Am I crazy??

[brianlinkles]

As some of you know, I have recently adopted/rescued a lca. We are making progress however as you know, the mix of amazon + alot of past neglect/abuse = a work in progress! Lol Kiwi is doing very well, I think that she and I are bonding more everyday. She still will not come out of her cage on her own, I have to get her out. Once out, she seems happy to interact. This is going to be a long post, please be patient with me. My dream bird has always been an african grey. I had a roomate years ago with a bluefront amazon. She would always say that AG are so difficult, moody etc. Since I really didn't know that much about birds I came to believe what she said. I never felt confident enough to get one. The same thing happened when I did decide that I was going to buy a baby bird. I kept wanting a grey however her words kept playing over and over in my head. I kept thinking that I was crazy, I was a mom, I had an 11 & 14 year old daughters and this would be a terrible fit for a grey. Well, I talked myself out of it and decided that I should get a hahns. I do have to say, I always had this little voice telling me that I was making a mistake! Well fast forward to Kiwi, my lca. I ended up rescuing her, she was such a sad handful however I just couldn't allow her to stay in that horrible rescue! This as many of you know is when myself and my family decided to get Kiwi instead of the Hahns. Well, Kiwi is settling in quite well. She is definatley a work in progress however everyday we make strides and Kiwi helps build my confidence with birds as much as I think I build her confidence in dealing with life in general! I have read every book that I could get my hands on (thank you spirit bird, you probably don't know it however I have gone out and bought every book that you have reccomended on different threads!) I have been rethinking my original plan of getting a grey however I do not want to do anything to upset Kiwi. I have been playing Youtube videos for her since getting her of birds talking. She seems to perk up and just love the interaction. I did talk to a breeder that said she might enjoy another bird in the house some day. I think that Kiwi has instilled a new found confidence in me and now I think why wouldn't I give a grey a great home! In fact the breeder said "my goodness, after what you are dealing with as far as moodiness in Kiwi, a grey would be an easy change of pace!" So now after this long thread is my question, am I crazy, should I give up the idea? Do you think it would help Kiwi to thrive? Kiwi has an appt. with the vet on the 19th to recheck her lump on her neck. I thought about bringing her out to the bird farm and seeing how she reacts to all of the other birds. Maybe I will be able to tell if she seems receptive. I just would love to hear your opinions! Especially those of you with amazons and greys!

 

[merlinsmom13]

I think I would wait. You & Kiwi have a ways to go yet & once she has her confidence, the honeymoon will be over. lol I would judge a confident Kiwi when deciding to get another bird. Great news though, good job.

 

[Remy]

It might be a good idea to wait a while. Strengthen your bond with Kiwi, help her to work through some of her issues, and get to know her better.

I want to get Puck a friend too, but I have my hands full with just one right now! I definitely plan to get another one in the future. I think it's good for them to have other bird buddies around. My past birds definitely seemed to like interacting with each other.

 

[brianlinkles]

I agree, I don't think that this is something that would happen right away. However... they do have eggs, maybe once those hatch are weaned etc. I will see how it goes. I will play it by ear on the 19th. First, I am so worried that her lump will turn out to be something bad. I stare at it everyday just wondering what it could be. It must not hurt her, yesterday I was preening her and when I got to that area she seemed to enjoy it.

 

[critterman]

I have 2CAG (Congo African Greys) and they are so sweet. I hardly know they are here most of the time. They are very quiet and no more care is needed for them than any other parrot. In fact I have found that some other species of parrots are way more demanding of your time and care and attention. I play with them several times a day and let them out of their cages when I am home and they love it, but they seem to enjoy each others company also. I think another bird for you would be a good idea, Kiwi would probably like to have a feathered friend also. But bond with Kiwi first before you get a Grey, make sure your bond with him is stable before you add a Grey. You will know when the time is right to add a new bird. Good Luck and enjoy your baby. I love mine and can't imagine life without them. They bring me so much joy and company.