The Cleo Chronicles....God doesn't make bad birds, He makes training opportunities.

Once upon a time there was a bird.....

2025-01-01T06:48:00.000-06:00

**If you want to read specific posts, just click on the Table of Contents on the right.
There is also a photo slideshow at the bottom of the page.

January 1st, 2008
Hey folks! This is the story of a bird. A bird that came to me abused.
And...this is the story of me! Me, knowing very little about actually training a bird.
I have owned birds, and other pets, but never realy worked with training them. As a matter of fact, my first go with a bird was not successful at all. (see 1970, my first bird). I have read, reread, experimented, documented and lamented to get to where I am with her today.
Cleo, formerly known as Baby, came to me from Indiana. She was rescued by a lady there named Glenda. You can read the bird's history in Cleo's song.
I had met Glenda on a forum and she asked me to take Cleo because she had other birds and couldn't give Cleo the attention that she deserved or wanted. On July 4th, my son and I met Glenda 1/2 the travel distance at a Cracker Barrel and I took Cleo home. It was nice to meet Glenda in person as well. She is such a giving person. You know when you setup a meeting of someone you met online, there are those "you'll end up on CNN" thoughts. haha.

Cleo and I have so many things to accomplish still. But, above all, I've accomplished trust; trust from a bird that was dropped for punishment from biting...trust from a bird that was featherless on her wings and tail from attempts at forced breeding..trust from a bird that was found in a hamster cage at the back of a store, all alone in a now closed pet store.
She's become a companion to me. My family says she's pretty quiet until she hears my diesel truck pull into the garage, then she starts screaming.
I have found a lot of fun in bringing her with me to the office and let her play in the basket of seashells on my desk. I let her make messes that I'd take the kid's allowance away if they did. We have fun in having her at the kitchen table when we eat. Fun when you give her new food and she cocks her head to the side and says HIIII! Not fun when she's in a bad mood and wants human flesh for supper.
My hopes are that she'll start talking more. And that she'll become less cage territorial. I look forward to being able to take her places with us.
I'm going to continue to do my level best to keep on this path with her. Maybe it comes from my history of not wanting to waste anything and wanting to maximize effort. But, what a great blessing this bird has brought to my life. A blessing thru challenges met. A study into normal animal psychology and abnormal human pshychlogy that would torture an animal.
Sure, she's messy, yes, she poops big dragon piles. And she still bites occasionally.
And yes, she is still sort of nervous and skiddish. But you know what?
She's MY nervous, dragonpile pooping, biting, Amazon!
Thanks Glenda and to all my parrot friends on ParrotChatter and BirdBoard. There is nothing like encouraging words when you are discouraged and not sure you have made the right decision in taking in a rehomed/abused animal. And a BIG thanks to my wife and kids!!! They are very supportive and understanding.

Mark

April 16, all thru HORMONES..I think

2008-04-16T21:31:00.001-05:00

A little update on Cleo and I. We have FINALLY made it thru our first hormone season. YIKESAMIGHTY...that was aweful. I had very seriously started to think I couldn't take it much longer. She would scream and scream, I would go to get her out, she'd attack my hand. She'd attack a stick. She made a nest out of newspaper and shredded wood toys. She'd cluck like a chicken. She'd lunge if you walked by the cage. I could not touch her. She'd say "awee''' and raise a foot to stepup, then when you stuck your hand in , she'd bring blood and laugh. It was bad. I am already dreading next season. I believe I'm gonna do what Jonie Doss says and just leave her completely alone when this starts. But, I know now that she can come out of it.
Last Thursday, April 10th, it was almost as if a light switch had flipped. She said "awe" and raised a foot, and hopped onto my hand like long lost friends. And, we pretty much picked up where we left off before the hormones. Happy pappy..playing, laughing. And on Saturday nite, she went with us to a friend's home she had never been in, with two dogs there as well. It was a birthday party. I took her small perch and some toys and snacks. She sat on top of the fridge and ate and watched the dogs. She even went to complete strangers and stepped up for them. Good nite. She was happy. I think she likes to go.
Next day, she bit thru my knuckle nearly but I asked for that one. I wasn't observing and she was overstimulated from my son and our puppy laughing/playing and making noise. She was pinning and I stuck my hand in there. OUCH.
She has went from the ring in the cup trick to putting a quarter in the cup and listen to it jingle when I ask "you got some change ma'am?" It's funny. She'll give me "four" now and reach out and touch my hand with her feet, she waves a little.
I've started just sitting her on the table and playing with her and some toys.
Tonite, she got in the shower, she has gotten to where she LOVES the shower.
So, it's been awhile, but I've left her alone a lot. To keep her from biting me and to let these hormones wear off.
Mark

