Gilbert is home

[katana600]

I got over the nips a whole lot faster than the apologies. Gilbert had been saying pretty much the same things repetitively from his previous homes and now he is saying "I sorry" and "Gilbert sorry" four or five times a day. It is not necessarily the first new words I would have wished to hear, but it has been memorable, that is for sure. I was visiting with a friend at our grocery store and he asked about Gil, when I told him about the new words he was amazed as I am that the tone and empathy. I said to him, I have been with my husband for more than three decades and Gilbert has said he is sorry more than my husband ever would... then I said, "maybe I should bite him!" Hahahahahah LOL... Yes, Gilbert was the one who bit me, but I think my telling him "I'm sorry" for all the commotion is what I think he picked up on. He is back to his loveable little ole self again. I have to say, I am looking forward to when he can fly and maybe he will even manage to sneak in one of the neck pinches, Dayo style. LOL.

[danmcq]

" I have to say, I am looking forward to when he can fly and maybe he will even manage to sneak in one of the neck pinches, Dayo style. LOL."

 

Oh, you won't be after the first time Gilbert makes your eyes water.

[GT_Jacket]

I don't know about the rest of you... but I'm in need of a Gilbert update...

[katana600]

Oh, that is just so sweet, thank you for asking. Gilbert has had a trip to the dentist. I am having a mouth guard adjusted every week and they keep asking about Gilbert and asked me to bring him along. I decided that a couple of hours in the car in his backpack would be a healthy outing for him and a bit of a test for bigger and better things. He did GREAT. He came right out of the backpack to me happily. He wasn't willing to talk as he was taking in the new sights. He did some whistling and hooting to their delight. Then, the dentist asked him if he could look at his teeth and Gilbert tilted back his head, opened wide and laughed heartily. It was amazing and everyone was laughing and asking for more. They said Gilbert should be an entertainer. He was really a good boy. He was confident and happily stayed in his backpack at the front desk making happy noises for the receptionist and then when he heard me talking as I was coming back down the hallway he was whooping and got really happy and excited. He was a big hit and they asked if he can come with me every week.

[GT_Jacket]

Too cute. Thanks for my Gilbert fix.

[katana600]

In thinking about Gilbert, an update is due. He has been here a couple of months now. He is still a little roguish ragamuffin. He had plucked his chest to the down and had pulled many wing and tail feathers. His chest has regrown nicely and it looks like he is wearing a vest rather than rumbling around in his fluffy little underwear. LOL. He has not had any evidence of plucking since he has been here and he has a week of really good gains and then will have a few quiet days where he just seems to want to withdraw. Generally, I can point to a change in our home that has disrupted him. Our other parrot Java is in a cage in the same room and they have talked to each other from the beginning and Java has picked up quiet a few of Gilbert's favorite phrases. Java is a red bellied hen, almost five years old and she has been with us since she was four months. I can get either of them out of the cage and have the door open for the other one and there seems to be no aggression although I keep those windows of opportunity short and make sure both of them are happy and relaxed. I have not tried to intentionally introduce them, I am going to make sure each of them feels secure and allow the introduction to happen naturally when both of them are on their best terms. For now, I will take one or the other to another area of the house for the one-on-one long term play and they are getting along well for the guarded interactions. For more than a week now, Gilbert has continued to say he is sorry, over and over every time the house is real quiet. It is a little sad, but I am not playing into it for him. He also has been laughing a lot so it seems he is just finding his way just like we are with him. He has gone from trying to bite everyone to permitting anyone to bring him an almond or a goldfish cracker but doesn't allow anyone else to scratch his head. They are all patiently waiting for him to give his permission. He is endearing himself daily.

[MarcusCAG]

I loved reading about Gilbert going to the dentist, thank you so much for sharing that story! And it sounds like that he is assuredly making himself quite a part of the family with all of you... so happy to hear that, too.

[danmcq]

Loved the updates. Gilbert is certianly enjoying life with you. It so wonderful to hear his weekly accomplishments and adventures.

