Gilbert is home

[Greywings]

That is a very big step for such a little fraidy cat, impressive advancement. Good job sharing with us all through life with a steadily more adventurous Gil girl.

[katana600]

Thanks for all the support, ideas and enthusiasm for this little fraidy cat. This has been a lot of fun just to sit back and watch her come into her own. More often than not when I return to my room, I have been finding her under my bed. Several more times I have been reading in bed and watched her furtively as she goes to the little shelf I attached to the bottom of her cage. She keeps one eye on me as she hangs by one toenail and stretches her beak to reach the floor and swing down. What is worse is when I don't notice her get down and I hear scratching under my bed. No matter how many times she tricks me, I think there is a mouse under there stockpiling the bird food. It never fails to make me laugh, then she laughs with me. Then I get down on the floor where she willingly steps up for a lift back to her cage. The down side is that as she gets more courage to get off her cage, she is more likely to bite us when we get close to her cage. It is a fair trade off and I think we will find a happy place somewhere in the middle.

[birdhouse]

Phenix claimed the space under the sofa. I call it his man-cave. Never seen him bring food under there. I'll find where he's squirreled away his toys, though. Also, as he became emboldened, he started to use it as what I think of as his base of operations from where he'll launch his sneak attacks on unsuspecting passers by.

 

But I think his fav is if someone sits down w/o knowing he's under there. He likes to go after their shoe laces when they least expect it. Just another way he likes to keep us on our toes!

[katana600]

Miss Gilbert may take lessons from Phenix. We are traveling again since Feb 11. A complication arose in my daughter's pregnancy and we are still in Houston helping get everyone back on track. Everyone is healthy and we have a sweet first grandchild. He was named after his grandpa so Gilbert has an edge because she can already say David. I call the baby David O, and Gilbert picked that up quick. She does not like him much and she is wearing out her welcome. At the slightest movement from him she tells him to be quiet and to get outside. She talks to him like she does to our dog Mick. Unfortunately the more our daughter gets annoyed and exasperated... Of course, the more Miss Gilbert turns up the heat. She is intent on starting a war here. We hired someone to put French doors on the den so the dogs and birds can be contained. Gilbert ratcheted up the volume and it is piercing when she fires off a few sirens. We thought the cat was an issue so we bought a new cage that puts the top compartment housing Gilbert at 6 feet. It's not the cat, its was a couple sarcastic words about a bird making such a racket and having the nerve to tell a helpless baby to be QUIET that set up a competition. Miss Gilbert is clearly winning. We will be going home in a little over a week. Give me patience.

[birdhouse]

I laughed all the way thru that. Sorry!! But I got a pretty clear picture & I'm quite sure MissG is not at all happy to have found out that this loud, stinky, demanding little creature is the new center of the universe. Because I mean, what does he have that THE MissG doesn't ... & who had it first? And there's absolutely no question (in her mind anyway) who does it better. I mean Really! lol (somewhere & quite by accident, I find I've assigned MissG some of the same persona as Miss Piggy. This would be one of the places it really seems to fit well. Do you think?)

 

Meanwhile, big congratulations on your new little bundle of joy! I'm glad it all came right in the end.

[neoow]

I'm glad everything worked out ok for your family and that everyone is healthy and (mostly) happy!

 

However, I'm with birdhouse, I did have to chuckle as Miss Gilbert's attitude! Apologies for not being more sympathetic as I'm sure it's a stressful position for all involved!

[Timbersmom]

LOL I'm with birdhouse! The only time I cage Timber is when my grandson (2 years old) comes over. Timber has been so jealous of him since his birth that I really don't trust him out in the same room.

[katana600]

Well, I actually find it funny myself but I can't say the same for my daughter. She used to have the best relationship in the family regarding Miss Gilbert. However, as she was mighty uncomfortable in the last couple of weeks, and in labor at home with a known breech, she was understandably irritated with some of the commentary. But, as time went on I had a quiet word about adding to the fracas by chastising and grumbling at a parrot. The night I saw my otherwise kind, intelligent daughter emerge from the hall bathroom to give an obscene finger gesture to a parrot, I knew it was going to get worse before it gets better. So.... Miss Gilbert has gone on a campaign not only to aggravate Rachel every time she walks into the room with abrasive high pitched squeals.... She also calls her every swear word she remembers (the parrot, not the daughter). If that isn't enough, she is actively seducing my son in law. He has spent little time with Gil girl and has a kind heart. Since Gil was banished to a different room, he goes in and gives her treats. She steps up from the inside of her cage to him! She lets him scratch her head while she sits on his knee. She calls him sweetheart. Hahahaha. On one hand, I understand that living with a parrot is my choice and not for everyone. On the other... I love her and we are now a package deal. To my daughter I had a quiet word... I can come without the parrot but it will limit my visits to a weekend at a time. And dear, please realize you are arguing with a parrot... And losing. I suggest you make amends and find her good qualities.

