Stazel the scaredy-cat

[stephjls]

I'm concerned about Stazel and the fact she's a HUGE scaredy-cat.

 

She has ONE toy in her cage. She loved it, but there is not much left of it now. We had a toy on the outside of her cage, but she won't go anywhere NEAR it.

 

Its starting to get me worried, because when no ones home I don't want to turn her into a plucker. She gets lots of "treats" and the t.v. is usually left on, but I don't feel like thats anywhere enough even for the short three hours when no ones home.

 

Tonight her cage door was open, and she was just climbing all over the cage, top to bottom in and out, so i'm assuming she's bored? Usually she just sits on top and talks up a storm and flaps.

 

Even with new food, if we don't "try it" first, she won't even think about it.

 

Is there ANYTHING I can do to make her not so afraid of toys? Even if we "play" with it its a big no no. Any smaller toy suggestions I can buy for her?

[ecodweeb]

I think that's normal -- the moving around the outside of the cage. It's called exercise

 

Some birds are like that. If I load up Talula's cage with tons of new things she sits on her night perch and shivers for 30 minutes before she'll even try and come back out of it.

 

But then she starts to tear the toys apart and seems to like them...

 

It takes time. How long has this been going on?

[hill]

This is the same as my buster with new toys last week we put two new toys into his cage and he still as not gone near them and did not eat or drink for a full day this is just how some are and the walking around the cage is normal so your not on your own

[JillyBeanz]

Greys are so wary of new things and it could take some time before Stazel accepts any new toys. You really should have more than one toy in her cage though - four or five which are rotated regularly are suggested.

 

Some greys aren't scaredy cats - I have one of them - but others are not so accepting of new situations. She may come around, she may not.

 

The moving outside the cage is absolutely normal - Harvey uses his as a climbing frame too - but do you have a T stand or other playstand that Stazel can move too - Harvey's is equipped with toys on there too and he thoroughly enjoys ripping things to shreds on there.

[danmcq]

The others have given good comments.

 

One thing you might try also. Is to get several toys that closely match the toy type she is used to in different variations. This will be something familiar to her that should not induce fear.

 

Most also like foot toys that you can pace on the bottom of the cage like acrylic 2" balls with bells in them, those bong type toys that looked like what dogs play with, they have elliptical shaped holes in them and are about 4 inches long, wood blocks, cotton short toys with plastic beads and small wood blocks etc.

 

As you slowing change the toys to different variations, slowly start selecting types that are even less like the one she is used to.

 

It takes my grey up to 3 weeks to accept a toy that does not appear like anything he is not already used to. It is common for them to be very cautious, unlike new world birds like conures and amazons.

[stephjls]

Thank you all for your responses. I guess Stazel is finally starting to get use to her cage. She's never paraded around it like that before.

 

I know there should be more then one toy in the cage, they just REALLLYYY seem to freak her out. She won't talk, and she'll be stuck to one corner. (Her cage is big enough for a couple toys, but she still sits in this one corner). I'm afraid she won't goto her food and water if she pleases, although the toys themselves are actually on the other side.

 

I guess its common sense to get toys that look alike, the one she hates right now is totally different, very colorful. The others were just plain blocks of wood, with balls and things. I'll try to find a couple like the one she has now.

 

She loves foot toys, but they seem to be an interaction type toy. She doesn't want anything to do with them when we're not handing them to her, picking them back up when she tosses them across the room, and handing them to her again.

 

She does have a stand, but she prefers the top of her cage where (its got the jungle gym type thing). She isn't vocal on the stand at all, and she just sits in one spot.:blink:

 

Thanks for all the advice, i'll keep you updated on her (=