Pet of the Day

May 15, 2008

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Harrison, the Pet of the Day
Name: Harrison
Age: Two years old
Gender: Female
Kind: African Grey
Home: Carmichael, California, USA
 
   This is Harrison, my two-year-old female African Grey. The reason she has a boy name is the breeder was just sure that she was a he. After eighteen months, we had a DNA test done and just guess what the result was. Harrison knows over 100 words/phrases and has been talking since we brought her home at three months of age. She's the perfect bird and is always a joy to be around. She's pretty independent but when she wants some lovin', she insists on it. If I go to put her on her perch, she'll get off with one foot and hang on to my finger with her other foot... I usually give in and take her with me.

    She really doesn't know any tricks other than talking... she doesn't really show any interest in learning tricks. Her favorite thing to do is swing and play with a little wiffle ball that has a bell in it. She likes to attack the ball and hang from it. She really has a good time with it. She will also back up to it as if she wants it to scratch her head. :) She's my first parrot, although, my mom had parrots when I was growing up. I got her because I've always wanted an African Grey but I always had cats... once my cats were gone (sadly) I got Harrison. We also have a dog at home but Harrison shows no fear. The dog gets freaked out when Harrison flies. It's kind of funny. Here's a list of what she says...

    "I love you," "Hi/hello baby," "Whatcha doin?," "Cartoooons!!," "Hiya Hotlips," "OOOoooooohhhh!!!," "Hellllloooo???," "Hello bird," "Harrison is a (very) pretty biiiiiirrrrrd," "Pretty cool," "It's OK," "Feed the geckos?," "You're a good boy. (lol)," "How's my baby?," "I'm sorry," "Hello Buddy," "How are you?," "She just started saying "no" when she doesn't want to do something. :)," "," "Heather," "Where's Heather?," "I'm Sorry," "gootchie-gootchie goo," "Go On," "Ooops!"

Harrison, the Pet of the Day

    I'm trying to teach her "Tell me about it, stud"... you know, the famous line in "Grease"... so far she says "Tell me about it, SSSSS" She doesn't always say it perfectly, but most of the time she does. She's also saying different variations of the phrases in the first group. Like "Whatcha doin boy?" or "Whatcha doin Harrison?" She beeps like the microwave, makes belching and farting sounds, whines like the dog, wolf whistles, and she also kinda mumbles in my husbands voice... I'll say "what did you say?" to my husband... and he didn't say anything at all... it was Harrison.

    Since we've found out that Harrison is female, we've been talking to her as such. She's learned a few new phrases.. "Pretty Girl," "Good Girl," "Wanna Come out and Play?" She's also barking like our dog... she talks to the dog but I can't understand her... she says "blah blah... Sandy!!" (the dog's name) I had a sneezing episode yesterday and after each sneeze, my husband said "bless you"... well, this morning, Harrison made a sneezing sound and said "bless you" right after. Ha ha!

    She knows "La Dee Da," "Yummy yummy yummy," "Stop it Sandy," and she's regularly making sneezing sounds and saying "bless you" "You Go Poopie?," "(female voice) "Honey?!"~(male voice) "What?!"," "It's alright," "Ok bye bye," "Bye bye Harrison," "You're a good bird, yes you are," "Come here," "WOW!," "She makes the sound of a soda pop opening," "Want a cracker?," "Fly, fly, fly!!," "Hey, hey, hey!!," "What's the matter?," "Where's my good birdie?," "Hi Sweet Pea," "That's my nose, those are my toes," "Sandy, shush (Sandy is our dog)," "Hey Girl," "Go Poopie (in a really high voice, then she poops)," "Where's my girl?," "Walnut?," "Watch birdies (bird DVD)," "How's my (little) girl, hmmmm????," "That's my (little) girl," "I'll be right back," "Go outside," "Silly girl," "Silly bird(y)," "Got your nose," ", "WHAT!?~she says that quite often after we say something... as if she didn't quite hear what we said.. Beep (like the phone) Hello? then she says "alright bye bye" "Come on, come on, step up. C'mere baby girl, step up." She knows to say "I'm sorry," "Sandy, chill!!" and knows our names as well, so asks "Where's Denis/Valerie" or "Hi Heather/Denis/Valerie"

    She has started clucking like a chicken... I don't know where she got that. She's also recently started saying "turkey" because I call her that. When I go to get her out of her cage, she sometimes plays hard to get. Well, she's got what I say down pat. "wanna come out?" "NO?... ok"... (i walk away)... "turkey!!"... then Harrison kinda stomps her feet... "oh you do wanna come out?"... "I thought so"... "Turkey!!"

    More phrases she knows are "I'm a star/superstar," "cluck cluck chicken," "cocka doodle doo good morning," "cocka doo doo," "wanna go back?," "want some water?" "Want some celery?" "Woo hoo!," and "Are you hungry?"

    Also, here is the link to my online album ... you'll find 150+ photos and three other audio files. Above each audio files is a list of words that she's saying in each audio file...

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