Hello fellow bird lovers

[Jmoita]

Hello bird people,
I'm a proud owner of a African Grey.

He was a negligenciated bird, removing feathers, stressed.
I took him to my house. After some days the vet prescribed him anti depressants that he finish today.

He was playfull but stressed, always attacking the cage for attention, trying to attack any finher near him.

Today, he get's out of the cage and returns, when I open it. Allows petting, eats and drinks well, and seems going toawards being a happy bird.
Tomorow I will take is horrible neck collar, that he had seem many years from now.

It took me somedays to understand that having this kind of bird is a job. It's not always easy, but if one understands its way of living, its beautifull.

Today for the first time he climbed with one leg to my finger, but could not hold and flew away. He does not bite me anymore, only slowly to warn me.

I started petting him on the back today, he was happy as hell, but I also read that this seems to sexually stimulate them. Should I stop?

 

[Oliver17]

How long have you had this great parrot?
Congratulations

 

[clark_conure]

to your last line no don't stop unless he gets all flippy-flappy with his wings and assumes a face down butt up posture........

TO the rest um... share more information, we will be able to figure it out.

 

[Jmoita]

1 month now.
He is 10 years old.

Very intelligent, but lived most of his life with a person that had psychiatric issues.

I've several things running trough my mind:
1) his progression was so good, that I'm afraid he was abble to get good without the drugs..
2) next days without the collar and the drugs, i'm afraid his behavior changes drasticly...

What should I expect?

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome!
You're one of my heroes now, for rescuing this darling.
Glad you're here.

 

[Jmoita]

Also, he has gonna one person (my father) beside he was the member of the family that gave him less atention.
He get's crazy friendly with him.. As he was this afternoon with me.
Tonight with my father he had bite me hard. Lil ***k*r lool

 

[Flboy]

Hi and welcome!

 

[Anansi]

Hello, and welcome to the Parrot Forums family!

I think what you have done for your grey is a wonderful thing. Taking on a behaviorally challenged parrot is no easy task. Ultimately rewarding, but not easy.

Regarding your question about petting his back, I definitely wouldn't make a habit of it. It is a stimulating activity, and the last thing you want is to give him the wrong idea... thus frustrating him and stressing him further as his hormones come to the fore.

As for what to expect after the medication stops, it's hard to say for certain. Especially without knowing the medication used. I'm hoping for the best, though.

And yeah, parrots are infamous for their seemingly nonsensical choices in favorite human. Stories abound of them picking the one who pays the least attention to them, or the one who least desires their infatuation. Just visit some of the sub-forums on this site and you'll soon see exactly what I mean. Oh, and when with their faves, it isn't uncommon for them to bite at anyone else who comes close. It takes time, but they can be trained out of this tendency. Sorry he tagged you, though. Ouch.

So what's his name? And are there any pics?

 

[Soyajam]

Hello and welcome!

I'm a new bird owner and I'm so happy you adopted. I think you're already seeing how much they flourish with a bit of TLC.
For a bird that's been through that much, the progress you've made in a month sounds fabulous!

I don't think anyone answered your question on the back petting - for sexually mature birds, yes, extensive patting on or under the wings, on the chest or tail is usually considered stimulating (since those are often touched during mating). Some birds differ on how much they'll tolerate but the general gist is to try and stay away from it. Many greys love head scratches though!

 

[Tami2]

Hello, Congratulations and Welcome. :heart:

 

[Jmoita]

The medication is SSRI. 3 weeks. Morning and afternoon.

About "the favorite" I'm very jealous from not being the one ahah but I hope I will reach the point that he stops bitting hard when being handled. It's a marvellous feeling to give attettion and cuddle to a so long bad treated animal..

When I was a kid, I was very into animals. Now after the deaths of my so long dog with 18 years (some years ago) and after being away from natural sciences for academic reasons, it's beautifull to treat, protetc, interact and take care of such a extraordinary animal.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums, thanks for adopting your Grey! They are among he most sensitive and intelligent of parrots. With abundant love and effort, he will likely transform into a beloved companion.

I can relate the experience of my late Blue and Gold Macaw, "T-Bird." She was an adopted breeder bird who was skittish of humans but could be hand fed and touched through the bars. Years ago she required surgery to the cloaca and required handling to administer meds. Vet prescribed Haldol (Haliperidol) for about 2 weeks and it totally transformed her personality! She would cuddle and seemed to enjoy the interaction. However, it would have been cruel to continue as long-term usage causes harmful side effects. Once free of the Haldol, she mostly returned to the same personality but there was a "halo effect" of a bit more tolerance to human interactions. She was essentially a sweet bird who would have bonded closely had she not been a breeder. Never bit to break the skin!

 

[clark_conure]

I'm not sure how I feel about your post scott. I mean I know it's 100% true, and you didn't start it... I just worry some bird owners might turn to SRI's as a way to ..take the easy way... I know you wouldn't, ............and you know what...never mind it's prescription only which means only a vet can give it....I just hope most vets are honor bound. It just kinda hit me as wow a quick fix.....nothing on you. I just don't like the idea of ...I don't know what you would call it ".....brainwashing?" a bird instead of earning it's trust.

 

[Scott]

I'm not sure how I feel about your post scott. I mean I know it's 100% true, and you didn't start it... I just worry some bird owners might turn to SRI's as a way to ..take the easy way... I know you wouldn't, ............and you know what...never mind it's prescription only which means only a vet can give it....I just hope most vets are honor bound. It just kinda hit me as wow a quick fix.....nothing on you. I just don't like the idea of ...I don't know what you would call it ".....brainwashing?" a bird instead of earning it's trust.

I understand your point, but this was a medically driven choice because of the need for oral meds and the application of an ointment several times daily around the cloaca. The stress caused by constant catching and toweling was judgmentally offset by the availability of a short-term psychotropic drug.

Never had such drugs prescribed before or since, but an angry and anti-social macaw is a force to be reckoned with! I concur with the need in virtually all cases to earn trust in lieu of using a mood-altering drug.

 

[Jmoita]

Also, I must mention that I'm against the bird taking the meds, but the Vet knows way more than me.
Today it was the last time he took.

I will tell you if he changes personality on the next days.

Good thing, while alone at home, I can handle him normally. Puting him in my hand.
Then with my father in the house, he turns only to him.

 

[Jmoita]

Today he was full of blood from taking his butt feathers
He is getting a lot of out of cage time, he as new toys.
He got the collar out on saturday...

I don't know what to do.

 

[Scott]

Did he begin picking immediately after the collar was removed? Wonder if this coupled with ending the meds at the same time created an emotional overload?

 

[Jmoita]

No. He's still taking the meds.
The blood comes from new feathers from the tail. Maybe he's just scratching the new feathers..
I don't see any big feathers falling, just little ones like the ones that come from usual cleaning.

 

[Jmoita]

So he's much better.
Feathers from the tail are growing very fast. He as living in a big cage (a human can feet in there).

Now we've 2 problems:
- taking him out of the cage is not easy.. he gets out alone to the top, but then it's very hard to return, my father takes it by the hand (grabing him)
- he has like 1 or 2 times a day a kind of "rage attack" where he gets upside down, starts attacking one toy, and then plucks very gently the ass. But he stops very soon.

Also everytime he sees me in the morning (first time of the day, not the first time of the day he sees my father or my mother) he starts plucking. But I ignore him and he stops in seconds.

Some advices?

I keep him well feed, moisture, he drinks fine, he socialize with everybody (speaking) and with my father (physically).

 

[Oliver17]

Your doing great after 1 month
I’m going on 3 1/2 , it’s been slow

Welcome