ParrotLawyer Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 His name is Hunter. His last owner cried when he gave me Hunter. I thought my Amazon was a loud bird. I was so sorely mistaken. Hunter is really loud, and I think he's looking around for his pervious owner by screaming for him. I gave him a strawberry and for a little while he forgot everything and later demolished one of his toys. But so far he keeps calling out and making high pitched squeaks and cries (almost like baby noises). Is there anything I can do to get him settled down? Will I just have to wait? Or am I living in a dream world that he will one day mellow out to the level of my 16 year old amazon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Hi Hunter and welcome to our family. Poor bird missing his old family. He will eventually settle in, but he will mourn his family for a while until he realizes your his new family. Remember, he doesnt understand why he is with you and not what he knows as his home. He may or may not quiet down, my guess is he will, right now he's upset and calling loudly in hopes his old home will find him.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I think you will have to give this bird some time to grieve for his previous owner as it sounds like he was loved, he has been moved to a new home and he doesn't understand why he doesn't see him anymore. Please just ignore the screaming for now as it will only make him do it more, when he has had some time to know he has a new owner and you are doing everything to make him feel at home he will come around. Greys usually are one of the quieter birds but he is vocalizing his loss right now, give him some time and space to allow him to adjust to his new home, talk to him in a soft voice and offer him treats to encourage his acceptance of you. I think once he comes to accept you, trust you he will bond with you and then I believe he will be quieter, he also sensed that his owner was upset and he is reacting to that, just be patient with him and in time he will come to regard you with affection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParrotLawyer Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Thanks a ton. This is really reassuring. When I went to meet him he ran over to me and stepped up with me asking. He bopped his head and a bunch and played with my fingers a little with his beak. He was just super friendly. An hour later and all signs of that parrot are gone. I'm really afraid he is thinking I stole him or something. I'm a little anxious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama CJ Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Talk to him. Explain to him what's going on. Some people think I'm nuts but it's worked with both of my rehomed birds and a rehomed boxer dog. I even suggested to the last family to tell Rocky my CAG what was going on and why. So far I've had some pretty easy transitions. Just give him some time to learn the new routine. Try to stay relaxed, it just might pass on to Hunter. Also, tell him what your going to do before and as your doing it, like clean the cage, feeding him a meal, etc. Good luck and keep us updated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusCAG Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Hello... I'm so sorry to hear your new baby is grieving so much right now, the poor thing. May I ask why Hunter's last owner had to give him up? He sounds as though he loved and was loved very much in his last home (my husband and I are just curious). But in terms of his screaming, like everyone else said, it will probably take some time for him to adjust to his new home, a new owner, and new surroundings. Think of it like a young child who was adopted by another family in another country. If they loved their family and weren't an orphan just praying for a better situation, you know they were upset when they were pulled from everything they'd ever known! So just talk quietly to Hunter, let him grieve and don't give him any reason to fear you (like getting upset over the screaming) and he will probably pass through this acute phase in good time and you both can really start to get to know and trust one another then. Hopefully, for you both, his pain will lessen soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I went away for two weeks and left my daughter and her husband in charge of our animals. They were great and let Neo out and gave him lots of attention. I came back and I have to do some "repair work" with Neo. I have been bitten twice since I got home yesterday and I had never been bitten before. I deserved it, I'm sure. I guess my point is that they are very sensitive, don't like change, and need time to adjust even if it's just a two week hiatus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParrotLawyer Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 This is making me feel a lot better. Hunter's last owner had to rehome him because the landlord decided to install a 'no pets' policy. He's 21 and can't move back home and can't afford to move. He was a really nice guy. He passed up a lot of people offering to pay for Hunter because he thought I'd fit with Hunter. He definitely loved Hunter and slept next to him. He cried when I left. Hunter has calmed down a lot. He makes a lot of electronic sounds from video games. I think I'm living with r2d2 now. The calm voice explaining everything/ cooing/ strawberries helped. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHAN Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Aw poor guy, The quiet at home now must be awful. Glad Hunters in good hands as i'm sure the previous owner is. He will settle down after a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Congrats! YOu have received a lot of good advice in regards the contact calls for the missing flock. It is a natural behavior. When my grey gets passed on to new owners, hopefully decades down the road, he will call for us incessantly for probably days on end. Most cannot stand to be out of sight of their flock (Owners). Ours will call any time we are out of sight. It's wonderful to know he has landed in a great home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Just be calm and reasurring around Hunter, let him know he's safe. The trust and love will come, but slowly, Greys are very cautious by nature. Hunter was so good for you before you moved him because he was in the safe presence of his known flock, the previous owner. Don't try to force a step-up. Let Hunter decide when to come out of his cage. Letting him have some control will help him feel safe and give him the courage to start to investigate his new home. Also, re: the screaming, just don't respond to it at all. Don't answer him or he may decide to make that sound his contact call! When he does make a