The dusty perch

2008-02-02T21:17:00.000-06:00

February 2, 2008
Tonite, after we got back from my parent's house for a vist, WITH CLEO, I did the nitely ritual; take a grape to the room, sit the grape down, flap CLEO for some exercise before bed, a lil head scratch then she nicely rides my hand into the cage and get's the grape I've taken in there. She maneuvers to her favorite perch, eats the grape, I cover her cage and tell her "nite" and leave the room. Actually tonite, she had two new perches so I wanted to se which one she had settled on and I raised the cover for a peek. She bent down, met my eyes thru the crack and said "HIII!"
Anyway, as I was walking from her room I noticed something I had forgotten about: The hand perch was sitting in the corner...all alone..collecting dust....happily looking dejected.
I stood there and it sort of reminded me of looking at my kid's old toys, like the bike with the training wheels, the Barbie sets and the gagillion Hotwheels cars. Only difference is I was sad to see them and I'm dadblamed,durned and outright happy to see that stoooopid hand perch get some dust on it! I haven't used the perch in weeks now.
Cleo now steps up on my hand to get out of the cage, to get in the cage, to get in the carrier, to get out of the carrier, to get in the shower. I'd say she is about 90% stepping up now. Everynow and then, she'll have a cantankerous spell and want to be obnoxious bout stepping up from somewhere she is happy, but we eventually get it worked out. Usually, I just walk away and that is enough to make her want to go and she'll stepup after I go back.
Tonite was pretty amazing really. I took her, in the carrier, to my parent's house. They have a poodle and another lil dog and I had expected to leave her in the carrier if needed. But no, she sat on the portable perch I took, let my 80 year old father feed her snacks and laughed when the room got loud with laughter. Once, when Phoebe the black poodle wandered up close to inspect the Amazon, Cleo cocked her head, pinned her eyeballs and nature sweetly spoke between dog and bird. Phoebe turned and ran. Cleo didn't say a thing...that we could hear.
And then, we got ready to go and she hopped on my hand and into the carrier like she'd done it a million times and turned around and got a peanut thru the door. It still amazes me that she has come this far.
I know that someday, I may have to resurrect the hand perch if needed. But currently, the hand perch is turning to mulch in the corner and that's fine with me.
Mark

1/31/08 Hormones..

2008-01-31T06:08:00.000-06:00

January 31st. 2008
Cleo is going thru hormones. That's ok. She can join the ranks of a lot of women in my life. :)
I've recently noticed that she is pretty grumpy, jumpier than usual. I've found where she shreds newspaper and old toys into a 'nest' in the bottom left of the cage. She, if left alone on the sofa, will back her bottom up to the crevices between the cushions and cluck like a chicken. I have to stop that when she does it. She get's pretty irate about me stopping her. Over the past two weeks, I'd estimate, she has gotten more irate. Lunging at times, biting at times. Not screaming more. Doing what I've read, I increased her sleep to 14 hours a nite. I have strickly kept her food low fat. I have not interacted that much with her...that doesn't set her up to bite as badly.
After doing that for about a week, I think she is better. Last few nites she has really played a lot on her swing from the ceiling. Pretty funny as she flaps and it spins in a circle. She gets mad at her foraging device and nips and screams and flutters at it. So far...she has been prety easy to get off when it's time. She has really gotten nippy if I try to get her off of the manzanita tree. I dunno if it's hormones that is CAUSING that OR the tree itself is causing her to be hormonal, or more likely a combination of longer days AND the tree. REgardless, I took the tree away for awhile. It was setting her up for failure, it seemed. I KNEW when I would take her to the tree that she'd try to bite me if I wanted to take her off. She'd actually move down into the middle branches and lunge. Hopefully, we can get the tree back later.
But, as I said, it seem like this started about two weeks ago and I intervened as I said. Now, she is seeming to get better.
She has gotten REALLY good about stepping up inside the cage. I haven't had the hand perch out in about 3 weeks now.
Twice actually, she has slipped by my hand and scampered up on top of the cage and she did stepup there as well. Not as easily as INSIDE the cage, but she did.
She has surely come a long way.
I have decided to wait on GIGI. Gigi is a great bird. I need to get Cleo a little more rounded off before bringing in another bird. Also, I want to spend some time bonding with GIGI. I have arranged with her family to have weekend visits. Sort of a stepdad thing. I am going to see her this weekend as a mattery of fact. Maybe start clicker training her. Take her a treat from the birdfair this weekend?? :)

1-22-2008 EXERCISE and cage stepups...

2008-01-23T05:55:00.000-06:00

Januayr 22, 2008

LAAAAAADIES and GENTLEMEN!!

"Step right up to the birdcage, see the man eating blue front Amazon step up onto his owner's hand INSIDE the cage. Yes, that's right. The brave man, going where no one has come out with all digits, has stuck his hand into the beast's cage and said 'wanna go?' and 'stepup' and the bird got onto his hand and was safely transported to another room. But, although his bravery is obvious, he is not stupid, the hand-perch is close."

Yea, don't know what came over me or her today, but instead of the hand perch used to exit, I put my hand in there and she came out pretty easily. Now, she didn't LIKE IT, but she got on. I believe it's because I've proven that if she cooperates, she can come join the flock to have some fun. Regardless of the cause it's good. Me taking her to places and fun, seems to make her happy.

We'll have to see how it goes later, u know she's unpredictable. I'll keep the hand perch close.

Also, I 've began exercising her. Her exercising is composed of flapping on my hand. I actually found it accidentally. She was sitting on my hand and started flapping. So, I sort of encouraged it by raising her up and down. She seemed to enjoy it. I'll have to get a pic of it. She's a cutie when she does it. haha. She holds her head down like she's a flying goose. I found out that I had to turn her around and let her face me or she actually get's lift and flies away; flutters down as she is clipped. I hope to have her flighted again. She is acting much better now and for her, for our home, for that time, it was the right thing to do.

I can tell a definate difference exercising her. She get's tired more easily. She is a little less aggressive. She is more focused it seems, not as jumpy. Now, she's not compliant to all things. She bit me yesterday when I tried to remove the calculator she got from my desk as I was working on something. But, she is an amazon. I'm convinced that she is a better, more stable and naturalized bird, if she's exercised.

Mark

Smitten with a Gigi...

