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The Decision

     Other than not wanting to get a dog or a cat I am not sure what made me think of a bird. I do know that I wanted a bird that could be a companion, not 24/7 in a cage looking pretty, singing, and self-absorbed. I also wanted a bird of substantial size, bigger than a cockatiel, but not as large as the type of parrot that you visualize on the shoulder of a pirate. The Congo African Grey seemed to fit the bill as far as being able to spend time with me. The temperament was perfect for my relaxed style of living. Congo African Greys have the intelligence of a five-year-old child, and a bonus is that the majority of Congo African Greys are able to talk. The size was a little larger than I really wanted though. I decided to read all that I could to be a good 'mom' to my Grey. ... While doing research on the Congo African Grey I came across information on a different African Grey, the Timneh. The Timneh is just as intelligent, is social, can learn to talk, and on the average weighs 100 grams less than the Congo. A pet store was not the place to look. Pet stores don't have many varieties and they have a reputation for putting a large markup on their animals, so I started searching the Internet for a breeder.

Janet is very aware of illnesses that are well-known to breeders and breeding birds. Before any bird is taken into her home it must be tested for polyoma. This disease can be carried by a bird that shows no sign of illness and when passed on to young birds it is most often fatal. ... There were three babies and I was the third to place my deposit, so I naturally was to get the third baby. (also-known-as the one not chosen) I have no problem with this... One of the three had inconclusive test results for polyoma, so a different chick was brought into the lineup.

On November 3rd Kendi was taken to visit with a kindergarten class. The kids were not able to touch her, only view her from outside her cage.. Kendi did well and didn't shy away, or growl at them. She didn't seem scared, just on alert in case she needed to scamper to the back of the cage if any of the children bothered her - but that never happened. Once the kids quit staring at her and went about their business, she began to climb about her cage, play with her toys and eat. She seems to have a calm, stable temperament.

This picture was taken on November 8th. In only 5 days her feathers have gotten so much thicker. She is beginning to lose the clumsy look of a baby too. Notice that her upper beak is starting to lighten in color and also the little red specks on her leg. Kendi will be 12 weeks old in two days.

On the 18th of November Josh and I took a trip to visit and see Kendi for the first time. I was expecting the cute little butterball of a chick of nine days before, what greeted me though was a slender, beautiful, young lady. We spent an hour petting her, talking to her, and holding her. She is down to one hand feeding a day, and her weight was 286 grams. She seemed to be inthralled with Josh, which is a good thing as he will be spending a lot of time with her also. A couple of times it seemed that she was mumbling to herself, her little beak opening and closing. ... She had turned 13 weeks old the day before.

On the 29th of November Josh & I went to get Kendi and bring her home. In the 11 days since our meeting Kendi had weaned from her hand feedings, held a weight of 256 grams and had her wings clipped. ... We got home about 7:30 at night and Kendi seemed fine and mellow. Rufus (our dog) was a little wound up, wanting to see what that 'little grey thing' was all about. I was surprised at how stirred up Rufus was, he is usually unflappable. Josh decided that Kendi should be put in her large cage which is in his office. He put her in the large cage with the door shut keeping Rufus and I waiting outside. Josh said that he was able to pet her a little. I felt a bit pouty as I had worked myself up into the idea that Kendi and I would immediatately be inseparable and she would be all lovey with me.We let her sleep in the office as it was quiet and warm.

The next morning I went in and sat with Kendi with the cage door open for an hour or so. She did step-up to my hand a couple of times and would stay there, but seemed to bristle slightly at sitting in my lap, so I laid my hand on a perch and sat talking to her. She made her way to one of the food bowls (the only one of four that was empty) I put a couple of pieces of food in the bowl from another dish, she ate them and I put a couple more. This went on for a while then she made her way to a back corner of the cage and closed her eyes.

Around 1:00 in the afternoon I went and sat in front of her cage and just talked to her for an hour or so. A couple of times I reached in and asked her to step-up. She did, but only while locking her beak on my hand. (It wasn't for balance either. it hurt, but I amazed myself at how well I managed to ignore the pain) There was a stick of manzanita by the cage, don't know why it was there, but I used that while I had her step-up a few more times. Kendi started drooping her eyelids so I decided that we could both use a nap.

