NOW who has who trained...

[gary&chloe]

I get up an hour early to sit and rock with Chloe. I am usually more asleep than awake. After about 30-45 minutes, she gets restless and gets down and wanders off in the house.

The mornings she does that, I go back to bed.

She found me the other day, and stood next to the bed talking, until I reached down and picked her up into the bed with me. She loves to snuggle on the pillow, next to my check. Then I drift back to sleep.

The last few mornings, she has gotten out of my lap, early, and took off for the bedroom. She walks along the side of the bed, looking up in the bed and doing her mate call.

Ohhhh..... I just hate it but I have to get out of the chair and go back and get into bed... Poor me.... She has me trained to go back to bed...

Now I'm trying to get Becki to let Chloe out in the morning. Leave the bedroom door open so she can come in the bedroom. And I won't have to get out of bed at all. I can just reach down and pick up my Princess and go right back to sleep.

As the kids say.... Sweeeeet!!

[Brandy]

awwwwwww Gary!! how cute is that??

[Jean]

I can picture her waddling to the bed and telling you come here dad....It's cockatoo snuggle time. :heart: :wub: :heart:

[tropiclegirl]

Oh that is so sweet!

Your not scared of her wondering around the house while you are asleep? Scared of waking up to no walls or chairs without legs, ?? :rotflmao:

[Shirley]

I can picture the whole thing happening! How very sweet!! :p

[gary&chloe]

No, I'm not afraid of her wandering the house. She usually goes off for a minute or two but always comes back to check on me. It's almost like she wants to make sure I'm still there.

I usually can find her in one of the bathrooms, behind the toilet, picking at the plastic trash can or the holder for the toilet bowl cleaner. Or her latest nest is in the pantry. She is chewing up the base board. Let her chew. I'll put new molding later. Along with two new bathroom doors and a new pantry door. Oh yes, and the seal around the garage door, I pulled the car in but didn't get in the house quick enough so she was coming out to me.

I don't care. It's all harmless. She doesn't eat the stuff. Just chews at it for a few minutes and is off to another adventure.

Now the bed... Jean is right. She waddles along the side of the bed, looking up at the bed and doing her two squark mating call. "Get in her, NOW !!!" It only took twice for me not to go in there and now she doesn't go there anymore.

[Ellen K. Cook, DVM]

She is chewing up the base board. Let her chew. I'll put new molding later. Along with two new bathroom doors and a new pantry door.



Ah, spoken like a true cockatoo lover, Gary! Merlin has redecorated our house in a similar manner-they do like their wood :rotflmao:

[nmulder33]

Gary, she sure has you trained now! LOL I love hearing those stories...

[gary&chloe]

Yes, Dr. Cook, they love to chew the wood. She doesn't chew any wood I put in her cage but she loves the bathroom doors and the molding inside the pantry (her latest nest).

We went to the zoo a couple of weeks ago and they had an old phone book, hanging by a rope, for the Hyasinths to chew on. One was chewing and the other was standing above and pulling the rope to try and get the book away from his partner. Soooo... I got Chloe an old phone book to chew on. She is starting to chew on it a little.

I went to Chattanooga, Tenn, the past three days. Becki would let Chloe out of her cage first thing in the morning, with all the other birds. Chloe would go in the bedroom and walk along the bed looking for me. When she didn't find me, she would go up on top of her cage and talk to the other birds or go inside her cage and chew or whatever. She didn't wander around the house. At night, when the other birds were put to bed, she went in her cage, on her own and Becki closed the door and covered her.

When I got home last night, she was a happy happy girl. She was standing on my chest and snuggled up against my neck. Every once in a while, she would lean back and stare at me. Then she would say "Chloe is a good girl." I would kiss her full crop and assure her that "Chloe is a good girl and daddy loves Chloe." That was what she wanted to hear and she would lay back down against my neck.

I just can NOT, for the life of me, understand how anyone could mistreat a creature like her. She is sooooo seldom, really loud and the chewing ??.... For what I get in return, what's a $30 interior door or a little molding, every few years. Big deal. Because of her, I only take half the blood pressure meds that I use to, so that pays for the doors and molding.

One door - $30.
Molding - $20.
Unconditional love - Priceless.

[Shirley]

I love that post, Gary!!

And Holly hangs upside down on her cage bars and chews her phone book that lies on top of her cage playtop. :D

[nmulder33]

One door - $30.
Molding - $20.
Unconditional love - Priceless.

So true Gary and well said! You seem to have a wonderful bond with Chloe and I love your stories you write about you and her. I too don't understand how people could mistreat the birds that could be the best companions in the world. They should be hanged in my book...Anyway, thanks for sharing this story. It is very beautiful!

