Kaldi0143

Octane, Willie is 17 yrs old. He's a smart bird. Since this little conversation, we've had several more. He will ask "where'd she go?", talking about my mom when she walks past; or "Who is it?", when someone knocks on the door. I swear, at times it's just like talking to a person. Very cool experience. Really, the only issues we have is his random mood changes, when he decides he wants to bite the crap out of me. We're working on that though. Now that he has been on the floor that one time, he constantly climbs off his perch, wherever it may be and walks the floor all over the house now. Curious about everything.

It's probably definitely not a good behavior that brought on this conversation with, but the shock of the whole thing made it just way too funny. He was perched on my hand. We had just walked back into my room, where his cage is. He had been a good boy, all sweet and letting me pet him and all that. We got about 6 feet from his cage and he all of a sudden clamped down on my finger, not enough to really hurt, but enough to startle me enough to jerk my hand. When I did, he took off flying, circled the room and landed on his cage. As he settled on the top of his cage he starts saying "HAHAHA", bobbing his head and looking at me like "what are you gonna do about it?" I said "I'll make you think HAHAHA, Ass." He tilts his head curiously and says "Whats a matter" I blinked. Did he just really do that? Lol, so I was like "Whats a matter, my foot. You know exactly what you're doing don't you?" He fluffs up his feathers to turn himself into a little grey ball of fury. I started laughing and said "Well. Fine then. I'm going to Bobby's. I'll be back in a little while. You be good." As I was walking to the door, I told him bye bye, see you soon. I was about to turn the overhead light off and he says "Wait a second". I turned around and looked at him and said "what?" He says, "Wanna see *whistle*". He was craning his neck toward the doves, who are little cage birds. They never liked to be handled. So, Willie repeated himself, "Wanna see". I walked back to him and he lifted a foot for me to get him. He stepped up and craned over toward the dove's cage. I asked him "You wanna see the doves?" He answers with "wanna see" again. So, I took him over there and let him see the doves. He spent a good 3 minutes checking them and their cage out, then said "Want down", then started craning his neck toward the floor. So. I lowered my hand and he walked off onto the floor. First time he's been on the floor since he's been with me. He cautiously looked around the room, checking out shoes and my daughter's stuffed animals. He got to the door then got nervous and started lifting his foot like "come get me now". I got him and took him into the kitchen where I was talking to mom about the whole thing and he started fluffing feathers at me like he was mad. I asked him what was wrong, he answered (I think) "Juice". It was said with a whistle, so I'm not 100% sure about that one. I got him some apple juice and he calmed down. The whole thing left me shocked. I've honestly never had a conversation with a bird before. Was very cool. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Willie does that; talks when I'm walking away or when I'm in another room. He adds whistles and clicks in the middle of his mumbled sentences too, so that makes it harder to understand him. He's coming around so that I can hear what he's saying, sometimes, now though, and he just started doing that a couple of days ago.

I honestly find myself whistling at Willie all the time. When I leave the room, we whistle back and forth to each other in different tones or tunes. He's just now starting to talk around me, but he's 17 years old. Could be just a matter of getting settled in. Of course I'm no where near a parrot expert, but I've had little talkers in the past, and they always said things they heard in repetition. Give it a little time and encouragement. Your little guy will probably pipe up soon enough. I wouldn't think whistling would negatively influence their talking really.

So, today my daughter comes in the room with a handful of vanilla wafers. Some for her, and some for me. I broke off a piece and gave it to Willie. He ate it in a hurry then started saying "Cookie, Cookie..." over and over. I gave him another piece and it was gone just as quick as the first. Apparently my boy likes "cookies". Ha! I didn't give him too much because of the sugar. I hope it's safe to give little bites of vanilla wafers now and then....