[Timbersmom]

Either Miss Gilbert has found her "mate" or she is very aware of how to get under your daughter's skin to sucking up to her husband... Either way, funny! I'm sure it will get easier when your grandbaby is home and your daughter is recovered.

[katana600]

Miss Gilbert is putting another nine hundred mile notch in her travel cage today. We have gotten our grandson off to a great start. As I was slipping out the door at three am, a very Miss Gilbert-like wicked thought crossed my mind to text my daughter about two hours out "Whoops, I forgot the parrot, will pick her up in six months". Bwahahaha. But, I was thwarted when I saw her sitting on the steps by the front door to say goodbye. More like she was celebrating the moment the travel cage went out the door. Gil has traditionally behaved much better on road trips than at home. It may be the parrot-sense that she is being introduced to her new home and she is making nice on a "honeymoon" phase. She has previously shown great adoration to my sister on our long visits. Andrés has been sweet to her at our home, but so has Rachel, so I'm not sure why she notched it up with wooing Andrés this trip. It's so good to see her elicit a step up from inside her cage and then sit with him on the sofa for long head scritching sessions outside her comfort zone. She has come a long way baby.

[katana600]

Now that we are finally home after a couple of months away, I am having a technology crisis with the laptop and iPad and yesterday my phone took a swim. While it is sitting in the rice and silica packs, I am trying to get settled in at home. Miss Gilbert is doing an amazing job getting settled. We are hosting a resident artist and he was holding one of our dogs. I lost my focus and used my kid's joke saying "squirrel". The dog went crazy thinking there was one on the deck. We were laughing. Later, in a calm moment Miss Gilbert decided to stir things up and said "squirrel" to the same effect. To see her engage and say something new was really heartwarming. As is her usual trend when we return home from travel, she is very affectionate to me right now. She is asking for head rubs outside her cage and generally louder and much more cheerful than her usual. Just when I think nothing she does would surprise me, she goes through a jolly trickster spell like this and I wonder if we are peeling back the layers of baggage and getting a glimpse of who she is meant to be.

[Timbersmom]

Sounds like Gilbert is glad to be home! She has made a lot of progress in this last year

[birdhouse]

I don't think she'll ever stop surprising you. And as long as you keep bringing her home after your travels, I think she'll keep going out of her way to please & thank you. As much as I think it is an awesome thing that your fids get to travel like they do, I think it's something that Miss G will never fully take for granted. No matter how full of herself she becomes. I think it probable that she's just plain happy to be home to "sleep in her own bed" so to speak. But I have to wonder, given her past, if she's ever truly sure she's coming back until she walks in the door.

[Greywings]

She is becoming the traveling ambassador.

[katana600]

We have a houseguest who was here four years ago and he has been marveling at the transformation of Gilbert to Miss Gilbert today. I can look at photos and not really see the difference. As she changes in grey time, I can barely notice changes except celebrating big milestone moments. She has better travel experiences when the family circumstances for visits are more relaxed but every time and she makes great strides when she comes home to sleep on her own roost. Maybe that is due to my own feeling that there is no place like home. Quite likely Miss Gilbert isn't the only one to undergo changes from our time away from home. All I know is her behavior when we return is a breath of fresh air, renewed hope for her to grow into who she is meant to be and a great appreciation for her resilience. I love this little bundle of fluff. She has a captivating intelligence and a unique spirit and I will forever be trying to learn new ways to win her heart and help her understand we are a team.

[katana600]

We have been having major improvement with Gil-girl. When we went away, I expected it to be just for a couple of weeks and it stretched out to more than seven. In that time, we ran low on her regular food and I bought some nutriberries. We have tried them many times and she just didn't seem interested but this time she has been obsessed with them. She begs and pleads for them and will do anything to get more. This morning I found her in the bottom compartment of the new cage where she had gone in trying to open the stainless steel container where they are stored. It seems almost magical that she is this interested in anything I have offered. She allows me to put my hands in her cage and takes them gently from my fingers.

 

Also, she is so comfortable in her new cage that she has permitted me to set it up with all her toys. Generally she is only comfortable with one or two toys at a time and I will rotate them to her tolerance level. Perhaps because her penthouse suite on the top floor is at my eye level to the grates and a system of rope perches right along the grates she is enjoying every inch of her luxury condo. She has been an active ever moving little dynamo in there. She has destroyed more toys in two weeks than in the past five years combined. The mess! Oh the glorious mess. She has been talking non stop and nary a cuss word since we arrived home.

