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Thanks Birdhouse. That's exactly what I was wondering. When you put it into cubic inches, it sounds like a more significant upgrade. Hmmm. Still thinking.

I've been looking into getting Simon a new cage. His is okay, but now that I'm working he's spending more time in his cage and I think bigger might be better. I've also heard that Greys prefer a smaller cage for the first year, and then prefer a bigger cage - Simon will be one year old next month. My local pet store has a really nice Avian Adventure cage on super sale. They only have one, and it's still in the box. It's a dometop Mediana - interior dimensions are 34 x 24 x 40. (See: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3138531 for picture. ) The price is $350 Canadian, which is a real deal. (Cages here in Canada seem to be much more expensive than in the US, and delivery charges are significant too.) The thing is, Simon's current cage isn't much smaller than this one I'm looking at. It's 32 x 22 x 36. Just 2 x 2 x 4 inches difference. Will those few inches make much of a difference to Simon? Or should I look at larger, much more expensive cages?

Katana, I believe you've mentioned in the past that you're a quilter. I'm wondering if you use any of the temporary adhesive sprays like 505. If so, what precautions do you take to protect the birds? And if not, how do you secure your quilt sandwich? I'm new to quilting, and I'd like to use this product but I'm paranoid about its potential to hurt my birds. Thanks!

Honestly, I think my lovebird loves living with a predator. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

I have a cat and three birds. I feel that the birds are *relatively* safe with the cat. The larger parrots are safer than the lovebird. The lovebird teases the cat mercilessly. He divebombs him, teases him, and taunts him. He hovers above him, swoops down within reach, and tries to make the cat chase him. You can't blame the cat for rising to the bait. So far the lovebird has been lucky, but I worry his luck will run out some day. The cat doesn't have as much interest in the bigger birds because they are calmer and less flighty, and they don't tease him. Still, I supervise them all closely when the birds are out of their houses. Better safe than sorry.

I love the Gilbert stories. He's such a wonderful bird.

I was unemployed when I got all my birds, so they got used to having me around most of the time. I started working about six weeks ago, and they've all adjusted to the new schedule. I think they prefer the weekends, when I'm home with them and they can spend more time out of their houses, but they're okay the rest of the time too. In a perfect world, I'd be independently wealthy and could stay home with my birds all the time, and I'd have staff to clean the cages. But my birds seem willing and able to adjust to a less than perfect world. Just bear in mind that a lot of people end up giving up their greys because their circumstances change and they don't have time for them anymore. If you can foresee a time in your future where you won't have enough time for your grey, then you probably shouldn't get one yet.

Don't give up Mike! Put down that bottle and go out and find your bird! Make sure you post notices on your local kijiji and other online boards that advertise lost & found stuff and pets for sale and so on. That's the first place I'd check if I found a lost grey. I really hope you find him. He sounds like a real character. I love the picture of him.

Kazoo: peanut in the shell Oboe: walnut crumbs Simon: pistachio, walnut, almond, peanut, pretty much anything and everything is a treat for him. He especially appreciates food he can hold in his foot. Finger food...or toe food.

Is it possible you used Aloe Vera Gel instead of juice?

Simon's almost 10 months old and he doesn't talk English either. He's a pretty good communicator though. I know when he wants out of his house, when he's hungry, when he wants to cuddle, when he's enjoying his toys, when he's excited, etc. I hope he'll be a talker eventually. But even if he never says a single word in English, I'll never regret getting him. He's pretty wonderful.

Getting a parrot was my way of committing to the future. I had always wanted one, and I had always put it off, thinking I'd do it later when I had more time or more money or something. Then I got cancer and went through all the treatments and really thought about what was important to me. I decided that having a parrot was important. I wondered if I should even consider getting a parrot when I was a cancer survivor (what if it came back and killed me?), but then I decided it was a vote of confidence in my own future. Why an Amazon? I didn't really decide to get an Amazon. I just kept an eye on the available birds on Kijiji. I met a couple of birds - including a 2-year-old Grey - but Kazoo the Double Yellow-Headed Amazon felt like the right bird for me.