 

Thanks for sharing these regularly Dee.

[Tagtastic]

Hello,

I am new to the board and love reading about Gilbert! I was curious, is Gilbert the cute TAG you have as your avatar or is he another bird? Looking forward to reading more!

[katana600]

Yes, the avatar is Gilbert from his first days at our home. After seeing some of the macro photos, I will start reading the book on our camera to take some new pictures. I learned something from Gilbert again yesterday. My daughter has a college friend in town and we had been out of the house a bit. When we came back in, I gave Gil his daily almond treat and he seemed eager to come out and see me. He put his head down for a scratch, as usual, he put his foot out for a step up as usual. Then, he grabbed my finger and bit me hard! I must say, no matter how many times I have been bitten by various creatures, it never fails to shock and awe. What I learned is that Gilbert has very very subtle changes that should have been my cues. I just saw what I wanted to see with his usual head scratch positioning and foot lift. What I neglected to see was the very very slight quivering of his new chest feathers. There are only a few of the bigger feathers and would be easy to miss, but that is a tiny "tell" that he is scared or nervous. The other thing is when he lifts his foot, he bites his toenail really quick, then waves his foot some more. So, what I saw as a step up, was him trying not to bite off a toenail, apparently. This time, I did scold him and tell him it was not nice and closed his door, which was exactly what he wanted anyway. I let Java come out and where I would usually take her in my room for her snuggles so he would not see her getting "his" attentions, I let him see that she was nice and not biting me and she was having a good interaction. He came to his door and asked to come out. Of course I forgave him and after Java was back in her cage, I offered for him to come out and it was as if nothing had happened a mere five minutes ago when he tried to remove my index finger at the first joint. Over time we are going to learn more about each other and I am confident he will have less to be scared about and I will learn his subtle body language better and have less opportunity for these wicked bites. I keep reminding myself he has not been with me long enough to have a history and predictability. A bite here or there isn't going to put him on my bad list, we have a lifetime ahead of us to learn. Another thing I learned this week is that he loves the cinnamon graham goldfish crackers, so they have become our special treat for when he is the best boy. Forgiving and moving on from the "learning experiences" and rewarding the things I would like to see more often I think is the way to go to give Gilbert the opportunity to live up to his best potential. I still think he is just the most awesome little guy and he keeps us laughing with his antics to help soothe the little mishaps much quicker.

[katana600]

About a week ago I posted about being a servant to our pets with the dogs ringing a bell when they want to go outside. I was talking about it to visiting friends. Gilbert has a bell and generally rings it for an alarm if anyone but me approaches his cage. He has two types of bells, one is the long narrow kind and that is his alarm. Then he has a cluster of five larger bells on a chain hanging in his cage in the center of his boing. He has pretty much ignored them for a couple of months. When the dogs go out he always tells them "C'mon Bud" or he might ask if they want to go outside. When they come in, they get a little tidbit and he will ask if they want a cracker because he knows the routine. Well, I find this very coincidental, but two days ago Gilbert rang his bell cluster on his way to the outside of his cage and called out to me "How about a cracker?" Of course I laughed and gave him a little cracker. Now he is doing it four or five times a day. He rings the bell, calls out asking for a cracker then scampers out to the door of his cage to wait for me to fetch him one. He seems so happy to have picked up on this little game and I am happy to see him happy, so round and round we go. LOL. It just seems like he heard me talking about the dogs and the bell because we have been doing that for seven years and Gilbert has been here a couple of months yet before I spoke of it in front of him, he noticed the dogs getting a "cracker" but had not connected his bell to his cracker.

[danmcq]

I love this story about Crackers! Gilbert is very intelligent and knows how to work both you and the Bell.

 

I have to admit, I am a softy too when it comes to things so cute, you can't help but give them what their asking for. How could anyone deny such an adorable request.

 

I enjoy reading these constant updates.

