So it has been two weeks since Pippin arrived in her new home. There really isn't much to add. She growls and screams when I get too close to her. I'm new to her and she is slowly accepting that I might be a good thing. It's a slow process. Grey's are not like most other pets. They won't come running up to a stranger wagging their tails, hoping to play.  

I have been giving her space, and making slow movements around her. Talking softly and calmly. She went to the floor the other day and I got her to step up, so she knows that command at least. Her favorite spot on her cage is on the toy hook on the play top part. I let her sleep up there a couple of times only because I did not want to scare her off of it. So far I am just taking it slowly. Hopefully when I take her to her followup vet exam next week I can get her in her carrier without damaging her trust in me.

The day has arrived. After a missed connection, and lots of scary noises Pippin arrived in St. Louis. I knew greys can growl when they are scared but I was not ready for the sounds emanating from this little ball of grey!

So I got the news. Pippin will be flying to her forever home next week, and I am thrilled. I have gone through all the necessary preparations. Of course, since she will have two other avian siblings, Frodo, my peach front conure, and Samwise, my quaker, my house is already bird proofed.

What does it mean to bird proof a house you may ask. Well, don't rely on me as your final authoritative source, do your own research if you have a bird, or are wanting to add a little ball of feathers to your household. But that said, I have no teflon products in my house. Teflon will kill a bird if it gets too hot. You may say that you can cook with teflon and not let it get too hot; I say why take the risk, use stainless steel. I also have no air-fresheners, febreeze, scented candles or essential oils in my house as well. We also do not use strongly scented cleaners or detergents, and I don't wear perfume since they all irritate a birds breathing. And for heavens sake we do not smoke in our house. That's not a complete list of things to do to bird proof a house, but it is a start.

Next, I found out from the breeder what her favorite foods. In addition to Goldenfeast Central American Blend and Zupreem fruit flavored pellets, she seems to be fond of sweet potatoes and papaya. So I went to Whole foods and bought some organic sweet potatoes and some frozen organic papaya. Why go organic? Nothing but the best for my babies.

I plan on switching her diet, as soon as possible, to get her off of the zupreem pellets. While they are a great bird food company and offer a great product, I do not like the fact that they use artificial colors in their food. I plan on switching her to Totally Organics Pellets. Sam and Frodo seem to like it, and it is organic and contains no peanuts, which are a common allergen. I am reticent to get her off of the goldenfeast. It is a good food but I don't like the idea of pesticides in her food, even if it is supposedly at safe levels.

Most important of all I also scheduled her veterinary exam with Dr. Weltig, a avian vet. I would have taken her out to Dr Kersting out in Chesterfield but it is a $40.00 dollar taxi ride each way. Dr. Weltig is just a few blocks away and I can walk there in 15 minutes. They have a 7 day 24 hour emergency room for animals there. It is important that you have your bird seen by an avian veterinarian before they get sick. Not only do you need to establish a good relationship with a vet, but there are many suggestions they can make to keep your pet healthy. A new bird should be checked for a variety of diseases and kept quarantined from your other birds for 30 days. Me? I live in a studio apartment so that will be a little hard, so it is important for that first visit to check for things like psittacosis.  

As an extra resource I have joined an African Grey message board called Grey Forums. It is a great first stop for insightful knowledge about Greys to talk to other owners. There you can learn how to stop a problem before it becomes a problem, and learn about all kinds of behavioral advice.

OK, I seem to have things in order. Now the hard part is waiting till next week. Once she gets here, I will have all kinds of videos and photos to share. Now can someone please distract me so the week goes by faster?

Pippin is a Girl!!!!!! I really wanted a girl, but still would have been excited to have a boy, but I really wanted a girl and I am so Happy!!!!

Also Pippin will be flying to her new home on December 5th. Two pieces of good news in one day!!!

I spoke to the breeder again. I should find out either today or tomorrow the results of the DNA test. This Saturday he will call me to make the flight arrangements for Pippin. We are getting so close now, I am very excited!

Pippin isn't due to arrive for a few weeks, but I wanted to talk about birds as pets in case anyone reading this bog thinks that they might like to have a parrot as a companion animal, or if you think I am glamorizing the ownership of an African Grey. So here is my little disclaimer.

First, parrots are not at all like a dog or a cat. A dog is happy just being around you and having human company. Play time may be necessary for certain breeds, like border collies. Throwing a ball around might stave off extra energy. Cats all vary but most are happy just having a human around for an occasional scratch on the head, but otherwise just like to be in the same room as their human. Parrots are a completely different manner.