2008-01-12T16:38:00.000-06:00

Today we went for a visit with Gigi. OH MY GOSH>>>>
My kids and I were completely smitten with that beautiful happy bird. The most laid back bird I've ever been around. She flipped, she danced, she sang, she diced, she sliced...
She knocked on my head as if to check and see if anyone was home. She went to my kids like they were her best friend.
I'm not sure what's gonna happen now.
Do you remember when you went out on a first date? You couldn't sleep, you kept thinking of what fun you had? The smell of her perfume? The way she giggled?? The way she held your hand and made you proud?? The way she flipped over on her back and let you rub her belly feathers?
Well, I may have to start negotiations at the table tonite with the wife. She's not too keen on the idea of another bird. At first, I was hesitant. But after being around her, I was smitten. Also, I do think I could find time because Cleo is not very handson. And, if Gigi stays as easygoing as she appears, it would be no problem for our kids to get her out and play with her. So, she would definatly get the attention. We love our hometime and she would fit right in. We have the space for her. We have the love for her. I really want a therapy bird to take to nursing homes and help cheer up the elderly. I also want to take her to work with disabled/special needs kids. I love working with kids and from what I sw today, I think she would too.

She is coming from a great family of love. They only are needing to make more time in their own personal lives and have decided that Gigi might get more attention somewhere else. She would DEFINATLY get the attention here. And we all need to be aware of what would be best for the BIRD and not always for US..that's a good owner and person.
I've never seeen anything like Gigi. She's like a big feather pink puppy. wow.
We'll have to see....I keep saying that don't I?
Mark..

Oh, did I mention she is poop trained? And extremely smart. They have to keep her cage padlocked as once she got out and popped all the wine bottles..

Gigi Smigi..whatever. She can't find her way OUT of a cup, let alone put a ring in the cup like I can.
Cleo

Jan 11, 2008; return of the biter...for a moment...hopefully.

2008-01-11T21:16:00.000-06:00

Tonite, I came home, I was gettin her outta the cage on the handperch like I have for the past month, for whatever reason she was trying to bite me like last nite.
I got her out, she snagged me pretty good on the arm that I usually just let her stepoff onto. Even though it surprised me, I didn't scream like a girl like I wante to. It was a good bite. Left some indentions. I just put her back in the cage and walked away. I waited 5 minutes, went back, same thing, I put her back. I did this about 3 times But the last time I let her call me about 10 minutes I guess and went back and she hopped on perfect. I walked around and talked loudly in the other rooms adjoining where she could hear me. I then went back and NO bite at all.
She tried to bite me a little bit when trying to stepup from the barstool after dinner and there again, I walked away to the office. I rattled the bowl of seashells she likes to play in and made a lot of noise. She started calling. This time I didn't go immediatly. I felt like it was conditioning her to that process. So, I held off for about 10 minutes and let her call me. Then went and she hopped on board. I am, as I said earlier, cueing her as I walk up with "wanna go?" Then "stepup" as I extend my hand.
She was great after that for the rest of the nite. She ate popcorn while we watched "surf's up" with our son. Our daughter is 14, and she has a Friday nite social life now.

Cleo got put in time out...

2008-01-10T21:19:00.000-06:00

Jan 10,2008
Ok, she was just "jumpy" tonite, hard to get along with. And I let her sleep in!!!
She'd just sit on her perch in the living room or my desk and GRUMBLE....
I had put her small playstand beside the kitchen table so she could be with us while we ate dinner. Later, I couldn't get her off of her playstand. She bit a plug outta my hand when I offered it. Even with a treat in my other hand. I didn't want to get the hand perch to retrieve her, cause at this point I feel like it'd be conditioning her to something we've worked to overcome...lack of trust. It would have been SOOOOO much easier to go get the hand perch. But, by my going and getting the hand perch to get her to stepup, I would have let her go back on something she had learned. She's a Zon....stubborn.
Some would argue with this line of thinking and that's ok. Some would say she should have that choice to rather eat my flesh than stepup when I want/need her to. That's ok for them, but not for me.
So...going with the flock thinking, WITH HER ON IT, I moved the playstand to an area of seclusion to where she was by herself. Basically moved her to time out.
I didn't close the door, but just walked out.
Within 30 seconds, she was calling me. I went back, said HI GIRL, like nothing had happened and she was leaning over trying to hitch a ride waving one foot up in the air. She stepped up like she was my bestest friend. Even started that jibberish she does, like "can you believe the election in New Hampshire?", in hopes I would forget her recent digit transgression.
So, there is a lot to be said for conditioning and deconditioning. And flock mentality. I don't know how long this will be necessary to call her bluff, but I will keep it up and see how it goes. I'm cuing her as I get up or move away from wherever we are with "wanna go?" before I offer my hand towards her which is where I cue "stepup". I figure it's setting her up for the stepup. Wen I get up, she turns her head and acknowledges it. But you know sometimes you don't really leave for long, or you just move around. I want her to know that if I say "wanna go?", that she and I are gonna GO somewhere and in a moment I'll need her to stepup to go with me. I'm doing that because it seemed, at least to me, like if I just walked up and said stepup, it surprised her and she wasn't as ready to leave her current seashell throwing episode.

She's tucked in now..dreaming of hitching a ride.
mark

LET SLEEPING BIRDS SIT!!!

