Christo Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 You got to decide on whether your going to just ...arrrggggghhh .... or just let it go which is really all you can do. I swear, african greys just have that personality that at times makes me wonder what was I doing getting into all this. He's a lover, just a wonder of a guy. Boy he can make you just laugh and laugh and theres not a thought in your head of being in his life. But then that morning arrives.... And you wonder why did I allow myself to get involved w/him. You uncover him w/all the stupidity that each morning will be just like the others. But not this morning. This morning you uncover this creature from the black lagoon. Eye's wild and roving trying to find the spot in the cage that allows easy access to biting the poop out of that stupid human. Then once the cage is uncovered and your trying to understand what is going on, it comes to you. He wants NOTHING to do with you and you think "auuhhhh s--t, not again. Trying each time to figure out what the issue is THIS time and not managing it, he has become this creature that you know doesn't want anything to do with you, to the point of DONT put my lunch or dinner into my cage. If you are recless enough to do such a dumb thing-which I just did unfortunetly- all h-ll breaks loose, feathers are flying, little downies are flying in the holocaust of this THING biting the poop out of you for reasons I don't understand. I finally get a grip of this feathered monster, wings and body held tightly to my chest, fingers holding top and bottom beak together just to save skin and start doing that slow mantra of"it's all right, +++slow breathing+++, it's all right, everythings okay, momma loves you, your a good boy, it's okay" until I can feel the chest slow down to normal breathing and then I take that chance of placing him on the floor of his cage, and quickly getting my body and arms and hands out of the cage. Jeeez!!!!! Now wasn't that a great experience. Not going to do that again. Bowl is staying there all day and will just cover him when the night comes. Thats it. Too many bites on these hands today. Will definetly give him his S P A C E ! ! ! ! Don't you just love em??? Christo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graehstone Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Yep, we've all have those days I suspect. The tough part is always figuring out what the heck triggered this so it won't happen again. My heart goes out to you as do my well wishes for the both of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christo Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Giving thought to the issue, I am going towards the idea of that I took a shower last night and trimmed my hair a tad bit which allowed some curl to come back, and my hair is not in a pony tail like it normally is during hot weather. #2though is, my shorts are bright pink and though I never related pink to his hated colors as black, T=shirts w/print in the middle and I think thats it, but maybe I need to add pink to it. Either way he's spending the day in his room. Not going outside to the aviary nope. He can take the day to settle down. heck, I walk into the room for one of the other guys and he's on the floor chasing me in whatever direction I'm going. I'm pretty sure this will go away tomorrow when I change clothes, but man..... It's definetly a little sharp man in a grey suit. Christo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Are you having a bad day Christo, it happens to the best of us sometimes but I can relate to your grey reacting to something you wore. One day I put on a pair of shorts I had not worn before around Josey and she didn't like them one bit, she ran around in a tizzy trying to get away but she soon calmed down, funny how something simple like that can affect them.:pinch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Don't you just love em??? Yep we sure do Christo, with all their faults & failures & funny ways, we carry on loving them unconditonally tomorrow is another day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Yep tomorrow is another day and it happens to be a Friday, yippee, bring on the 3-day weekend, yee haw!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christo Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Boy can I agree with you all. I wasn't in a bad mood at all, non that I know about. Fact it was such a wonderous day here in AZ where it was 110 2 days ago and 63 today w/storms. Amazing day, great day, day we all spent in the aviary together EXCEPT Micah, he spent it all by himself in his cage. I wasn't going to give up anymore blood than already did this morning. I figured maybe he just needed a day to himself? Like you guys said, tomorrow brings a better day-which by the way is what I always tell them as the lights go out for the night. I still slipped his treat in his cage and told him momma loves him, as he raced across his cage telling me to GO AWAY. So lights out for the day. Hope tomorrow is better. Maybe I'll stink better since took shower last night hahaha They are strange. he's the only one that does this. My Too's and my macaw nothing. Though my macaw will sometimes want some time to herself, not want mom around. I respect that. Have a great weekend guys. Christo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I can't imagine what thats like my birds have never bit me not enough to draw blood ever I sorry I can't even beginn to relate to that. Mine are all rescues but I would never give my