Thanks, this is all useful. I don't usually mind if he wants to stay out a little later, especially since I'm working now. I'm just wondering if I'll regret it later on, when he's two years old.

I find that Kazoo (the Amazon) and Simon (the Grey) don't actually fly all that much, even though they're flighted. They might travel from one boing to another, or from a boing to me, but their total flying time is less than a minute for every hour they're out of their cages. Oboe the Lovebird, on the other hand, probably flies 30 minutes out of every hour he's out. He can fly up to the second floor and down to the basement (though he usually doesn't, unless he's going to visit someone). He loves to fly and he's got mad flying skills. The bigger guys, they fly if they really want to go somewhere, but they don't fly recreationally.

I appreciate him so much more now that I've come so close to losing him. He's a pesky little guy, but he's MY pesky little guy!

I find it amazing how different all my three birds are, and how completely I love each of them. My Amazon, Kazoo, is the oldest, and the only girl, and the only re-homed bird. I always ensure that she gets served her food first, and she's the first one I greet in the morning, and the first one whose cage is opened. I can't say exactly why I do that, but intuitively I know that it's important that she gets this special respect.

I don't clip my birds. I feel that flight is integral to their sense of safety and security and to their fundamental identity.

Oboe flew away! Rather than re-tell the whole story, here's a link to my blog post about it.

Simon is 9.5 months old now. He's very sweet and agreeable, but he's starting to show a little more independence. For example, sometimes he'll be sitting on his boing in the window, and I'll decide it's time for all the birds to go back to their houses. I'll reach up and say "Step up," and he'll gently take my finger in his beak and move it away. I figure it's his way of saying "No thank you." I'm not sure how to handle this. If I'm not in a hurry, should I respect his wishes and try again later? Or should I take charge and insist that he return to his cage when I say so?

So far my Amazon, Kazoo, gets into more trouble. But Simon the CAG is only 9 months old. Give him time. They've both been pretty good lately. I think it's because the days are getting shorter.

I came close about five or six years ago. I read extensively on the subject and went to some of the local hobbyist meetings. In the end, my research lead me to the unwanted conclusion that it wasn't the right hobby for me at that time. I was living in an apartment, and didn't have air conditioning. The equipment and metal halide lights would add a great deal of heat to the apartment, and in order to keep the aquarium at the right temperature, I would need to purchase a chiller - which would take the heat out of the water and add it to the apartment. I would also need a backup generator in case the power went out. I decided that I didn't want a hobby that was so dependent on electricity and equipment, and that it didn't make sense for me to do it while living in my apartment. I put it on the "maybe someday" list. But I still love saltwater aquariums and all the fascinating life forms that live within them.

Dave, if TOOs are the second loudest bird, what's the first loudest bird?

I'm starting a new job on Monday. It'll be 9-5, four days a week. This is great, as I need the money. But my biggest worry is leaving my birds alone so much of the time. They're used to having me around and they're used to being out of their houses for a few hours each day. Life has been a big old party for us so far. I'm wondering how much I can adjust their schedules to fit my new work schedule. For instance, I now get up around 7:30, and they all come out for a couple of hours when I get up. They sleep when the sun goes down. Would it be okay to start their day earlier and finish it later? For instance, can I get them up at 6:00 am so they can have some out of cage time before I go to work? And can they stay up later than usual to hang out with me in the evenings? Is it okay if they make up the missed sleep with naps during the day? And what about the weekends? Is it okay to switch back to the old routine on weekends, or should I stick to one routine seven days a week? I'm really going to miss them. And I'm going to worry that they're missing me. If you have any suggestions about how to make it easier for them, I'd love to hear them.

Hey that's great. I'm starting a new job on Monday and I've been worrying about how my birds will fare being alone all day. This will help!

I'm really happy to hear that your experience is that whistling doesn't preclude talking. Especially since it gives Simon so much joy to whistle for me and have me whistle back. His contact call has changed several times since I got him. At first it was a chihuahua bark (I was glad to see the end of that one), and then it was a lovebird call (lovebirds have many wonderful qualities, but their vocals aren't among them), and now it's whistling, which I like, and which I can respond to. I'll still love him even if he never talks, but I really hope he talks.