2008-01-10T06:13:00.000-06:00

January 10th, 2007
Yesterday was an epiphany. haha, I said epiphany.
I got up, decided to stay around the house and workout before work. Since the treadmill is in Cleo's room, I had to wake her up early. Bad choice, I could tell a big difference in her later in the day. I only got her up about an early, but it made a big difference in her affect.
She was really quiet when I got home, not her usually screaming for me. And when I did get her out, she was sort of withdrawn. Then, on top of my desk, she sat on top of the desk and stared, just stared at me with one angry eye. She bit at me pretty badly like she used to. So, she was back in her cage and tucked in for the night. She seemed like she was happy to be back in her cage at about 8. I know I was.
So, it's now a proven fact in my house..let sleeping birds sit.

Cleo's first tornado drill.

2008-01-08T18:54:00.001-06:00

January 8th, 2007
Tonite, we had tornado watches/warnings out and we took the birds with us to the neighbor's basement. Cleo went like there was nothing to it!! She just rode my big ole hand into that carrier like she'd done it a thousand times. Once in, she got some treats and she just sat in there on her perch quietly the whole time.
At the basement, I took her out and she sat on my arm, then I broke a personal rule and let her climb up my arm and preen my bald head because it was stormy outside. What a softie I am. LOL.
So, she did scare the neighbor's kid a lil just by her presence, but Cleo just sat there like a champ. Then, she grumbled a little when I put her back in, but after the storm passed, back in she went nicely and we came home. She is doing so good, I'm soooo proud of her. She's my girl now!
Actually, it really wasn't that stormy, but it was afternoon (not in the nite) and I wanted to get a good tornado drill in with the birds in the carrier. Dood did good like he always does about the carrier, but my daughter caught his tailfeather in the cage door and he was pretty ill the rest of the nite after that.
I'm thinking in the future, when it might get stormy and we sit up to see how it goes, I might put her to bed in the carrier and cover it. It has a nice perch in there I installed. That way, if we have to go, I won't be getting her up at 2 am. This is one of the things you deal with living in our area. Shewt, I grew up going to the storm houses, not letting my dog Tootsie come in cause mom said she attracted lightening. crazy...They also said my hair came out cause I wore baseball caps.
Anyway, it looks like I got myself a travelling bird now!!! And..I think she likes to go. ;)

HEEELLLPPP...Get ANOTHER bird??

2008-01-08T18:15:00.000-06:00

January 8, 2007
HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP !!!Today, I was looking in the paper for a used kenell for Daisy and well, what to my wandering eyes did appear but a moluccan cocatoo and cage.If you remember, this is the bird that stole my heart in a Petsmart. So...just for kicks, I called her. She is 8, her name is Gigi, and the only reason they are getting rid of her is that they have taken in a sick relative and can't give Gigi time. She is very tame, they say, will go to anyone, but prefers men. Not a plucker. NEver been around other birds. Comes with cage, price is negotiable, but they are more concerned about her going to a good home rather than the $$. They only live about 30 mins from me. Price would have to be VERYYYY negotiable as I was not in the market for another bird.My wife will shoot me...then who would take Cleo?? So, I can use that as a defense, right? Cleo won't go to you, so don't shoot me.Bear in mind, I really want to do pet therapy. I want a bird to take around and work with kids and other people who are sick. I'm not sure that Cleo will EVER be able to do that. But, she's my special bird, regardless. haha, as I sit her and she flings seashells at me. Regardless, I'm not loosing Cleo. choices..hate em..hate em.

And then after rethinking later in the day:
I AIN'T GOT TIME for No Mo burdZ!! I was thinking tonite, I get home, Cleo's hanging upside down from the end of the cage, screaming...I get her out, do our routine, we play awhile, hang out with the kids, it's all good. We got a verrry good routine now. I'm gettin food bowls ready for tomorrow, gettin her bed ready for tonite, etc. Talking to the kids bout their day, etc. Sharing chips in the kitchen with Cleo, singing opera (I hate opera, but she likes it) with Cleo and just fun. Then, I thought, what if I had a loud too in here, needing attention, etc. I mean, I'm a tall guy, but..I'm only one guy.I go for quality not quantity. That's why we only have TWO kids. LOL. I'd rather do more with less than less with more. I'll help her find a good home for Gigi. She's a cutie. But, I don't have time, AT THIS point for another bird. Maybe later. I only want to do it if I can do it right; unless the bird is in need, but this bird is not in acute need. But, it was fun looking! Oh and there weren't any used dog kennels in there either.
I think she looks like a New Orleans streetwalking tramp! Pink hair all poofed up on to like a trollop. And she has that seeeeedy look in her eyes. I know her type, oh yea, wowww my man with all that dollarstore makeup, take him away from me and then one night, she get's tired of him and she's swinging on some other man's perch. aha! And then I'm left with a blubbering pile of man to have to put back together..
hummpfh...slutbird.
Signed..Cleo

Cleo's first FUN day out!!!

2008-01-06T17:26:00.000-06:00

January 6, 2008

Today was a big day for Cleo!! Her first day camping!!! LOL. Not really....but it was her first day in a camper. She goes into her carrier pretty good now. Sometimes, it does take some conning, but for the most part she is doing very well. It's a new adventure for her. When I remember having to wine her to get her into the HUGE dog carrier to get her clipped, boy, it's nothing!

But I truly believed she enjoyed her travels today, even if the camper was just in the front yard. :)

Below was her view from the camper window. She sat there quietly and looked outside some. It was nice just listening to Jack Johnson, drinking coffee and hanging out with my bird and my son. The sun was out for a little while.

