kittykittykitty Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Getting the chains and wires off must be a huge relief. Is that her usual way now of releasing pent up fear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I remember getting off my braces the end of grade nine, after 4 1/2 long years. The smooth surface of my teeth felt so alien to me. Lol. I hope Gilbert doesn't make you suffer too long for the change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 She will adjust there are so many larger challenges she has overcome this is just a small bump not even a hill. I am actually glad to hear about the growling, she feeling freedom to express herself with out repercussions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Oh Miss Gilbert. @kittykittykitty tossing food, slamming doors and attempting to reach out and touch me have been relatively recent developments. I think it's as Greywings pointed out along with the growling. She is feeling safe enough to act out more appropriately when she is ticked off. In the past she would get frustrated and bite herself on the foot or yank out a feather. Now she finds other ways to shake it off and regain an equilibrium. With all the downsides lately we had an over the top upside today. I had defrosted the freezer, forgot the drip pan plug and flooded he utility room. So pretty much all day was in the kitchen area out of her sight. I heard the sure sound of wings rustling. I went right to her cage and she was gone. As I turned back, she was in the kitchen. From the spot where she left droppings, she had to have flown around a corner! She willingly stepped up and since the wheeled ice chest had a handle extended vertically it made a handy perch. She stayed with me just happily chattering away for more than an HOUR! That's a real record for her to be away from her cage. There was no nervous flapping. There was no plaintive "Wanna go back?" She looked every bit a self assured grey just hanging out in the kitchen. That ice chest may become a permanent fixture/perch. She came to me! She stayed with me! After the thunderstorm, this was our rainbow. I know she has more promise still, she is my little pot of gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Dee, it is with much joy I read of this darling little girl and her progress. I rejoice with you over her flying to YOU, staying with YOU. And thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one who deals with overflowing drip pans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Oh Howardine, that's just the scratch on the surface of my undependable memory. I have great coping strategies though. When I boil eggs, potatoes etc. I put a digital roasting thermometer in there, set it a couple of degrees below boil and set the alarm. When that goes off, I set a timer for cook time so I don't just head down to my sewing and forget it. This isn't new or simply old age creeping up on me, I used to set a timer to go off when it was time to pick up kids from school or activities and when that darn alarm went off it would take me five minutes to remember why I set it in the first place. Thank goodness for technology. Now I can set the alarm in my phone with a reminder of what I am supposed to be doing. I am still chuffed that Gilbert came to me and stayed for a spell. Today she accepted my warm oatmeal offering again and seems to be coming out of her recent withdrawal. I definitely recognize the two step forward, one step back dance routine. She is really focused on the "Jim" cycle. I'm not sure whether she is reminding me that we will never be Jim, or if she just had some kind of reminder herself and is pining for Jim. One thing is for certain, I don't think it's a game and I don't engage and say David to get a rise out of her. Now I just ask if she misses Jim. The intelligence of these beautiful and fragile creatures has brought me to my knees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Wonderful to hear of her ice chest rondevous with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 Since her original floor stand is considerably lower, I figured the height of the handle on the ice chest made her feel secure at this phase of our relationship. So of course I found a typical parrot floor stand. We put it together Sunday and I left it in the kitchen and asked her to come off her cage for me. She panicked and jumped but was ever so happy to step up and then to step up and stay on the new perch. It's tall enough for her to see above the countertops. Shortly after she settled with me in the kitchen I noticed she was bleeding from a tail feather that must have broken off when she hit the floor earlier. I watched carefully and it quit bleeding on its own and I have been watching carefully since then. While she was on the perch, I wanted to bring her into the living room. She happily stepped off the perch onto my hand and the sound if the wheels, nor the physical moving of the stand startled her. She was happily sitting near David's chair talking, whistling, hooting when she startled leaning toward her cage and he offered her a step up, she was a little nervous and seemed relieved to be back in her home. She is not wanting to come out of her cage today and that's her usual after she takes a big step forward. We just have to wait for the right moment and offer her an adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 She is making great strides and with your sensitivity to her needs for safety and quiet I foresee much more progress. I'm glad the bleeding stopped on its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Dee, you are doing all the right things. One of the things you are doing and that will give you the greatest reward is observation. To know and understand what`s going on in her head by what she is doing. To understand her and know when to step back and let her reset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 (edited) Understanding Miss Gilbert is a tall order. Right when I think I have her figured out, she throws me another curve ball. When I think about it, she probably thinks the same thing about me. When she retreats into her cage, usually that means she wants time to herself. Yesterday she even went so far as to pull her door closed behind her and with much effort she got it to latch. However, last night and again this morning, I heard a familiar sound from Java and realized it was the contented beak grinding from Gil-girl. I believe I could count on one hand the days she has been that much at ease. Sometimes weeks go by with little change. Sometimes she has long brooding silences and I wonder what I can do for her. In our case, even though its against my nature, doing nothing but waiting for her next acceptance of an overture is the best course for her. She has let me know that nobody is ever going to force her against her will and I respect that. One thing that never changes is the way I wake up and think of her every morning, this may be the day her final vestige of fear melts away. Those moments when she grasps my hand to get a lift off the floor, or off her stand recently are my greatest rewards for waiting for the right moment to offer her my heart. She has been grinding her beak for more than fifteen minutes. She shared my oatmeal and is ready for a little nap. Edited July 1, 2014 by katana600 Typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Beautiful results her inner personality is