 

At the same time, good stress is still stress to Miss Gilbert. There is a flurry of fluff everywhere inside and out of her cage. At first I thought it was barbering. What I am beginning to suspect is she is having a moult. She has been eager to have me scratch her head every time she sees me and she has been coaxing me over for more. In the past, she had one pink perch that was her acceptable "touching" perch and that was the only spot where she would go when she felt like a little closeness was acceptable. Now she is begging for scratches on her head at every spot in her cage. She even hangs out of the open door and lets me scratch her head with no bars between us and then offers a step up. I have noticed when I rub her head that many little feather fluffs fall out so that seems more like moulting.

 

She always seems happy to come home and we have a time of magic where she is delightful beyond my imagination and this is even better than she has ever aspired to interact with us. We take these moments as they come and use them as a bridge to increasing our contact with her. Even when she backs off, we are at a new level of peeling away the layers that are getting us closer to who she is meant to be. The nutriberries seem to be a key. I just can't figure out if the nutriberries are the incentive or if she has reached a new pinnacle of trust where she could accept something and show her pleasure for receiving them from me. We have tried these treats before on many occasions and she has just picked them out of her dish and discarded them. All I know is everything is coming up roses where she is concerned and I am just going to relax and smell the roses. After five years together, my first waking thought is a smile to greet her and lately, it seems like she is smiling back.

[birdhouse]

Phenix' area looks like a mini massacre right now. At least according to his internal clock it is the right time for a molt.

 

Do you feel quills when she lets you pet her? And I say this w/ great trepidation... Do you know you can help slough the sheath w/gentle rubbing? It is however, the most perfect ever time to get completely & totally nailed, though. Everyone else blisses out when I do this. 110% euphoric body language until they snap out of it & shake me off. Phenix will get all the way to that point then, w/blinding speed turn right around & rip me open.

 

So, it's been years since I've even thought about preening Phenix. And I know he's feeling left out when he sees me w/the other guys. But he's like the parable of the scorpion & the frog, so...

 

But anyway, I thought I'd mention it in the interest of all this new found wonderful w/Miss G. I've had mostly good luck using it to further that bond when it reaches a certain point.

 

I really hope for everyone's sake that she finally gets it & is finally coming around for keeps. Even if she does always have little mini-melts & mood swings. She is, after all, a Grey. ")

 

Just to share about cage switching, I 'm in the process of looking for another cage for Phenix. I think the experiment was a huge success. He uses his cage space so-o-o much better than when he was in the 30" x 40"... So much better that I just have to go mess w/him now! lol

 

No, actually, I just "feel" it's time to step back up to a bigger cage & one that's better to lay out. I think it's time to see if he'll carry that same level of comfort over to a slightly larger cage. Just to see where his head is at.

 

But also, he's finally slowing down some. Isn't as hell bent on roaming around, making trouble any more. He's more of a stay-at-home kinda guy now. I feel like I still need to do everything I can to keep his level of activity up & that means a bigger cage. Wish us luck! Let you know how it goes so you can factor it into yours & Miss G's 3 yr plan. ")

Edited April 16, 2016 by birdhouse

[katana600]

Thanks Val, your experience with Phenix has been invaluable to my work with Gil. She doesn't seem to have quills but the only place I am permitted to touch is the top and back of her head. She has her rules you know. When I rub her head in the usual way, I see tiny little fluffs drift off. Java permits me to hold her, to pinch the quills to help her get the sheath off and occasionally she objects if it is a pin feather that causes her discomfort but she trusts me and when I back off I don't get bitten. Miss Gilbert is another story, but she has relaxed enough to have a distraction in the room without going right for blood. She pulls back, assesses the sound or movement and then goes right back to her scratch session. With Gil, we have our own little dance, two steps forward, one step back. She leads, I follow and sometimes I can sneak in a new move that works. She is just getting to a place where I can trust her body language to offer a step up and take her to another room for upwards of fifteen minutes now before she gets too panicked to enjoy herself.

 

This newly discovered delight of all things Nurtriberry has been a wonderful incentive for her. I don't know what flipped her switch but will use it to her advantage and be very careful not to over use it. My ultimate goal is to get her to willingly come down to the basement with me to sew. She calls me to come back upstairs. She willingly comes down there, but she is not happy away from her cage long enough for me to get anything done. One little step at a time and before we know it she is going to enjoy sewing and hanging out on the lower patio to get some sun.