As you can see by the pix, she played quite a bit with stuff. She was very comfortable. The camper windows were open, it was a breezy 68 degree day and I think she liked that. I know I did!! I am the beach bum and this long winter dreary days are gruesome.
She even got playful and flipped over on her back on the table and got some belly scratching. But mostly she was into demolising things. Namely, she had an eye on this inkpen. I took the ink cartridge out and let her have a go. She nipped the side of the camper table and got a quick NO! I mean, I love her and all, but she ain't eating the table on our brand new camper....nope, not gonna have it. I can tell I'm going to have to be creative if we take her camping. She'll have to have a bigger cage than what I had anticipated. She'll bore quickly and want to eat the camper. But, she was feeling frisky today in the sun and that may have made it worse. She'll do fine. I just gotta get my ducks...er Amazons, in a row. ;)

This next picture is of absolutley nothing besides her beautiful back feathers. Since she had a good shower yesterday, they were very shiny today. She's so much content after she has a good shower. She LOOOOVED that shower yesterday. REally, I don't think she wanted out. But her back feathers were shimmering today in the sun.

Then, we left there and went to a buddy's house. I twanted to use him as a "prop". LOL. I am intentionally exposing her to different sitautions not that she can travel. I can tell it makes her more trusting and a better pet already. Plus it's valued exercise.
She very easily transferred to his hand and then to my son's. I let her stay there a couple of minutes, but not long. Dont' wanna push my luck. But, she was relaxed. Even sort of muttering on their arms.
After Cleo's big day out, she fell sound asleep on her stand in the living room at 7 pm. She was out! I was surprised at how what we did today wore her down. I'm sure it's stressful for her. But, she was asleep. She usually doesn't get sleepy until 8:15 or so. She ate, drank, fluffed out, hiked up on one foot, then went asleep like a drunk. Both eyes closed. It still amazes me how they can balance on foot with both eyes closed and sleep.Anyway, she's asleep, dreaming of camping. :)
Even as recent as 2 months ago, if you were to have told me she would be able to travel like this, sit on MY friend's arms??? I would have not believed you. But now, most of the time, she comes to me and hops on my hand.
For those of you that got trained birds, you have no idea what a great feeling those lil hot and scaley claws can be when you've worked so long to get them on you....without bloodshed.
Mark

Continues to be fun and grow her trust.

2008-01-02T21:55:00.000-06:00

January 2nd, 2008

Cleo continues to learn about trust. She still doesn't stepup sometime if she doesn't want to. I walk away and eventually, she'll stepup if I go back. I go to another room and talk where she can hear me and not see me so I can make her jealous. She'll start screaming and I go back and most of the time, she'll stick a foot up to step up. If she doesn't I walk away without saying anything. I'm working on her flock mentality here. She wants to be with me/us but she has to stepup to do that.

Also, I've been working on her play. Letting her watch us play with her toys and getting her to join in. She got so into it last nite, she rolled off the side of the couch.

Another first was she got on Anthony's arm tonite. Next to me, she likes him the most. But we transferred her back to my arm for a few, then put her back on him, but she bit him lightly.
Tonite, she played on couch while we watched tv with kids/wife. We watched Lord of the Rings and had a fire in the fireplace, (screen pulled) Cleo got some belly scratching. She is still getttig used to the play. Sometimes she'll get carried away and nail my hand hard and I stop. But,s he is having fun. She even tried to fly to me if I walked off. Maybe it was cause the movie was so loud.

As for coming out of her cage, it's becoming weird. She is only coming out on perch now. She would love for me to open the door and let her loose, but I don't and she hates it. I have to teach her to get on the other side of cage, then onto the hand perch, if she wants to come out. She tries to wiggle out the door when I open it and stick the perch in there. She is on the side where the door opens when I get home. I'm gonna start cueing her back to her perch where she can stepup better. I'll offer her some cheese to get her back over there. THEN stick the perch in there. She'll go pretty good from there. But if she is on the door opening side, she'll try to go around the hand perch. I don't want that to start again. She needs to know that she can only come out on a hand perch if she's not gonna allow my hand in there. I know some would disagree with that. Zons are smart and stubborn. I've found with her if you give her an inch, she'll take a mile and before I know it, I'll be right back where I was when I got her.

Taking a shower!

2008-01-01T18:18:00.000-06:00

Today was inspirational. I have worked so hard, and read so much with Cleo that it is all starting to payoff. I got her in the shower today.
It's very easy now to get her out of her cage on the hand perch, transfer to my hand and taken to wherever. I took her to the living room and she watched while we dismantled the Christmas tree. I was off today.
As she was sitting on her playstand and chewing on stuff, I saw her dip herself in her water bowl. I sezied the moment and turned on the shower to warm up. Then went back and got the wet bird to stepup. She really didn't want to interrupt her bath, but she did. I took her to the shower and she loooooved it. After I figured out for me to squat down cause I'm so tall, she was sliding down my arm, she was more stable. She flattened herself out and let the water run over her head and face and blinked and shook her head. It was big funny. The family gathered around the shower.
She didn't try to get away. The other times I've tried this have been on a perch. This time on my hand, she was different, more comfortable. That means a lot to me. And it is increasing trust as we go.
She fluffed out and I put her in her cage to do her hair and makeup and she was quiet and content. This has made her a lil happier as the day wore on. She had gotten dry/itchy and would start scratching and squawking. She got spray baths everynow and then, but that's not a soaking bath like this.
Also, she got in the carrier pretty good today. I'm still working on that. I put some peanuts in there and she just rides in on my hand like nothing to it.
When the weather warms, I'm gonna start putting her in there and taking her to places to socialize her more.
What I really want is for her to be a therapy bird. One that I someday, can take to convalescents for a visit. That is a LOONG time down the road, but she is a pretty smart cookie, so anything is possible.
Mark

VIDEO of Baby giving me aring..