I am not an expert on them by any means. I have happily had two companion birds for the last 7 years, so I do know a thing or two about them and keeping them happy. 

The first thing to consider is that they can be noisy, some breeds more than others. So if you live in an apartment and have super thin walls, or cannot drag yourself out of bed right after sunrise, or would not like the constant chatter of a vocal animal, then a parrot may not be right for you. I will go into the various aspects of parrots and give advice on what might be a good fit for you. The first factor to consider is your schedule. A parrot does mind if you are going to be gone from the house for 9 to 10 hours a day. If the bird will be alone for that long without a human near, then I would recommend either a cockatiel or another animal completely. Cockatiels do require human contact, but not as constantly or as much as other birds and they wont mind being alone for short periods of time provided you give them plenty of toys and do something extra like play some music for them or leave the TV on. An African Grey requires considerable human to bird contact. A large cockatoo is going to be a velcro bird. If you don't want to have it with you all day long and spend a lot of time in the home, then don't, DON'T, get a cockatoo or the bird and you both will suffer.  

Now, back to the noise issue. All birds can get loud. Some get less loud than others. If you live in an apartment or cannot stand a lot of noise then I would recommend looking at a conure, specifically the green cheek conure. They are beautiful and come in a variety of color mutations. They can talk but they sound a little cartoonish or computerized. Now, before you rush to your local bird shop and look at conures, please note that not all conures are like the demure green cheek. There are two types or genus of conures, Aratinga and Pyrrhura. Aratingas are very beautiful especially the sun conure or jenday, however these types get very loud. I personally have an aratinga, a little peach fronted conure. He can be vocal but is not especially loud. I would say he is moderately loud. I also have another great bird, Sam who is a quaker parakeet. She is fairly quiet but when she does her flock call (expect this for a few minutes at sunrise and sunset, or when they really miss you) she gets vocal. 

Next we have something that is important to people, talking ability. Will my bird talk? Well, maybe. It depends on the breed and the individual. Cockatiels and green cheeks can talk. They might learn a few phrases here and there. Frodo, my peach front talks all day long. Sometimes he mumbles gibberish words, but it is speach. Sam, my quaker is a good talker, when she chooses to talk. Typically I would say that quakers, as a breed are moderately good talkers. My Sam just doesn't want to talk much. But when she does decide to talk, it is very clear and and not very cartoonish like other small birds can be. Pippin, my soon to be african grey is of a breed that are among the best talkers. Another bird to consider for talking is an Amazon. Like greys, amazons require a lot of attention and toys though. 

Basically, in my opinion. If you want a talker, then you want a grey. If you want a singer, you want an amazon. If you want a dancer, you want a cockatoo. Now again, these are generalizations based on breeds. All birds are individuals and they may choose to be a perch potato and do little to entertain you.

Now, There are many other breeds that I have failed to mention. Truth is there are so many types of parrots that I don't have the space to review them all, and I only have experience with the few I mentioned. Do your research before rushing to a breeder.

Finally, where do you get a bird? Check your local pets stores. Typically, a large to medium sized city may have a pet store that specializes in birds. We have one here in St. Louis, MO call Variatees . They are awesome and can answer many questions. Also another resource to check while doing research is you local rescue group. Check Petfinders.com and see what rescues are in the area. Call them. Tell them what kind of bird you are interested in and find out why they have seen that breed surrendered in the past. Also, they are a great place to find a companion, and you might be a forever home for a bird. Usually, the rescue does a pretty good job educating you before they let you take a rescue home. Rescues may have issues though, so make sure you are a good fit. Birds can live up to 80 years and most go through multiple homes. Each transition is hard on a bird because they get bonded pretty easily, and they will miss you.

Finally, after you've done your research, checked with the local avian rescue, and checked at your local pet store, but still have not found YOUR bird. Check out the website Birdbreeders.com and search by breed. Almost every type of parrot is available there, and breeders will most likely ship to you for a small fee.

I hope I have not scarred anyone away from wanting a parrot. I just want to make sure people reading my blog won't run to a store and buy a grey without considering these points. Have a great day and <squak>!!

I got another picture of Pippin today. He is doing well and growing. They just took a feather sample, and we will find out through DNA his/her gender. You can't simply turn a bird upside down and look, like you can with a dog or cat. I have his cage ready and will post pictures of that later.