I kind of have the same issue with Willie at times. His mood changes so fast. One second he's all fine and happy with me doing whatever, then he just randomly lunges and bites me. I've taken some pretty rough pinches from that beak of his. I know it comes down to "if I don't trust him, he won't trust me", but dang, it hurts and I can't help but to yank my arm away >.< He usually gets me on my wrist. I broke down and ordered some Kevlar arm protectors from Amazon. Between his beak and his nails, my poor arm has been through hell. When I wear the arm protectors, I have more confidence that its not gonna hurt like hell and I don't draw back. After a couple of biting attempts, he realizes I'm not going to pull away and his whole mood changes and he's cooperative and content. I still handle him without the sleeves sometimes, and I still take bites, but he's not as bad. As far as the pants chewing thing, Willie does that too, so I've gotten to where I wear pants that I don't mind him gnawing on and if he gets too deep I blow on him and he stops and looks at me like "uhm?"

Thanks Dave! I'll try it out

I'm new with my boy too and there are plenty of times where he's rather psycho acting... But then there are those moments, usually either in the early morning or in the evening, where he'll let me handle him. He usually ends up on my leg with his beak down and eyes closed while I scratch and pet him all over. He's even gotten to where I can mess with his wings and tail feathers sometimes. Huge improvement from when I first got him. Those little moments are soooo worth the patience. I am constantly readjusting how I approach him. Toys come and go. One day he's cool with them, and some days he's terrified of them. Last night the rubber band on my desk was going to eat him, and today he was playing with it. I think Katana has a good idea, as far as moving the cage. Maybe just a change of perspective will break the cycle for him... My boy also stays on top of his cage... When I let him go back to his cage I think it is because he's been locked up for the past two years at least, maybe longer, and I've offered him the freedom of seeing life outside of the bars. He rarely goes in there anymore. I have different types of perches in every room of the house, and once I get him off the cage (which is a job at times), I take him with me everywhere I go. Once he's off the cage, he's fine. He steps up and is polite, for the most part; but when I let him fly back to the cage, or perch him there, he instantly turns into insane bird that wants to rip off fingers. It usually takes a while of me talking to him and little gentle rubs to his beak, despite him wanting to chomp down. Once he realizes I'm not going to flinch or pull away from him trying to bite me, his whole attitude changes and he'll lift a foot to step up. Do you play a radio around him? My boy seems to calm down a little when I play music instead of having the TV on. Worth a try. It's little things. Good luck! I'm in the same boat sometimes, and it's a constant learning process for both parrot and parent

Dave, you're so full of awesome birdie info! Thanks for all of your input. It really helps a novice parrot owner like myself! On some topics, I've gotten more info from what you've said than I did looking online for it... Or at least had a better understanding from the way you put things.

I got Willie from an elderly couple at an assisted living place that I used to work at. The woman said that if she ever got to the point that she couldn't take care of him anymore that she'd find him a new home. When she gave him to me, she said there were only two people that she would trust to take care of him, and that was either me or my boyfriend's mom. Pretty big compliment, and showed a lot of trust to let me take her baby. He's 17 and has been with them since he was about 6 months old. He and I are getting along real well for me to have only had him a week. His life has completely changed, but he's adapting well to it all. He certainly lets me know what he's ready for and what he won't accept just yet (like that rubber band that was going to eat him yesterday... Ha!).

Thanks Barbara2 Even if they don't ever come back, he's still my pretty boy and I'll love him just the same anyway. Guess time will tell.

I got my Cag, Willie, last week. His previous owners were an elderly couple who had him since he was about 6 months old. He's 17 now. The woman promised that if or when she got to the point that she couldn't care for him anymore, she'd find a new home for him. That point came, probably a couple of years ago when they first moved into an assisted living place, but about two months ago, he started plucking his feathers on his chest, and that's what made her give in finally. Well. I found out from her that for the past couple of years, she just hadn't really interacted with him anymore, he spent all of his time in his cage, and was never handled. He had one toy in there that was rather worn. They had also changed his food from a mixture of stuff to only sunflower seeds. I'm guessing it was probably a mixture of diet and boredom that had him plucking the feathers off his chest. I've read up some on if plucked feathers grow back, and I keep seeing that it depends on if there was follicle damage. This whole thing is a new one for me and I honestly don't know how to tell if there is follicle damage. It looks like he has two new little growths popping up, but I guess we'll just have to see. Since he's been with me, he's out of his cage, he's eating good and has lots of toys and stimuli. I haven't seen one feather on the floor or in the cage, and I haven't seen him trying to pluck. Any ideas how to tell if there is follicle damage, or is that something a vet has to tell me? Any ideas how long it might take for them to grow back, if they will? I'm going to get my boy banded and microchipped soon, but in the meantime, I was wondering if anyone on here could appease some of my curiosity on the subject.