blossoming more each day and she is becoming an intrepid explorer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 Oh ho ho, what have we here? Miss Gilbert has been staying in her cage again today. Then Java flew to the new floor stand. Gil was making some atrocious racket warning her to get off! Java promptly took a luxurious bath in the large water dish. I went to Gil's cage and offered her a step up to see if she would be motivated to get on her stand. She offered to send me packing with a bloody stump. She has been watching silently as Java preens happily on the stand. Eventually I will need to buy a second one, but for now, this may be incentive for my girl to get a little wiggle on her tail feathers and branch out of her comfort zone just to one up Java. In a happy note, today when I was offering Miss Gilbert some pine nuts she revealed her excitement by pinning her eyes wildly all the whole, gently taking them from my fingers one right after another. It's such a new thing that when I first saw her pin her eyes, I thought I just might get bitten, but I hung in there and it was all pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 (edited) I love your description of sibling one up-man-ship, especially the picture of Java calmly preening after her bath while Gilly heckles her. I think your house is on the verge of getting a lot more interesting. Edited July 1, 2014 by Acappella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Sibling rivalry indeed! Oh, my! What's next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Oh what a fun night after all that excitement. Gilly was more talkative than the past three months combined. It was all directed toward Java, more so after the fact and it was very funny. "Get out. Go on. Get outta there. Who dere? Who dat be. Come on. Come over here. Come on now" Shut up. Get out." And on and on and on. The very best part was in a two hour torrent of jabber, there wasn't one cuss word. Not one. That tells me that while she was excited, she wasn't stressed. She is on top of her cage today. She has taken herself out of her self imposed exile. Our neighbors are getting trees cut down, the noise is horrendous and Gil is sitting topside all relaxed and happy. When the mulch grinder takes a break, I can hear the sweetest sound of beak grinding contentment. My thoughts are to make this a community perch, I may add some levels of PVC for separation, but my two may be ready to coexist away from the cage zone. It's worth a try as long as a change is taking place naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Your description is absolutely priceless! It reminds me of my two human daughters as they were growing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 I so enjoy bring in a household with two vibrant and resourceful parrot companions. My daughter came for a visit and brought the man she has been dating for six months. It's the first boyfriend she ever brought home to meet mom and dad. They flew in last night and didn't get her until nearly midnight. Ryan has had no parrot experience and would you like o know how he was greeted by Miss Gilbert? She tucked her head and asked him for a scratch. 95% of the time that I ask her for a scratch, she refuses but ten minutes in the door, literally and she is asking him to scratch her head. Not only that but any time he enters the room she asks him for more. She stands on one side of her cage receiving attention from him while I am changing her water dish on the other side. She coos sweetly to him and runs quickly to try to bite me as I am trying to feed her. The little pip. She certainly gave him a warm welcome and I am glad he got to see her sweet side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Now wouldn't you just know it! But it does show how far Niss Gilli Girl has come. I think I love her as if she were my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Thank you for loving this little wisp of a soul with the wisdom of the ages and the cunning of a warrior. A long time ago, on this forum there was a topic of myths and a thread about greys not only being a "one person" bird but also having a strong preference for humans of the opposite gender. I chimed right in that Gilbert didn't seem to follow that theory, but I was wrong. She has a definite preference for men. From the Schwan driver to contractors to visitors she lights up the room for any man that comes in the door. She isn't as defensive and abrasive to most women as she was to Sarah and to me but she definitely prefers men. She went out of her way yesterday to regale Ryan with quips, appropriate laughter and a well placed cuss just to add the icing to her performance. Any time he was in her view she posed and asked for a head scratch. He is justifiably wary and has the instinct to know when to approach and touch her but didn't want to ask for a step up. I think the little flirt would have gone right up to his shoulder if he stepped close to her cage. Can you just see the look on David's face when I tell him "Alas but your travel schedule leaves me no choice but to entertain many men in your absence... For Gilbert of course." Hahahahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 It sounds like a case of, you bring them in and I`ll take care of them syndrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Wouldn't you know it, this was a weekend long "Ryan-fest". My mouth dropped many times over to see Miss Gilbert come out in royal form for our guest. She was absolutely charming. When I tried to explain that it was a great honor to him and that she did more for him in three days than I have elicited in three years he was a gentleman. His reply was that the three years of care and trust building aallowed her to be in the mental place to open her heart to him. That was sweet but quite honestly she was smitten with him. We were in the kitchen playing board games when she gave David a shout out. Of course he asked what and she repeated his name so he responded with "Gilbert" and she quickly asked "What?" with attitude and when we laughed, she laughed then called my daughter's name Kelsey for the first time. It was a magical weekend. We took the kids to the airport and when we returned and let her out she flew to the floor, walked o er to me and asked for a step up. She stayed near me on the perch stand and gently took pine nuts and pistachios from my fingers. When she was ready to go back she happily came to me for a step up and jumped from my hand to get to her cage top. She sure is getting more brave and more sociable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Dee, it really is your three years of hard work. Ryan was the beneficiary. So is David. Also Kelsey and you. Miss Gilbert is the most fortunate of all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) Dee, enjoy your ride, it will just keep getting better. Remember, you started this. Edited July 7, 2014 by Ray P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inara Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Dee, it really is your three years of hard work. Ryan was the beneficiary. So is David. Also Kelsey and you. Miss Gilbert is the most fortunate of all. Could not agree more! Miss Gilbert is indeed the most fortunate of all. Dee, what a lovely post and as always a pure delight to tune in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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