More Sammy weirdness

[mh434]

...aaand again, Sammy's made good his escape! Yesterday afternoon, he went to another spot on the bars & pulled a few off.

He wasn't pleased when I immediately built & installed a rather strong, aluminum, 2-sided clamping device to hold the bars together. In fact, he wouldn't even go down to that area of the cage for 24 hours, like the new aluminum part was a venomous snake or something!

It IS a challenge!

 

[Savi]

MH434, really great news with your YNA. Guys' I've been away a bit trying to get my act together, with Permits etc. and basically making arrangements for the birds to travel. I received the DNA results today for Silvana (YSA), my baby is a male, so maybe that explains her aggressiveness since January. Doc said she's very healthy and average weight. She is still caged, but having better days, with the odd mood swing. Like you MH, I am being patient with her and I've also noticed how calm she gets when I talk to her. I guess they need the reassurance that all will be well again.

We must persevere, they are too precious to give up on them.

 

[mh434]

Just a brief update.

Exciting news! For the first time in 4 years, Sammy chose to step up onto my shoulder for a minute, all by himself!!!

Over the past couple of weeks, he's become more vocal (chatty, that is, versus "screamy", like he's been for a long time), more accepting of skritches (even asking for them!), and generally being a far more pleasant bird.

He's also been considering climbing onto my lap, even to the extent of reaching out with a foot, only to chicken out at the last minute.

Last night, though, he was standing on the edge of his open cage door & was calling to me. When I got close, he scampered to the very edge of the door, closest to me, and reached out with a foot!!! I braced the door & got my shoulder next to him, and he stepped right up onto my shoulder! He started to get a tiny bit fussy after a few moments so, wanting him to view this as a 100% pleasant and successful moment, I moved back to his cage door & he gently stepped off me onto it.

But there was no hissing, no pinning, no flaring, and no biting!!!

There were tears in my eyes, I can tell you. Yes indeed! It has been SO long! He definitely got a big, fat, fresh peanut for that.

It's been so many years, and I'm finally, finally starting to see real, visible progress.

Next, I'm hoping he'll choose to step up onto my arm one day soon. He still views my arm like it's a venomous snake, and I've never understood why or how it started. There was never an reason for it that we could determine, but in the mind of a parrot, who knows?

Anyway, for all those who've been following Sammy's progress (or lack thereof), it appears there may actually be light at the end of the tunnel!!

 

[Kentuckienne]

That's wonderful!

 

[jhsatx]

Wow,,,just wow!
Congrats ,been following.

 

[wrench13]

That is very very good news. Neuron by parrot neuron Sammy is coming back to you. I HAVE been following this - its very gratifying to learn of Sammy;s progress.

 

[Inger]

Ah beautiful!


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[lplummer52]

I have binged on this thread today because I had a YNA when I was young....20. "Kermit" went through a stage where he was lunging at me whenever I put my hands near him. We had moved from a country setting to a suburban one and he was never the same afterwards. He was always a happy, if not snugly, bird who would gladly step up or join us for meals on the breakfast bar. He was never clipped, but never tried to fly unless something frightened him. As I said, he became very cranky when we moved. I had his cage located in the sunroom where he could see everything going on in the living room and dining room where we spent most of our time. The top of his cage was a play gym and we kept it open. After we moved, he never attempted to leave the cage area and was very territorial. I was concerned and was told to cover him at night and to be sure he was getting at least 12 hours of darkness. He was over-stimulated. This helped a little, but it was never going to be as quiet or dark as the country setting. He was a changed bird, but was healthy and continued to make us laugh with his outlandish command of the English language. That bird had more words in his repertoire than even a CAG, and he continued to learn new ones weekly as the years went by. He lived with us in the country for 30 years (the best years) and another 13 in the burbs. I thought about re-homing him after we moved, but couldn't imagine life without Kermit. When we decided to move to a retirement condo in Florida, I knew we had to let him go. We found a family who lived in the country to take him. Mind you, Kermit loved drama. I think he also missed a busy, noisy home. He immediately bonded with the 12 year old girl in the family and is still going strong today! We had him for 43 years! Can you imagine? I still miss his lively chatter.

 

[mh434]

We've been away for the past few days (which gave me HUGE worries - Sam's always resented me leaving, even for just one night! Would this mean a setback??), and we had an extremely experienced bird sitter visiting each day.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem fazed by my absence, and was genuinely happy at my return. This has not been the case for the past few years - an absence has always triggered 2-3 weeks of violent reprisals.