noise that you like, respond right away with a happy voice/face. Once he settles you'll probably find he'll have periods through the day, usually first thing in the morning and again at night, when he goes through all his sounds, and for the rest of the day he'll be fairly mellow. Of course, that's just a generalisation, some greys are more vocal than others. Remember, when you're dealing with an animal as long-lived as a grey, taking a few weeks to establish a trusting relationship is really a drop in the bucket of your time together. Enjoy getting to know your new fid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParrotLawyer Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 So, I have new questions. Hunter needs constant enrichment in the morning and at night. In the morning he seems content to hang out with the amazon and watch me study. Something about the pens and highlighters and reading holdings and rules out loud is fascinating to them even if the law stuff drives my fiance nuts. What are some easy to make toys? He seems really disinterested with all the bird toys I have (a whole bucket full of standard stuff for parrots). His last owner only let me take the travel cage, so this weekend he's getting a 4'x5' cage to match the Amazon's. Will that help w/ the desire he has to tear up everything in the house? Hunter also has a vet appointment this weekend (for a check up). Because he is skittish in his new surroundings and takes flight my fiance wants to clip his wings so he doesn't kamikaze into our giant window. Will this really mess with him? Sorry about the plethora of questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 So, I have new questions. Hunter needs constant enrichment in the morning and at night. In the morning he seems content to hang out with the amazon and watch me study. Something about the pens and highlighters and reading holdings and rules out loud is fascinating to them even if the law stuff drives my fiance nuts. What are some easy to make toys? He seems really disinterested with all the bird toys I have (a whole bucket full of standard stuff for parrots). His last owner only let me take the travel cage, so this weekend he's getting a 4'x5' cage to match the Amazon's. Will that help w/ the desire he has to tear up everything in the house? Hunter also has a vet appointment this weekend (for a check up). Because he is skittish in his new surroundings and takes flight my fiance wants to clip his wings so he doesn't kamikaze into our giant window. Will this really mess with him? Sorry about the plethora of questions. If you go to the Health Room, there are four different threads about wing clipping. Most here would advise you against it but like everything else, it's a personal decision that has to be made for your individual situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusCAG Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 If you go to the Health Room, there are four different threads about wing clipping. Most here would advise you against it but like everything else, it's a personal decision that has to be made for your individual situation. I think that's the best recommendation you could receive for this issue. A lot of people here are very sensitive to the issue of clipping a bird and have very strong feelings against it. Personally, we've kept our Quaker parrot, Beaker, clipped for a while now, and our CAG (Marcus) was clipped shortly after we adopted him. I have not seen any aberrant or depressed behavior in either of our parrots because of this, and in our home situation, I personally think keeping them clipped is the safer and more responsible thing to do at this point. That may change in the future--Beaker's flights grow in quickly (within 4 weeks he is essentially flighted again, he gets lift, I know people might not believe that but it's true), and he obviously enjoys flying in his bedroom when we go a little longer between clippings. Right now we're letting the boys both 'grow out' until summertime again, when the ceiling fans will be turned on. But again, that is just our household... you have to analyze yours and figure out what's best for all involved. Read the threads, the pros and the cons (there are good arguments presented for both sides), and make your own choice. And remember, if you do end up having your parrots clipped professionally (and I say professionally because there are some absolute HORROR STORIES of bad clips I've read about that are absolutely detrimental to the bird because they were done with complete ignorance and without caring for the welfare of the bird at all!) and in the end wish you didn't have them clipped, their feathers will eventually grow in again. And in terms of Hunter not touching his toys... if he's in a travel cage, a new and bigger cage will certainly give him lots of room to explore, and may inspire in him a desire to play with lovely colorful things you might hang for him there, especially if he sees your Amazon playing with his too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 My grey and zon both enjoy chewing on wood. So wooden toys are a must. They both also like to play with plastic golf practice balls, the ones with the holes in them as well as the plastic baseballs with holes in them. Soda pop plastic bottle caps are also a hit around here. I am a forum member who loves to watch my parrots fly around. I feel it is much safer for them because they aren't walking on the floors to be stepped on. It is a personal preference that only you can decide on. I do feel my birds are much happier and active because of their ability to fly. I don't worry about my grey and zon because they are flighted and can get out of harms way. Now my ekkie can fly but was unflighted for 7 1/2 years before I adopted him and he chooses not to fly most of the time and I worry about him walking around and getting under foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 This breaks my heart for the previous owner and for Hunter. It seems, by the way, that changing the rules in the middle of the game would be not allowed by law. Perhaps you could tell the guy to look into that? I mean, I know you love Hunter, and a free bird is unheard of, but still, there's the whole thing of morality and being good to our fellow humanity, after all. I don't know, just seems so sad that a 21-year-old, who doesn't know about life, might be being unfairly treated by a landlord. Anyway, if you do end up keeping Hunter, as the others have said, just be patient, ignore any unpleasant sounds he makes, and talk to him in a soft, reassuring voice. Don't make sudden moves, don't move quickly as you approach his cage or him, and I also believe explaining to him what has happened will help. By the way, I adopted a then three-and-a-half-year-old Grey in Jan 