Axel begins to emerge . . .

[Kim65]

So I had this quiet, polite and timid grey for about a week. I've had Axel now for a week and a half, and he's decided to show me some of his stuff. Some is exciting and exactly why I wanted a grey for so many years. The rest of it is what I expected .

 

Axel hates to go back in his cage. He prefers to sit on the open cage door, or to crawl all over his cage like Spider Man (it's one of those california cages). He has toys on top and inside, some are new but all the familiar stuff is still in there.

 

He plays happily in his cage, but putting him in there indicates that I am going to work. That means I get bitten pretty sharply, almost enough to break the skin. Am I going in the right direction to save a special treat or toy for going inside his cage willingly?

 

I verbally cue him (lol) by saying OWW!!! (no problem getting that out).

 

He is eating pellets just fine, which surprised me, but of course prefers his fruit, corn on the cob, salt free crackers, hates broccolli. So today he dumped his food dish and threw the empty corn cob at me.

 

He puts his head down for a scritch but then he gets a funny look on his face, and bites me, not very hard but like he's showing frustration, like, DO SOMETHING!!!! No panting, but I'm wondering if he's getting too aroused? I don't have his body language down yet, it's just a sense I get from him, and knowing that this is something that happens. He's not snuggly, and I'm not petting him along, just the back of his neck for a few pets at a time.

 

He's teaching me much more than I'm teaching him, which I figure is about right for these first few weeks. Also, it seems important to begin setting limits with him, letting him now how I expect him to behave. Which is not much right now, except for the chomps.

[Dave007]

First off, read this

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?109373-Body-language-most-frequently-seen

 

Since he doesn't wanna go in his cage when you need him to be in there, find a very special treat that he can't resist, nuts, nutriberries etc etc.

 

Make sure he sees you holding it and make sure he sees you putting it in his bowl ( do it slowly so he doesn't lose sight of what you're doing. He'll probably go in and you can close the door and go to work and slave and toil all day.

[Acappella]

Another good trick is attaching a comfy perch right on the door. He sits on it, and you swing the door closed!!! Also, try putting him in his cage sometimes when you're not going out. Put him in with a good treat and some fresh water, maybe a favourite toy, then sit and read in plain sight of him for a little while, or sit and watch tv together, with lots of praise for him being so good in his cage. Then open the door and let him out for awhile. Got to keep these monkeys guessing!

[judygram]

Dave has a good idea of putting his treat in his cage and when he goes in close him up and Marguerite has another one in putting him in sometimes not just when you need to so he doesn't always associate going in with you leaving the house, also just putting a treat in his cage and not closing the door sometimes so he knows he doesn't always get closed up inside just because a treat has been put in his cage, just be sure he sees you put it in his bowl.

I don't have a problem with Josey going into her cage as she plays on her cage most of the time she is out and goes back inside and plays at times, she usually is ready to go to bed by that time at night and is already inside her cage waiting for me to close her up and cover the cage, she is such a good girl.

[Birdnut]

So far, Moussa has been very good about going in his cage. But he does usually get a special yummy pine nut treat for going in his cage, and then I drop a few extras in his bowl.

[Vamppire]

I've only had Spencer since September, so I am no expert but I can tell you some things I've observed - He started off being very nippy the first couple of weeks, but it seemed to be him exploring me and his world rather than attacking.... even though he would grip pretty darn hard. This subsided and now most of the time when he grips my fingers when I stick them in his face (we really do ask for it, don't we?? LOL) he wants to climb onto my hand so he's just gripping me the way he grabs his cage bars, to pull himself up. He's such a good boy, I've yet to have a problem with him being aggressively nippy.

 

I've also found that putting his head down does not always mean he's asking for a scratch. If he goes to nibble after I touch him, then he was not asking for a head scratch. This is more evident when someone he's not very comfortable with is around. "Aww he's putting his head down *goes in to pet him*" and I have to clear my throat and shake my head "noo..nooo... i wouldn't do that..." LOL... When Spencer wants his head scratched, it's definitely a different look and he will let me pet him until my hand cramps. It took time for me to learn the subtle differences in body language and which feathers are fluffed up, and it took time for him to trust me enough to even want head scratches.

 

He's getting fussy about going back in the cage lately too, so I feel your pain there!