[Zoom]

He's probably so pleased with himself that he's trained you to perform this wonderful cracker-fetching trick!

[katana600]

Yes! He is pleased. The look in his avatar is his smile face. LOL. He just gets excited and comes running out of his cage when I come into the room to the call of his bell. What is really funny is when he does or says something humorous, the family will laugh and he will laugh with gusto. I do want to give him anything he asks for especially for that "cute" factor. He has a sense of humor that I really appreciate. I feel like I won the lottery or something. I just enjoy his little mind and antics, even when he has attitude, I can't help myself from adoring him. He is learning to whistle the William Tell Overture. He will mix up a few notes but it is getting close, I will try to record him. When I go to the basement to sew, he will whistle portions, I will whistle back and he will finish. He and Java go back and forth whistling parts to each other too. They are so much fun and keep me smiling.

[katana600]

Last night my daughter was coming downstairs when she missed a step, slipped and caught herself. All of us turned and made exclamations of "are you okay?" and she was okay. Gilbert made his doppler effect bomb dropping much to our delight. We were all laughing and he joined right in laughing back with us. He has that slapstick kind of humor. I am kind of wondering if he came that way or.... if you become like those you are around? Hahahaha... that would be me laughing at Dayo pinching Dan on the neck. A couple of hours later, Gilbert had another "first". He had made a couple impromptu jumps from his cage if he is startled and I have noticed he is getting some feathers back and can get a little distance from the cage with his wild flapping. Last night though, he was swaying toward me and before I could get up to go get him, he lofted himself off the door of his cage and made it three quarters of the way across the room and then came running to me. It is his first time to come to me like that. I was so delighted, I picked him up and got his favorite fleece blanket to hold him on my lap for an hour and a half of head scratching goodness. He was there so long and so relaxed he was falling asleep. One thing I noticed about him with this long of an interaction is that he will nudge me for more scratches and he definitely wants me to touch him, but he has this wariness of watching me with one eye open, one closed and I noticed his entire body was trembling. This was at least a half hour into our time together so it wasn't from the excitement of getting to me. While I was scratching his head and rubbing behind his head on his neck is when my hand was close to his shoulder and I noticed how hard he was shaking. I cupped my hand over his back just to feel his trembling and trying to figure out what it was about. I was barely touching him, more just sensing him but he relaxed and seemed to calm down more. I get the feeling he is conflicted, that he really really wants to be near me and to have his head scratched but there is something about him holding back, maybe fear. He also does have that Jeckyl/Hyde thing going on where he bows his head to ask for a scratch, then takes a swipe at me but usually when he is sitting on my knee, I wait for him to come to me for the scratches rather than to approach him right away. I just think he has a little trouble trusting and he really has only been here a short time so we will figure it out together.

[pearllyn]

Great updates Dee! I haven't been in for a while and have enjoyed reading through all your latest posts. Sorry to hear about your setback, but Love the bell story, and it sounds like you are both getting over the hiccup fine. By all accounts, Gilbert is blossoming into a beautiful personality - he is one exceptionally intelligent little soul and you are truly blessed to have him in your life. xx

[MarcusCAG]

Gilbert certainly is a doll, thanks for keeping us all updated with his stories, I love reading them!

[katana600]

This is week two of being a thousand miles from home. Gilbert has been a real trouper. He is learning to fly from his cage to my chair. He lets my husband pick him up. He lets my daughter scratch his head. I miss him so much but I call home and talk to him on the speaker phone of my answering machine. He rings the phone and knows I am not really in my room. He is talking and happy and in good spirits and I am handling a serious illness of a loved one and expect to drive back home on Friday. While we were sitting on the outside patio, I heard whistling and a little grey whoop. There is a bird next door and I had to go knock and ask about him. Sure enough he is an African grey. What is meant to be will be, but I may not be driving home alone. The owners have put this little guy in an upstairs back bedroom and are not particularly happy with the noise he makes. On the other hand, hearing him answer me when I am far away and missing my boy, it made my heart leap and brought me great joy. I am going to ask if he needs a new home before I go back home. I am thrilled for Gilbert and my family having a bonding time while I am gone and even if it meant he gave me the cold shoulder, as long as he is happy, I will be happy.

