Timbersmom

Many of us have other pets in the house. I have four cats. You have to be vigilant all the time. Timber is never allowed on the floor. Once in awhile he will fly and land on the floor, but I'm always there to scoop him up. That said, my cats have never shown much interest in Timber. He is more interested in attracting their attention and pursuing them. If I had a cat who had been outside, been a hunter etc. I would be more worried than I already am. I either lock the cats away or lock Timber in the cage if I am not able to give their whereabouts and activities total attention. Wish it wasn't this way, but there it is!

That's great Nancy! Timber is well aware of what "no bite" means and the consequences. There are just times when he is willing to accept the cage time he knows is coming to give me the spite bite. I really think they are like people more than we realize in temperament and personality. By that I mean they are all different. Having three boys, I can tell you that they are all very different. I have one son that I call "Timber II" now. He is extremely bullheaded and will risk dire consequences at times just to make his point!

If he is calm and there isn't any activity going around when he comes out, I wouldn't think he would fly wildly. That usually happens when they are scared or startled. Usually when they fly they have a destination in mind. No guarantees though! I'd make sure his room is quiet and there isn't a chance of him startling when he come out. Make sure you don't make sudden moves, raise your voice etc. initially. I have no experience with a fully flighted bird though, so wait for some of the more experienced grey owners to chime in! You need to control your fear, he can sense that. It doesn't promote trust. Most of us have to prepare ourselves for the fact that we will get bit. Maybe not today, tomorrow, or this month, but it will happen and that is especially true when you first bring them home. You have to be prepared to grit your teeth and withstand the pain until you can get them safely to a perch and off of you. Sounds hard? It is. You can't just fling them off which is the first instinct, because that could injure or kill them. The more excited you get, the more excited they get. Ideally, you grit your teeth, show no reaction, and do your crying in another room There are other suggestions in other threads, and I'd encourage you to do a lot of reading. It has helped me a lot. I kept a small wooden dowel near at all times. I'd use it to distract him and get him to detach from my arm or hand. Then I'd go in the bathroom alone, voice my displeasure alone, soak up the blood and cleanse the wounds. I don't want to make it sound worse than it is, but Timber doesn't let go until blood is drawn if he is seriously upset. If you are fortunate, you will just get the pinching bruise.

Hearing the expanding vocabulary is always so exciting! As to the baby crying, who knows! You'll just have to hope for the best on that one. Timber makes four distinct "meows." One of them sounds like a very distressed cat (think tail caught in door). He uses that one most because he knows it is guaranteed to bring me running. Ha.

Hello and welcome to you and Rebel! Guess you could go with Reba? Sounds like you are off to a great start with him. Good luck and God bless

Hello and welcome Good advice from all the posts here. Yes, sit close to the cage and speak softly or read. She will either some close (my rehomed TAG did that even when he was new to our home and was scared of all of us) or move farther away. Just continue to sit. With time, she will get curious/adjusted and come closer. Also, the point about getting all the info you can from the previous owner about her likes and dislikes is extremely helpful. Good luck and God bless.

Yes, so sorry to hear that Sterling!

Yes, thanks for the recipe! That looks great. I used one I found there for pet odor that worked better than anything I have bought, and I've bought them all (one of my cats had a urinary tract infection and I didn't know it). It was baking soda, peroxide, and dish liquid. I was amazed at the results, and at the cost.

Yes, good read and lots of info.

Ahhh how sweet it is to make progress!

If Timber is on my right arm and I pick something up he is afraid of or doesn't like with my left hand, he goes straight up my arm to my shoulder.

Timber quivers when he is nervous or upset. But, he also does it after preening and other times (just briefly).

Nala is beautiful! Glad your husband is so interested and active in her care.

Good one!

Hard to say what Kiwi was up to! My experience with Timber is that when he wants to bite, he really BITES. Could this be come kind of grooming thing? Hopefully someone with more experience will have an answer for that one.

I suspect your optimism will pay off!

I'll also add that sticking my hand or arm in Timber's cage is an invitation for a bite. I understand your fear of not being able to get him back in, but a lot of birds don't want their space (cage) invaded and react to it. They need to feel like the cage is their safe place. Like Nancy, I would suggest that you wait to try for a step up until he is out of the cage.

Sadly true that getting bitten is the norm for most parrot owners. Many of the members here who have had their birds many years and are usually pretty good at "avoiding the beak" get caught once in awhile. I've had Timber over a year now. I don't get bitten nearly as often now as when I first got him, but he still surprises me once in awhile. It's easy to miss a hint or misread their body language when you are in a hurry even after you have been at it awhile. Yes, it's hard not to be angry and hurt when it happens. Like Judy said, don't take it personally! For most of us, it is just part of owning a parrot. Hang in there!

Haaaa.. pretty close but I've had a trim

I'd tend to agree with BaileysPapa. Timber does a lot of stretching, wiggling, wing spreading, shrugging, etc. I have always assumed he is just stretching. He also does the quiver thing Talon mentioned. It is like he is trying to get every feather exactly the way he wants it. Wish I could read his mind!

Wow Nancy, you sound almost like a professional! Timber loves that song too.

Haaaa! You guys are funny!

Sweet! I'm late getting to the forums today. Hopefully I'll read an earlier post from you about the homecoming etc.

Hello and welcome! What a cool story about how Jacko became part of your family! Very nice pics too, thanks for sharing.

A 6 year-old TAG and an unspecified old goat (me) here