JeffNOK

Love the pic! Really sweet. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing. Neytiri looks like a happy healthy bird. Gracie, my CAG, likes Doritos!!

That is an interesting question. I certainly knew Gracie was my little girl when I first met her, but we had to get to know each other and bond over time. I think it really hit home how much I loved her after she was about 8 months old and I had a dream that I found her dead at the bottom of her cage. In my dream I was just broken to pieces. When I woke up I ran to uncover her cage and saw her sitting there happily ready to greet the day. I was so relieved I almost cried.

Thanks for the report. Sounds like things are moving ahead smoothly.

Luna has such a sweet little face! I'm glad that amidst this trial you have bonded. Glad to see you back and keep us posted. Prayers are with you and Luna.

Kitt4Kaz: Gracie is almost 17 months old. I have had her just about one year.

It's been a while since Gracie has allowed me to film her without going mute. I figured my best bet was to give her a bath and then leave the room. It worked this time. Most of what you will hear/see is pretty clear, but I will give you an abridged transcript here: Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie is a smarty pants Kitty kitty kitty--meow Where's the kitty meow Gracie is a chicken--cluck cluck Wanna see Bill (my father's name) Wanna see Daddy Wanna touch--Gracie wanna touch. Many of you may know that Gracie doesn't like hands and gets scared if I try to touch her except when stepping up. Well I have changed my strategy and rather than trying to touch Gracie I just hold my hand out (fingers down because she hates fingers) and let her come to me and touch me. Whenever she says "wanna touch" I come to her and present my hand and she touches me gently with her beak. Sometimes she even sort of rubs my hand. It is progress, http://s1224.beta.photobucket.com/user/JeffNOK/media/smartypants001_zps7dee977a.mp4.html#/user/JeffNOK/media/smartypants001_zps7dee977a.mp4.html?&_suid=135603855654202716071469368958

From your description your bird really likes you. If your grey hated you he would not allow cuddles or follow you around.

I joined the forum a year before I brought my grey home and it really was a great educational tool and resource. Since you have parrot experience you are a bit ahead of the game, but greys are unique and hopefully you will gain useful info here. Welcome.

Your introduction made me smile. As an American, I had no idea what a chaved up Corsa was! I called a British friend of mine in Sheffield for a translation. From his description I'm glad you don't drive one. "Toodle Pip" to you and welcome to the forum.

How dare that nut?!?! It had it coming.

Gracie sings Jesus Loves Me--but she sometimes changes the lyrics to "Yes Jesus wants some cheese.". She doesn't have the most melodious voice however. She kind of sounds like a drunk sailor with nasal congestion. I just smile and tell her she sounds like Sarah Brightman.

Felix is a beautiful TAG. My grey enjoys her baths as well. I'm so glad because many don't. One less thing to stress about. Gracie always gets very happy and chatty after a bath. Is Felix the same way?

Thanks Jayd for the list of forum members and their different birds.. One thing I love about the forum is that I probably will be a one bird man for the forseeable future. I like to hear about the other species because they are so varied and special. I guess I live vicariously. Whenever I buy a lottery ticket I imagine winning the jackpot and buying a big house with room for an aviary and all kinds of different parrots.

Jayd--your response was fine. I certainly didn't take any offense. I'm glad to know we have some Toos represented here in the forum and I look forward to hearing more about them.

I spend an average of 8 hours a day with my grey. I wake up at 6:30 and spend from 6:30 to 8:30 with Gracie before I go to work. I get home from work at about 2: 15. After work, most days I stay home and spend from 2:15 to 9:15 with Gracie before she goes to bed. On those days it totals about 9 hours. On Mondays and Wednesdays I am gone for two hours for some other commitments, so it is reduced to 7 hours. I tend to only do social things on weekends when I don't have to work, but she gets a good 13 hours on those days (6:30 AM-7:30PM). It has been said that greys need 4+ hours a day of one on one time. I think Gracie would be ok with that amount of time because she is relatively independent, but I know that she values our time together and I try to give her as much as I can.

Jayd, I'm sorry if I gave any wrong impression. I wasn't making any claims really-it was just an observation. I see so many posts from people that include pics of their flock and comments about life with their birds, and I just never see Toos. Perhaps there are many who have them, I just didn't have the chance to hear about them like I get to read about the Amazons and some of the other bird species here. Of course this is the Grey Forum. Greys will be predominant. My post wasn't intended in any way other than to pose a question based on my my very limited experience. I hope it didn't come across that I was anti-Too. I mean...wow...Toos are completely amazing. I love all birds equally. I just saw a pattern (perhaps misinformed). I have no doubt that we are a mixed bag here-Mixed bags are the best kind of bags! I just based my comment on what I have seen here, and I hadn't seen much evidence that many people had both Toos and greys. If I was wrong in that, I'm sorry.

This post got me thinking. There are many people in greyforums with multiple birds of many species. What struck me early on was that there seemed to be an absence of Toos represented. Toos are extremely popular, yet among the many fid parronts here, it seems almost noone shares life with a Too ( Greywings being an exception). Macaws also seem very under-represented. It is common to see grey parronts with Amazons, conures, senegals, or budgies..but where are the Toos? When I first started researching parrots I was initially attracted to the idea of a Too, but in very short order I thought "amazing birds...not for me." Do any of you think "grey people" and "Too people" have basically different personalities? Why aren't there more Toos here?

There is no black and white answer. My only concern is that if the 12 year old is the primary care giver, what happens when it's time for college and marriage and life unforseen? Is now the time to make a lifelong commitment when all of life is ahead and so much is uncertain? So so many things lie ahead. If this is to be a family bird, that changes things, but if it is to be the lifelong partner of a 12 year old-- very serious soul searching is called for in my opinion. I have no doubts that a mature 12 year old with knowledge about and love and respect for a grey could be a greyt parront. But serious planning and thought should precede any decisions.

A few weeks ago I had a cold and had many nasty bouts of coughing fits. Now when I leave the room and don't return quickly enough Gracie will start this horrible irritating cough that sounds like it came from a 90 year old chain smoker. They sure know how to pick 'em don't they?

Sweeter than a bus full of salt water taffy soaked in honey and spinkled with powdered sugar! What I wouldn't give for that. I have had my CAG Gracie almost a year and have never touched her head or neck. Enjoy it!

Kins: I hope you are right. I've never been nervous around Gracie or feared a bite--but when the face is involved it gets dicey. I believe she was just playing, and hopefully she understands now that biting is not play. Fingers crossed she has gotten the message.

Thanks for sharing. You have a beautiful curious little girl.

Over the last few days since I posted, Gracie has started to say "Sorry, no bite" "Gracie want a kiss!". I have been able to kiss her without incident, although once she started to open her beak a bit and I said "No bite". She stopped. The "Sorry" is so weird. I probably say it to her very occassionally if I bump her cage or her perch or drop something and make a loud noise. It is not a daily thing by any means. I can understand the "no bite" because I meant for it to leave an impression, but for her to put together the "Sorry" + "No Bite" + "Gracie want a kiss"==I'm just very surprised. I wish I could get some of this on video, but when the camera comes out, she goes mute and looks at me like "you gotta be kidding".

I saw this on the Today Show this morning. Thought it was kinda cool http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/dec/07/3