hello

[tandra]

hello everyone.. i have been looking around on this forum and i like it,seems to be very informative and helpful i have only been a CAG mommy for a little over 6 mnths,my birds name is "festus" and he will be 4 in october,i will be 39 in july i have posted a question in the "training" forum on bitting..any advice would be wonderful..thanks so much and it will be nice to get to know all of you

[Life is Greyt]

Welcome to the forum

[Ray P]

Hi Tandra and Festus and welcome to the grey forum.

[judygram]

Hello Tandra and welcome to our family, so glad you could join us.

I love your grey's name, Festus reminds me of that old show Gunsmoke, man them were the good ole days when it and Rawhide were on.

Do you know much of Festus's background, his former homes and owners? It helps to know a lot about what he was like before he came to you.

I look forward to seeing some pictures of Festus when you can get some posted.

[ariisamis]

Hello, welcome to the forum.

[tandra]

hi judygram i do know almost all there is to know about festus as he had only one previous owner,the lady i bought him from almost 6 mnths ago.she had purchased him from a baby at a pet store,i have his original birth certificate lol....she said he wasnt very nice and would try to nip at her eventually getting worse as time went on(this im assuming is because she would react the way he intended her too) so she eventually only handled him once in a blue moon to get him out so she could clean his cage,and doing this she used an oven mitt so she didnt get bit as hard...when i met him she was trying to use a mitt to get him off his cage and it wasnt working,he didnt want any part of it so i calmly but confidently walked up to him and in a firm voice said "step up" as i pushed my finger towards his chest,he was caught off guard im sure and had no choice but to do what i asked,lol...so once i had him home and all set up i decided to offer him a few days to adjust to the new noises,landscape and also my own and my husbands faces and voices..he settled in right away and was chatting away in a matter of 2-3 days he would act like he wanted my attention but i waited a little while before doing so,when i finally did go to him and say step up he went to bite and did bite,but i didnt pull my hand away,i was persistant and firm and he stepped up..1 for me 0 for festus ! lol anyway as time went on he was better and better,however we had a friend come to stay with us for what was to be an over nighter and he never left for a mnth !! my bird didnt like him much but did tollerate him some,so my friend i will call "bob" (lol) was here during the day/night when my husband and i were at work(we work a 4 on 4 off with rotating nights) and i think he got to the point where he hated my bird and would yell at him and wave hands in the air infront of my bird(just a suspicion) and one day i actually caught bob shaking his finger at festus and he was saying "your a bad bird,a very bad bird,you dont bite!! " and then he thaught it was ok to actually try and scratch festus's head!! i was like what the hell do you think your doing? you dont yell at my bird or wave your hands around him!! and especially excpect that he will be ok with you touching him after! just leave him alone and if you dont like him then dont go near him..if he annoys you then maybe you should leave!!! and i stormed away...leaving bob to wonder wth just happened....so he left soon after that and since i have had nothing but issues with festus trying to bite and being very loud(he wasnt before) and it got to the point where i doubted myself with him...i was about to loose my mind with his constant screaming and so i let him go stay at a friends home (who is patient and very kind unlike bob)for a cpl weeks till i got my nerves back on track(had other personal issues tapping my nerves not just festus lol)but while he was gone i missed him terribly and at the same time my friend wasnt getting any sleep (he says ) due to the fact festus was too noisy during the day while he was trying to nap!!(he is so quiet when we sleep during the day for night shift) so now he is home with me again and im glad he is,but now i need some help with him or some ideas as to how to get him to be like he was with me in the first place,do i just have regain his trust and keep trying? and YES festus was named after the character in the show gunsmoke

[tandra]

thanks for the warm welcome" Ray P" and " life is greyt"

[judygram]

Then Festus knew she was afraid of him and they know that so he used it to his advantage. I am sorry the biting has continued even after the circumstances that caused it has ended but you will just have to gain his trust again and you have to earn that and it takes time so be patient with him until he comes around again. Be consistent and confident with him as he tests you in the coming weeks and months.

[tandra]

i will keep trying,i was just able to bribe him to step up with a little mashed potatoes,they are his fav,next to grapes,nuts,granola,sweet potatoes,mac'n cheese,well ok he is a voracious eater and can be bribed very easily lol so i will keep on keepin on..thanks ps..i uploaded a cpl of pics..cant seem to get the ones i want to upload,grrr will try again later or tomorrow

Edited April 3, 2012 by tandra
forgot to mention

[aerial.2000]

heya and welcome to you and your fid this is a great place and i hope you get all your questions answered! good luck to you