[katana600]

We are just a traveling roadshow. We are back in Houston. I did discover Gil was having a molt. I found pinfeathers on her head, offering to pinch them to break the sheath and she bowed down and let me! Believe me, I was incredulous and a tad bit on the skittish side. But in the past couple of weeks at home and now while we are traveling, she wants me to rub her head twenty times a day. I am so delighted that I got a gold star for finally doing something right that I would gladly oblige every time she asks. She is still just obsessed with the nutriberries as a treat. She is eating more veggies and trying other new foods. When I get her a nutriberry treat she will hang out on the open door of her cage and stretch trying to get to me just a second sooner. Her poker face is beginning to have a "tell". I just love it.

[Greywings]

Wonderful to know her ability to enjoy life is expanding.

[Inara]

SO very happy to have caught up with The Lovely Miss Gilgirl this morning over coffee. How far she has come, not just over the years, but like an Auntie who has not seen a niece in several months, I'm astounded at how much she has grown since I was last able to tune in and catch up. What a sweetpea she is, and braver every day. She's become quite the intrepid traveler it seems. Maybe she has a bit of a gypsy soul. No doubt, always coming home to the same place is giving her a greater sense of security. She can enjoy the wanderings, and with each arrival back home, can trust a bit more that she is not simply being shanghaied only to wind up adrift on a new ship with new humans.

 

I am envisioning her on the sundeck of a turn of the century adventure ship, wearing her ever growing pearl necklace and turning to you to say, "You simply must join me for drinks before dinner. I hear they are serving a lovely Nutriberry buffet this evening just as the Ivory Coast will be coming into view..."

[katana600]

My little pearl wearing gypsy queen has been on the go since October. I have to chuckle at Inara's delightful mind picture of Miss Gilbert and her string of pearls. If I were to envision her on an ancient adventure ship... my guess would be she was the companion of a salty old pirate. Lucky for me she has toned it down and only brings out her colorful vocabulary under duress. However, rumor is my husband is not allowed to have any conference calls from home due to his collegues spreading he word that they believe his wife has Tourette's syndrome.

 

She has traveled to Houston multiple times, Dallas, PA, NY. This is our second week at home and I am slowly getting the cobwebs out of my house. Every visit has been with family. Miss Gilbert and Java are great travelers. I will try to post a photo soon of Gil in her full size cage in the back seat driver position. For not being flighted, this little gypsy has more miles behind her than most used cars.

 

Gil seems to be blossoming and becoming more affectionate all the time. While traveling, she is cage bound because of pets in our host homes. It is counterintuitive to me but she is the exception to the rule of giving as much freedom as possible and an open door cage policy. She enjoys the smaller cage and gets more calm the longer she is confined. She asks over and over for a head scratch now. She prefers to be touched through the bars and will forego her fresh breakfast and even her beloved Nutriberries in favor of a head scratch. I am forever hopeful that she will trust me enough to be able to scratch her head without the cage between us. I got away with sneaking my hand through her open door and scratching her head blissfully without the obstruction of bars in my way. When she caught on, she was really ticked off and it took days before she would forgive me and try again.

 

Upon our return home she has started doing the love dance and "gurging" for me. That is highly unusual for her but she is very perceptive about the relationship with this new grandson. She is motivated to up her game. When she first did her drooped wings in the past week, it was really early in the morning. I seriously thought she had mistaken me for someone else because it was nearly dark in the room. Of course, I took advantage. When I opened her cage she put her foot up and offered to step up from the inside of her cage. That's huge for us. She stepped right out of that cage, was escorted out of her comfort zone and enjoyed a whole house tour. She could not get comfortable enough to stay out more than ten minutes and when I sat down and let her sit on the arm of my chair, she was all about requesting another step up and asked to "go back" to her cage.

 

Now whenever she sees me coming, she clamors to get on the perch for a head scratch. I always open the door, but abide by her requirement to only touch her through the bars. After she is satisfied with her scratch, I offer her to step up. If she is willing, she will turn around and hold up her foot. She is sitting on the back of a high backed, counter height chair next to me as I am typing. She really is opening her world to new experiences and I am thrilled to be so close to her. She is relaxed, no shaking and she is more curious to see what I am doing. I position the chair so she can step onto the table but I keep typing as she comes within six inches of me. If I look at her or speak to her, the spell is broken and she wants to go back to her cage. I will see how long she stays if I just continue to read the forum and keep my hands busy.

Edited July 13, 2016 by katana600
spelling

[katana600]

 

Miss Gilbert has a bird's eye view and she is the ultimate back seat driver.

[birdhouse]

That does make sense w/all your travels. You don't have to "set up & break camp" at every stop. Miss G has one safe haven where ever you roam. Very nice!

[SRSeedBurners]

She looks so cute "on the road again..."!