Gilbert is home

[katana600]

Well, for all my careful plans of backing off on Gilbert and making slow changes with the Rescue Remedy and his attached "apartment" he has stepped up his game. Since Rachel is leaving tomorrow morning, I didn't want to make any other changes so we could let him adjust to that and not confuse things further where he is concerned. I had a day mostly out of the house yesterday which is not my usual schedule. Last night at bed time, Gilbert was sweetly saying it was time to go night night. His usual is to ask to go night night, then scamper inside to his favorite "treat" perch to await his almond. Last night, he refused to go inside. He got a little sassy. When the usual offer of an almond was rejected, I just waited and tried again in a few minutes, repeated a couple more times. It was getting late and I wanted him inside, I offered him a step up on his cage top and he offered me more than one bite. So, since he is the king of subtlety, I took a cue from him. I got a towel, folded it and put it on a stair banister a few feet away. I talked to him gently and gave him the option to go inside, to step up or to consider leading him in with the towel. I have never toweled him. On the occasions when I need to leave the house etc. when all else fails, I may fold the small towel and put it on the far corner of his cage top and he gets in such a hurry to get away from it, he will run inside. I doubt I have done that three or four times total. I hate doing it because I think it scares him and is threatening. Sometimes just seeing it has made him just fling himself off the cagetop to the floor and that is too stressful for both of us. So, from a few feet away and a non threatening position, he looked at the towel, looked at me, back and forth rapidly. I was a little concerned he was going to get himself in a panic. To my surprise, instead he put his foot out for a step up and let me place him inside his cage and never gave the towel another look. Then, to surprise me further, he went to his sleep perch where he will occasionally permit me to rub his head and stayed for a long time to have some closeness. The towel was long gone at that time. I am not sure which behavior surprised me more, for him to work up the nerve to decide not to go to bed and have a little sass for me, or for him to suddenly change his mind to cooperate or for him to suddenly become affectionate. Phew, what a range of emotion for him to show all in an hour or so. He is gaining some sense of confidence and autonomy. You go Gilbert! About fifteen minutes after lights off, he was out there talking in the dark with enticing words meant to get me out of bed again. Then when I answered and held my ground to stay in bed, he laughed. It is so amusing to hear him lately when he talks in the dark.

[Wingy]

Now comes the fun part where you have to decide just how much sass your willing to take while still building confidence in Gilbert so that he will be sassy. If bed time becomes an issue perhaps using audible cues such as alarms that sound like different chimes to signify almost bed time, its now bed time and its past bed time so here I come (remember the warnings we gave the kids followed by the count to 3).

[Timbersmom]

You go Gilbert indeed! I hate using the towel too (as a threat) but it has came to that a couple of times. All I had to do was pick it up and he immediately went in. Gilbert is really coming out of his shell though. Kudos

[katana600]

So far, so good. Rachel left early Monday morning and Gilbert has not seemed to be suffering. He has tried climbing the stair steps so he might be trying to go up to find her since he hasn't done that before. He is gradually coming down off his cage more. Early in the morning and just before bed time when it is partially darkened and quiet, he slowly creeps to the floor and explores a little further each time. He has only gone up the first two steps and then he asks to step up because he will not go back down. The carpet on the steps helps him climb, but I am right there the whole time to be sure he doesn't get a toe nail caught. It is a tight berber, but I am not taking any chances and I take off the rope bridge to his travel cage if I am out of the room. The dogs seem very patient and keep a wide berth from him, plus they usually follow me to the basement. I am not going to take any chances though, if I am going to be out of the room and preoccupied, I close the door to his cage and since he is reluctant to move about, it doesn't seem to make any difference to him. It is so cute to watch him get on the floor though. He crouches down and does the "GI Joe" sneak. He looks around keeps his beak to the ground and is on red alert. He moves a few steps sideways, then straightens up tall to look around. You can almost see his sigh of relief that he has not encountered a monster. As the exploration has taken him a little further afield from his cage he is noticing and grumbling about a stray dustball or cobweb under the furniture. I expect to see a white glove on his little talon any day as he critiques my housecleaning like a frowning mother in law. LOL. Just kidding, I think he was grumbling because he saw a pistachio and when he got there, it was an empty shell he had tossed over earlier.

[Timbersmom]

LOL Sounds like Gilbert is doing great! I know just what you mean with the GI Joe sneak. It is so funny to watch them do that.

