Summerc25 Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 I just joined this site so that I can get more information on greys and research them further before buying one. I know someone who recently sold his and I considered buying it but the grey was very aggressive and mean towards anyone but him. I was afraid of the bird because it bit everyone all the time and I was afraid I would not be able to play with him enough and tame him because of my fear. Now I am leaning more towards buying a baby so that it will be attached to me and not mean...lol I am kind of kicking myself for not getting the other bird now because maybe he just needed a lot of love and attention but luckily a lady who owned another large bird bought him so hopefully he has a good home with an experienced bird owner. He was a brilliant and beautiful bird. Is it best to buy a baby bird so that it will not have an attachment to a previous owner or can they overcome that and attach to a new owner? Also, I love animals and I have two indoor cats. Do you think there is anyway of getting a grey and cats to get along or will I strictly have to keep them seperated at all times? Of course I would anyway when I am at work and not able to watch them. Is it just a bad idea to have a bird when I aleady have cats? Thanks for any advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Hello Summerc25 and welcome to the family, so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing more about you and your new grey to be. I am so glad to hear you are researching to learn all you can before you committ to one of these amazing creatures especially if you have never had a parrot before. Yes it is better to start with a baby grey since you have never had one before as an older bird that has previous owners usually has some traits or behavior that will make it more difficult to work with and someone who has other parrots can deal with it better than someone new to birds. Yes we have other members here who have cats, dogs and other household pets and you will have to supervise any out of cage time when the grey is out for if one of the cats gets a hold of the grey it could kill it and not necessarily from the attack itself but from the transfer of saliva from the cat to bird, it has bacteria in their mouths that can be lethel to birds. Please read thru the many threads for lots of useful information and do ask questions you may have and we will help you in any way we can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue09 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Hi Summerc25 and welcome. It is alays best to research well before taking on such a huge responsibility as a Grey. The one that you were thinking of may not have been an agressive bird, but may have been more of a one person bird. Some are and some will get on well with a number of people. We had our CAG from a baby and he will only go to my partner, but even so, I still get a lot of love from him in other ways. Having a Grey is a fantastic experience and everyone on here will help you a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summerc25 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Thank you all for the replies. You are right about that other bird. I think he only liked one person. He was so pretty and smart and I feel so bad for him that he has to get used to a new owner now. I looked on a website I saw through here, Kajii I think is the name of it. I found someone who is selling a one year old male grey, who he says is very friendly, cage and playstand for 500.00. I would typically rather have started with a baby but I do not want to have one shipped. I would be afraid the bird could be harmed or get sick in transit. I could travel to get one if I needed to, within reason. I went into the local petstore to look today. They have a baby that will be out in about a week but he will cost $1799 and that just seems really high to me. I have seen babies for sale from breeders for $725. I think the one year old bird is worth going to look at. When I went into the petstore, I fell in love with this green parrot that was an eclectus I think. He just really liked me so I liked him back of course lol I have to stay out of the petstore hahaha I will end up with an aviary. Just joking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I would steer clear of birds in petstores, not all of them are that way but a lot of their birds come from bird mills, just like the puppies come from puppy mills. In saying that I mean the birds don't get a lot of one on one attention and are treated like a piece of merchandise instead of a precious baby that needs individual attention. This one year old bird would probably be ok but if I were you I would want to go see it in person. Here is a site that you can look for breeders by state, have a look and see what is offered: www.avianbiotech.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaxtersMom Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Hello and welcome to the forum. I am one who adopted an older 12 year old grey and while it is true that they may come with traits or personality issues from another owner I have found it to be a very rewarding experience. I have no regrets about getting an older bird as my first grey. Older greys can adjust to new owners and bond with new people just fine but it is not uncommon for them to bite a person or feel uncomfortable around someone they have never met. If you consider getting an older grey just make sure you asks lots of questions. Write them down, too so you don't forget when you see the bird you are considering. I have rehomed several older parrots now (4) and I feel like I have given them a better life than they had before and that just makes me feel good rehoming an older bird. My first parrot was Baxter the 12 year old grey:) and I couldn't imagine life without him. But, It would be such a joy to have a baby and bond with it from the very start and if socialized well at the breeders I would think they could be little angels (almost) when they come to their new homes. I would not buy a bird if I could not see it and meet it first. I know others have but I would be worried sick the whole time but that's just me. You mentioned Kijiji above. If you really want a baby, just keep checking, eventually one should pop up. You can also check with www.oodle.com and www.craigslist.com as well. I know oodle and kijiji usually have a lot of breeders selling their babies (atleast when I look they do) and they are about half the cost of a pet store. Just please tell us what you decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 A 1 year old grey is still a very young bird a they are baby's for at least 2 years and don't mature until around 5 or 6 so I would say this one year old Grey would be a great bird very adaptable to a new owner still. Do go and see the bird first though because there are allot of scammers out there. don't part with any money until you have seen the bird for yourself. I just got a new baby grey and I also rescued an older bird a while back I have quite a bit of bird experiance as I have rescued a number of birds over the years. It really depends on the older bird that you are adopting if the bird has had a loving home and has never been abuse there is a good chance that he will adapt to a new owner quite easily but if the older bird has been passed around from home to home and been neglected and abused then that bird is going to have allot of trust issues and it take a special kind of person to be able to deal with them and help them to overcome their past. that why its always good to meat the bird and see what kind of home it comes from ask lots of questions like have they been the bird only home and things like is the bird a one person bird. is it friendly how many hour of out of cage time does he get what does he eat how much sleep does he get these are all things that you need to know so you can detemine weather or not the bird comes from a loveing home if it does then chances are it will adapt more easily. that said I hope you find the right bird for you and ask as many questions as needed we will help all we can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summerc25 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Thank you I heard back from the guy that has the one yr old grey. I asked him for pictures, mainly just to see the bird, not to make a decision based soley on photos, and he responded that he would rather me come and meet the bird in person. Of course I planned to do that anyway because greys seem to be somewhat choosy with who they want as an owner But it also made me feel like he cares who the bird goes to which is always a plus. He is asking $500 and said he also has the cage and playstand etc, not included in the price. It sounds like a really good deal. Is there anything that you suggest that I look for to determine that the grey is really only one year or so? I guess it really does not matter to me as long as he seems to be a healthy, friendly bird. Thank you for the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Welcome Summerc25!!! It's GreYt having you here. :-) You've come to the right place for information and to ask all the questions you wish. Good luck on deciding if a Grey is right for you and in finding your life long family member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summerc25 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Thanks Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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