Talon Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Rikki my cag who will be 4 in Dec. has become a bully! Now that she can fly with such precision, she is becoming a bully. She knocks everything onto the floor from the counter, tables etc. Recently he has taken to flying onto the door frames and chewing my woodwork. I am so frustrated, I want to clip her wings, but as you may know, I am very against wing clipping.....Talon flies freely, and is well behaved. I wonder how the sudden loss of her flight will do to her physiologically. Any advice, I would love to hear! :dry:<br><br>Post edited by: Talon, at: 2009/11/14 19:38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane08 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Hhhmm and here was me thinking that was a normal grey behaviour. I have 2 of them that are bullies then. Rangi's favourite thing is to fly low over my orchid plant and brush it with his feet to knock off the flowers. They also fly to door frames, the kitchen sink where he throws things on the floor, tries to chew the wooden kitchen chairs. I just take them off when they land somewhere they are not allowed and place them on a perch or their play tree. It has got less and less over time with them flying to places they are not allowed as we have been pretty consistent with taking them off. They do learn it does take alot of time and patience. Can't you try with training first, clipping seems as bit extreme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I agree with you. I do consistently take her off and put her elsewhere, but the behavior has gotten worse. She spends the first 2-3 hours of her day doing this, then she is fine. She has ruined my woodwork in a matter of a few minutes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I am desperate to get help with her behavior. It has gotten so bad, i had to put her back in her cage. It doesn't help that we have a new addition to our family, but I have made a point of giving her just as much attention and one on one time as before. :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Well Penny, just about any flighted bird will chew on things you don't want them to. As Sheila said, you must watch them like a hawk an be there the minute they arrive at a forbidden roost. I can not count the number of times I've had to remove Dayo from places that are off limits. It got to where he would have his foot up before I got there to step up. :-) Eventually it got to where I would just say NO! and just act like I was getting up and he would fly away. I know clipping would be the last option you would chose. It just might just Rikki's attitude in a bad way also..... as you stated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane08 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I know what you mean, they make a wood chipper look ineffective. It is frustrating especially if you are up and down like a yoyo for 2-3 hours everytime they land somewhere they are not allowed. One thing we do is if we see they are chewing on the woodwork more than usual is we go out in the forest and get them fresh sticks to chew on. This seems to have really helped Kea with this problem, she now sits on her play tree chewing the sticks instead of the doors. We made the play tree as high as the door so she still feels like she has somewhere high to sit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 That's good advice Jane. Although my house if filled with hanging gyms, treestands/playstands, toys.. Dan, I do all of that with Talon, and she is just like Dayo. But Rikki just gets worse and worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Two of mine are exactly the same! They love to sit on the doors ( which are now minus most of the door casing!!!!!) I do try and give them chew sticks and toys but they spend most of the day out and if you just turn your back for a minute they are chewing away! I hope you can sort out this problem Penny as I also lov my birds to be flighted but I know how frustrating it can be. Good luck:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane08 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I just remembered another thing I have done in extreme cases. I place a sock or something they are scared over over the door and then they don't fly there. I know it looks odd with things over the door for awhile, but if it saves the door frmaes then it is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 Ooh, that's a good idea Jane! I am not used to this behavior, and many I know don't experience this with their greys, so I am quite frustrated and upset... This was me this morning: {Feel-bad-0002006A} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 So Rikki has become a bully huh, yeah that would be new behavior to me also and I don't know what to tell you to do. I know you hate clipping wings but try Jane's idea of placing something to scare her off from those places you don't want her going to and use the clipping as a last resort. Maybe Dave007 will have an idea of what you could do, I know he has probably faced this problem before, if anyone knows it will be him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 Thanks Judy. I do have these fake black birds I bought at the Dollar store taped to some of the doorways. IT looks bizarre, but seems to be working..... I wonder...could it be hormonal....she will be 4 next month. :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 It could be Penny as she is getting close to that hormonal age, when the fake birds no longer work you will have to try something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 Okay, thanks Judy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 i have also had the problem with the doors which is now solved. i tried taking tigerlily off the door every time but it got harder and harder to take her off and she'd end up biting me and me getting angry with her. i tried putting towels there then she'd get used to them and fly up anyway. i tried putting netting and fabric up there then she'd get used to them and just hang from those while biting the wires. now i've got table cover material up there and it has been for months now and does the job. i have a door stop so the door is open enough for the cat to get in and out but not open far enough for tigerlily to perch ontop. because the fabric is slippery she cant get a grip to stay up there. but of course, if the door is open even a bit more she'll take every oppertunity to fly up there and perch, even when i'm just walking out the door but thats no problem as i pull the fabric down behind me and she falls of but as she's fully flighted she just flys away and perches somewhere else. no harm done to tigerlily or my fingers or the wires! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearllyn Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Sorry to hear your having this trouble Penny, Hopefully it is a hormone phaze and it will pass. Alfie started to attack curtains she's lived peacefully with all her life, about a month ago, and two weeks later the tops are shredded! Now I use the scary socks method and it really works! Good luck with getting past it Penny! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I have a problem with my couch,Charlie loves chewing it up.I find the only thing that works is to place a scary object on it so he will not fly to it in the first place. I do keep having to find new scary objects as he becomes used to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 Tigerlily, I would love to see pictures. Sounds like a great idea!! Thanks everyone for all your great advice. I was at my wits end this am. Hopefully this is just a stage she is going thru. :dry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 It probably is Penny but like we tell everyone else, hang in there and it will soon pass, at least I hope it does but that idea of Tigerlily's just might be the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane08 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Like judy says hang in there and I hope it gets better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules1962 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I don't have problems with the tops of doors yet, but they do go in places their not allowed. Like on the top of book cases, curtain rails etc. so i stick little cuddly toys everywhere, they hate the sight of them and it serves it's purpose for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiesmum Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Louie my sun conure is the same. loves the top of the door frame.. hes has them all destroyed n when you take him down hes back up there after 5 min.... :woohoo: and a teddy bear or anything like that wud not work as he is not afraid of anything :laugh:<br><br>Post edited by: zzzelama, at: 2009/11/03 12:37 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 You all have come up with some good ideas. The combination of making the spot less attractive and less accessible and giving something different to focus on and expend energy like extra sticks sounds key to diverting them. I have read that the chewing of wood is related to nesting and showing a prospective mate her superior abilities. Could she be trying to tell you she is your chosen one, or maybe even trying to impress the newcomer? Hang in there, this too shall pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 Dee, that is great advice. I think you maybe right. Since everyone has been so helpful, I wanted to give you today's update. I waited to get Nilah up until I had the chance to feed Rikki and Talon their oatmeal and peanut butter toast like always. Then when they seemed satisfied, I went and got Nilah up and allowed her to join us. It went well, and Rikki seems to be better behaved this morning. I did buy things to put on the doorways, and will put them up today. I will keep you posted, but it is nice to have a good day, I needed the break! :silly: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Cool! Hopefully a few strobe lights and a disco ball will keep them away and things hopping along to the tunes of KC and the sunshine band. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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