[katana600]

It just keeps getting better for Gilbert. For a few days he has expanded his floor area by about six inches in either direction. Today has been awesome. He has been on the floor for about fifteen minutes. It has been such a slow gradual change for him that the dogs don't even lift their heads to see what he is doing. As David and I sit in the living room, Gilbert has come closer and closer to David's chair. When offered a step up, he backed away. We walked out to the kitchen and he followed us. He asked for a cracker and when David offered him a bit of banana, he took that. He seems to want to be close to David and has now followed him to the kitchen while I am staying in the living room. I just can't stop grinning at the brave little fellow slowing joining us on his own terms. He has gone all the way to the kitchen where I can hear David making some toast with peanut butter. Gilbert has waddled out there to say "hey". It is hard to contain my excitement for his newfound courage.

[judygram]

Gilbert is a wonderful little fella and it just goes to show it does indeed take time for a rehomed grey to really open up and embrace his new family, which is why we stress so much to be patient with them and you are the queen of patient my dear Dee and David my have found him a new forever friend. These are small steps but so splendid and wonderful, Gilbert you the man.

[katana600]

There just are no words to express how much it means to me to see him reach out and expand his comfort zone. He has been off his cage for an hour now. In his time here for more than eighteen months now, this is more than the cumulative time off his cage except for being away from home in his travel cage. Watching him as I read the forum I can see many things to do to enhance his experience and keep him safe. His travel cage on the floor as a safety zone has been a big part of his brave new behavior. He is standing on the base of his floor stand but he can't climb the thick branches so I am going to attach a boing to the floor with zip ties. Since we have three identical travel cages, I will put one in the kitchen and one in the dining room so he has a place to go if he needs the safety net. The first day he stepped onto the floor was just after our Labor Day travel, so in one month he has gone from just touching the hardwood, to being in every room today. Awesome progress little man. David is that much more entranced with Gilbert since he has chosen to follow him and to ask for him to share his breakfast. I am just beyond thrilled to sit quietly and watch them form a bond. What is even funnier to me is just yesterday my youngest daughter said "Mom, don't get any wild ideas on your hot air balloon ride next week, I am not ready to inherit Gilbert, he scares me to death." LOL. By the time she comes home for Thanksgiving, I know Gilbert will be ready to change her mind and win her heart too.

[judygram]

I know Gilbert will be ready to change her mind and win her heart too.

 

 

Yes he will and maybe sooner than later for he is progressing in leaps and bounds lately.

 

I am in awe of your impending balloon ride, please tell me all about it afterwards as it is something I have always wanted to do, enjoy.

[katana600]

Gilbert was a man about the house for about an hour this morning and he didn't seem to know to just go back. Maybe he was just overexcited to be seeing everything from a new perspective but he kind of wore himself out. When I asked if he wanted to go back, he waved his foot to offer me a step up. Then he was ravenous when I brought his warm breakfast, I've never seen him eat with such enthusiasm. One of the best things about his exploration is that he is seeking out with only curiosity to entice him a step further. At first, a month ago, I was putting a few pine nuts, an almond or a pistachio in a food cup in plain sight on the travel cage, just to get him to climb down there for the first few times. I really don't want him eating off the floor so most of his foraging has been in his cage and I would like to keep it that way for his safety as much as anything. His adventure this morning has exhausted him and he has been sleeping most of the day. He really was amazing me this morning and I am loving that.

 

Judy, this hot air balloon ride was purchased on Groupon more than a year ago (Mother's Day) It has been cancelled so many times that I am not getting my hopes up for this time. Heck, it has been cancelled so many times both of our kids have moved out and moved on and won't be able to join us. Poor David is not keen on heights and doesn't like the amusement park rides but he is the only one left. The kids are feeling guilty and trying to give him an easy way out by saying he has to be on the ground so he can come home and take care of Gilbert. LOL. They don't want us to both go up together. It is good to know someone else would enjoy this. You will be with me in spirit. Up up and away.

[Timbersmom]

Gilbert's progress is increasing exponentially, which is great! It seems like he has "turned the corner" doesn't it? Funny about the balloon ride. I was at a bonfire last night and a couple we know are headed to Albuquerque tomorrow. She is scheduled for a balloon ride, he is scheduled to stay on the ground and watch her balloon ride His comment was something like "I have no desire to go any higher than my stepladder will take me." Enjoy the ride!

