Loose Feathers/Bathing/Other things!

[Dopple]

Hi Guys,

 

This is the first time I have posted since Leo thankfully recovered from his illness.

He's doing great now, but I have a few questions.

 

1. From time to time he will make a wimpering noise and look under his wings. I tend to think it may be loose feathers annoying him but I'm not certain, so can anyone tell me if Grey's tend to do this?

 

2. I can't get Leo to bathe. I know he wants to to because sometimes he tries to get into his drinking water bowl (which is far too small to bathe in) but when I put down a bigger bowl of water in his cage, or outside the cage when he's out he is not interested in going in it. So we just spray him at the moment. Any suggestions?

 

3. When he is out of cage he tend to claim to the top and tries to rip-off the wallpaper, so we move the cage out slightly so he can't get at it.

The problem is that this puts the cage in the way of us moving around the small room and he if we accidently brush against it and move it slightly Leo panics and flies off. He has no sense of direction so I've scared he is going to hurt himself.

What can we do to avoid this? (I'm not keen on clipping him)

 

Thanks.

[danmcq]

Hi Dopple - It's good to hear from you again. :-)

 

1. He may have feathers coming in that are bothering him. Most greys have been going trough molts for the last couple of months.

 

2. A larger and different bowl for bathing will take time for Leo to get used to before he will get in it. If you want to try and get him to bath in it, place in it the bottom of his cage or where he stays long enough to explore it. You could even try placing a favorite toy like a toy ball or even a few ice cubes which they like to crack and eat.

 

3. This is a tougher one. The best solution is to move the cage elsewhere, if you can, that Leo can not reach something to chew on. The other possibility is to purchase a roll around playstand with "T" perch and food cups to perhaps provide him with a place he will enjoy hanging out on, rather than his cage and closer to you.

 

Regarding his sense of direction. He knows that room by heart. I assume you mean other rooms or hallways. If he has been flighted a while now, he can bank, slow, turn etc. before he hits something. The more he flies around and investigates, the better his flying skills and also familiarity with your homes layout. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/08/27 15:01

[Dopple]

Thanks for the advice.

 

As for No.3, when Leo panics and flies (he can be a bit nervy) he tends to bash into anything. The other day he flew into a large mirror that is on the wall.

[danmcq]

Dopple wrote:

As for No.3, when Leo panics and flies (he can be a bit nervy) he tends to bash into anything. The other day he flew into a large mirror that is on the wall.

 

Then I would suspect he has not flown much. They learn very quickly when flying where to avoid.

 

Perhaps you could entice him to fly by walking a distance away and offering a favorite treat for him to come and get or a Playstand would also be a natural target he would fly from his cage to. :-)

[Joolesgreyuk]

Parrots see mirrors as a continuation of the room and not an obstacle, windows are much the same to a parrot, they do not see the glass and think they are flying elsewhere. Try covering the mirror with a towel or a sheet and put stickers on your window/s or hang a beaded curtain if you don't want to draw the blinds. We have put up a faux cristal beaded curtain which actually refects light into the room.