Hello!

[Talon]

Due to my work schedule. I buy a variety of frozen veggies and greens, cook rice, quinoa and pasta, mix it all together, freeze it in small portions for daily use. It’s easy and quick to give them in their “snack” bowl. 

[Jnx]

2 hours ago, Talon said:

Greys never forget people in their lives.  I have read so ma y stories of grey. Ding reunited with their first owners after many many years....they’ll always remember....just like dogs and horses do!

Right.  It had never crossed my mind that he could forget me, unless there's a Grey version of dementia. 

Not parrot related, so please forgive me; but one of my most satisfying "yes, animals have memories, too" experiences was with my best mare (had her from when I was 14 until she passed when I was 31). Now granted, this mare was off the high end of most charts, but this moment stood out:

I had just moved her to a new pasture closer to my new home (she was 22 at the time), and the property owner wasn't too experienced with horses or their behavior, so he invited all his friends to see the new addition on the day of her arrival, without informing me that there would be a welcoming party. 

I pull up with the trailer, and my mare is none too pleased, *at all*, to be greeted by an entire crowd of new people. She exits the trailer with an angry flourish and promptly goes into full blown show-off fake tantrum mode (strong, ancient Arab/Saddlebred lines, so she's a pro at showy tantrums).

She's successfully scaring the crap out of everyone watching, who all expected some old, used-up mare, and she and I are just having a blast.

I'm letting her scream and run in circles around me, she's doing her best demon impression: teeth bared, nostrils flaring, neck tense and high, eyes rolling, legs flashing, effortlessy gliding, and everyone just keeps backing further and further away. (I was in control at all times, this was not unsafe, and no one, including myself or my mare was in any danger. Purely psychological fear, no physical threat or chance of injury- just to be clear. This was typical of her. All show. If I had asked her to stand she would have calmed it down to slowly trotting in place instantly.)

Then all of a sudden she just stops and stares at one lady. The stare lasted maybe a split second, and back into show-off mode she goes, but it grabbed my attention as it was totally out of character. A few minutes later I grill the woman my mare singled out, and it turned out she met her once, just prior to my purchasing her, to try her out. The entire test run had lasted five minutes before the lady decided the mare was too hot for her and declined. 

So, my mare remembered her from one brief test drive eleven years prior. 

 

So, yeah, never doubted Willy would recognize me immediately. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Jnx

[Jnx]

1 hour ago, Talon said:

Due to my work schedule. I buy a variety of frozen veggies and greens, cook rice, quinoa and pasta, mix it all together, freeze it in small portions for daily use. It’s easy and quick to give them in their “snack” 

Right now we're just introducing one new food at a time, so I can watch his poos and reactions. He's regularly eating pellets for breakfast now, if somewhat reluctantly. Veggies are next. Until yesterday he was even refusing plums. Luckily I work from home so can take frequent breaks to coax him. Also, he gets to throw his discards at me while I'm trying to work. 🤣

[Talon]

2 hours ago, Jnx said:

Right.  It had never crossed my mind that he could forget me, unless there's a Grey version of dementia. 

Not parrot related, so please forgive me; but one of my most satisfying "yes, animals have memories, too" experiences was with my best mare (had her from when I was 14 until she passed when I was 31). Now granted, this mare was off the high end of most charts, but this moment stood out:

I had just moved her to a new pasture closer to my new home (she was 22 at the time), and the property owner wasn't too experienced with horses or their behavior, so he invited all his friends to see the new addition on the day of her arrival, without informing me that there would be a welcoming party. 

I pull up with the trailer, and my mare is none too pleased, *at all*, to be greeted by an entire crowd of new people. She exits the trailer with an angry flourish and promptly goes into full blown show-off fake tantrum mode (strong, ancient Arab/Saddlebred lines, so she's a pro at showy tantrums).

She's successfully scaring the crap out of everyone watching, who all expected some old, used-up mare, and she and I are just having a blast.

I'm letting her scream and run in circles around me, she's doing her best demon impression: teeth bared, nostrils flaring, neck tense and high, eyes rolling, legs flashing, effortlessy gliding, and everyone just keeps backing further and further away. (I was in control at all times, this was not unsafe, and no one, including myself or my mare was in any danger. Purely psychological fear, no physical threat or chance of injury- just to be clear. This was typical of her. All show. If I had asked her to stand she would have calmed it down to slowly trotting in place instantly.)

Then all of a sudden she just stops and stares at one lady. The stare lasted maybe a split second, and back into show-off mode she goes, but it grabbed my attention as it was totally out of character. A few minutes later I grill the woman my mare singled out, and it turned out she met her once, just prior to my purchasing her, to try her out. The entire test run had lasted five minutes before the lady decided the mare was too hot for her and declined. 

So, my mare remembered her from one brief test drive eleven years prior. 

 

So, yeah, never doubted Willy would recognize me immediately. 

Oh yes,  we have had horses for 25 years...I know exactly the scenario you right about...witnessed it several times.   I find horses and greys are very very much alike in their behavior, their reactions, etc.  No two other species are more alike.

[SRSeedBurners]

We have horses too.   And I consider them to have peanut brains compared to our Greys.  If then can remember, you can bet our Greys can remember!

[Jnx]

11 hours ago, SRSeedBurners said:

We have horses too.   And I consider them to have peanut brains compared to our Greys.  If then can remember, you can bet our Greys can remember!

Generally, when people find horses unintelligent it's a translation/communication issue. The ungulate brain developed and acts differently than most brains we humans learn to deal with, and their communication is 97% body language, so can be hard to miss or easy to misinterepret. I've spent 30 years with horses, and 20 doing rescue. I find their logic unparralled and their instincts unmatched. That mare I referred to was hands down the most intelligent and well rounded being I've ever come across, humans included (not that they're hard to outshine).

[judygram]

Welcome to our family and it is so heartening to hear your bird from previous custody still remembers you, why I just read on the internet that a cat that had been missing for 10 years remembered his owner when reunited with them. These birds are amazing creatures and bring so much joy into our lives, I am so glad you have him again and this time forever.

[Jnx]

16 hours ago, judygram said:

Welcome to our family and it is so heartening to hear your bird from previous custody still remembers you, why I just read on the internet that a cat that had been missing for 10 years remembered his owner when reunited with them. These birds are amazing creatures and bring so much joy into our lives, I am so glad you have him again and this time forever.

Thanks!

It's nice to have someone else around who remembers our passed friend, too. He of course still mimics her, so it's a bit like having a bit of her voice left. Willy is of course his own person, but having him back in my life has been a comfort after losing my friend.