kins2321@yahoo.com

New babies, shouldn't go anywhere, for at least six months. Developing trust, routine and diet, are very important. New stressors, are up to the parent. I believe it can set you back several years. My goal, of six months, was always successful for all my birds. Nancy

NOT liking it, but trusting daddy or mama, is a HUGE difference! Introduction to life. Nancy

Birds and other animals pick us! Just stop and listen Nancy

What a cutie! Nancy

I suspected you either had asthma,or COPD. Headaches are common also with COPD. You are probably an ex, or current smoker. I am not judging! Go get a pulmonary function test. Not related to your bird, but the mold exposure. Go see your doctor! He can help you. Nancy

Kiki our Amazon LOVED opera! It drove us nuts! We played phantom of the Opera several times for her. She was in birdy heaven! Everyone else, including us, just tolerated it. Perfect pitch... she would start practicing...revving up... a perfect time to walk the dog! Then you have Sophie, our grey, practicing rap! Betwine the opera and rap... I was good to pretend I didn't live there! Nancy

Prob B it is! Get your baby home. Let baby settle and just get acquainted with cage, food and you! Thats all you can ask for! DON"T stress about the travel plan... baby will pickup on your stress level! Enjoy your baby.Don't work on travel cage. Your baby will have no clue what you are asking. They are like newborns and just work off of trusting you. See how your baby progresses. Nancy

I truly feel for you! When we decided we needed to give Sunny a forever home, it was only decided when all got tested for allergies. Both kids are asthmatics and no way was I going to let them have a pet they were allergic too. ( I had a cat when I was nine that I was severely allergic too and wheezed forever!) Everyone negative including me. As you said, cleaning the old magazines, mold exposure was too much for you. Now you have chronic rhinitis due to the mold exposure. Doesn't mean your bird is making it worse. You may not be allergic at all! Do you think you have undiagnosed asthma? Do you wheeze or get short of breath at all? If you have tolerated Misty for all this time, I don't think Misty will exacerbate your symptoms but you need to take precautions until things settle down. Wear a mask when cleaning moldy areas and bird cage. Do as Dave said regarding dander. I had an ionizer machine when growing up. ( charlcoal filter), made a big difference for me. I also take an over the counter allergy medicine. Your immune system is in overdrive! Requires a visit to your physician. For me... Zyrtec, works wonders! For you...thats up to your physician. Sometimes kids or myself have had to do low dose steroids when things have become chronic. 48 hours later....we are new human beings. You have chronic histamine release and things don't seem to be settling down. Go to your doctor, and nip it in the butt. You don't need to suffer. Its an easy fix Nancy

The important thing is to establish a seed diet. We are good with Harrison's. VERY limited seeds. Sophie has eaten dinner with us past 14 years. Has her own plate! Not for everyone. Fresh veggies was thrown at the walls for several months when we first got her. Fruits were hated! We introduced over and over healthy, eventually she would try it. The success to Sophie's diet, was she LOVED grilled. Veggies, fruits, meat. If I grill it... she LOVES and tries it. I am not a great baker, so I am sure birdies bread would work just as well. Nancy

Interesting history, regarding the " red factor". BUT... If you do it right... the bird picks you. Of course, meet the other birds, but it sounds like this little girl has chosen you. Nancy

All animals need to be supervised... some more than others! When Sophie was a youngster, I had to be extra careful with Sophie and guinea pigs. My dogs were pups, so they had to be supervised that they didn't hurt her during play. No more guinea pigs, and Sophie and Ollie are the last of the friends. I now just supervise during Ollie's eating. He won't attack Sophie, but I never take a chance, and he has a right to eat his breakfast stress free. Other than that, I don't supervise them anymore. On the weekends, if I oversleep, they are both at my door. One scratching with their paw, the other knocking with their beak. While I love cats, I can't imagine this kind of friendship. Nancy

birdhouse is " spot on" with all advice, last several postings! I hope you can get prop A. Even if you have to pay extra for room and board, it would be worth it! Holidays are stressful enough. It would be great to start your baby's new life after the Holidays, and only having to welcome to new cage, diet and you! Nancy

I am a firm believer, cats and birds don't mix. ( I do love cats!) It was a lot of work, to get pups and birds to coexist. It was possible, and done! When I got home once, my Amazon was in danger, and my dog let me know. Ollie saved Kiki's life. She was trapped under a gate and on her last breath. I did CPR, got her back. Kiki never forgot Ollie ever again. They became best friends. Nancy