Ha! My Willie just watched the video with me. I'm guessing it was a lovey sound by the way he was paying such close attention. Poor baby, that was a hard fall she had. Glad she's getting better though.

I'm a Spring chicken! I remember when I was a tiny tot, we didn't have to have carseats and riding in the back of the truck was legal!

... And Zoom.... That is a HUGE cat! He/she is about as big as my Great Pyrenees!

Aw. I can relate to your story, CarolC. When we had those tornadoes back in April (in Alabama), I took in a little beagle that had lost his home from Phil Campbell (one of the hardest hit towns). We looked for his owners for about 2 months, but no one has ever called or emailed or anything. We still have him, named him after the town he was found in. I posted him up on Facebook... There were a lot of "Lost pets from the tornadoes" pages of people looking for their pets. We had adds in newspapers of several towns and contacted vets and humane society and the animal shelters. Parrot owners seem to be a community of their own... Check all the parrot forums. The owners may be on one of them complaining about losing their bird. It's worth a try. Either way, best of luck to you and your new feathery friend. They are a hoot and very addictive. When it comes to getting her to engage with you, just give her time and work at her speed. She'll let you know what she wants and doesn't want. As far as talking, she'll probably start "saying" more as she gets more comfortable with you. Could be a new mimic, like the cat, or whistles or clicks or words. Don't be surprised to find yourself randomly clicking or whistling when you're home, whether you're in the room with her or not. Seems like I find myself doing that all the time.

I think my boy is just bipolar. One second he's all lovey and sweeet, then "nip!" Comes out of no where. He's like a wonderful feathery ball of perfectness, then I turn my back for a half a second and he's instantly transformed into an evil feathery ball of "GRRRR"! Heh. He either doesn't wanna be messed with at that very second in time, or I quit petting him and made him mad. I've already got him figured out. I just got him him about a week ago and we are still in that "setting limits" period. He's really come a long way with me. I'm surprised he'll even let me near him to be honest. There are some times he's all cool and happy and he lets me scratch him all over and wants to be on my arm or leg. Sweet wonderful bird that everyone wold LOVE to have. Then there are times when he's ready to rip fingers off (only barely exaggerated ) if you even walk by him. Even though he is part demon, he and I have already got this interesting friendship going for us, and already I'm attached to him. He's the perfect distraction to stress and boredom. He's my bird and it's obvious to anyone who knows how the two of us are. Lol... Maybe partly because everyone else knows better than to get within 4" of him. >.< I am working on his social skills. If I hand him off from my arm, he's okay with whoever and very polite. They just can't get him from his cage, and even I have to be "invited" to handle him from there. Hopefully this phase will pass. *crossing fingers* He's 17 and had been with the same family all his life, and for the past two years (or more) he hasn't been handled. His previous owner admitted that she just didn't interact with him anymore. They are an older couple - late 80's and early 90's - so, getting up to get the bird, or dealing with his nails just wasn't something they did anymore. Knowing those two, I'd bet that they haven't been very social people for the most part anyway, much less training Willie (CAG) to be a social boy. I have gotten him to where he rarely goes in his cage, only at night or when outside really. We've even compromised on new food and water bowls that go outside of his cage. (I know, I don't have pics on here yet. For some reason, the uploader won't let me!)

Thanks!! I've read through several threads throughout the site, wonderful info! I'm glad I registered. As far as pictures go, I have to find a photo site to post my pics to, then get them on here. In the meantime though, I'll try posting my Facebook link so you guys can see my little plethora of fuzzy and feathered friends including Willie! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.150969554939371.22390.100000789813869&type=1 Hope that link works!