[Jim]

That is to "Sweeeeet!!" :) (as the kids say) LoL. You and Chole are so good for each other. Great post Gary.

[nmulder33]

Gary, I took your quote and used it as my signature. Hope you don't mind?

[tropiclegirl]

Great post Gary :highfive:. I so agree!

They definitely are stress relievers. I love sitting on the couch at night with Marlon on my forearm/chest as he sits there and preens his feathers, making cute little noises and loving to be petted. They are just such precious little creatures. I too do not understand how someone could mistreat them but i dont understand half of the things that go on in the world. One reason we decided to not have children, one less worry! The world these days is just so cruel. Every time i turn the tv on there is another breaking story of some sort.

[Jean]

No, I'm not afraid of her wandering the house. She usually goes off for a minute or two but always comes back to check on me. It's almost like she wants to make sure I'm still there.

I usually can find her in one of the bathrooms, behind the toilet, picking at the plastic trash can or the holder for the toilet bowl cleaner. Or her latest nest is in the pantry. She is chewing up the base board. Let her chew. I'll put new molding later. Along with two new bathroom doors and a new pantry door. Oh yes, and the seal around the garage door, I pulled the car in but didn't get in the house quick enough so she was coming out to me.

I don't care. It's all harmless. She doesn't eat the stuff. Just chews at it for a few minutes and is off to another adventure.

Now the bed... Jean is right. She waddles along the side of the bed, looking up at the bed and doing her two squark mating call. "Get in her, NOW !!!" It only took twice for me not to go in there and now she doesn't go there anymore.

:rotflmao: :rofl: Oh yes, I remember you have a little princess.... if I let my king cockatoo loose in the house unatended I'd be looking at a pile of shredded furniture, chewed and shreaded sheets, down comforter and pillows, Oh boy! this is real cockatoo fun! chunks and slivers from all the wood furniture, doors, and cabinets, and our little king cockatoo running around saying I like that! :rofl: Whats next? :scratchch Oh boy! I like that!!!!!the wall chiming clock, Oh boy! the walls are still standing...... Not for long.... wait till I get my beak sunk in them......:rofl: :rofl: Here comes mama I'd better run to my cage and act like mamma's innocent little angel.:rotflmao:

[nmulder33]

Nooooooo.....Elvie is not like that??? Is he??? Now you have my dream shattered thinking that Elvie was not a troublemaker....LOL

[Jean]

Nooooooo.....Elvie is not like that??? Is he??? Now you have my dream shattered thinking that Elvie was not a troublemaker....LOL

He's a dream as long........... as he isn't allowed to roam the house alone....LOL Then he's a terror on fast moving cockatoo feet.....:rofl:

[gary&chloe]

Chloe roams the house but she is never out of my sight for more than a minute or two at the most. She always comes back and peaks around the corner to see if I'm still in my chair. If she doesn't then I go looking for her. Usually she has climbed up on top of her cage so she is on the "highest branch" in the bird room. Or she is under our bed, chewing on my High Sierra duffel bag, $179...

BUT SEE ??? She was just taking care of her daddy, making sure no one stole my bag. It looks so awful, no one would want it. But there are no holes in it. She hasn't been able to chew through.

Even if I'm not there and only Becki is there, she stays pretty close to Becki. I think she still has some doubts about being left alone again. She remembers those first five years, I'm sure.

I had to put child clamps on the bathroom cabinets because she has figured out how to get her beak under the door and open it. I put the clamp on and she tried but it didn't open. She stood as tall as she could trying to get to the clamp. I loosened the clamp so it hangs down where she can bite it. The end of it is chewed off, but I got 3 of them for 4 bucks so...

This morning I was laying on the couch with her on my chest. I have a draw string in my pajama's that has a knot on the end of it. She picked up the draw string in her foot. And chewed the knot off. She got the knot in her mouth and went down to the end of th couch and put it in between the cushion and the back. Then she came back and did the same to the other draw string. I'm so fat I don't need the draw string anyway.

She loves to chew on cloth or material. Most of her toys, that she chews, are made out of strips of cloth. The regular toys, she ignores. I leave the cage cover draped over the back of her cage, during the day. It has holes big enought for a Hyacinth to fly through. So I have to put two black sheets over her cover. I don't mind. As you know, I love my girl.