At 6:00 Josh helped me lay a old sheet on our bed. I got out a playground that I made for Kendi, and laid out a small flat bowl for water and one for her food. Josh brought Kendi into the bedroom for me on her stick and left the room with Rufus behind him. Kendi watched as I pulled some toys out of a wicker basket and laid them all over the bed. One of the 'toys' is a little girls clear plastic bracelet with sparkles inside. Kendi wanted this one, and I let her beak it and she took it from me. While she occupied herself with that I played with all the other things. It wasn't long (10 minutes) and Kendi was right in the middle of all her toys and actually taking them from me. ... She had been taught to drink from a water bottle, so I was surprised when she put her lower beak in her water bowl and tilted her head up, drinking like 'an old pro'. About 7:30 Josh brought a half of a carrot in. He held it infront of Kendi and she tore into it. Not eating much, just tearing it up. By 8:00 the carrot was all over the bed, along with a few droppings. I made a big deal of saying "put your toys away" each time I drop one back into the basket. Josh had her step-up onto her stick and took her to bed in her cage.

On the 4th of December, just four days after coming home, my step-daughter paid a visit. Lena is 14 years old and all that age implies. The subject is constantly boys or make-up, and she is such a high energy person that when she goes home from her visits I usually collapse in exhaustion. ... Well, today she met Kendi or should I say Kendi met Lena. ... Josh and I spent a half hour tutoring Lena on calming herself, showing no fear, not teasing, say step-up, etc. Then the child reached into the cage and began hassling the bird. She bounced the boing, rang the bell, shook the rope bridge, and then picked up one of Kendi's foot toys and started waving in her face. Just as I was ready to shut the cage door Kendi started chirping and chattering at Lena. In a couple more minutes Kendi was perched on Lena's arm and climbing to her shoulder, talking all the while. ... This bird has been here going on five days now, and Lena is the one that Kendi has chosen to chatter to, and to be pet by. I have never seen Lena shine as happy as she was today.

January 31, 2005 - I have read a lot books and magazines, done numerous web based researches, talked with 'experienced & educated people, and joined a minimum of five parrot/bird groups on the web. No one and nothing prepared me though for the flood of love & emotion that I have felt for this bird in the two months that she has shared my life.

I have no doubts that Kendi is exceptional. She sits on my shoulder and we share kisses. (She puts her beak all over my face, sometimes biting gently, and I press her against me and kiss her neck and back) Kendi has discovered the heaven of 'skritches' too. She will lay against my chest with her head down and let out a small chirp until I give-in and scratch her neck feathers. I say give-in because this can and has gone on for a half hour at a time. She is a lush for skritches.

At five months (and ten days or so) her upper beak is lighter and the golden-yellow is beginning to show in her eyes. Her weight is riding between 248 and 256 grams. My diet has changed drastically. I am actually eating vegetables & fruit on a daily basis, most of the time with Kendi in my lap eating her share.

In the mornings she will step-up on my hand from her cage. I will lay her against my chest and stroke her back with both hands, occasionally giving a small scritch to her neck. This seems to be a ritual lately, which is fine by me because I love it. ... If she falls I say "whoops", if she drops (or throws) something on the floor I say "uh oh", and if she wants to come to me I tell her "come here" and she often does. ... In the evening, around 8 o'clock, I will tell her "time for bed" and she climbs into her cage and gets situated on her 'roost' perch. Between 8:30 and 9:00 I will turn off the light and without fail 9:30 she will go to her feed dish for a late night snack. No later than 10:30 she will be back on her roost for the night. The television is often on till midnight or later, but it doesn't bother her.

Kendi isn't 'talking' yet, but her noises are very distinct. She has a certain chirp when she wants skritches, a little moaning-whine when she doesn't want to do something that she is being made to do (like taking a bath or staying in the towel. I tell her "don't cry"), she growls furiously at her toys when she is wound up, and there is a different growl mixed with a sound of dismay if her foot is caught on something. When she is making noise just to make noise she does assorted whistles and chirps, but my favorite reminds me of an grumpy old man mumbling under his breath about some wrong done to him. ... Oh, she likes music by Slim Whitman, Hank Williams, and Roger Miller. Really!