Mariah Hughes
Strolling the yard
- Joined
- 6/8/18
- Messages
- 87
Hello everyone! I'm new here. I'm an experienced bird owner and currently have a Bourke, 3 budgies, and a pair of cockatiels - but I grew up with an elderly adopted Grey and I am an experienced rehabber. Now, after six months of preparation and a heartbreaking experience trying to adopt a different grey a few months back, I am finally adopting my own next weekend! She is four years old and was "extremely tame" until a few months ago when her owners stopped handling her due to health reasons. She is now at a rescue. I suspect she has been kept almost exclusively in a cage for a few months. She has an extensive vocab and is said to have a really goofy personality. Her current name is Molly, but I will be changing it. I'm so excited!
We have a 68" stainless steel cage with a play top, a manzanita stand, and will soon have about $100 worth of fun, shreddable toys for her. I am a stay at home mom, so she will receive ample gentle, loving attention when she is settled in and will rarely be alone. Eventually, when she is comfortable, she will be out of cage in her own separate part of my living room unless it is bed time. Of course, she will always be kept separate from my smaller birds.
So - how would I go about making her more comfortable with being handled? What should I expect upon bringing her home? I'm a little bit afraid of being bitten, but I know it *will* happen at some point no matter how patient I am with her. I plan to give her a few days to adjust to her new home, then to start reading and singing to her while sitting beside her cage and holding treats up for her, first through the bars of her cage and then at her open door. I know Greys are highly sensitive, and I want to make her as happy and comfortable as possible. I want her to eventually, in due time, be a constant companion that is deeply bonded to me and trusts me. She will live in and be the center of our household. ANY wisdom is greatly appreciated!
We have a 68" stainless steel cage with a play top, a manzanita stand, and will soon have about $100 worth of fun, shreddable toys for her. I am a stay at home mom, so she will receive ample gentle, loving attention when she is settled in and will rarely be alone. Eventually, when she is comfortable, she will be out of cage in her own separate part of my living room unless it is bed time. Of course, she will always be kept separate from my smaller birds.
So - how would I go about making her more comfortable with being handled? What should I expect upon bringing her home? I'm a little bit afraid of being bitten, but I know it *will* happen at some point no matter how patient I am with her. I plan to give her a few days to adjust to her new home, then to start reading and singing to her while sitting beside her cage and holding treats up for her, first through the bars of her cage and then at her open door. I know Greys are highly sensitive, and I want to make her as happy and comfortable as possible. I want her to eventually, in due time, be a constant companion that is deeply bonded to me and trusts me. She will live in and be the center of our household. ANY wisdom is greatly appreciated!