My Grey and me.

[Cosmos_Friend]

As some of you fellow grey forum members know I've owned my male CAG, Cosmo, since he was 13 weeks old; he's now 6 years old. He's my first African Grey and the only bird in the flock in my home. That being said, I'd like to share with you the things that I do that has built a strong-trusting bond between myself and my feathered friend. Don't forget that every Grey is different, with different temperaments, likes and dislikes so what you're about to read is what works for my Grey and me.

 

For us, it happened quite quickly, within the first year or so. This is not to say that you'll have the same experience with your Grey however, why not? Greys are very intelligent in reasoning skills, which brings about an advanced emotional level much like are own. Our typical morning starts out with uncovering his cage with a happy, playful "Good morning, Cosmo!" "Who's my good boy?" I turn off his moon light he has on during the night, so as to give him some comfort while his cage is covered and not in complete darkness, then turn on his UVA-UVB light.

 

I then feed my cat, Sylvester his food and fresh water while I talk to both of them about the "daily menu for today". **(I include both Sylvester and Cosmo equally in any activity) It's then Cosmo's turn to get his "Daily menu" and as I prepare it in the kitchen, I call out to him something like, "And on todays menu we have your favorite seed mix with some RoudyBush, snap peas, apply fruits..." **get the idea? I turn on the T.V. and comment jokingly about some of the T.V. shows we watch together, like "Hey Cosmo, it's the Andy Griffith Show!" (or anything that happens to be on) I'll repeat the announcers words, "Starring Ron Howard and Don Knotts..." I'll then make and eat my breakfast along with him as he starts to eat his food.

 

He gets his morning out-of-the-cage time, where I'll sit with him for a bit, singing silly, made-up songs that he enjoys hearing, like our "Outside Song". We'll both look outside the picture window in the living room and I'll sing..."Everybody walkin' by they wave hello they wave goodbye, at 'Da Cosmo who's lookin' outside". I believe that singing to your parrot, including their name in the song demonstrates a kind-loving nature about yourself they will pick up on.

 

It's almost nap time now for Cosmo as he let's me know, "Rick..tired, take a nap. Time to take a nap, OKaaa?", so back in the cage he goes. Most of the time he'll nap off and on for about a half hour, sometimes not, but it's **the constant interaction we have that I believe has built our relationship so strong. In the late afternoon, he gets his out-of-the-cage time again. Cosmo loves to fly around the living room and land on various perches he has set for him throughout the apartment. Studies have shown that parrots who don't have their wings clipped are healthier both in body and spirit than ones that have their wings clipped. This is just one study I've read, however it makes sense because flying is their main source of moving from place to place, so long as it's environment is safe and they become accustomed to indoor flying.

 

I often act goofy with him, both with funny songs and silly things about the cat like when I'm eating, Sylvester will beg for some of my food, and I'll say to Cosmo, "Cosmo, Sylvester wants to eat my lunch!" I'll go on to say "You know what Sylvester said? He said, Gimme your sandwich! He's crazy!" Cosmo in turn will act goofy with me by bobbing his head while making funny noises. We even have an inside joke about Sylvester's litter box, we call it his "poop box". After the cat uses the litter box, either myself or Cosmo will say, "Sylvester went poop in the poop box, wheeew, stinky!" As I pass by the cage, I'll often stop to scratch the back of his neck, we call this "Birdy head lovins'".

 

These are just some of the things that has culminated a sweetheart of a Grey, who's fully vocal and extremely loving! I have no trouble handling him, whether it's trimming his beak or his claws, taking him away from him something that he's about to get his beak into that's off limits, helping him extract the occasional down feather that gets stuck in his nostril or just playing with him, I'm reasonably confident that he won't bite me. I have to caution new Grey owners that you do have to take the handling part slowly as to gain trust between each other. However, if you fill your Greys day with fun, laughter and positive-attention, the transition to gaining trust will become mutual.

 

~Rick

[Luvparrots]

Sounds you and Cosmo have a very pleasant routine. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[BaileysPapa]

How great is that! What good relationship you both have. And you sound like a very good parront.

[danmcq]

"it's **the constant interaction we have that I believe has built our relationship so strong"

Indeed it is. Thanks for sharing this glimpse in to it! GreYt post.

[Inara]

What a lovely post. Rick, your and Cosmo's routine sounds a lot like how Inara and I spend our time, along with our four-footed buddy, Dezi. I'm the type of person (and apparently Inara and Dezi are the type of companions) who enjoys a rhythm to my days -- with enough variety to keep things from becoming ho-hum. I do have the luxury of being at home during the days. But even in my 20s-40s when I lived with my Amazon and Congo, as busy as I was, there was still a sense of rhythm in the house.