Our sitter (she has 12 parrots in her own flock, including 2 'Zons, a 'Too, an Eclectus, a Gray, and many others) has seen the changes in Sammy over the past 4 years, and commented yesterday that she was amazed at his progress! I guess when you're around him every day, you don't really notice the incremental changes that much, but she hasn't spent any time with him over the past several months, and was shocked at the progress!

To be honest, every tiny step forward is a victory. I just hope I live long enough for him to get back to being my old, lovable Sam!

 

[SailBoat]

So very happy to hear that Sammy is micro stepping back to you!

Sometimes it like waking up to a new Amazon when we realize they have been making these very small steps!

Great news good friend! Thanks for the updates!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

#teamsammy





Jim

 

[mh434]

Over the past few days, Sammy's actually started to play with some of his toys again. It's been years! Also, the other day I went to give him his gong-to-bed-now peanut, and he wouldn't take it - instead, he scampered over to his hanging, hollow cube that he used to like extracting treats from (the holes are fairly small, so removing a peanut is a challenge).



He stood there expectantly, and as soon as I put the peanut in the cube he happily set to poking & prodding to extract the peanut.


It's so good to see more signs of my old Sammy coming out!

 

[wrench13]

With every post I love reading about Sammys return to his former self.

 

[LeaKP]

Ooooh i love this! Go Sammy!


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[mh434]

Unfortunately, today we had a major reversal. He wandered off his cage onto an adjoining piece of furniture (the snake's habitat table) & started chewing the electrical cords.

I kind of panicked, and tried to get him to step up onto my arm before he could be electrocuted. He bit deep into my arm...hard...and wouldn't let go. He just kept biting deeper & deeper, thrashing back and forth.

Even when I tried to put him back on his cage, he wouldn't let go of my arm. He made a pair of holes in my heavily-padded shirt, and also my arm inside it. Then, he flew off to another room. When I tried to collect him, he went straight for my arm again, and bit the same way again.

He's in his cage, now, covered up for some "corner time", and still hissing and flaring at me, half an hour later.

Just when I think I'm making progress with him....

 

[Jenypher]

Just when I think I'm making progress with him....

I've just binged this entire thread, and feel so much for you and Sammy. You HAVE made progress, this incident doesn't mean it's lost. Sammy is obviously willful, and didn't much care to be interrupted while attempting to electrocute himself. You were the "bad guy" in a situation (how DARE you save him from himself!!), it's not necessarily a reversion.

Hang in there. What you've described as severely hormonal behavior a few posts back will probably eventually pass. I know you think the trigger was Reno, but I (in my inexpert opinion) think the trigger was Sammy hitting puberty and you not being a suitable mate. Bent bars and multiple escapes kind of tell that story...and skritches and coming to you on purpose tell a story about regained trust.

More to the point, I hope your poor arm (and your sense of hope) is all right!

 

[mh434]

Thanks!! Sorry - his story is a bit of a saga!! He is, indeed, willful, and he does not suffer fools (as am I, apparently, in his opinion!) well.

I'm going to keep on working on him, of course, as I love that cranky, moody, opinionated bird more than I can say.

Thankfully, the padded shirt I was wearing took the brunt of the latest puncture attempt, and the hole in my arm is healing nicely. I have a LOT of scars from him!!

 

[LaManuka]

I too have been bingeing on this thread and I too am completely in awe of the indomitable love and total dedication and sheer determination you have shown to Sammy throughout this extremely difficult experience in both your lives! It seems to me that, despite the odd setback you’ve definitely turned a corner and I’m sure more positive and happier times lay ahead! I do hope though that you don’t have too many more trips to the emergency ward (love hurts!)

 

[wrench13]

'Boats might say '2 steps forward and 1 step back'. My money is on you, kid.

 

[Laurasea]

I just read this entire thread. What an unsettling challenge, and hard to understand behavior. You have certainly put in the work. I wonder if he is in some kind of pain? Have you ever had a radiograph done? A thought he might have some fused vertebrae, or pinched nerve, s benign tumor , or cyst, maybe even a testicular mass? ( You'd be surprised at what weird things can show up!) You had a vet work up a few years ago, has he had blood work and chemistry since then , sometimes things time to show up...when was the last time he was outside? Do you have a travel cage for when it warms up, took take him outside? Parrots like people can suffer from seasonal affective disorder, the benefits from being outside in fresh air and sunshine can be profound.. I suppose if bundled up to a warm car and placed so his cage gives him a good view out the window , and start taking him on trips around the neighborhood could provide mental stimulation, and perhaps an enjoyable activitie?? These are the only thoughts I've come up with to add different tatics. I surely hope you and Sunny find more joy in your relationship! Warm hugs to you and your flock.