Hello Everyone!!

[gangustahn]

Hey guys, I have always been fascinated with CAG's but I never pulled the trigger. I knew they were a huge commitment and I needed to be in a very secure place in my life. This was my thought for the past 8 years. Recently, I came across an abused CAG, who was in a bad situation. The grey had a cage mate that plucked most of the hair behind his neck and had not been handled or cleaned in a while. He may also be a plucker. I am currently a dog trainer and specialize in aggressive dogs, so i figured i could possibly use my animal behavior knowledge towards rescuing this grey. His name is Pearl and he is 8 years old. He did bite the owner as he was trying to place him back into his cage. I have ALOT to learn and was hoping I could get some advice and tips from everyone. Thanks.

[Jayd]

Thank you for taking in a rescue Grey! If I may, not trying to ruffle anybody's feathers...there are many, many differences in handling a normal Grey, let alone an abused Grey as compared to a dog. One of the hardest things to grasp is the fact that there is no alpha male in the Grey kingdom. Here is some good reading to start with along with members sharing their experiences with re-homed and abused Greys...

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190309-A-note-on-Punishment-and-your-Parrot/page10

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?198094-So-you-want-to-be-owned-by-a-parrot/page2

Thank you...everyone is here to help you...

Jayd, Spock (Maggie) and the flock

 

by Stewart A. Metz, M.D.

1.GET TO KNOW ABOUT PARROTS BEFORE YOU BRING ME HOME - I am not a domesticated pet like a dog or cat. I still have the spirit of the jungle in me. I have special needs which you may find it hard to fill. Please don't learn these too late for my well-being. And please don't acquire one of my cousins wild from the jungle—it will jeopardize his survival and well-being, and that won't be a party for you either!

2.GIVE ME THE LARGEST HOME POSSIBLE - I am used to flying through rainforests or savannas. I have given up this great gift for your pleasure. At the very least, give me enough room to flap my wings and exercise. And I need toys for my amusement and wood to chew—otherwise, I might confuse your Home with the forest and its trees.

3.GIVE ME A NUTRITIOUS DIET - I need a wide variety of fresh and nutritious foods, even if they take time to prepare. I cannot survive on seeds alone. Take time to learn what my needs, and preferences, are.

4.LET ME HAVE A 'SOCIAL LIFE' - I am a gregarious flock animal—but I am not one of you. I need lots of socialization to learn how to act with you, and with my siblings. I also need to have adequate quality time with you every day—no matter what your schedule or other needs are. I am a living,feeling creature. Above all, I need to be able to have complete trust in you, and count on your predictability in looking after me—every day.

5.LET ME BE CLEAN - I may like to drop food or even throw it, but I need meticulous cleanliness to be healthy. My skin itches without frequent showers, the barbs of my feathers won't seal if they become oily and, worst of all, I may become ill if my food or water is not always sanitary.

6.I NEED MY OWN DOCTOR - You may not understand my physiology and therefore you may not recognize it early on when I get sick. And it may be too late when you do, because I hide my illnesses (remember what I said about my being an animal of the jungle, where there are lots of predators). And I need an avian vet—a specialist (no HMOs for me please). If you can't afford one, perhaps you shouldn't have taken me home.

7.PLEASE DON'T PUNISH ME - Just as I don't always understand your peculiarities, you may not understand mine. I don't TRY to get in trouble—remember, a house is not the jungle. If I do screw up, don't yell at me and never hit me. I have sensitive ears and I may never trust you again if you strike me. Hands are sometimes scary things to us (why in the world would you not be zygodactylous like us?). Even more importantly, we don't learn by punishment. We are gentle creatures who only strike back to protect ourselves; we learn through patience and love.

8.SPEAK MY " LANGUAGE" - I know you get upset with me when I knock over my water bowl, throw food, scream or pluck my feathers. I don't do these to annoy you—I am probably trying to tell you something ( perhaps that I am hurting, lonely , or sad.). Learn to speak MY (body) language. Remember that I , alone of all creatures on this planet, learn to speak yours!

9.SEE ME AS AN INDIVIDUAL - I am a unique and feeling being.. No two of us are alike. Please don't be disappointed in me if I don't talk like you wanted, or can't do the tricks that your friend's parrot can do. But if you pay close attention to me (and I always empathize with you, whether you know it or not), I will show you a unique being who will give you so much more than talking and playing.. Give me a chance to show you who I am; I think you'll find the effort worth it. And remember—I am not an ornament;. I do not enhance ANY living room décor. And I am not a status symbol—if you use me as such, I might nip at your up-turned nose!

10.SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME - Above all, please remember that you are my Special Person. I put all my trust and faith in you.. We parrots are used to being monogamous.(no bar-hopping for us!).So please don't go away for long periods or give me away—that would be a sadness from which I may never recover. If that seems to be asking a lot, remember—you could have learned about my needs before bringing me home. Even having a baby or taking a new job isn't a fair reason—you made a commitment to me FIRST. And if you think that you must leave me because you might die, provide for me forever after you leave. I may live to a ripe old age but I can't provide for myself. Remember I'm in a small cage amongst people who are not of my blood.

11.YOUR RIGHTS - You have lots of rights, but I can only assure one. And that is, if you treat me the way I described above, I will reward you with unwavering love, humor, knowledge, beauty, dedication-- and a sense of wonder and awe you haven't felt since you were a child. When you took me home, you became my Flock Leader, indeed, my entire universe –for life. I would hang the moon and stars for you if I could. We are one in Heart and Soul

[Ray P]

Hi gangustahn and welcome to the grey forum.

Jay has just given you a great post that is full of truth and wisdom.

