Caitnah
Active member
I apologize for the long post but really need the help of the Grey owners here.
I am considering adopting a male Congo that is roughly 25 years in age. He currently resides at a rescue sanctuary. He is in amazing condition and had just one owner that passed away.
I have a few questions that hopefully can be addressed.
Although this Grey is almost "middle-aged", do older Greys slow down a bit like cats/dogs? Are they less active?
At this age, can their bad habits be changed? He "bites" if you touch his feet. Also not thrilled with head scratches. I realize that adopted birds need time/patience but was just wondering if, at his age, can he be shown that head scratches are o.k.
He HATES females. I know this can be a trait in birds and I'm a male that lives alone. Females can be right next to him, they just cannot hold him. Even the female owner of the sanctuary (a VERY experienced handler) will not hold him. This is just an FYI.
Last question (for now). When it comes to cages, the adage is the "bigger the better". I was considering an A&E cage that is 36x28 (dome). The bird specialty shop (only birds) said that they felt that size was too big. I was a little surprise to hear this as after you load up with toys and perches, the size diminishes. The "experts" say 34x24 and this is not that much larger BUT some say too large of a cage can cause behavior problems.
When I did see this cage in person I was surprised at how big it really is.
Technical Details
• Exterior Dimensions: 36"x28"x65"
• Interior Height: 50"
• Bar Spacing: 1"
• Bar Gauge: 5mm
On a side note - when I heard he was about 25 years old, I was a little disappointed as I was thinking about a younger bird. However, after holding him for a couple hours I was hooked on him. He gave me this look that just melted my heart. It was if there was a connection between us.
Thanks for any advice.
I am considering adopting a male Congo that is roughly 25 years in age. He currently resides at a rescue sanctuary. He is in amazing condition and had just one owner that passed away.
I have a few questions that hopefully can be addressed.
Although this Grey is almost "middle-aged", do older Greys slow down a bit like cats/dogs? Are they less active?
At this age, can their bad habits be changed? He "bites" if you touch his feet. Also not thrilled with head scratches. I realize that adopted birds need time/patience but was just wondering if, at his age, can he be shown that head scratches are o.k.
He HATES females. I know this can be a trait in birds and I'm a male that lives alone. Females can be right next to him, they just cannot hold him. Even the female owner of the sanctuary (a VERY experienced handler) will not hold him. This is just an FYI.
Last question (for now). When it comes to cages, the adage is the "bigger the better". I was considering an A&E cage that is 36x28 (dome). The bird specialty shop (only birds) said that they felt that size was too big. I was a little surprise to hear this as after you load up with toys and perches, the size diminishes. The "experts" say 34x24 and this is not that much larger BUT some say too large of a cage can cause behavior problems.
When I did see this cage in person I was surprised at how big it really is.
Technical Details
• Exterior Dimensions: 36"x28"x65"
• Interior Height: 50"
• Bar Spacing: 1"
• Bar Gauge: 5mm
On a side note - when I heard he was about 25 years old, I was a little disappointed as I was thinking about a younger bird. However, after holding him for a couple hours I was hooked on him. He gave me this look that just melted my heart. It was if there was a connection between us.
Thanks for any advice.
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