 

It's fun to be goofy. My first Grey, LeStat, and I used to dance up a storm to Eric Clapton, and LeStat would yell, "Rock and ROOOOOLLLLLL" at the top of his little lungs! He would also branch off into some of his own wild guitar riffs. None of that happened overnight, as he was very traumatized when he came to live with me. I love your "people walking by" song and your inside jokes about the poop box! I told my husband about Cosmo saying, "Riiiiick, Jesus Christ are you OK?!!" and I thought he was going to die laughing.

 

Inara and Dez are both having their quiet time while I'm having my 2nd cup of coffee and reading more forum posts. Thanks for the morning smile!

[Cosmos_Friend]

What a lovely post. Rick, your and Cosmo's routine sounds a lot like how Inara and I spend our time, along with our four-footed buddy, Dezi. I'm the type of person (and apparently Inara and Dezi are the type of companions) who enjoys a rhythm to my days -- with enough variety to keep things from becoming ho-hum. I do have the luxury of being at home during the days. But even in my 20s-40s when I lived with my Amazon and Congo, as busy as I was, there was still a sense of rhythm in the house.

 

It's fun to be goofy. My first Grey, LeStat, and I used to dance up a storm to Eric Clapton, and LeStat would yell, "Rock and ROOOOOLLLLLL" at the top of his little lungs! He would also branch off into some of his own wild guitar riffs. None of that happened overnight, as he was very traumatized when he came to live with me. I love your "people walking by" song and your inside jokes about the poop box! I told my husband about Cosmo saying, "Riiiiick, Jesus Christ are you OK?!!" and I thought he was going to die laughing.

 

Inara and Dez are both having their quiet time while I'm having my 2nd cup of coffee and reading more forum posts. Thanks for the morning smile!

 

Thanks for reading my posts. Yeah, it's funny when Cosmo asks "Are you OK?" He does that anytime he senses that I'm having a bad day, besides the vocally expressed, "Riiiiick, Jesus Christ are you OK?!!" when I think aloud. What he'll also do, if he happens to be out of the cage at the time when he asks if I'm ok, he'll lift one of his feet to hold my finger and he'll say, "Awe, it's OK". This is one example that convinces me that a Grey has cognitive abilities far greater than what the avian researchers say. There have been many moments where Cosmo exhibited a deep understanding that far exceeds what we commonly "know" about their mental capacities. I've heard Greys referred to as "Nature's little secrets", whoever coined that description knew what they were talking about.

[Kizzybird]

This is one example that convinces me that a Grey has cognitive abilities far greater than what the avian researchers say. There have been many moments where Cosmo exhibited a deep understanding that far exceeds what we commonly "know" about their mental capacities. I've heard Greys referred to as "Nature's little secrets", whoever coined that description knew what they were talking about.

 

Rick, that is so true.

[katana600]

Rick, I so enjoy your posts. I would love for you to keep this one going as a journal. You are a great example of the ideal home for a grey, heck, I want to come live with you too! LOL. It is inspirational to read the interactions between you and Cosmo. This is the first I have seen the "Nature's little secrets", that is just precious and so true. Thank you for joining our forum and sharing your thoughts and your life with Cosmo with us.

[Cosmos_Friend]

Rick, I so enjoy your posts. I would love for you to keep this one going as a journal. You are a great example of the ideal home for a grey, heck, I want to come live with you too! LOL. It is inspirational to read the interactions between you and Cosmo. This is the first I have seen the "Nature's little secrets", that is just precious and so true. Thank you for joining our forum and sharing your thoughts and your life with Cosmo with us.

 

That's a good idea about the journal, sort of like "The life and times of Cosmo".

 

~Rick

[Inara]

... <snip> ... What he'll also do, if he happens to be out of the cage at the time when he asks if I'm ok, he'll lift one of his feet to hold my finger and he'll say, "Awe, it's OK". This is one example that convinces me that a Grey has cognitive abilities far greater than what the avian researchers say. There have been many moments where Cosmo exhibited a deep understanding that far exceeds what we commonly "know" about their mental capacities. I've heard Greys referred to as "Nature's little secrets", whoever coined that description knew what they were talking about.

 

They are just so fascinating and sensitive, aren't they? I can't begin to describe (after no beaks in the house since the late 90s) what an absolute J O Y it is to experience this unique type of companionship again. Your Cosmo stories just tickle me grey.

[Ray P]

The real depth of a grey is a unknown to any one that has never lived with one.

We the grey caregivers have been telling the world about greys and their abilities for years and science is just finding out what we the caregivers have known for many years

[Cosmos_Friend]

The evening of October 29th, 2012 began the worst 8 days Cosmo and I have ever experienced thus far. This date marks the east-coast landfall of hurricane Sandy.