I just realized how terrible my typing was in that original post. Hope you all can read typo well enough! <3

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. I agree that Willie and I are off to a great start. I guess right now we are just setting limits with each other. I was surprised today, he let me pull his wings out to scratch under them. He seemed to love that. I brought him in the shower with me today too. He doesn't like to be -in- the water, but doesn't mind me holding him close enough for the mist to spray on him. That seemed to really put him in a good mood. He is a CAG. Pics are still on my phone. I need to get them downloaded to the PC. About the chicken bones, his previous owner said he loves those. He also loves to crumble peanut shells. We go outside every day, well when its not raining, of course. I keep him in his cage out there for now, but he seems content. He pays attention to EVERYTHING out there. So far the only words he's said are "No" and today he said either "Oh Willie", or "Oh really", I couldn't tell which it was. I don't think it'll be long, he'll be talking up a storm. Katana, thanks for that little tip about the different things to ask his previous owner about. I didn't think about some of those things, and those are things I need to know about him. Chezron, I worked up at the assisted living place for a little over a year, in the salon. I used to do the lady's hair. When she finally decided to find him a new home, the only two people she would let him go to was either me, or my boyfriend's mom. They have this little dog that is probably about as old as Willie is, and when I took Willie away, the dog wouldn't let him out of site. It was so sad. The woman calls me daily to see how Willie is doing. I promised I'd bring him back to visit from time to time. This woman is in her late 80's and her husband is in his early 90's.

Hello everyone! Last week, I found myself the new parent to a 17 year old Grey. His previous owners were an elderly couple that lived in an assisted living place here in town. The woman promised herself that if she ever got to the point that she couldn't take care of him (Willie), that she'd find him a good home. That time finally came... About 2 years ago, really, but she just now had the heart to let him go. Since they moved into the assisted living place, Willie has been in his cage all the time, and she admitted that she just never really interacted with him much anymore, that he was "just there". About a month ago, he started plucking out the feathers on his chest, and that's what got her to give in. She's had him since he was about 6 months old. It's a big change for her and Willie. She calls me every day to see how he's doing. At first, he took to me okay enough, but then a few days went by where he really didn't want anything to do with me. Made sense. I wasn't his family. Well, I know you're not supposed to do the whole "leave the cage door open and he'll come out when he wants to" thing, but that's exactly what I did. I didn't want to put him through he stress of me just reaching in and taking him out of his safe place. He did make his way out on the third day, and now he rarely goes back in except for at night or when he's hungry. We've made big improvements over this past week, which I think is a good sign for it to be so soon for him. He'll let me know when I am invited to handle him, and other times, he's just fine with me scratching him all over, as long as I don't try and make him step up. Then, there are the times were he wants to be just left completely alone. It's during those times that he is flat out mean. He didn't have any toys in his cage when I got him, so I went on a birdie shopping spree the other day and got him several toys. He's taken to a couple of them, but the others, he doesn't acknowledge. I'm guessing that has to do with so much change at once. Now. I have owned several birds in the past, and since 2004, we've had two white doves, but this is the first "large" bird I've ever had. I've read up on a ton of articles and info since the night I got him, and I think I have a good idea on where to go with him, but I wonder if any of you guys could give me some tips on helping him settle in, especially with his age and all. He has stopped his feather plucking since he's been with me, which I'm happy about. He has a bald spot on his chest though. Will that ever grow back? He will eat some things I offer him from my hand, and for the most part, he's polite about accepting whatever I offer him... Sometimes he tosses it as far as he can as soon as I let go though. He's not really flipping his food everywhere, which is happy for me. I take it as I got him the right kind of stuff. I did find out today that he loves 7UP, which is probably baaaad. Heh. He hasn't started talking yet, which his previous owner said he used to talk all the time, but I'm guessing that may be part of settling in. He does whistle and click, and has just opened up with this cool water noise when we pour something or run the tap water. Usually he whistles when he's ready for attention. I haven't figured out his random clicks yet. Anyway. I could sit here and write a book, so I'll hush. Any tips would be awesome though!