neoow Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 When I go and visit my parents I regularly take Alfie with me in his travel cage. My dad is largely indifferent about Alfie (he hasn't forgiven Alfie for biting him on the finger once when he was a baby bird). My mum has been trying really hard for months and months to get on Alfie's good side... and it's been working. Whenever she visits me Alfie gets all excited to see her and will whistle and make lots of noise until she comes over and says hello. When I visit them Alfie normally stays in his travel cage but my mum has been quite brave recently and has said he can come out. She sits on the other end of the sofa from me (and dad stays on the other sofa out of the way) and Alfie typically wanders around the sofa and goes to see her. Recently they have both been super brave and Alfie has allowed my mum to give him head scritches... and mum has been brave enough to do it. Alfie has been enjoying it so much that he makes a beeline straight for my mum and will sit there for the rest of the evening enjoying his head scritches. He even started closing his eyes last time! I'm super happy that they've managed to build on their relationship. Mum was always interested in Alfie and helped me wean him when I first got him. Unfortunately he did bite her a few times so she backed off a bit and got scared (fair enough) and then me and Alfie moved out. She's still wary of being bitten but Alfie has been really good. He will very gently grab her hand/fingers if she dares to stop scratching his head. 😂 I'm still not on this level of head scritches with Alfie. I can give a quick scritch but then he tends to wander off or move his head. He tolerates me, at best! Slight jealousy aside, I'm super happy that him and mum have gotten this far. 😄 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytness Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 Such an adorable picture! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 Love the picture!!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 That is so sweet! The joys of being a grandparront 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRSeedBurners Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 Come on Grammy....gib headrub 😍 🥰 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted September 24, 2021 Share Posted September 24, 2021 Hey, I'm slightly jealous of your mom too. Dorian used to love scritches, but now he starts to regurgitate right away, so I've had to stop. Kudos to your mom for overcoming her fear and finding her own bond. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 She's made a rod for her own back- he would happily sit there forever I think! Whereas when I go to scritch his head he turns his head and looks at my hand like "what do you think you're doing?" 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Awww…that’s so sweet! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 Alfie still loves his granny. He will waddle over to her and sit and preen himself for ages (hence all the fluff and dander!) then will gently grab my mum's fingers and ask for scritches. If mum gets distracted by the TV and stops scratching his head he'll remind her that he's still there and that she has a job to do! 😂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 I find their different responses and interactions with people fascinating. Timber acts totally different with my son than with my grandson, though he likes them both. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 17 hours ago, Timbersmom said: I find their different responses and interactions with people fascinating. Timber acts totally different with my son than with my grandson, though he likes them both. Yes they do seem to form their own opinions about different people. My biggest problem is finding people who are willing to put the effort in with him. He isn't overly socialised because most people I know are either scared of him or aren't interested! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inara Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 I so love this! And am a bit envious, too. HRH Inara has never been one for much touching of any kind. She is just too busy for it. She loves to perch on me or on Joe but has never liked scritches. She does, however love to play "gimme that beaky, gimme those toesies," where I gently grab her beak and/or her feet and kiss them. She will dance and hold up her toes and put her beak out for kisses. It's adorable, fun, but not mellow like a nice scritch time. My congo (RIP), Lestat loooooovvvved scritches. And how brave, and wonderful that your sweet Mum did not let past experiences with Alfie color her present open hearted behavior with him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 20 hours ago, Inara said: I so love this! And am a bit envious, too. HRH Inara has never been one for much touching of any kind. She is just too busy for it. She loves to perch on me or on Joe but has never liked scritches. She does, however love to play "gimme that beaky, gimme those toesies," where I gently grab her beak and/or her feet and kiss them. She will dance and hold up her toes and put her beak out for kisses. It's adorable, fun, but not mellow like a nice scritch time. My congo (RIP), Lestat loooooovvvved scritches. And how brave, and wonderful that your sweet Mum did not let past experiences with Alfie color her present open hearted behavior with him. I feel if I touched Alfie's toes or beak I might lose a finger. 😄 He is very much his own bird and I can only scratch his head when he lets me or wants me to. I managed to get a good few head scritches in earlier this week but then yesterday he was back to rotating his head out of the way and looking at me as if to ask what the heck I thought I was doing. Yet when he sees my mum he just melts. I love that they have a relationship but I am also fairly envious at the same time! 😂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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