New African Grey Companion.

Welcome to the Grey Play Round Table African grey Question and Answer Board. Maggie Wright, author of the Barron's Grey pet manual and creator of the Grey Play Round Table African grey newsletter/magazine, and Lisa Bono, African grey behavior expert, will be the two moderators to answer your questions. Please check out the areas that have already been dealt with... and submit your new questions.


Due to the incredibly high volume of SPAM, the board has been set up so that you cannot submit a question. Instead, please send me your question at merlin@AfricanGreys.com and I will post it for you. Then, both Lisa and I will post responses. Sorry for the inconvenience.

PLEASE send me your questions... we REALLY want to help you!!! merlin@AfricanGreys.com.


Wishing you GREY'T Blessings!
Maggie Wright

Moderator: merlin

Re: New African Grey Companion.

Postby merlin » Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:59 pm

Dear Scott,

Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of Greys.

First, I suggest that you speak with the Bird Rescue from which you got Baby and ask them how they bathed her. This should tell you what she has been used to regarding bathing. If she has been used to bathing in a little tub or bowl, perhaps you could put one like it in her cage to play with and take a bath for a few hours once a week. Or perhaps you could give her a spritz from a water bottle. However, whichever alternative that you use should be introduced as a toy is introduced... that is, one increment at a time... one tiny, tiny step at a time. For example, place a water bottle at the far side of the room from the cage and play with it. Every few days keep playing with it and leaving it incrementally closer to the cage. Spray yourself and laugh. Talk about it and show it to her. If she gets nervous, go one step back until she's ready for the next step. Keep doing this until you are closer to having it by the cage. Spray yourself and laugh. Eventually you will be able to give her a tiny sprinkle, but do it playfully and away from the face. Turn it into a gentle game. Make a sound when you spritz and laugh. Just have fun. It takes time, but eventually, you will have her enjoying a bath.

As far as cleaning the cage is concerned, I'm assuming that you are trying to clean the cage while she is in it. If there is any way to get her onto another perch while you clean, that would be the best alternative. If not, you will need to talk softly and sweetly to her... but avoid eye contact, while you are cleaning the cage. She needs to know that you are not trying to climb in there to "get her." If you ignore her and focus your eyes and attention on the cleaning, instead of her, she may eventually settle down. You could give her a favorite treat or toy to concentrate on while you are working in there. My Kyo, who is a nervous bird, was also startled when I cleaned his cage. He used to scream when I came into the room, but instead of attacking, he cowered in the corner of the cage when I cleaned it. Now, he loves me! YEAH! I accomplished that by using these techniques.

It sounds like Baby may be having a little difficult time adjusting to her new surroundings. You need to concentrate mostly on building that trust bond, which I can tell you are doing. Great job! Spend lots of time by the cage calmly talking and reading to her. If you have kids, get them to spend low-level quiet time near the cage (supervised) and try to avoid a lot of hectic traffic around the cage. Do you have the cage in a location of the room that makes her comfortable, and so on.

If you know someone who has a lot of successful experience with greys, it may help to have them come over and check out how you have arranged things. Or it may help to have a telephone consultation with someone like Lisa or even me, as it is SO important to get it right as early as possible.

Hoping this helps! Thank you for caring so much for this lovely creature. I can feel it through your writing. You're going to make a GREY'T pet human! Just keep up the patience.
Blessings,
Maggie-
merlin
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