2008-01-01T07:13:00.000-06:00

September 10th, 2007
This is a video of Baby doing a great trick of giving me a ring. Actually, I ask her if she's got any change. LOL.
I did this by clicker training. It's helped me gain her trust with my hands. Considering her abusive past, and I'm no professional, this is good....I think. LOL. She actually appears to enjoy doing it.
This is the sequence I used :
Cleo then TOUCHED the shower ring..click/treat (c/t)Cleo opend her beak and took the shower ring....c/tCleo held the shower ring in her mouth....c/tCleo let me touch the cup to the shower ring when it's in her beak...c/tCleo then held the shower ring in her beak, and moved one foot towards the cup and touched it wth the ring..c/t.Cleo allowed me to put the cup under the ring in her mouth...c/tCleo dropped the shower ring in the cup when I pushed upward a little bit with the cup...c/tAnd finally, until she walked across the cage with the ring in her mouth and put it in the cup...BIG c/t!

Tree territorialism now

2007-12-30T08:51:00.000-06:00

December 30, 2007.
I've noticed that on her manzanitatree stand, lately, she has starting biting like in the cage. That's not going to be tolerated. I replaced her tree stand with a smallstand for awhile and she hasn't started biting on it yet. On the treestand she can get sort of down "in" it, like her cage and that's when she's aggressive. When she's on the top branch, she's not aggressive. The playstand only has one level and she's fine there, not biting.
All of this territorialism indicates to me that she could be hormonal. And, alas, as with any woman's hormones, haha, there isn't much that a man can do except our age-old remedy:
Yes, Dear.
Yesterday, she even tried to bite when asked to stepup from my desk and that was unusual. So, I walked away. Talked to her from another room. I came back in five minutes and she hopped on my hand perfectly. Of course, she get's a hallelujah chorus when she does it that good.
Also, I've been paying more attention to just placing my hand there and cueing her to stepup rather than actively moving my hand under her. That seems to be having a positive effect as well.

Raining Seashells....

2007-12-29T14:12:00.000-06:00

December 29th, 2007

I was sittin here reading email/surfing early, slept in on a nice Saturday, family asleep and then out of the blue....BWOOOOOOOKKKKKKK at 7:30 am???So, I leave it alone a few minutes and she persists. Still covered and all. I go in there, uncover, talk a lil, give her fresh food...she didn't want it. She wanted OUT! haha. The sun was bright this morning and it's been overcast the past few days. It was that. I mean, it's a beautiful morning!I'm down with it, get the hand perch, transfer her to my hand and we start an early day. Currently, she's sittin on top of my rolltop, IN a basket of shells, eatin some, diggin around, throwin in the floor, chewin a Christmas card..just bein a bird. This is forraging at it's best. LOL. I guess I could hide her a peanut in there. Then it'd sure be a mess.I gotta find out bout those seashells. They're washed and all. But she digs around in em, takes a few out, grinds on em, then drops em. Then some she just picks out and throws to the side like she's on a treasure hunt. She loves em, I mean it's like a kid in a toybox. I'll ask the avian vet. Don't we let our birds do things we'd not let our kids do???

The aftermath....this is just on the top of the desk. They were showering down onto the keyboard, floor...me!

Have bird...will travel.

2007-12-27T15:39:00.001-06:00

December 27th, 2007
Yesterday was different: I got in from work, Cleo was screaming to get out of her cage. I got her out on her stick, transferred to my hand, easily took her to the bedroom while I changed clothes. I sat her on the bed, talked about my day, gave her a toy or two. She is still a lil intimidated on the bed. But, we played a bit with a Kleenex. She easily stepped up on my hand to go to the office. In the office, she stepped off onto a small perch on top of my desk, played with some seashells, made a big mess really. I checked email, surfed news, etc. Got her to easily step back up and go to the living room while we watched a movie, and played a little with her on her tree stand. Then,later in the evening, I "pretty" easily, got her to step back up and take to her cage and easily put her back in for the nite, with a grape to follow. Dunno, it's just a nice evening without any bloodshed or bad nips. And I think travelling around the house with me now, closer to my body, has installed some trust she didn't have before. It was really nice having a bird that enjoyed being with me and moving around and enjoying HERSELF as we went. Lonnng road to get there.

Cage territorialism solutions...

2007-12-26T08:40:00.000-06:00

December 26, 2007
Ok, I'm gonna try something new in regards to her cage territorialism.
Her cage is her home. I don't want people sticking their hands in my home, so her cage is off limits to my hands now. Also, I don't let herout to play on the top. She has toys and necessities INSIDE there now and I've noticed her not fighting the hand perch now as much when I stick it in. In other words, I'm respecting her nest as I expect my flock to expect mine. I have changed a few other things in regards to this situation. A very good routine has occured. When she hears me comeinto the garage from work she starts screaming. I sit my work stuff down, kiss the family hi, go to her cage, put the hand perch in, step her up onto it, then take her outa the cage. From there, standing beside the cage, she steps onto my arm and I put the perch back down. I've reconciled to not sticking my hand back in her "nest" and that's ok.
I then take her to the bedroom, sit her on the bed, change clothes, and talk a little to her, play with some toys; she loves a Kleenex battle. Then she steps backonto my arm and we go into the living room and she sits on her treeand and plays. Then sometime I go into the office and I have a small perch on top of my rolltop desk and she sits up there and plays with a basket of seashells my kids picked up on the beach. She loves beaking around in em. Then steps back onto my hand and back to her tree later where she sits with us in the living room and watches a movie, tv, gets some treats and plays with her foraging things I bought for her tree. Then, about 8:15 or so, she starts screaming to be put to bed. I get a grape, she steps up off her tree onto my hand and go to her cage, she don't try to fly off, but lets me put her in on my hand and shesteps down on the perch and gets the grape.I may never get her from being cage aggressive and to be honest, I'm not trying anymore. That's her space. As long as she is notaggressive outside the cage, I'm good. I've noticed that since I quit trying to get her to stepup on my hand ON/IN the cage where she bit really badly, she is not as nippy OUTSIDE the cage, on her tree or other places. By sticking my hand on her nest, I was inadvertantly conditioning her to bite. I've quit lettting her play on her cagetop. She can play on her tree or anywhere else that is safe.