[gangustahn]

Thanks alot guys. I definitely know that owning/training a bird is completely different from a dog. I was just hoping to use the same posiitive reinforcement strategies for shaping and approximations to get him a bit more friendly. Otherwise, i would have already owned a parrot. =) I have been doing quite a bit of research and noticed that their should be no type of negative training whatsoever. I guess the good part is that I have had my fair share of dog bites, so i dont think i will overreact if he does end up biting me. Thanks for you post Jay. I will take all of those points to heart. Currently, pearl is doing very well he is eating from my hand and i can get him to move around the cage with treat lure. He still is shy, when I hover towards the cage. That is totally understandable. I really hope that his good behavior is not only because he is unsure in a new environment. So i will keep trying to get closer on his watch. I am not trying to handle him at all but want to make sure i can go and clean his cage with out any problems. That and giving him food and treats will be my ownly affection towards him until he naturally steps up on me.

[Timbersmom]

Hello and welcome to you and Pearl! So glad you were able to rescue Pearl. Good luck and God bless

[judygram]

Hello Gangustahn and welcome to our family.

Thanks so much for taking in Pearl and giving him a new forever home, it will take lots of time and patience on your part but well worth it in the end. Jay has given you some excellent advice and you can glean lots more from reading thru the many threads here, possibly some of your questions have already been answered in them but if not feel free to ask us anything and everything.

We love pictures here so if you have some of Pearl you would share with us we would love to see them.

[ranaz]

Hats off for taking a rescue grey, all the best in your new adventure

[gangustahn]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I have been using the search function quite a bit. I will definitely post pictures of Pearl soon. I have been taking my time with him and allowing him to climb to the top of his cage and play outside of his cage for a few minutes a day. I heard that I should not let him be in a higher position than me for a little while until we establish our positions on the flock, so i tried standing on top of the sofa while he was on top of the birdcage. My cage is over six feet tall and I am 5'8" ish. The funny part is when I did this he went right back into his cage. So that was kind of good. The sofa is a good five feet away from the cage. At least I found out the easy way to get him back into the cage without a towel or traumatizing him. I have also noticed that he is not a big fan of open palms. He will take treats from my finger but if i open my palm he gets really nervous. I am trying to counteract this with having the treats in my right hand while opening my palm in the left hand and slowly moving it closer to him. As soon as he shows signs of distress, I back my left hand away slowly and until he is calm and keep it at that distance. He is also pretty confident about grabbing treats from me from different sides of the cage. This is really good for me. I have perches in the higher corners so I can do all of my daily routine cleaning. He wont move more than a step when I have my arms in the cage, however. But that's understandable. But so far that's my progress. I hope, I am doing really good. Also, I noticed that he has a slight fear of men. He is very cautious around me. My sister and mother came and he perks right up for them. He bobs his head and calls them. My sister was even able to rub his head on a few occasions. For me, I have to spend a good ten minutes talking to him and giving him treats before he warms up. But once we get a conversation going, he keeps mumbling. Oh yeah, so i noticed that if I say outside he gets really excited. I can open the cage and move back about 6-7 feet and he will climb right outside. Hopefully, it will be a real command soon. =)

[Timbersmom]

You are coming right along! Be thankful that he isn't attacking your arm when you stick it in the cage. Remember, though that the cage is his safe place. I don't push anything when Timber is inside the cage because I want him to feel safe there.

[Jayd]

. I heard that I should not let him be in a higher position than me for a little while until we establish our positions on the flock, . I have also noticed that he is not a big fan of open palms. He will take treats from my finger but if i open my palm he gets really nervous. I am trying to counteract this with having the treats in my right hand while opening my palm in the left hand and slowly moving it closer to him. As soon as he shows signs of distress, I back my left hand away slowly and until he is calm and keep it at that distance.

 

Cage high is a Grey myth that has been around for a long time, the reason a Grey seeks heights is for security not status. As far as position in the flock goes it's usually determined by the oldest member. If a Grey is afraid or dislikes something, we usually do not pursue it if it is not essential to the Greys well being. A lot of Greys dislike the human forearm, or gloves or long-sleeves, if your Grey doesn't like a open palm then don't go out of your way to present them to him. What your doing is exactly what you stated, "causing stress", not good for bonding let alone just showing trust...Thanks Jayd

[katana600]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations for bringing Pearl into your life and getting him out of a bad situation. It is commendable that you have read about greys, contemplated getting one and waited for yourself to be ready for it to be a lifetime commitement. You have some good instincts and helping Pearl to be secure while he gets to know his new surroundings and the ebb anb flow of your lives together will have great rewards for each of you. When I embarked on this plan to bring home an older Timneh in need and "with issues" the first thing I needed to learn is "grey time". I had some parrot experience with babies and one red-bellied (Senegal relative) parrot with me for almost five years at the time. That is when I learned that every parrot of every species may have common traits and behaviors but especially with greys, every one of them is individual and unique and his past has shaped him, but it has not written his fate in stone. Grey time is what Pearl decides it will be. Some will respond in positive ways in a week, some will take longer, depending on the baggage they bring along to mix up with our own. LOL. With patience, kindness and respect that you seem to bring to the relationship, you will find great rewards.

[Jayd]

I re-read you post and would like too add a couple of things. The reason your baby went back into the cage when you stepped up on the sofa is not because you were higher but because you moved away from the cage...Your baby should be out of the cage as much as possible, by giving treats thru the cage bars you are saying it's okay to stay in the cage, here's a treat for doing so,,, give the treat when he comes out of the cage, not when he's in it. When you want him to go back into the cage, while he's watching, put a toy or treat into the cage and praise, always praise.....

[gangustahn]

Thanks Jayd! I will definitely be careful of that. I am glad I am on this board!!

[gangustahn]

Thanks so much everyone. This is great. I will probably start another post outside of the introduction section! Ill have his picture posted there.