You have got to know your grey! Thats the deciding factor. If Sophie as a baby was on a train, she would freak. If Sophie was on a train today, she would be chattering nonstop in her travel cage, and would be perfectly comfortable. Passengers would be thrilled to travel with her, as she likes to make new friends nancy

So good to hear Alfie did well! You don't sound like you were punished too much, which is a good thing! Sophie was such a brat when she was a youngster, and made sure I suffered for 24-48 hours. I took my lumps...sucked up, even though I felt no guilt. ( I pretended to though!) Once she felt my penance was done, she acted like nothing happened! Our greys can be monsters! LOL! ( gotta love them!) Nancy

I have learned several things as a bird owner when I was new, and didn;t know anything. number 1 I know nothing! number 2 I have three birds of different origins, still know nothing. number 3 I have three cages number 4I can only do open cage concept number 5I need to teach step up and step down for all my birds. During all my plans... my birds just decided to all move in together. Three cages down to one. They liked to be together and its been that way forever. Nancy

You don't need to ask for an apology. You need to say " You are amazing with dogs", I need your help. I am planning to follow the advice of a web site that I follow and trust. I am asking you " to do what they suggest, and support me 100%" Don't argue or complain... I want to try this! I NEED you! If I did this, with several friends that I have supported, they would zip their lip, as most of my friends are stubborn or opinionated ( okay... so am I}...they would be there for me, as I am there for them. I would support my girlfriend, as I am doing this week, to put her New foundlands butt in the car for her vaccines! She is a year behind. She thinks she needs four people, I think we will be fine with the two of us. Nancy

You should be proud that noodles adjusted to a new diet so quickly! Yay for noodles and you... Noodles sounds pretty adaptable, so work on his diet. Even those fresh fruits and veggies that got thrown against the wall for a few months with Sophie, got reintroduced and accepted, after a few months. ( raspberries peels off the paint when scrubbed!) As Sterling said, outsmart him! You can hide quite nutritious things with birdie bread, etc. I am not a good cook, but I'm pretty good at the grill. Fruits, veggies, meat.Sophie tends to eat dinner with us, has her own plate( not a good habit!). Her diet is quite balanced. She has her pellets. Seeds are few and far between. Nancy

It was so much fun. I thought of it as an adventure driving down during a possible hurricane! ( I am not stupid though!) My girlfriend is a nervous ninny, so when we hit torrential down pours and flash flooding... I didn't wake my friend. ( I needed to focus on the road!) We had three days of sun. Fishing was awesome! My son and nephew went deep sea fishing for a day, and caught 35 pounds of fish. What a fantastic time! Nancy

NEVER force your bird to step up, step down. Open the cage door, play games, read a book, encourage them to come out. Grey time only. Once they decide to step up on the door... just say hello! Sophie couldn't resist, as we play lots of games, and walked out to us. It was always about " sophie time!" Nancy

Sophie will step up, step down, step side ways! All about training and trust! Trust... is the most important. Step up... step down even if you don't go anywhere. Most greys are territorial over their cage, so I always liked to work with Sophie, away from cage.When she stepped up, I gave her a tour of home. She was thrilled. Next time she stepped up... another tour, and something interesting to learn! She couldn't get enough BUT... first I had to satisfy her oral needs, and she had to trust me. Step up, step down. Read a book in front of cage... no expectations! Goodnite kiss nancy

Patience is key, but also our expectations is just as important. So NO.... they can be an angel,NO shoulder! You just shoo them down to wrist... vacumn... clean... NO SHOULDER! Thats just me... Sophie let me know when she understood what I expected of her. It took six months... but the end result was a fantastic bird, understood what I expected of her, no biting, well socialized, and I have a BEST friend. First, I am her mom ( ROM), second, I keep her safe with new life experiences, 3rd, I introduce her to new experiences and people.It worked for me and family. Nancy

What a horrible experience for your baby! Calm down... contact your new vet and ask for an appointment, as soon as possible. Your baby needs supplemental feedings, and you need to learn how to do this. Get in right away, this is an emergency. Take a deep breath... many of us have had to do supplemental feedings, and have survived. Your baby is freaking out ( rightfully), so you need to be calm, and learn. Where do you live? I would be over in a heartbeat if in Rochester, NY. Nutrition, is the most important. Every thing else, is secondary. Nancy

Not only a lovely lady... just look at those feathers totally happy and ruffled with contentment! Take one day at a time. Some just get a " honeymoon stage", some wait for it... and it never happens. Nancy

luvparrots... I am so sorry about Lily... I can so relate about the loss of a best friend.I can't do it anymore so won't be getting any new pets either. Nancy