# I am the Crazy Cat Lady of African Greys **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 8, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125 "2007-01-08T05:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/41 "2007-01-11T16:22:08Z")
At night, if Onan gets thirsty, he come out of the nightstand, raps in my lips and sticks his head in for a drink. I think I am doing it without even waking now. When the Bird Flu comes, I am a dead man. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/42 "2007-01-11T16:44:06Z")
[QUOTE=conurepete] The biggest risk they face is his habit of begging for kisses and attempting to slip them the tongue [/QUOTE] 😃 No wonder Steve has followers. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/43 "2007-01-11T23:44:17Z")
[QUOTE=conurepete] The biggest risk they face is his habit of begging for kisses and attempting to slip them the tongue [/QUOTE] that was one of the first things the dive master mentioned when we started dating. ‘don’t touch your tongue to conan’s,’ he said. when i asked why, he said our mouths are full of nasties that could harm The Feathered One. since those days i’ve taught trigger how to throw a kiss. as a matter of fact she’s even begun to imitate the dive master and i kissing! greenwings are entirely too smart for my own good. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/44 "2007-01-12T03:57:14Z")
Yep, that the problem, I don’t want Steve getting human germs. It is a problem because we never “taught” him to kiss. Shortly after I first got him, he would start fussing after I kissed my husband good night. After week or two fussing, he was starting to cry and dance back and forth. We knew he wanted something. Not treats, not water, not “Up”. So I kissed him (just a peck on the beak with a “Mwaw” sound) By the end of the month Steve had decided he could sleep without a kiss from each of us. He hasn’t given up that he will eventually get the kiss intensity level ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/45 "2007-01-12T04:37:12Z")
Never in all my born days have I heard such a thing. It is much too late for him, I’m afraid. Onan has an oral fixation. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/46 "2007-01-12T05:15:32Z")
All of them do. George used to give my husband a hard time, so to get bird to like him, my husband held the bird close to his face and sang as loudly as he could. George basked in the attention and decided they were such good buddies he put his whole skull in my husbands mouth. It was subsequently reported that conures taste like really, really old fritos ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/47 "2007-01-12T05:21:52Z")
Tashabot, when J. Edgar sat on your shoulder, did he go “WHummmmm, WHummmmmmmm”? George always sounded like that on my shoulder. It was a really deep pulsing hum. It was really quiet, you could only hear it from super close- I think he did it by fluffing out his pectoral feathers and vibrating them. I always figured it was a happy purr because he sometimes ground his beak at the same time. The greys don’t do that, the chest feathers are the wrong stiffness on the edges ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/48 "2007-01-12T05:22:53Z")
George was a huge conure also, bigger then either of the wondertwins. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/49 "2007-01-12T06:14:02Z")
Your birds are beautiful! For a look at an amazing African Grey, check out [Alex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_(parrot)) and the research of his owner, animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg. > [@](#): > > Alex has a vocabulary of around 100 words as of 2000, [1] but is exceptional in that he appears to have understanding of what he says. For example, when Alex is shown an object and is asked about its shape, color, or material, he can label it correctly. If asked the difference between two objects, he will also answer that, but if there is no difference between the objects, he will say “none.” When he is tired of being tested, he will say “I’m gonna go away, ” and if the researcher displays annoyance, Alex tries to defuse it with the phrase, “I’m sorry.” If he says “Wanna banana”, but is offered a nut instead, he will stare in silence, ask for the banana again, or take the nut and throw it at the researcher. The image of a ticked off Alex, fuming in silence, and then angrily hurling a peanut at his uncooperative owner is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/50 "2007-01-12T13:10:24Z")
[QUOTE=Fiddle Peghead] Your birds are beautiful! For a look at an amazing African Grey, check out [Alex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_(parrot)) and the research of his owner, animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg. The image of a ticked off Alex, fuming in silence, and then angrily hurling a peanut at his uncooperative owner is priceless. [/QUOTE] I have their book in my queue - but it has been there for ages, so I’m not sure I’ll ever get around to buying it. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/51 "2007-01-12T17:22:50Z")
N’kisi is also a very intelligent grey- even more so than Alex. N’kisi is able to make conversation very intelligently. ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/52 "2007-01-12T19:18:22Z")