[judygram]

Oh my Dee, another grey may be in your future, yes things happen for a reason and if this works out no one will be happier than me, you go girl and let us know what happens.

I doubt Gilbert will give you the cold shoulder but if he does it won't be for long for we all know deep inside he loves you very much.

[birdhouse]

Sure sounds like kismet. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of you.

 

btw, my guys always give me the cold shoulder when I come home... in between manic bouts of "I missed you" behavior.

 

Always got to keep me in my place!

[Zoom]

Wow! That's exciting news about the possible new Grey. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[katana600]

At this time, it is not meant to be to bring home another grey. I will be leaving on Friday and I brought it up delicately and let them know the option is open and I may come back in a few weeks due to the illness of my good friend's mother. I have been helping with doctor and chemo appointments and will be going home for a bit. When all I do is talk about Gilbert, Java and my other birds, people notice and take me to see other birds. What I have seen is not pretty and I will cry many times before it is resolved. Not just a grey next door, his situation could get better in time, but another "home" with birds that what I saw was not technically abuse, but stupid behavior that shows someone has a complete lack of understanding and caring for the birds. I have put out the word that I would drive two thousand miles round trip to come back for any of these birds and will likely get a phone call some day. As for my little guy, it is better for him to have me all to himself for a while anyway. I can't rescue the whole world, but I can be his world and he can be a big part of mine. It will be interesting to see how he responds when I come back home. I have not been gone this long from my home without taking all my animals with me. I can not express how happy it makes me to know he is willing to trust other family even though he must be wondering where I have gone. I suspect he is putting notches in his chew toy to mark the days of my absence. LOL. I have to be home by Friday, he will be out of beans and no one else does it like momma. LOL.

[katana600]

Yes! I am home again. It is about a thousand miles between home near Atlanta and family in Northwestern Pennsylvania and New York. I had to be there for a serious illness and may need to go back again soon. I was gone two weeks and Gil had company every day the same as if I would be here. When I got home last night, I discovered that he did pluck unfortunately. It was not bad, strange that he plucked exactly one half of his upper chest and his right leg. He was happy to see me, but grumpy too. He loved on me one minute and tried to take a chomp out of me a second later. He is back to good spirits today as if nothing happened. If I go back again, I am looking into renting an apartment and taking him and Java with me to stay longer. My best friend's mother just had her first round of chemo, we should know in another week if it is making a difference or if hospice will be initiated. This woman was good to me during a rough upbringing and even stood up for me in my wedding thirty years ago, so I will make arrangements for my birds and I to live there as the need arises. Glad to be home and sad for Gilbert to pluck, but it means I will try something better for the next time, this trip was unplanned.

[Cupid]

Wow Katana600, or Dee as others lovingly call you, Im so overwhelmed by your thread! I began reading and havent been able to stop until the last page. Like other members of our flock, I am so happy for you and Gilbert! Im also very sorry about your best friends mother, but this is about Gilbert and you.

 

So happy that Gilbert found you, and that hes finally in his "forever" home! Congratulations on all the firsts, and HUGE milestones you both are hurdling over so quickly. I appreciate your kindness, and wonderful heart!

[MarcusCAG]

Katana600, I'm so sorry to hear of that situation with your best friend's mother, that must be very stressful and saddening, but I am happy to hear that Gilbert seemed to be "okay" while you were gone (as in, it wasn't worse than the little bit of plucking). And, yes, now you know how he might react to another separation, so you can plan for things a bit differently in the future so that things will be better, and he and Java will be happier. I'm just positive that everything you do for your friend and her family is very much appreciated; please take care of yourself too during all of this travel so that you will have all the energy you need to help those others whom you care for, and who care for you so much...