[SummerJ]

Jean, I'm with you. When Sydney is out I have to keep him in my sight. Even then things still get chewed up!! One of these days my kitchen table is going to just give way. He thinks it is great fun to chew pieces off of the bottom. My poor chairs in there are a mess from his chewing. I have been looking at a wrought iron kitchen table with a glass top. Maybe that would stop that problem!!:roflmao2: All three of the birds thought ripping the wall paper off of the wall was great fun. After I replaced it, I put plexi-glass over the walls nearest their cages. It seems I am constantly trying to bird proof things. Sydneys latest trick is to climb up the handles of my kitchen drawers (it is a cabinet with 4 drawers) to get to the counter. Since I have custom made oak cabinets, I live in fear of his taking a bite out of those. The table and wallpaper are one thing (the table needs to be replaced anyway). The cabinets...:omy:

Gary, Chloe just sounds like a wonderful bird! Not too destructive and sweet! Do you think she could have a talk with Sydney!!?
Janet

[parrotgirl]

He's a dream as long........... as he isn't allowed to roam the house alone....LOL Then he's a terror on fast moving cockatoo feet.....:rofl:

Know what you mean there, Bucc is really good if left unattended, but Kito, theres a different story, he's a nightmare so am trying to correct that now while he can't do too much damage, (He's only just managed to get 2 very large holes in the dog beds and a chair leg half eaten, He won't be 13 weeks till friday:eek: :eek: :funny: ) You gotta love the little so and so. I was in the same room as him all the time.

[gary&chloe]

I can't believe this happened on the very day I was bragging her up.

Yesterday morning, when I got ready to go to work, I took Chloe out of her cage and showed her my badge and told her "I have to go to work." She always says, "Going to work ??" And I kiss her, put her back on her perch and leave.

I got home last night and she meets me at the back door. That's not unusually except Becki isn't home yet. Either I didn't lock the cage door properly or she has figured out how to get the door open.

I don't know how long she was out, alone, in the house. There were little "gifts" on the bathroom and bedroom floors, so it was at least a couple of hours or more. The bedroom and bathroom floors are ceramic tile so no problem cleaning it up.

But the only place that I could tell that she had chewed was in her new nest, the pantry. There were a LOT of baseboard shavings all over the pantry floor and out into the kitchen. But I couldn't tell she had been anywhere else.

Probably, when she couldn't find me, she climbed up on top of her cage, since she has the tallest cage in the bird rooom.... She does that when I am home and working in the garage.

But no other damage. I've had her to a number of vets. They have done every blood test known to man. Other than the feather picking and the prolapsed chloaca, no one has found any thing wrong. Dr. Clubb noticed that she doesn't have a lot of the white dust that most cockatoo's have but she didn't seem to be too concerned. I don't know...

I told you guys... "The Great Spirit sent me Chloe... The other angels were all busy."

[Sue]

I can't believe this happened on the very day I was bragging her up.

Yesterday morning, when I got ready to go to work, I took Chloe out of her cage and showed her my badge and told her "I have to go to work." She always says, "Going to work ??" And I kiss her, put her back on her perch and leave.

I got home last night and she meets me at the back door. That's not unusually except Becki isn't home yet. Either I didn't lock the cage door properly or she has figured out how to get the door open.

I don't know how long she was out, alone, in the house. There were little "gifts" on the bathroom and bedroom floors, so it was at least a couple of hours or more. The bedroom and bathroom floors are ceramic tile so no problem cleaning it up.

But the only place that I could tell that she had chewed was in her new nest, the pantry. There were a LOT of baseboard shavings all over the pantry floor and out into the kitchen. But I couldn't tell she had been anywhere else.

Probably, when she couldn't find me, she climbed up on top of her cage, since she has the tallest cage in the bird rooom.... She does that when I am home and working in the garage.

But no other damage. I've had her to a number of vets. They have done every blood test known to man. Other than the feather picking and the prolapsed chloaca, no one has found any thing wrong. Dr. Clubb noticed that she doesn't have a lot of the white dust that most cockatoo's have but she didn't seem to be too concerned. I don't know...

I told you guys... "The Great Spirit sent me Chloe... The other angels were all busy."

Oh no Gary!!! we think we are so careful, I remember thinking how can people be careless enough to lose birds when you see all the lost bird ads. Well I shouldn't have been so smug as last summer I came in the room (I was in the house but upstairs) to find Toto on top of his cage and the cage door wide open, being summer the conservatory doors were open and the doors leading to the conservatory (next to his cage) also open:eek: :eek: He had been right up to the open cons door as there was a parcel there, I ams sure the only thing that stopped him going out was the gas bead screen! I treble check the lock now:agree:

[scotty]

you know guys...my cat used my wood work as a scratching post.It was repaired no big deal.When you got a love like that, it's worth a little
repairing, call me nuts:nuts: :nuts: :nuts: but like Gary says, it more then pays for meds.:D