having your parrot eat onions." and "Raw onion is not good for parrot as it may contains bacteria in between the layers which may harm the bird..." but goes on to say that cooked onions are probably okay. Do you guys give your birds onions?

So, after a loud trip to the vet, she believes it is from his battle with Leonard the Ferret. She gave me some general hospital antiseptic to clean the area of his ear and the head where he lost some feathers. She then told me about a cockatoo she had seen once who was attacked by a ferret and had the skin on the back of her head ripped off and it was hanging like an inside-out glove. She had to sew it all back. Luckily Leonard is way too dumb, and Tule way too feisty, for much to happen. Either way, stricter precautions will be taken. Val, I hope things turn out well for you and your birds. Get that ear checked out just in case.

That's what I'm thinking. I called the vet and have an appointment for tomorrow (Saturday). She says it might be an ear infection, or like you said just an injury. She said it would be best to come in to have a look at him. So I'll update you all when I have the vet's verdict.

So, I was scratching Tule's head and happened to notice that his right ear looked strange (he has a little gap because he's molting). So I looked closer, and it looks like the "ear hole" is closed. It looks normal except instead of a hole like on his left side, he has a little line of red like maybe a scab. Tule ran into some trouble with Leonard the Ferret a few days ago. Originally I thought he was fine, he just lost a couple feathers but was acting fine and when I checked him out he didn't have any wounds. I would like to take a picture of it, but Tule isn't very interested in me getting close to him with the camera. There's no swelling, red skin, pus, or anything else that would indicate to me that there is any kind of infection. Tule has been itching his head a lot, but he has for about a week since he's got a bunch of new feathers coming in on his head/neck. He's on the table beside me vigorously trying to get the keys off my laptop right now. I'm going to schedule a vet appointment for early next week, because I don't feel like it's an emergency. I don't know how this could be related to the incident with Leonard, but that's the only thing that's happened recently. I also don't know if it's some "natural" occurrence. Would really appreciate any sage wisdom.

One thing I would expect to upset him is my boyfriend came around, and Tule hasn't gotten used to him yet. But the way he was acting wasn't his usual "I don't really like you" behavior, and it continued after he left when he usually goes back to normal pretty quick. As for past experiences, I cant imagine that there was one, I'm Tule's first owner besides his breeder, and he's never been around cooking food before I moved. He doesn't seem to have any problem when I'm cooking anything else, from spaghetti to fried rice (both of which he loves lol). I'm sure I'll be making more hamburgers another time, I'll have to see if he does it again.

So this is kind of a needless thread, but I'm interested. I was making hamburgers earlier for dinner, and as soon as they started really cooking, Tule got visibly and audibly upset. He would call for me instantly if I went out of his line of sight, and was very nervous and kept climbing all over the top of his cage. Question. Was he upset by the hissing sound, or the smell? They appeared at about the same time. I turned the ceiling fan on to air out the room, and when the second burger was done he gradually became more comfortable. He's now at the back of his cage chatting with the wall, lol. This is the first time I have cooked meat in the apartment.

To update you all, I've been watching Tule all day. He's been eating and drinking normally, poop is still normal, and he has been as active and ornery as usual. He's been pretty quiet, but that's not very unusual. He still called for me when I left the room. I'm pretty much at the conclusion that it was just a little upset tummy and he'll be right as rain from here on out. I'll keep watch for the next few days, but I'm feeling much less anxious. I had a lovebird who would regurgitate on my curtains (haha..) and it was a thick pellet-colored mess, not at all like what came out of Tule, which is one reason I was so worried. Anyway he seems to be fine. Thanks for the responses.

It happened just a few minutes ago. I had had him out, he was on the top of his cage. I had gone to the other side of the room to watch some video my bf wanted me to see, and when I turned back he had a clear fluid dripping from his beak. He then proceeded to throw up 4 or 5 more times, only one of them with a significant amount of fluid. He seems perfectly fine, he is walking around, looking for attention, doing his usual clothes biting thing. He pooped a few minutes after throwing up and it looked normal. No change in his diet except... About 20 minutes before he threw up I gave him a teeny piece of cheeto. I know that isn't good for him at all (don't scold me! ), but he saw me eating them and was soooo interested that I gave him a little taste. He hardly even tried it. I was so horrified when I saw what was happening, I immediately thought the worst. My bf thinks he just wasn't good with the cheeto, and will be fine. I also know that it could be courting behavior, but it seems strange that he would do it while I'm not right there. I was gone all day house sitting (my bf with me) so I don't know how he was acting today, but from his attitude when I got home he seems normal. Playing with toys, etc. I gave him a piece of carrot as soon as he was done throwing up hopefully to settle his stomach or something. Please tell me he will be okay. No more cheetos! The only other thing is he has been sneezing a little more often, but I had noticed earlier that he has what seems to be a flake of dry skin or small feather in one of his nostrils. His eyes are clear and there is no discharge anywhere. I'll take him to the vet if you think it is wise or I see any signs of sickness in the next few days. I hope I don't have to, just because Tule hates his carrier and it's a hassle for everyone. He's trying to get my attention now so I'll give him some love and hope you have something good to tell me. Thanks, Ellie. Edit: The fluid was a "little" cloudy, but mostly clear. Tule is now happily eating and drinking like normal. It's late so I am going to turn the lights off soon and put him to bed.

