jgoewe1 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I put some info about my situation in a blog...I need advice and help with ideas for an abused bird i have fallen in love with. Please let me know if you have any information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I read your blog on Mooki and you do have a tough road to travel working with an abused bird but you have only had this bird for a short time, this will take much longer to overcome but it is possible. Please do interact with him as much as you can, you don't have to handle him much until he comes to trust you some and you will have to earn that. Include him in conversations, read the paper or a magazine to him for it will take a long time for him to get over his fear of hands. He might be in need of a vet visit if he hasn't had one in a while, just to be sure he is healthy. I do not have any experience working with a bird that was abused but we do have members who have worked with them and maybe some of them will chime in with some advice for you but time and patience on your part will be your best friends for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Karma to you for taking in an older grey. If I were you, I would just sit and talk to him so that he can get use to being part of your family. I would place his cage in a part of the house where he can see all the activity and become accustomed to your family. Talking and offering him a few nuts and pieces of apple might help to let him know you are his friend. I don't have any experience with abused birds but kindness goes a long way. Hopefully some of our more experienced bird owners, will chime in with more helpful advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgoewe1 Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 I appreciate your responses. I am taking mookie to the vet tomorrow and i am taking classes with a local expert on parrot psychology. I can’t wait for the day that mookie loves us the way we love him. Mookie was a birthday present for my boyfriend as he has always wanted a Grey. He is so discouraged because he sees all the stories of love and affection. I appreciate your responses! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 :laugh: Your boyfriend needs to read some of the posts here from others who have problems with their greys. It is not all a bed of roses and fun and kisses. It takes a lot of patience and love to get greys to trust you. Please tell him not to get discouraged. Love and patience and lots of research will help. I hope the classes will be helpful. Please let us know how the vet check goes. If you have any questions, please ask and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearllyn Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Hi jgoewe1, Karma for taking on this poor little soul who is obviously in desperate need of some tlc. Judy and Janet have given excellent advice - but it's so important it's worth saying again - patience patience and more patience! It's an important requirement for any bird, but espicially so for an abused one. You really haven't had him that long either. Once he's used to his surroundings he may start opening up to you a bit more. Don't force him with anything - it's best to let him come to you when he's ready. If he is letting you scratch his head that's so great!! Keep offering scratches but stop before he becomes stressed out from it - that way he will remember it being nice and not becoming a scary thing. Some greys don't take kindly to showers either. Many members heres use a spray mister with pure aloe vera juice for birds with bald bits - perhaps he would accept that better. As Judy has said, this isn't going to happen overnight, but it is do-able and will be really worthwihile once you have achieved what you are setting out to do. Good luck with Mookie - he really deserves the kindness and understanding you are willing to give him. lyn & Alfie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I just want to encourage you and your boyfriend to put in the hard work it will take to give Mookie a home and a life full of love and laughter. Re-habilitating a parrot that has been abused and neglected is a long and sometimes frustrating road. Many birds end up in this condition because it is easy to fall in love with the cute images we see of people and their birds, but behind those images are hours upon hours of work research and dedication. That reality isn't so cute, and a lot harder to get across. However, as one of the many people here who have a fid that came from a bad environment, and as such came with a bunch of behaviour and bonding issues, the rewards are so great they are worth every frustration, tear and set back you may have along the way. It's a different journey than the one a person who gets their bird as a baby has but at the end of the day the goal is to end up with a happy and healthy pet. We're here to help and cheer you, your boyfriend, and Mookie on. You've done a good thing here. Karma for bringing Mookie into your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecodweeb Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I have a 10 year old female who was not trained to step up on a hand. Here's my advise: First, find a favorite treat and spoil him with it. This is good right now as he's frightened and you're concerned for him, and you're sort of miscommunicating (it's ok, we ALL do this with new parrots). Keep working on step up. Have you offered a stick or covered arm? He may be trained to step up on that (Talula was). Don't push for petting/touching at this time. Open the cage up and let him come out on his own and sing and do whatever. He was probably ignored a fair bit in the last home(s) and thats why he does things to entertain himself. I'd suggest trying him on fried tofu (mine loves it fried in red palm oil w/ cayenne pepper sprinkled on top). This may help calm down some moodiness as this IS molting season/mating season. Read to him, the paper, a book. Always talk to him and whistle/call for him when out of the room. Use aloe vera juice and water to mist him and help foster the feather regeneration. Diet is important, talk to the vet about it. Lastly, I can't stress this enough, just don't give up. Talula throws her foot up for me when I walk y and chirps/flaps her wings to get my attention. This is after I think 7-8 months in the home. I have photos of the scars she left on me at first and videos to back it up. She only lets me pet her when she's sitting on my tummy when I lay flat on the sofa. That's it. She bites me otherwise, and I'm clearly her favorite person. HE will talk when he is ready to talk. Just wait. Setup a recorder for when your gone, I bet you'd be surprised what you hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgoewe1 Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 Thank you so much for the encouraging words! The Vet visit went better then I had expected! Mookie is underweight so we are trying different foods but slow and steady. I work up this morning to Mookie chirping at me because ignored him. I was so excited that he made a sound! I know this is crazy but the Vet told me that Mookie lacks social skills, so I bring his play cage everywhere with me in the house. It has rollers, so I tell him to “hang on.†If I am cooking I bring him to the kitchen, I bring him in the room at night and he has a special area in the living room for his play time. That seems to be really helping because even if we are not talking to him, he is getting used to our voices and actions. So far so good, he brings me a lot of joy because I am certain he will come around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecodweeb Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 A word of caution on birds in the kitchen.... primarily ensure you do not use PTFE/Teflon coated cookware. The plastic lining gives off a gas at high cooking temps (above 140F) and these are lethal to parrots, as in a matter of minutes. Otherwise your plan is quite good. You just need to get him used to being around you, socialized. You're doing just fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 You have been given some excellent ideas and advice and your heart is leading you the right direction. Mooki is going to be alright and happier then he ever had a chance at before. Keep on going and you will see and hear more progress to share with us all cheering you on. Yay for Mooki and his progress and Yay for you giving him a new chance at a happy life. On safety you also need to avoid roasting bags and oven cleaner sprays, open pots of hot liquids when your bird is loose.<br><br>Post edited by: Greywings, at: 2010/02/01 15:42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearllyn Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Glad to hear Mookie is coming around! No social skills doesn't sound crazy at all! At least you have something to work on - it sounds as if your patience is paying off already! Keep up the good work and keep us posted! On a safety note, there are many good threads here about what is and is not safe to have your bird around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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