[katana600]

The one thing that has changed is the drops the vet recommended. He said it would take a couple of weeks and I have not stopped them yet. It does seem to have been helpful in Gilbert's case. I don't see any increase in his feather damage. He was exhausted yesterday but not nervous. I just get giddy when I think of him coming out and making friends with David. It is sweet to see David be gentle and encouraging and for him to mention how far Gilbert has come in the past few weeks. I thought Rachel leaving would affect him some and we might regress, but instead he is taking up with David. In many ways I would love it he chose David to be his special person, it would be wonderful for both of them. To see Gilbert toddling the length of the house to be with him was a highlight of our life. I am seeing some other behavior from Gilbert that I would not have suspected. Every morning now, when I get up and open his cage, he goes down to the rope bridge to his travel cage "apartment" and just sits there. He seems to be more comfortable going low than getting higher. It doesn't make sense because he hasn't ever wanted to be in the bottom half of his cage even though it has similar perches on three basic levels. Now that he has been on the floor, he spends more time on the cage grates and lowest perches. His previous home had several small animals and he didn't come out of his cage for years. It has been a long time coming which makes it all the more magical to watch him find his place in the world.

[judygram]

Dee I would be there to go up with you in the balloon if I didn't have to work for I would love to be able to accompany you on that ride so David could stay on the ground and I will take one some day.

[katana600]

Alas, once again in a nearly two year saga, the winds are not right for the balloon excursion. That's okay though, I am liking the idea of a quiet morning home. Gilbert has been adorable lately. He continues to hang out low on his "basement apartment" but hasn't had any more adventures. He has gotten very snuggly, in his own way. He is giving me ever longer sessions of permitting me to rub his head at night and in the morning while he is safe inside the big cage on his favored "touching" perch. Last night I was working on a neighborhood newsletter in the kitchen and he couldn't see me. After a few "time to go night night Gilbert" hints to me, he said something I haven't heard since his early days. "Wanna tickle?" That is what Sara told me he would say when he was in the mood for a scratch on the head. Sure enough, I went in to turn off his light and give him a proper goodnight and he warmed up and not only let me scratch his head and rub his neck, he allowed himself to rest his head in one hand while I massaged his head with the other. It was awkward to have four fingers through one set of bars at one angle and try to get the other hand in there where I could still see his eye to be ready if he spins around and snaps at a finger. Come to think of it, it has been a really long time since he has been that jumpy. Slowly, slowly things are changing for the better with him.

[Timbersmom]

Woohoo! Great to hear

[chelseaB]

That is so awesome, way to go Dee & Gilbert!!

[katana600]

Something new and joyful to add to Gilbert and his "firsts". David has gotten closer to Gilbert in recent weeks, moreso now that he is feeling a little lonesome with Rachel out of the house. I was speaking of Gilbert, but I guess the same may apply to David. When David takes the dogs out, Gilbert is inside shouting and whistling for them "C'mon, c'mon in here boys". LOL. Yesterday to David's great delight, when he opened the front door to come in and release the dogs from leashes, Gilbert swung down from his playtop toy hook flapping his wings wildly, trying to "come" to David. Gilbert ran to the "railing" around the playtop and promptly ducked his head and asked for David's touch. I was welling up with happiness. It was last weekend when David was home that Gilbert walked across the house to get to him. Then, today, David came in and offered Gilbert a piece of his banana. He has been doing that every morning for several days and Gilbert will tentatively take a tiny bite, maybe with coaxing, a second helping. This morning, I heard David exclaim and begin to chuckle. Gilbert snatched the whole piece of banana, then clutched it in his talons and devoured it with great gusto while making gulping yummy noises. He is really drawing David under his spell. As I am out in the kitchen typing away on the computer, David is playing Pink Floyd "Wish you were here" and clapping his hands to the music, laughing and calling out "Ya gotta come see this." Gilbert is dancing, swaying, bobbing to the beat, stretching out his wings and loving every minute of it. There is a tiny piece in the back of my heart that might wish Gilbert were getting closer to me instead, just a little because honestly, if anything or anyone helps draw him into more interaction and relationship its all good. I am so happy for Gilbert and for David for this shared moment. Silly boys. I can't wait to see some new changes and improvements. I bought lots of new Booda ropes and I am in the process of making lots of areas of change for Gilbert's cage, play stand, three travel cages and it will give him more freedom to explore the living room and beyond when he gets the nerve. I do have to say, my living room is beginning to look like a game of "Mouse Trap".

[Timbersmom]

LOL to the mousetrap image! I'm sure David is thrilled in his heart of hearts... go Gilbert!