Gettin Cleo in the carrier

2007-12-24T22:11:00.000-06:00

December 24, 2007
Today, I got Cleo in her carrier...FROM MY HAND!!! First, I took the bottom half of the carrier, and set it on our bed in a neutral room. I had already put a perch in there. It is a manzanita perch and I am gonna replace it with something not as slick. But, I took her from her tree stand on my hand (what a wonderful feeling) to the carrier bottom. I had placed a peanut and a cheese piece on the carrier bottom in plain view. I let her play around with all of that for awhile and sit on the perch. She was ok with it, but wanted off. I bragged and really made a big deal of it. Then, I took the carrier out and put the top on without the door. This was more of a challenge. But after a few times I got her to ride my hand into the carrier and sit on the perch. She wanted out, but I continued to praise her and let her out. We played a bit but rehearsed this awhile. Next I put the door on, and since she was grabbing the top going in, I held my other hand over that and made a QUICK ride into the carrier and set her on the perch. *I'm cuing her with "go in" anytime we get past the door.Once she was in and ok, not happy mind you, but ok, I closed the door and she stuck to the door like one of those garfield toys stuck to the window on a minivan. I kept reassuring her and making a big deal of it, then I carried her around the house in the carrier so that she could see she was safe. After about 5 minutes of that, I let her out in her room, then got her back on my hand and she went "home". (inside her cage)So, it was successful and I was happy! I plan on drilling her with this as it is paramount now that she be able to be transported. Also, it should increase her trust in me and herself. Knowing she has safely returned from an adventure in the carrier. Actually, I'm excited about maybe taking her out for a ride in the truck! Not OUT of the carrier, but still down the road in the truck. haha, Cleo on wheels!

Cage territorialism battles

2007-12-24T08:04:00.000-06:00

Ok, I have a new diagnosis for Cleo: SEVERE case of cage territorialism.She'll stepup on my hand most everywhere now except her cage and the manzanita tree stand. These are home "homes". I have had a rough past two days getting her on my hand from either place as she has seemed to have gotten worse than she was. At first, when I had some success with hand stepups, she'd let me get her off her cage pretty easily SOMETIMES. .Not all the time, but everynow and then. Now, she either runs from my hand or downright attacks it. Same thing for the tree in the living room. All the other time, she's a dollbird. One time today, she even flew to my arm. What's odd is that she'll let me hold a hand perch in my hand, she'll stepup onto it and then immediatly standing in the same place, transfer her to my hand and she's cool.It's my hand approaching the "home" apparantly is what is sending her over the edge. The same hand she loves to lay her green head in.So, I guess I'll just work with it this way for awhile and keep a hand perch by each "home". My right index finger and wrist is reallly sore with a few smart punctures on it. It's hard to know what to do cause when she first let me start getting her on my hand good, she'd grumble a little, beak a little then stepup. So, that "beaking" a little today all of a sudden went to a downright bite....when I was expecting a beak..This is also the place where you don't know what to do. If you continue allowing her to stepup only on the perch on her cage/tree you are "conditioning" her to that and she'll never get used to a hand. On the other hand, if you push her too hard with a hand, you have sore fingers like I do tonite AND you risk busting the trust you've worked so hard to get.Different trainers will tell you different things. Some will say FORCE her on your hand a couple of times and she'll get over it. Get a bandaid.Others say gradually step her into it and she'll do better.This is where the extra star is coming in for me.

Cleo has FOUND HER SPOT!!! Important nite...

2007-12-19T21:44:00.000-06:00

December 16th, 2007

WOW...tonite was yet another momentous nite. I can't describe how HUGE tonite was. Going on a hint from Kimba, instead of putting Cleo HIGH in the air, I dropped my arm down by my torso. And listen parrot people, something sort of "magical" happened. She just tucked her head sort of to my chest and it was if that was where she was supposed to be. She stayed there, we walked around the house about 15 minutes with her in the same spot. Same spot. She was at peace and it was just very very very strange. I had always held her up HIGH cause that's what I was told, but it's like I said earlier today, just like people, birds are different bird to bird. She apparantly is much happier feeling a lil more protected next to me.In my mind, before she was abused, this probably was where she sat as a baby bird and felt comfortable.She just was sort of like a baby there. Garsh, stop waxing so sentimental Mark. But maybe, that's why she was called Baby?Dont get me wrong, she doesn't ask to stepup, and still she grumbles. but tonite gave a new place AFTER she steps up and maybe a sense of trust for her. She even rode calmly there to "go home" tonite. Usually, she fights a lil if I try to manually put her up at nite, but she just calmly rode in on my arm and stepped off..like she had done it a million times.It was nice. very nice. Thanks Kimba!But anyway, here she is, my Cleo in a happy spot..at long long last.Mark

Cleo's song..

