terrible two's not so terrible

[Sanveaz]

Hi everyone, sorry haven't been on for a while but between work and entertaining 2 birds now I don't have a lot of computer time.

Escher is now 2 years old and still the sweetest bird ever. He turned 2 around the beginning of June. We don't know his exact hatch date. He chose me on April 6th 2013 and we were told he was 10 months old so we use June 6th as his birthday.

He still loves to snuggle with me, not every night anymore but several nights a week. He still loves his scritches and will sit on my chest forever getting scritches. He also likes to put his beak against my lips sometimes while getting scritches. He started rubbing his cheek on mine a couple of weeks ago and it is soooo sweet.

He still doesn't talk much but lately he has been saying no a lot. We have been telling Pablo, the GCC, no a lot because he likes to nibble on our fingers and sometimes he bites down hard. Pablo has learned what no means because when we say it he stops whatever he's doing. The funny thing is Escher now likes to tell Pablo no. I say it then Escher repeats it, sometimes he laughs after. He has also started calling the dog again.

As to the terrible two's, after reading some people's accounts of how their birds started to change around 2 I was a little worried about Escher but he has not changed at all. The only problem we have had is he gets a little jealous of Pablo. If he's on me and Pablo is near and I try to give Escher scritches he will sometimes pull away or tries to bite. It's not all the time and it's gotten better in the last couple of weeks. All in all he's taken to having a new bird in the house really well. I also do make sure he still gets some alone time with me. Pablo also gets his alone time.

Escher is also doing very well with his flying and landing. He still demands I pick him up if he wants to come to me instead of flying but when something startles him and he does fly he no longer crash lands. Once he lands he demands I pick him up because he will not fly to me, but why should he fly when he knows I'm going to go get him. In the next few months I'll be cutting back on my work hours and then I'll have time to work with him on flying to me. Right now I'm ok with him being spoiled.

I have to say that I can't get over how easy a bird Escher is. He switched from seed to pellets in a couple of days. He learned to step up in a couple of days. His cage aggression only lasted a month, with me anyway, he waits for me to reach in and get him. My husband has to wait for Escher to come out of the cage before he can pick him up. He adjusted extremely well to my change in work schedule and he's adjusting well to having another bird in the house. He's my baby love and I adore him so much.

[Timbersmom]

What a great report on Escher! Glad to hear he and Pablo are doing well. As to the jealously, that is totally a grey thing (and perhaps other species of companion birds as well). Timber is jealous of the cats, my spouse, my kids, any company I have, the telephone... well, you get the drift. Anything that takes my attention from him! I'm not sure it is "jealously" per se. They just know they aren't the center of attention and don't like it

[Cabelltech]

I'm glad to hear he still likes to cuddle. My Gabby is only 3 months old and I'm treasuring our cuddle time thinking it may not last long. I'll be sad if she stops. Kinda like when my daughter, in third grade, stopped kissing me goodbye in public. I'll just have to accept its part of growing up.

[Inara]

Loved the update on Escher!! What a sweetpea and how wonderful that you're sailing through the "twos" HRH Inara will be 3 in a couple of weeks, and she was a gem going through the 2s. She, too, is a complete sweetheart although not quite a snuggler. She's more of a percher -- likes to just hang out on my upper arm (rappels off my shoulder).

[judygram]

I never had any trouble with the terrible twos here either, glad to hear that Escher is well and doing fine.

[Timbersmom]

Cabelltech, whether Gabby remains a cuddler or not is a story yet to be written! They are very different that way. Some like it, some don't. Timber is 7 and he still loves cuddling. Others here on the forum, not so much. Greys are as individual in their behavior and preferences as people it would seem.

[SRSeedBurners]

Hi everyone, sorry haven't been on for a while but between work and entertaining 2 birds now I don't have a lot of computer time.

Escher is now 2 years old and still the sweetest bird ever. He turned 2 around the beginning of June. We don't know his exact hatch date. He chose me on April 6th 2013 and we were told he was 10 months old so we use June 6th as his birthday.

He still loves to snuggle with me, not every night anymore but several nights a week. He still loves his scritches and will sit on my chest forever getting scritches. He also likes to put his beak against my lips sometimes while getting scritches. He started rubbing his cheek on mine a couple of weeks ago and it is soooo sweet.

He still doesn't talk much but lately he has been saying no a lot. We have been telling Pablo, the GCC, no a lot because he likes to nibble on our fingers and sometimes he bites down hard. Pablo has learned what no means because when we say it he stops whatever he's doing. The funny thing is Escher now likes to tell Pablo no. I say it then Escher repeats it, sometimes he laughs after. He has also started calling the dog again.

As to the terrible two's, after reading some people's accounts of how their birds started to change around 2 I was a little worried about Escher but he has not changed at all. The only problem we have had is he gets a little jealous of Pablo. If he's on me and Pablo is near and I try to give Escher scritches he will sometimes pull away or tries to bite. It's not all the time and it's gotten better in the last couple of weeks. All in all he's taken to having a new bird in the house really well. I also do make sure he still gets some alone time with me. Pablo also gets his alone time.

Escher is also doing very well with his flying and landing. He still demands I pick him up if he wants to come to me instead of flying but when something startles him and he does fly he no longer crash lands. Once he lands he demands I pick him up because he will not fly to me, but why should he fly when he knows I'm going to go get him. In the next few months I'll be cutting back on my work hours and then I'll have time to work with him on flying to me. Right now I'm ok with him being spoiled.

I have to say that I can't get over how easy a bird Escher is. He switched from seed to pellets in a couple of days. He learned to step up in a couple of days. His cage aggression only lasted a month, with me anyway, he waits for me to reach in and get him. My husband has to wait for Escher to come out of the cage before he can pick him up. He adjusted extremely well to my change in work schedule and he's adjusting well to having another bird in the house. He's my baby love and I adore him so much.

 

This is the exact problem we're finding with Greycie Mae. We brought a new Jardines in the house 4 weeks ago and it's changed the dynamics. Greycie barely could 'get along' with our Caique and now I think having the Jardines in the house is cause her to act out. She's gotten very bitey, nippy and hateful in the last couple weeks. She no longer really wants to sit with her daddy, she doesn't throw herself off the front of my shirt and try to give me 'kisses'. It's kinda sad but hopefully she'll get back to me. She gets 90% of my attention but apparently that's not enough.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Sanveaz.. so happy you are surviving the terrible two's so well! Some do! I also felt it wasn't so bad. Nancy

[JeffNOK]

My CAG Gracie will be three in July. She was never a typical cuddly baby--possibly because she was parent raised until 9 weeks. Rather than losing a cuddly baby, I have gained a loving friend. We get ever closer. That is not to say that she hasn't displayed terrible two tendencies. With Gracie, she is perfectly behaved at home in her comfort zone with me, but when we visit my parents she bites me. That all started just before her 2nd hatch day and has persisted. I think she is punishing me for taking her our of her familiar environment. The only time I know I am safe from a bite is when I tell her it is time to go home and she steps up to go back in her travel cage. She looks at everyone and says, "Gracie go bye bye in car! Go to Gracie's house. See ya later!" I have to take her to my parents house tomorrow because I am leaving town for a two day business trip. I worry that Gracie will be sharpening her beak the whole time I am away for that perfect moment to chomp upon my return.