[QUOTE=conurepete] Tashabot, when J. Edgar sat on your shoulder, did he go “WHummmmm, WHummmmmmmm”? George always sounded like that on my shoulder. It was a really deep pulsing hum. It was really quiet, you could only hear it from super close- I think he did it by fluffing out his pectoral feathers and vibrating them. I always figured it was a happy purr because he sometimes ground his beak at the same time. The greys don’t do that, the chest feathers are the wrong stiffness on the edges [/QUOTE] I have no idea, as I was too young to interact with the parrot when he died. My parents’ cockatiel, however, does something similar, however, it sounds a little higher pitched because he’s a smaller bird. Anyone ever catch their bird like, muttering under their breath? I swear, my parents’ cockatiel is talking shit about me - or making death threats. ~Tasha ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/53 "2007-01-12T19:28:59Z")
My Tiel is a squatter. He flew down to my head from a tree in my backyard and decided to stay. He whistles the Andy of Mayberry theme, whistles for the dog then barks like the chihuahua. He is very fond of saying “Here boy” when he wants something from you. He loves to groom and be groomed. When he sees my husband’s yellow tape measure he makes a sound I can only interpret as “SNAKE!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/54 "2007-01-12T20:20:57Z")
[QUOTE=tashabot] I have no idea, as I was too young to interact with the parrot when he died. My parents’ cockatiel, however, does something similar, however, it sounds a little higher pitched because he’s a smaller bird. Anyone ever catch their bird like, muttering under their breath? I swear, my parents’ cockatiel is talking shit about me - or making death threats. ~Tasha [/QUOTE] Oh, man…our Grey does this all the time (the muttering). You can’t make out words, but he does sound very disgusted with us. When he is actually talking, he sounds quite cheerful, but obviously, that’s just a put-on! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/55 "2007-01-12T22:32:59Z")
One of the wondertwins mutters. He says lots of things under his breath, and they all sound angry and disgruntled. George would mumble in his sleep, but it sounded happy, about half way between whistling and singing. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/56 "2007-01-22T15:05:11Z")
'kay. this took forever… the dive master was slow in delivering, but here she is: trigger, aka ‘bad-ass bird,’ in all her glory. all four pounds’ worth. 😃 > **[Photo Storage](https://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q45/scubaqueen56/)** > > Store your photos and videos online with secure storage from Photobucket. Available on iOS, Android and desktop. Securely backup your memories and sign up today! ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/57 "2007-01-28T12:16:07Z")
[QUOTE=tashabot] I have no idea, as I was too young to interact with the parrot when he died. My parents’ cockatiel, however, does something similar, however, it sounds a little higher pitched because he’s a smaller bird. Anyone ever catch their bird like, muttering under their breath? I swear, my parents’ cockatiel is talking shit about me - or making death threats. ~Tasha [/QUOTE] One of my 'tiels is a mutterer. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/58 "2007-01-28T13:43:50Z")
OOoooooohhhh! Trigger is hypnotically beautiful. I was intrigued by the idea of Shark Dance before, but now I think Trigger could sweep “Dancing With the Stars” ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/59 "2007-01-29T15:35:11Z")
[QUOTE=conurepete] OOoooooohhhh! Trigger is hypnotically beautiful. I was intrigued by the idea of Shark Dance before, but now I think Trigger could sweep “Dancing With the Stars” [/QUOTE] isn’t she a vision? really gorgeous plumage that a picture really doesn’t do justice to. the dive master has special lighting above her cage that simulates sunlight, and it makes a world of difference on how she looks. when he got her, she was an unholy mess. her feathers were all stuck together and looked really bedraggled. less than a week later after the special lighting and a couple of showers, (honest. he steps into the shower, bird on his arm, and they both get a bath) she looked like a different bird! 😛 oh, and my bad. i was informed last night by the dive master that Herself is actually FIVE pounds of bad-ass bird. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125/60 "2007-01-29T19:26:26Z")
[QUOTE=Scubaqueen] 'kay. this took forever… the dive master was slow in delivering, but here she is: trigger, aka ‘bad-ass bird,’ in all her glory. all four pounds’ worth. 😃 > **[Private Group Photo & Video Sharing](https://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q45/scubaqueen56/)** > > A private space for your group's photos and videos. Share, react, and relive moments together. Available on iOS, Android, and desktop. Free for new sign-ups. [/QUOTE] PRETTY!!! Oh man, that is one beautiful bird. How cuuute. ~Tasha [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-crazy-cat-lady-of-african-greys/387125.md?page=2)