2007-12-16T21:41:00.000-06:00

December 16th, 2007
This is an email from the lady who found and rescued Cleo:
Ok folks, below is not a pretty story.

I did some more digging around about Cleo.... Funny how lips loosen up when you no longer have the bird.... Here is what I think is the real story on her.
She belonged to a young man. He bought her from a local breeder. He kept her until she was in the terrible 2's. All birds start behaving a lil bad at that age. He didn't want her then and the local breeder took her back. The local breeder stuffed her in with a male Zon and he tore her up. (That is why she had so many feathers missing when I saw her.) Amy sent her to the pet store to sell on consignment. (This is why she was so concerned about what we paid for her) Cleo sat on the front counter for awhile and a lot of people held her and teased her. When the new wore off, she started biting. The girl at the pet store would yank her hand out from under her and drop her on the floor. Of course it hurt because she had absolutely no flight or tail feathers.... Dropped like a rock!!!! (This is why she doesn't want to step up!) Then she was stuffed into a hampster cage and set in the back of the store.... Then she came home with me. I could tell she had been someones Baby at one time.

Cleo is going on 4 years old. She is starting to outgrow the terrible 2's. LOL You have yourself one AWESOME bird there!!!!

I deserve an extra star..

2007-12-13T21:40:00.000-06:00

December 13th, 2007
When I get to Heaven, God's gonna say, "Mark, you coulda done better with a few things, well actually, most things to be honest. But, seeing as you had such patience with Cleo, here's an extra star for your crown!
Oh...and here's that right index finger back that she bit off"
Garsh. It's just so hard people! Tonite, I took her to another neutral room on her perch. She stepped down onto the perch stand I had setup. We hung out, talked bout our day. Of course, the moment my hand comes towards her she runs away. No cheese, no wooing of her beautiful eyes can talk her onto my hand.
BUT....a new thought occured.
I put her back on her hand perch, held it up, then slipped my OTHER hand underneath her chest and she sqawked, belched, cursed, nipped but finally she stepped on my hand and I let the perch go.
For about 3 minutes even!! I felt like you guys!!!
I had a big green bird on my hand!
As she sat there, I fed her lil cheese slivers (her fav and I had to pull out all the stops as this was a lesson), told her how sexy she is when her eyes pin like that. She became very calm and relaxed and pulled her feet a lil close together.
So, then I sat her back down on the perch. It was all good. We danced, sang and lay incense at her feet.
My hopes would be that she liked my hand now and wouldn't have a problem with it, but oooohhhh noooo.
This time when I put my hand down to her perch stand, she ran underneath and called her mother and told on me. She hid; crouched and hid.
I finally relinquished and thought she was tired. And I didn't want her to portary any more of "the burning bed" on the Liftetime channel.
I got her back on her perch and took her to the tree and she sat there and played. Then, I tried same trick again, her on the hand perch, and me slipping my other hand there, and by golly SHE FLEW BACK TO HER CAGE!!! Not coasted, but WIDE OPEN FLEW!!!!! Her flight feathers have grown back sufficient for her to fly now very good. It's not been, what ? a month? and she's flying like Sally Field around our house.
So...
Soon, she'll be going back to the vet. I can't have her that flighted until she learns stepup better.
As I said, this would not be NEAR so frustrating if she was scared of my hand. She loves to be petted, and she'll get on it if it's the only way. But not if there is another way out. It is pure 100% conditioning I'm having to deal with and correct. And, it can be done.
Also, it is important to note that I did this in a room where she had NEVER been. My son's room. I realize it must look much like the jungle that she has in her genes. I know I feel as if I'm in a jungle when I'm in there. I just want him to have a clear path to the door in case there is a fire.
In that room, she is 100% dependant on me. I have to get a perch that doesn't have hiding spots. This was actualy a stand. I close the door and she can't fly anywhere. This is conditioning. Plain and simple. I've taught her too many other things and she loves to play and learn new tricks, for her to actualy be that scared of my hand. She has been abused in the past and that's all she knows if a hand comes to her. She is conditioned to run/fight back at a hand.
So, together,we'll get there. Walking into the sunset with her on my hand; She singing the song by Pink, "You and your hand"
and I, walking and smiling..minus a digit or two.

The neutral room.

2007-12-11T21:31:00.000-06:00

December 11, 2007
Ok...now we're getting somewhere.

Tonite was another good nite with Cleo. Knock on my wooden head. Tonite she did stepups and transfers to the other hand.
As I said from last nite, I got her in the neutral room, my son's room, again. As last nite, I got her on the hand perch, then she grumbled but she stepped onto my hand in midair. Then, I put my OTHER hand up there and she stepped onto it!! YAAAAAYYY. That was great. So we did that walk over thing for awhile. Then back on the stand then repeated. She actually tried to walk up my arm one time, and I stopped that. So NOT ready to have her on my shoulder.
Then I took her out into the hall and walked towards her cage and she didn't try to fly off, but rode sort of squated down. Then just sort of jumped off my hand onto the cagetop.
I was very very happy. She was happy, getting more relaxed on my hand. It's a great feeling to finally have a starting place.
When I gave her a treat on her cagedoor, she took it, lifted one foot then started the trying to bite me again that she is conditioned to do. Not bite, but a hard beaking. I stopped and walked away.
I'll keep up the same drills for a few days getting her used to my hands, sitting, walking talking around the neutral room. Then, at some point, I'm gonna have to graduate all of this to the cage and treestand. yikes...
She's coming along! But, she is a Zon, tomorrow, she may be back to her demon ways...but I feel like she's at least getting the jest of the hand thing now.
Mark