Hello!

[Cesar]

Hi everyone I'm a mom to a 4 year old African grey Timneh. My husband and I adopted him three years ago from a really sketchy breeder, neither of us knew anything about parrots just that we wanted one. Once we got Cesar home we realized he was very aggressive, his toe was broken and toenail missing and he had an open band that had obviously been tampered with. My thoughts are that he was abused, or someone stole him and changed the band so he couldn't be tracked or he was smuggled from the wild. We spent a year working with him before he was able to step up (and only on a glove, to this day he still won't go near a human hand). Since then we've made slow progress, he can talk but will only do it when he's by himself and thinks we're gone. He will take food from my husband but not from me and doesn't shy away when we go near the cage anymore. He still bites frequently and hard, we've both got quite a few scars from him. Just when I think I'm at my wits end with him he surprises me doing something nice. Any advice on how to tame a crazy bird is appreciated and I look forward to learning lots here!

[Jayd]

Hi, everything sound ok, and normal,,he's picked your husband, talking alone etc, is ok, especially for a re-home. Greys carry a lot of baggage, some never UN-pack. This isn't a matter of Taming, but of training and renewed trust.Continue doing what your doing, but please lose the glove, Greys hate them, just continue taking your time. Thanks Jayd

[Cesar]

Hi, everything sound ok, and normal,,he's picked your husband, talking alone etc, is ok, especially for a re-home. Greys carry a lot of baggage, some never UN-pack. This isn't a matter of Taming, but of training and renewed trust.Continue doing what your doing, but please lose the glove, Greys hate them, just continue taking your time. Thanks Jayd

 

We've tried to get rid of the glove, we've been told by a few people that they hate it but he's really attached to it, we leave it on his cage and he snuggles with it and scratches himself. As soon as we approach him with a hand he gets really nervous and latches on and wont let go until he's done a number on your finger. My husband is slowly getting him used to standing on bare skin, but it's a process!

[Jayd]

We've tried to get rid of the glove, we've been told by a few people that they hate it but he's really attached to it, we leave it on his cage and he snuggles with it and scratches himself. As soon as we approach him with a hand he gets really nervous and latches on and wont let go until he's done a number on your finger. My husband is slowly getting him used to standing on bare skin, but it's a process!

Thanks, this is what I suspected, It's possible that your Baby has bonded with your glove. The glove isn't like a disposable toy or one that you trade out every month or two. Your baby has substituted the glove for you. Please remove the glove, it will be hard but you have shown so much patience, you all can do it....

[Timbersmom]

Hello and welcome to you and Cesar I have a rehomed TAG as well, but not much experience! Interesting about the glove and bonding. Timber is uncommonly attached to a bell in his cage and we've been having some issues lately. Something to think about!

[Jayd]

Glove's, bells, red balls, listed in the archives are many threads of Greys to unnatural attention to objects, in most cases, removal of said object helps......