** Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?
WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and perhaps share advice. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. :-)
Earl Grey the timneh African grey parrot has been with me for about 13 years--since I was in high school. He is intelligent, loyal, affectionate, funny, beautiful, and very dear to my heart. I love him so much actually that I tend to look right past his more difficult aspects. Like chewing up the kitchen.
Earl was wing-clipped for most of the time I've had him, which eliminates the danger of him flying away and getting lost, and makes it easier having a parrot around the house--he can climb, but can't fly much. As the years went by I got to worry that he didn't get enough exercise, so I decided to let his wings grow out. Having been earthbound he was reluctant to fly at first, but over the past three years he's become a strong and confident flier. He likes to be able to go where he wants... his cage, the bedroom, the kitchen, or to perch on my head.
African grey parrots do a lot of ground feeding in the wild. While Earl's wings were clipped I sometimes let him run around on the floor, but he would tend to feel insecure there, since he couldn't quickly wing it up to a higher perch. But, with his proper flight ability restored, the kitchen floor became one of his favorite hangouts.
First he started gnawing on the plastic molding underneath the cabinets. I would get after him when he did this, but he was very determined and he would always get back to it. Eventually it seemed to be a losing battle and I kind of gave up. Then came a time when he'd gnawed the molding down to the floor and started in on the linoleum. This is like his hobby. He doesn't eat it, he just bites off pieces of it. Yes, it is my own fault, but I did TRY to stop him. I yelled at him, I put empty cardboard boxes or pots in front of his favorite gnawing places. I think all this just made it more fun and exciting for him.
Oh, it's bad. He's chewed out big sections of linoleum. He's done some woodwork damage too. This is an apartment, and there's nooooo way we're getting our deposit back. I'll probably owe them some money. Belatedly, I've finally clipped his wings again... not as severely as they used to be clipped, and he's still able to get around a fair bit. But so far it's kept him off the floor. I should have done this a long while back.
It gave me a lot of joy to see Earl flying so strongly and so able to do as he pleased. But he really doesn't seem any less happy with his wings trimmed. He's just destroying the place less. Well... lesson learned. :-)
(Note: even if they are captive-bred, parrots are truly wild animals with demanding social and behavioral needs. In some cases a parrot can make a very wonderful companion. But I would discourage most people from any feeling of longing to have one of these creatures as a pet, and those people who are really sincere, able to make a long term commitment, willing to educate themselves, and able to provide a truly suitable home and care to consider adopting rather than buying a bird. You can read more about parrots as pets at The Avian Welfare Coalition.)
So, what's gnawing on you tonight?