eisterunicorn
New member
Hello everyone! I made a thread here a year ago about wanting an african grey so bad. At the time I was in the military and decided against it due to the advice given by you all about waiting until I have a more stable situation. I have since been medically discharged for my mental illnesses... I now have all the time in the world and spend 90% of it at home. I am also married and he has a steady job.
So I have been obsessing over the idea of bringing a grey into my life once again. I have seriously been weighing the pros and cons about it, and I do have my heart set on getting one from a breeder. I have visited a bird rescue and some adults that a nearby breeder has... and this weekend I am visiting the last baby that a breeder an hour and a half away has.
In my gut I feel I would only adopt an adult due to guilt (mainly from the people at avianavenue who seem to be very against adopting birds).
And I truly desire to know the entire history of my bird and prevent issues and baggage through careful raising and training etc. Also I would be sort of creeped out with an adult already having a vocabulary of someone else's voice... I have a quiet lifestyle where I mostly spend my time here painting or doing other activities like reading and browsing forums and cuddling with my dogs and rats... So I would like to bring a baby grey up with that sort of environment...
Anyways I'm sort of rambling. I don't want to go to hugely into my lifestyle and everything about how I am feeling about all this. Mostly I am wanting a lifelong companion who has a strong bond to me(I have no friends and do not desire them...). I never want children. I want to leave the cage open when I am home and supervising, and take him many places. I also do not want a hyperactive bird.. preferably one who can adjust to my lifestyle and would be content to hang out on a tree or playstand for a while, interacting with me while I paint or shower or watch tv...
Many people on the other forums have been saying that if I get one under 5 years old, he will only see me as mommy and will eventually want nothing to do with me and will try to bond with my husband instead. This is scary to me. I want to socialize my bird with many people and my husband without the fear that I will be spending the rest of my days with this intelligent creature who does not want to be close anymore.
SO! That was kind of longer than I thought it would be!! But I am really just trying to get some experience from people who have had their grey since he was young... and did it turn out that you are still very close or... yeah. Let me know please!!
Mae
EDIT to add: I really would like this thread to only be experiences of those who have had their greys since adopting from a breeder or as fairly young. Not as a thread to convince me of the joys of adopting from a rescue as that may not be the route I want to take. And I have already received more opinions and advice about that choice than I can handle.... Please....?
So I have been obsessing over the idea of bringing a grey into my life once again. I have seriously been weighing the pros and cons about it, and I do have my heart set on getting one from a breeder. I have visited a bird rescue and some adults that a nearby breeder has... and this weekend I am visiting the last baby that a breeder an hour and a half away has.
In my gut I feel I would only adopt an adult due to guilt (mainly from the people at avianavenue who seem to be very against adopting birds).
And I truly desire to know the entire history of my bird and prevent issues and baggage through careful raising and training etc. Also I would be sort of creeped out with an adult already having a vocabulary of someone else's voice... I have a quiet lifestyle where I mostly spend my time here painting or doing other activities like reading and browsing forums and cuddling with my dogs and rats... So I would like to bring a baby grey up with that sort of environment...
Anyways I'm sort of rambling. I don't want to go to hugely into my lifestyle and everything about how I am feeling about all this. Mostly I am wanting a lifelong companion who has a strong bond to me(I have no friends and do not desire them...). I never want children. I want to leave the cage open when I am home and supervising, and take him many places. I also do not want a hyperactive bird.. preferably one who can adjust to my lifestyle and would be content to hang out on a tree or playstand for a while, interacting with me while I paint or shower or watch tv...
Many people on the other forums have been saying that if I get one under 5 years old, he will only see me as mommy and will eventually want nothing to do with me and will try to bond with my husband instead. This is scary to me. I want to socialize my bird with many people and my husband without the fear that I will be spending the rest of my days with this intelligent creature who does not want to be close anymore.
SO! That was kind of longer than I thought it would be!! But I am really just trying to get some experience from people who have had their grey since he was young... and did it turn out that you are still very close or... yeah. Let me know please!!
Mae
EDIT to add: I really would like this thread to only be experiences of those who have had their greys since adopting from a breeder or as fairly young. Not as a thread to convince me of the joys of adopting from a rescue as that may not be the route I want to take. And I have already received more opinions and advice about that choice than I can handle.... Please....?
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