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grumpy african grey
Last Post 08-07-2009 04:46 AM by LYNN. 6 Replies.
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LYNN
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08-07-2009 12:04 AM

I have a 12yr old african grey,Rosie, who adored me until she was about 4 or 5 now she is not as keen. I feel terrible that I am now getting scared of her so she is in her cage a lot now. I wonder if she is better to be rehomed or can I get help to make me less scared . With dogs there are classes etc and behaviourists are there for parrots? Please any help greatfully received.

 

Lynn

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Tracey Elphick
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08-07-2009 12:17 AM
Where are you Lynn?
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LYNN
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08-07-2009 01:08 AM

Hertfordshire

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Bird-Lover
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08-07-2009 01:55 AM

Hmm.. i cant tell you whether there is parrot behaviour classes in that respect, i can only give the advice i have used over the years.

 

Firstly, the change in attitude could be due to anything, without intruding too much into your personal affairs, have you recently moved home? Got a new partner? Or had a child or another pet in the house?

Birds are like children, they want and sometimes NEED all the attention, they dont like it when theres a new addition to the household which takes away their bond with you.

Secondly, assert your authority.. your the boss here, try to make sure the cage is LOWER than you, the idea here is not to scare the bird but to show you are 'bigger' than them and thus the one in charge.

If you are scared of being bitten try some kevlar gloves (e.g. motorcycle gloves), but practice your grip on a soft toy first to ensure you can hold the bird firmly without hurting it (its not as easy as you think).

Another tip, and this is what they say to do with rodents, is to rub your hand in their bedding, obviously its not hygienic to do this with birds.. but covering your hands with something they dont like (e.g. chilli?) would mean they would avoid your hand/arm if you need to get stuff out of the cage.

 

Lastly, do not show fear to the bird, I once worked voluntarily at a rescue centre, which had housed a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Not Umbrella) it used to say Hello to me all day, but when anyone tried to feed it or change water it would go for your hand... they used to distract it with a stick to grab the stuff out. The bird didnt have a name so i nicknamed it Pineapple/Piney.. (i dont know why)

Needless to say i wouldn't settle for that and got a chunk taken out of the back of my hand for my effort, i wanted to scream, but i didnt... instead of screaming i was shouting a firm No at the bird, to my amazement it released, and then 'stepped up' onto my seemingly offered arm..

To say i was wary would be an understatement.. whether it was the fact somebody had finally bonded with that bird i could not say, but with my hand pumping blood i ushered the bird into the cage which it flew to and i closed.

Nobody seemed to believe me until a couple of weeks later, somebody had apparently not shut the birds cage door properly and it was divebombing anyone who came into the room... needless to say because of my previous heroics i was told to go 'sort it out', to the jeering of my 'co-workers'.

I was nervous i have to say, as i entered the room and the bird screeched a hello and then dived straight at me.. instantly i shut my eyes, expected to be ripped apart by claws and the beak.. instead i felt a flutter near my face and the claws dig into my shoulder... Yes, the vicious cockatoo nobody could go near had landed on my shoulder.. and then to everyones amazement (my co-workers were all fighting to look through the window on the door) the bird started preening itself right there and then..

After extending my arm back to its cage it crawled down and went back in, no problem... i made sure it was closed and that was that... nobody could believe it.. they called me The Bird Whisperer every day after that...

 

 

 

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Doddie Kent
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08-07-2009 03:32 AM
I have an Amazon who loathes me. He's been like that for years.... he can be territorial about his cage, and very, very protective about his mate, another Amazon. If I need to put my hand into the cage for some reason, I tell him to 'move, move' and he does. This has sunk in over the years, of course, no instant fix. If he won't move away, I hold a towel in the hand nearest to him, bunched up. He always backs away from the towel, so I can get on. When we first had him I put on a pair of motorcycle gloves. He was absolutely terrified. In fact, I haven't met a bird who wasn't scared silly of any kind of glove, don't know why. Our bird was a wild-caught, which would make sense of that fear, I suppose, but all the others? Lots of birds are scared of a towel, but I've found that towelling a bird, then giving it a wary cuddle whilst still surrounded by the towel, works. It calms them down. They're still wary of the towel, which is useful, but not scared witless like they appear to be with gloves. It's all a matter of individual fears, but just like dogs can sense if someone is scared, birds can, too. When bitten, the trick is to get the bird off, go quickly into the back garden, and shriek and shriek and shriek.... just as long as the bird can't see/hear you!
Doddie
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Sheila Downes
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08-07-2009 03:46 AM
OK
before anyone can help or give you and advise we need to know more information.
Please can you e mail our enquiries e mail and we will then get someone to contact you to discuss it.
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LYNN
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08-07-2009 04:46 AM

Sorry I have tried to e-mail but as I am a complete numpty on a computer it wont go through!! I have posted more information on the link 'my african grey hates me' thank you for your offer  of help I will ring tommorrow.

 

Thanks again

Lynn

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