Barbara2

I love this bird but tonight I put on my favorite shirt. It's a long sleeved polo, beige with a silver Mickey Mouse on the breast. I got it in Disney World. I put it on tonight and noticed two little holes compliments of my little boy. (I think he's trying to "preen" me and the shirt is the closest thing to feathers he can find.) Lesson learned...don't wear a good shirt when you are holding a cuddly bird. Or don't wear a good shirt when the bird is nearby but you are on the phone and ignoring him. What is your "I love my bird BUT" story?

Congratulations! You are learning his language!! I don't have any problem getting Neo to step up when he is in his cage. Usually he is running for the door to come out as soon as he sees me. It's when he's on his play stand or my chair and I need to put him back in the cage. He doesn't bite but he lowers his head down past his feet so I can't get my hand in there. (That also says, "Don't put me back. Scratch my head!!!!!)

Thank you for that update! I was wondering how he was doing. I'm glad to hear that you first recognized that something wasn't right and got him to the vet for a diagnosis and medication. It's a reminder to all of us to pay attention to our bird's cues.

Thank you for the update, Talon. I've been wondering about Nilah. I'm very happy that she is healing nicely!

I really appreciate stories like this so I know what to expect but it also scares me! I can't imagine my sweet boy biting me. I'm not looking forward to that!!

No shame at all! That is really nice!

That's great! (I love his British accent!)

I have so much, I wouldn't even know where to begin. I really do have a wonderful life. Not to sound sappy but I am very thankful for this forum. I might not agree with every piece of advice but I do appreciate and respect the wisdom of all the members. (I REALLY miss Jay and Maggie!) I like the disagreements almost as much as the agreements because they make me think and teach me something. I am grateful for the sharing of special moments, even the ones that don't have the happy endings. I'm glad we have a place to come and share our accomplishments and heartaches. Thank you all.

Great description! I feel like I'm there celebrating with you. And the pictures are awesome!!!

LOL! That's outstanding!

It's not the best thing to do but if you can't get him in any other way, it would be necessary. It sounds like it is very important that he be seen by a vet. If you had the time, you could entice him in there by putting in a favorite toy, treats and hope that he would go in on his own. That would be the ideal but obviously not a workable plan if he doesn't cooperate.

What a great slide show. My favorite is the water droplets coming out of the squirt bottle. Very arty!!

That is true, but birds in the wild don't have access to pellets, and they don't live as long. I think good pellets are advantageous but must be supplemented with good food. ETA: He's talking about seeds to pellets. Pellets are certainly better than seeds only.

I'm surprised it took this long! Neo is a baby and he has his moments where he attacks his toys and makes his jungle noises! But at night he snuggles in my lap and purrs. It's not really a purr. It sounds more like an "ahhhhhh". I know I have to enjoy the moment much like a baby child when they like to snuggle. Then they reach the age when that's just not cool anymore. I'm ready to enjoy each age as it comes.

Good things come to those who wait. :cool:

Think of him like a child you adopted. You train him as you would a child. Some children acclimate quicker than others. You have to take all the cues from Gary. He might be ready now. He might be ready in two weeks, or two months. The first trick is finding his motivator. Peanuts might be his favorite but it might be something else that the previous owners never tried. (Pine nuts?) For my baby bird right now it's a stick to chew on and petting. He would do anything for me right now if I would just stand there and scratch his head! That might not be the case two years from now so I'm enjoying it while I can!!!

I hear you, birdnut. I have two parrots that I have had for sixteen years. Neither of them have made me as nervous as Neo. He is just different.

I swore I just responded to this but it's not there? Anyway. You might need to spend a little extra money and try some different pellets. I had all three of my fids on Zupreem Natural. (No artificial colors.) I decided I wanted to try one of the "better" pellets and got TOPs. The TAG and Hahn's didn't take to it but the Senegal prefers it so I will have to keep ordering it for my spoiled baby. I then tried Harrison's. None of them like that. So the TAG and Hahn's will stay on Zupreem Natural and I will order TOPs for the Senegal.

Neo had one of those. He freaked, flew and ran into a wall. He had a feather (not a big flight feather) sticking out. There was no blood. I figured it was just out of place and he would fix it with preening. That didn't happen. After a few days I saw it in the bottom of the cage. It took care of itself.

I have a baby and he is motivated by me scrathing his head and having a stick to chew on. The only treat he has shown any interest in is a pine nut. It's truly a crap shoot and you just have to try different things. What works for one grey doesn't work for the next.

I wish I could help. My little TAG boy is not quite six months old and he is such a cuddler! I'm frightened to think that he could turn on me and become a demon. I hope to learn from you and figure out how to correct or not encourage this behavior. My heart is with you and I hope this gets fixed for everyone's sake.

The quivering chest is another bit of the grey language. It might mean, "I want you to pick me up." It might mean, "You are making me nervous". Time will teach you what he is trying to tell you.

Thanks! I was not familiar with that.

I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by the rival method. I personally have found the tips given by Barbara Heidenreich to be the most effective. (And no, I am not her! LOL!) If you do a search for her on You Tube you can find a lot of good stuff.

Neo came to me with a modest clip also. He is not quite 6 months old so his flight feathers have not grown back in but he is quite good at flying and landing now. I'm planning to leave him flighted and not clip.