forummehta Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I recently met this guy at a pet store who works for the national geographic as well.. I asked him to give me a few tips on how to train Miki...he asked me if she growls..and i said yes...and then he tells me that shes a Timneh and not a CAG!!! is iut true thatt CAG's dont growl and only timneh's do? Im pretty sure this one is a CAG..The guy from another pet store told me that and she just dark grey but not as dark as the pictures of the timneh's I have here,...she also has a bright red tail!! Just wanted to confirm about the growling bit... Also, I let Miki hang around on her perch all day and night.. She hates the cage..But this guy told me that you wil have to keep her in the cage and give her food only by hand...thats the only way to tame her!! I think that wud scare Miki off...what do I do..Its a month now and she still growls when we get too close..She does take food when I give her..but just sometimes..should I try keeping her in the cage or should I leave her on the perch..?? thanks in advance for your help.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 (edited) Tags and Cags can both growl...... Some pet store helpers are totally full of it many times..... Leaving her in the cage is bad advice. It is perfectly and preferred for her to be out and about so she can interact with you when she chooses. Feeding only by hand is also another ridiculous comment by this person. I wonder what this person did (if anything) for national geographic....Janitor maybe? The only things that develop a relationship between us and our greys is time, patience, trust, not constantly pushing in to their boundaries, unconditional love and more patience. The only way a relationship builds is OUTSIDE the cage. Ask questions on this forum and ignore bad advise from pet shop people is what I would suggest. Edited December 28, 2012 by danmcq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 (edited) Your pet shop adviser seems not to be the expert he thinks he is. Misty is most certainly a CAG, can growl when the mood takes him. One thing in particular well set him off is the hose from the vacuum cleaner. I guess it is too snake like for him. Timnas are smaller than Gongos but one sure way to tell is the beak. On a Congo it is uniform black but on a Timna the upper mandible is distinctly lighter colour. A shade of toffee. If Miki is safe out of her cage let her out as much as she likes. Is she free to fly around? If she is beware of ceiling fans as these can be dangerous for a flying parrot. She should have more than just a perch. She needs branches and ropes to climb about on and things to rip apart for fun. Talk to her and whistle to her but don't force your attentions on her. She will let you know at her own pace. What food do you give her? If she is wild caught it will take a while for her to accept you. I hope she is not because for every bird that gets to a pet shop at least another dies a sad and frightened death. Steve n Misty Edited December 28, 2012 by Mistyparrot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forummehta Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Thanks...thats exactly what i did...I felt its too inhumane to tame her by keeping her in the cage..thanks a lot...will keep trying while shes outside.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forummehta Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Yea..I think she's a CAG too..Im not sure if shes out of the wild or not because I adopted her from a pet shop and the guy who gave her to me didnt mention that! her perch is big enough to climb and there are ropes too..its just difficult to keep her occupied with something all the time ..so she end up tearing papers, breaking plastics and tearing cloths which i leave for her to play with!! I dont know what else can make her play on a perch..she drop everything down!Shes pretty much safe out of the cage since we dont have any fans and she doesnt like to get off the perch..she doesnt really fly...I hope she does start letting me touch her soon..thanks a lot for your advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 After almost one year with Bongo, i can just now touch his back. The head he lets me pet but only for a second, then he turns and nips. There was a while when he loved having his head rubbed but only lasted a few weeks. They are a breed that knows what they want, when they want it. Right now he is going thru a stage of "open my cage door, i will come out when i am ready and then i will call you to bring me out to my stand when i am ready. Not before then or i will growl and click and lunge at you to bite!" I respect his choice, plus i like my hand without holes! Lol To top it off, he can fly but chooses to call his servent for room moves! It will happen for you, just respect his choices and he will begin to respect and trust you in return! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 After four years, Joe is just letting us touch him now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forummehta Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Wow....that sure is encouraging...I thought Im the only one who has ever waited so long to gain the trust of my baby!! :-) Thanks a lot.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisachristine Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 It's been two years and I'm just now finally able to scratch Rosie's head. She is a CAG and let me tell you, she can growl and scream with the best of them. Don't know who this guy was, but glad you are getting a second opinion. Time and patience is the key to every grey's heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I wonder what this person did (if anything) for national geographic....Janitor maybe? lol Dan. There's a reason we refer to 'grey time' here. Lots of us with rescues and re-homes have waited years until our grey has let us touch them. Most greys are only truly cuddle birds when they are babies. There are of course exceptions, but that's the general rule. They will decide when and how you are allowed to touch them. My best advice is to read the threads on body language so that you will have the best chance at accurately interpreting Mikis signals to you. If you try to push him too fast it will break any trust you are building with him. This is, in my opinion, a rule 100% of the time. Greys never respond well to a dominance based training because they are a flock animal, not a pack animal. If you change your expectations and meet him where he is and learn to celebrate whatever progress and signs of affection he allows, you will be amazed at what he will bring to your life. One day years from now you'll look back at these early weeks and months and you won't believe how much his behaviour towards you has changed. We're here to cheer you along every step of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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