I used a spray bottle with an adjustable nozzle. I tried halfway between mist an spray so it wouldn't be too much or too little. It was cold water, and so is what I put into his water dish which is why I thought he would prefer that. I thought about putting a dish in his cage just the other day, actually. It was close to bedtime though so I didn't, and then I forgot. I may try that tomorrow. The biting wouldn't bother me except he bites my pants and unknowingly my legs underneath, and if I try to reach to stop him in any way he gets angry and will lunge at my hand. So I can't tap his beak or take him off my knee. I thought for a while he might have been biting my pants from aggression, but he is the one who climbs up on my knee and is perfectly able to climb back off. Last night I had him on my leg and he sat there calm as could be while I rubbed and scratched him, and I can't figure out what the difference was. He also goes for feet, he attacks them! My toes mostly, he'll grab them and bite them. He has no such interest in fingers though. If I reach towards him, like my knee, he gets angry. But if I don't do anything, he keeps biting. I'm all for putting him away so he understands it isn't okay, but it's nearly impossible to pick him up unless I want some firm chomps on my fingers first. So it's either knee/toes, or hand...

Okay, thank you. The tip on biting sounds great. Maybe I should go get or put together a new fun toy for him. I got rawhide a little while ago but it only keeps him occupied for so long. That will help, I'm sure. As for bathing, you pretty much just reaffirmed what I already thought - it's just me. I know he's gong to love it afterwards. Guess I better just tough it out. He's right in the middle of a molt, too, so it should be extra nice. Maybe he'll even decide he likes it. Thanks again, you're always super helpful.

One. Tule needs baths. But he doesn't like them. Almost every time I refill his water dish, he will go over to it, fluff himself up like no other, and basically "attack" the water, and shake his beak like he wants to splash it around. In the end, everything is wet except him. I've read the bathing posts by Dave, and the second option sounds like it will probably be the best. My problem is, I don't want to. I hate to see Tule unhappy! When he screeches or screams or growls my little heart breaks into a thousand pieces and I'm afraid he will hate me forever. :( I don't want to traumatize him, and I don't particularly want to plague my neighbors (apartment complex) with his noise. What can I do, if anything, to make this a more pleasant experience? For anyone. By the way, I have tried tons of things. I've brought him in the shower after I've showered, while I'm showering, I have filled up the sink and floated toys in the water and played with it myself. I filled up a brownie pan with water and put it on the floor, doing the same as the sink. I've tried spraying him. The furthest I got was with the pan, he stepped off my hand into the water (just getting his feet wet) and then got out right after. Two. Biting. I understand that often (always?) getting bitten is my fault. He gives me all the signs and if I ignore them or don't notice them, well, too bad for me! However, he will bite in situations where I have no idea why or what to do. When I get him out to play, he likes to sit on my knee. The past month he has started biting my pants (and my legs...) while he's there. It hurts! I can't think of anything I am doing to provoke him, and I don't know how to show him it's bad. Spray bottle? Sharp sound (like another bird would), whaaaat? It's terrible, I want to have him out but after ten minutes it's unbearable, and we're both so flustered that it just goes crazy and I have to put him back to try again in another 10/20min. What can I doooo? I want to be as Tule-friendly as I can, but he's driving me a little bit crazy and needs some guidance! The woman who bred him told me that Greys will go through a "terrible two's" phase, when they are around 2-3 years. Well, Tule is in that age range and he sure is being a little terrible. She told me "he will be extra persistent about what he wants, and if you don't want him to do it you have to be just as persistent". Well, okay, but how? I don't want him to hate and/or resent me. I've had birds for years, but never one as intelligent as Tule and it was so much simpler. Any advice is super welcome. Thanks in advance.

Tule has a foot fetish too, except... he likes to bite. If I have his cage door open while I'm doing something (like today I was making dinner...), half the time he'll come out and nip at my feet the whole time!