birds an opertunity to bite me that hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane08 Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 What a story. I also can not imagine what you go through. You actually pick him up as well, very very brave. I would never ever attempt to pick up any of our greys when they don't want to be picked up. My bad days with our greys pale in comparisson. A bad day for me is our female not wanting to go into her cage in the morning and it taking me 20 minutes to persuade her to go in. I let out a big sigh of relief as I finally find the treat that works to get her in. We both end up happy, she has her treat and I am on time for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Gotta love em unconditionally! :kiss: B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Christo, just a thought, but your mention of the weather got me thinking. The big swing in temp, along with a probable change in the barometric pressure, would have almost certainly caused me to get a migraine, and I know greys can be sensitive to enviromental changes. Do you think it's possible he's reacting to the weather changes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graehstone Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Acappella wrote: Christo, just a thought, but your mention of the weather got me thinking. The big swing in temp, along with a probable change in the barometric pressure, would have almost certainly caused me to get a migraine, and I know greys can be sensitive to enviromental changes. Do you think it's possible he's reacting to the weather changes? Yep HUGE migraine trigger for me too and I know for a fact that both of mine can tell when I am about to have one. I really think that they can feel those changes (in the weather and all) even to the minutest change in temp ... after all, sometimes in the wild their very lives would depend on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christo Posted May 24, 2008 Author Share Posted May 24, 2008 Today is such an opposite day. I have my lover back. All kissy kissy and I love that fluffed cheeks face. But I do have a headache. It started last night but it's not interfering w/my daily chores. No migraine luckily. I don't feel that I need to defend myself on my handling of my guys. I totally give them all the options they can get, and I don't "push them" into anything including picking them up when they don't want to. The issue with Micah is that when he gets into these kinds of moods that he was in yesterday, this time he started it hanging from the roof of the cage, trying to leap at me w/no thought about how he was going to land and at times he falls to the floor of his cage after hitting perches and toys along the way down. I hate to see that happen to him, though this doesn't happen EVERY time, it was yesterday and so I opened the cage to catch him which put him into my arms where he continued his munching. He is the only parrot that does bite me for the reasons he has, but I don't like seeing him fall, possibly getting hurt, so I just quickly brought him to my chest holding him to calm him down and at that point me too. As I said, I luckily got one hand to just hold his beak closed and when it felt he was calmer I placed him onto the floor of his cage. He has a pretty big cage. And from then on it was his choice not to do what ever I offered throughout the day, including his not wanting to go outside. It may not be the way some deal w/your greys, I think I do my overly best with my guy. Sometimes he just gets up on the wrong side of the perch just as I do of my bed, but I do respect that. It doesn't always end this way either, but this one did. I'm sorry if I didn't do it the correct official grey keepers way. Christo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 The have such diverse personalities Christo. It always amazes me! Today I've spent a good deal of the day telling myself I really, really love Bella - I'm home with a terrible cold, head ache and all, and she has been going "Peak-a-boo" non-stop a the top of her lungs! She does all kinds of variations of it too - Peak-a-boo-boo, Peaky-boo, you name it, she's saying it. I know she wants my attention and she's welcome to come join me on the couch, but she wants me to come play with her and I'm just groggy! While I was on the phone with the doctor, Bella got so loud with her mimicking my laugh, my cough, peak-a-boo, beep beep, "hi there pepperoni" (she's talking to my dog:P ) The doctor's assistant finally started laughing and asked me if a child was chattering in the background! When I told her it was my parrot, the whole office came to the phone to listen to her So, I figured I'd take some more aspirin and try to enjoy the peak-a-boo :woohoo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christo Posted May 24, 2008 Author Share Posted May 24, 2008 That is so adorable Nychsa, thank you for such a wonderful post. It is amazing how they do seem to know us. She probably feels your uncomforableness and thinks she's really keeping you entertained Bella style. thanks again. Christo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Christo wrote: That is so adorable Nychsa, thank you for such a wonderful post. It is amazing how they do seem to know us. She probably feels your uncomforableness and thinks she's really keeping you entertained Bella style. thanks again. Christo Oy Christo! You think so??? :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: My head is spliting at the seams :laugh: About an hour ago I got a bunch of little strips of leather and tied them into strings of knots and tied them to her playtop. That distracted her - she can't stand to have a knot in front of her, she has to open it, so for the past hour she's been preoccupied. My kids trained me well to deal with a grey - distractions!