[Greywings]

What a wonderful result for all your patience and all his new bravery. I love reading your stories as well you are a very good writer.

[katana600]

Aw, thanks. It's only because I am so in love with my subject. Tonight the dogs ran barking and startled Gilbert and he tried to fly away. He came looking for me like a toddler wanting mama when they are hurt or scared. He came all the way across the living room to me for the first time. I lifted him up and he had a little mark by his eye and he kept rubbing it. He sat on my shoulder and gave me his soft little "hey". He wanted me to rub his "boo boo". How sweet is that? He stayed warm on my shoulder for a half hour but was eager to go back when I offered. He is okay, happily playing on his cage top. I just have so much more of a vision for his future as he gets more attached and involved. He is so darn cute.

[katana600]

Oh goodness, this is an exciting moment for Gilbert. Over time, he has started trying new things. The travel cage sitting next to his big cage and attached with a rope perch has been his favorite hangout for a couple of weeks. On occasion I have pushed his floor stand up next to his cage and he has infrequently climbed onto the top branches, but he just gets on, sits there and eventually gets back off to go to his big cage again. It has tiered levels but if he only climbs on the top, he can't reach the hanging toys. Yesterday, I made some minor changes and attached a boing from an eye hook just under one of the top branches. That is now connected to the travel cage and tonight he came out, tested the rope of the boing and has climbed to the "inner sanctum" of the floor stand. He has been playing with a bell and ringing it. that is a first for him. He may bump the bell in his cage on occasion, but has never played with that one. He is a bell ringing fool on the floor stand. This is a first to see him play with enthusiasm. He did climb to the top level of the floor stand, then over to the big cage. This time though, he traversed the lower level of his cage to get to the rope, to get to the boing, to get back to the inner level of the floor stand. He has not flinched at his toys and seems to have come to a new sense of confidence. I have been cheering him on from a safe distance so as not to interupt his grand adventure. He has made a few low foghorn sounds and sirens that he does when he gets nervous and seems to tell himself there is danger and scary things, but then curiosity gets the better of him and he touches the toys again. The very act of shaking a bell like a puppy chewing my favorite slipper is giving us both such delight that I want to jump up and down with glee. Gilbert is learning to play all by his little ole self. This is such great news and opens new horizons for this little guy.

[Timbersmom]

He is sure making a lot of progress in a short time. I love reading Gilbert updates

[katana600]

This may be a first for our forum. I am celebrating because Gilbert is making a mess! Hahahaha. He is making a mess because he is branching out a little, no pun intended. He is chewing the branches on his floor stand and has the bark flung far into the corners of the living room. I feel like I am growing up into a real parrot companion. This morning when he greeted me with sweet nothings, he allowed a really long head massage then came right out and traversed his rope "bridges" to get back to work on remodeling his floor stand. Where he has objected to every toy on his play top or heaven forbid, inside his cage, he is now happy to engage when they are hanging mere inches away on the floor stand. He has very few toys in his cage, only the ones he had when he came. Maybe it is like a youngster who has lost interest in his toys, but if you put them away for a couple of weeks, they think they are new all over again. When I took things out of his cage and moved them to the floor stand, he is like the energizer bunny in the cage, up and down the sides, walking on the grates, hanging from his "ceiling" all to get a view of where I put his darn toys. LOL. I bought a tray from the hardware store that is meant to go under a washing machine as a drip tray and put that on the floor partially under his cage casters and under the floor stand. He can fling his mess and it will keep the dogs from eating his shrapnel, or other appealing offerings. I am adding a maze of rope perches so he has an out-of-cage wonderland. His travel cage/basement apartment is a hub or terminal from which all ropes go to different tantalizing new vistas. Who would have ever thought to put things closer to the floor in order to entice a parrot who seems to only want to get higher? It is counterintuitive, but it happens to appeal to Gilbert at this particular time. Did I say my living room looks like a version of "MouseTrap"? I am having visions now of something like a jungle themed restaurant in a mall I once visited. I am imagining a system of ropes decorated to look like jungle vines all around the room and vaulted ceilings to offer him a vantage point from which to fling all manner of objects down upon unsuspecting heads. LOL. The joy I feel for finally tapping into Gilbert's spirit is beyond the words I can find this morning. It brings tears to my eyes to watch him act almost like a "normal" Timneh. It is only going to get better from here.

[Greywings]

Your story made me tear up too, so sweet is this victory over fear.

[judygram]

Its been a long time coming but how sweet it is!