We had friends over on the weekend and were having a bit of a brag about how well Smokey talks. We were telling them his repertior of 12-15 phrases and he was chortling away, showing off and talking for them. Needless to say, our friends were fairly impressed.
Anyway, during lunch, we were all sitting at the table, Smokey in his cage in the corner, when we hear "look at me" from Smokey... so we all look over to reply only to see him holding on to his swing with one foot and rampantly humping his rope perch! How embarrassing! But it didn't stop there! He continued to do this until i got up to avert his attention to something else, and you know what he said to me?! "Excuse me!" as though I was rudely interrupting him! Everybody laughed at this, of course, then I got down close to his cage and said to him that he can't stay if he's going to do that stuff and he said "okay"! Oh my gosh... just like a teenage boy!
So Smokey was moved to the outdoor table to do whatever it was he wanted/needed to do to keep himself entertained, and we continued our lunch inside. Needless to say he has had a week of early nights since then, and from now on we will be seriously considering what he can and cannot be taught to say!