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherStrella Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Christo, I feel your pain. I'm going through the same thing. I just posted about it on another forum. Like you, I'm not forcing Harrison to do anything she doesn't want to do. I respect her if she doesn't want to step up or whatever. Sometimes she bites when she steps up...she seems to be in a good mood, steps up for me and whammo! Tonight she bit me on the finger in the same place where she bit me the other day. It hurts!!! Other times, we'll be playing and out of no where she just bites me. When it first started, I'd react by saying "ow!!"...then she started saying it after she'd bite. She also says "no, don't bite" after she bites. Talk about rubbing it in! There have been times where I realize later that I misread her body language but for the most part, it seems to come out of no where. It's becoming a daily thing and I'm lost as to what to do at this point. Sometimes I think of horrible things to do to her. Of course, I'd never do anything, but I do have fleeting thoughts. She has her 6 month well visit the first week in June...I'm hoping she'll be able to help or recommend a behaviorist. I do a lot of hands on play with her and I wonder if I handle her too much. Although, when I'm working around the house, she insists on being with me. I have to hold her in one hand and work with the other. She can't sit on my shoulder. So it seems like she likes to be handled...UGGGG I'm so confused! I wish you luck and if you find out something that works, let me know!! I've never been bonded to an animal the way I am to Harrison and I just want this to stop. I'm starting to be jumpy around her when she can reach me to bite me. I did try a glove but she flipped out big time...so that's out. Take care!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Today I thought about this thread because Bella has been in an odd mood all day and I thought how remarkable it is that these wonderful creatures can demonstrate their state of mind so easily for one of our kind to understand! She's not nippy, but rather if I had a word to put on it, I'd say she's been needy today. She is usually very busy with all of her stuff and doing her parrot "thing", but today she followed me around all day, constantly wanting to sit on my shoulder, giving kisses and in general not leaving my side for anything. I have no idea what is causing this behavior. I tried putting her back on her playtop a couple of times and she did play for a few minutes but then she wanted to be with me again. It did make me worry that she might not be feeling well, but for that, she is eating like a horse, so I can't believe she's not feeling well! And then I thought - just like Christo's guy who just wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, maybe Bella is just in that kind of a needy little mood today. That's ok - we all need a day to just love up and snuggle in addition to having days where we tell the world to go away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Oh Nychsa, Bella just needs some loving and attention. Maybe she had a bad Greymare last night and needs comforting attention and love that it's all ok and the humans are not in control, as her dream indicated. She just needs to be assured that the Grey's still rule over us Humans and all is ok in Greyville. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 danmcq wrote: Oh Nychsa, Bella just needs some loving and attention. Maybe she had a bad Greymare last night and needs comforting attention and love that it's all ok and the humans are not in control, as her dream indicated. She just needs to be assured that the Grey's still rule over us Humans and all is ok in Greyville. :-) :laugh: Dan you're on to something! Aside from sitting on me all day, she's shared in all my meals today. You know, that's not a bad way to learn how to improve my diet. When I know she's eating what I'm eating, I'm extra careful to eliminate salt, and any other "bad" stuff (can't believe I had scrambled eggs without salt and pepper for breakfast :blink: ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Nychsa wrote: (can't believe I had scrambled eggs without salt and pepper for breakfast :blink: ) I thought that was against the law? ;P Your right, I believe we are all eating healthier due to our Greys and other Parrots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christo Posted May 28, 2008 Author Share Posted May 28, 2008 Hi Nychsa, I agree w/the other, I would think she just needs some TLC for a little bit. Maybe she's just been so good playing on her own, now she wants some comfy time w/mom. I like you though seem to go through times that Micah is nippy for what I can find, no reason. Like you, everything seems fine, he's on my hand giving his kisses, having me rub his head and then he just turns and bite my finger. Not REAL hard but enough for me to tell him no biting. I have never gotten it. I've always not made a deal of it, but he's never gotten over doing it. He's 3yrs old now. Don't get it and he's not told me what the deal is. Christo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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