 

The wind and rain were tremendous as it battered the apartment building, windows shook with every gust, increasing with intensity. I was comforted by the fact that my parrot, cat and I had enough food to wear the storm through...not knowing the horrors that would stretch for over a week. At around 10 PM, the power went out as the storm gained in strength throughout the night. I thought that my picture window in my living room was going to be blown in as wind and debris battered against it. Cosmo was as quite in his covered cage as he always is as my cat, Sylvester cowered next to the cage. The next morning found utter devastation to the surrounding area, with fallen trees blocking every flooded road, homes with their roofs half torn off and our community stranded.

 

Cosmo woke up in the usual way, ringing one of his bells and calling out "Hello". He wasn't any worse for wear as was I and I proceeded to make up his and the cat's food for the day. The temperature was not too bad outside, so the apartment was warm and through the day and into the night it remained that way. Three days now had passed and still no power. The temperature was dropping as the dim days turned into dark nights. By this time, the temperature in the apartment would drop to nearly 35 degrees by early morning so I started to cover Cosmo's cage at night with the quilted comforter from my bed, as an added cover to his cage. By day four, I had run out of non-perishable food and what was in the refrigerator had long gone sour. There were no stores open due to damage and the power outage, so I had to just tough it out until things improved, at ease only in the fact my pets had plenty. Over the next four days the nights grew colder, with Cosmo shivering in his cage both in fear and cold. I spent the evenings with the front of his cage uncovered and a flashlight on him because he would whimper and growl; I stroked the back of his neck and repeatedly said to him, "It's OK, shhhh". I periodically would well up in tears, thinking of the fact that I'm going to lose my best friend.

 

The early evening of November 7th after an 8+ day blackout, power was restored after the diligent hard work of the over 100 utility workers that came to our area to restore power. There were 1,000 utility workers deployed throughout New Jersey coming from all over the country to help out JCP&L (Central Jersey Power & Light). You can imagine the relief I felt as the lights went on, cranking the heat as high as it could go to warm up my frigid apartment. By the grace of God, Cosmo survived, not even catching a cold which is a miracle. We made it through and were comparatively lucky as there are many in NJ and NY who are still gravely affected by Sandy's wrath.

 

~Rick

Edited October 1, 2013 by Cosmos_Friend

[danmcq]

Wow, what a survival story on this anniversary of a tragic and horrifying day and days beyond. It just goes to show how humans and our birds can survive in circumstances one would think would be the death of them. A temperature of 35 degrees is very frigid for a grey or any tropical species for that matter. Cheers to you for doing such a great job and keeping everyone in your home alive!

[katana600]

It felt as if I was there with the wind howling and the relentless rain beating on the windows. Has Cosmo vocalized storm sounds or other things to let you know he remembers the big storm? Miss Gilbert lived on the Mississippi coast and has endured hurricanes in her lifetime. Even now when it storms she will make the sound a a log foghorn or sirens. She used to be extremely agitated during a thunderstorm but has gotten much calmer so it barely seems to bother her now. Good job on finding ways to keep you and Cosmo and your cat warm and fed.

[Cosmos_Friend]

It felt as if I was there with the wind howling and the relentless rain beating on the windows. Has Cosmo vocalized storm sounds or other things to let you know he remembers the big storm? Miss Gilbert lived on the Mississippi coast and has endured hurricanes in her lifetime. Even now when it storms she will make the sound a a log foghorn or sirens. She used to be extremely agitated during a thunderstorm but has gotten much calmer so it barely seems to bother her now. Good job on finding ways to keep you and Cosmo and your cat warm and fed.

 

Yes, Cosmo will often chatter and mumble what sounds to be a conversation with intermittent crash sounds ("becwww, becwwww!") since the storm.

 

~Rick

[Inara]

Rick, your account of you and Cosmo seriously brought me to tears. As stewards of our beloved companions, it is just heartbreaking to even contemplate how you must have felt. Thank goodness that you, Cosmo, and Sylvester weathered that horrific storm, and the ensuing days.

[Timbersmom]

Yes, what a story of survival! Makes me remember the threads I've seen about emergency preparedness. We all really need to do that, be prepared for the worst because you never know when it may happen.

[Mistyparrot]

................... tickle me grey.

 

I am so going to steal that.

 

Steve n Misty

[Mistyparrot]

The evening of October 29th, 2012 began the worst 8 days Cosmo and I have ever experienced thus far. This date marks the east-coast landfall of hurricane Sandy.

 

..... We made it through and were comparatively lucky as there are many in NJ and NY who are still gravely affected by Sandy's wrath.

 

~Rick

 

What a story! It is amazing how resilient our Grey friends are! Their feathers provide fantastic insulation but I sincerely hope that Misty never has to go through an experience like that. It must have been very very scary for poor Cosmo and Sylvester not forgetting yourself but I bet it brought you, Cosmo and Sylvester even closer together.

 

Steve n Misty