2010. It was MONTHS before she accepted me, and it was a good month before she stopped biting me. But I knew she was angry - what intelligent being wouldn't be? She had a home and people she loved and suddenly, without explanation or knowledge, she was moved to another home, a new person/flock, a new household routine, new food, new everything. Anyone would be angry, so I took the bites in stride, though there were one or two times I was brought to tears over the distress of trying to do right by her and being chomped on at the first opportunity she had. Be well, and take it easy, and hope where ever Hunter ends up, that he is happy soon enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) Two essential toys, one cheap, one no so. Get a roll of adding maching paper, run a cord through it and tie to the side of the cage. Lots of paper ripping fun. Also, a good solid bell that can withstand having the #$*& beat out of it on a regular basis. This is the one Dorian has. http://www.parrotdiseperch.com/parrot/shop_details.php?prod=420 or look at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=13208 Re: the window, if he'll perch on your hand, take him up to the window and let him touch it with his beak so he knows there's something there. Edited March 3, 2011 by Acappella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParrotLawyer Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) Thanks. I wasn't sure if this would be the correct subforum for wing clipping/ vet/ bird emotional stuff. sorry if it was in the wrong spot. >^..^<, this is a forever home for Hunter. I'm not going to give him up, even if he decides to love my fiance and not me. Tonight we had some pretty decent break throughs. Hunter had some shoulder time and "cleaned" my hair. He's also convinced the mole on my neck is a bug or something and he needs to remove it for me (ouch!). He's been a sweetheart. Here is a picture of hunter from this morning. We had some breakfast together and did some solid torts studying. I'm pretty happy he's adjusting well. The screaming and searching only happened once today for about 5 minutes before he settled down. Edited March 3, 2011 by ParrotLawyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Yes, it is really good that you get to have a new toy, and to HELL with the poor kid who had to give up his bird, right? I am sure I'll get slammed for this post, but really, it makes me sick that some guy probably is in the legal right to keep his animal, and your attitude is "So what? His naivete is my gain! Whooohooo for me!" The supreme irony, of course, is that you are studying to become a lawyer. Like I said, I'm sure I'll get slammed for speaking up, but I know for a fact there are others on here who feel the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 It sounds to me like the other owner made the decision to place Hunter for adoption. He could have tried some other avenues. It also sounds like he felt that this new home would be the best placement for Hunter. I hope he continues to thrive and is happy in his now forever home just like so many other rehomed birds owned by members of this forum. My two-cent observation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParrotLawyer Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) Yes' date=' it is really good that you get to have a new toy, and to HELL with the poor kid who had to give up his bird, right? I am sure I'll get slammed for this post, but really, it makes me sick that some guy probably is in the legal right to keep his animal, and your attitude is "So what? His naivete is my gain! Whooohooo for me!" The supreme irony, of course, is that you are studying to become a lawyer. Like I said, I'm sure I'll get slammed for speaking up, but I know for a fact there are others on here who feel the same way.[/quote'] Referring to hunter as a "toy" is a little odd. In California the law favors the renter. If you want to go "toe to toe" with the landlord you can drag them through a really long unlawful detainer and eviction and might win on a detrimental reliance theory or something. But this takes a lot of time and money. I can't advise anyone to do this either because I'm not an attorney. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE. If he made the decision to rehome Hunter, that's his prerogative. He probably considered, as most people would, retaining counsel. I cannot legally give him advice one way or another or represent him. I only know what his final decision is and I'm glad I have the opportunity to adopt another parrot. Our 16 year old Amazon, Amy, came to us when my fiance worked at the Atlanta Zoo 3 years ago. Amy's last owner lost a long battle with cancer and the executor of her estate wanted to donate Amy to the zoo, something the zoo's policy doesn't permit. It took about 3 years to get Amy ok with me and it took a lot of hard work and made for a really rewarding experience now that Amy hangs out with me and goes for walks. Because so many parrots need good, patient homes and the experience with Amy was so rewarding I decided to adopt another fid over purchasing one from a breeder or a pet shop. Sorry if I wasn't clear about my attitude going into things. Hope this elucidates any misconceptions for anyone else wondering. Edited March 3, 2011 by ParrotLawyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Whether it was legal or not to require the tenant to give up his pet for a new no pets rule is beside the point here, the previous owner willingly gave his bird up and Parrotlawyer gave it a new home and I commend him for that, taking in a parrot with a past owner can be difficult and he is doing the best he can to give him a good and loving home. He has asked for our help and I am willing to give any help I can and encourage everyone else to also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I commend you ParrotLawyer for giving Hunter a new and permanent forever home. We all make our own choices in life and I am sure there were other considerations that Hunter's prior owner had to take into consideration when he gave up his grey. I do know from personal experience that no one can make anyone do something they don't want to do there is always a way. So kudos to you for wanting to give Hunter a good and happy home!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 :::::::: rolls eyes ::::: Absurd. Absolutely absurd. And "toy" was the exact and proper word under the circumstances. Now, I think I shall excuse myself from this pathetically clique-ish board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParrotLawyer Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) I think you're looking for coercion or unjustified opportunity on my part or something that just isn't there. I don't have control over his last owner's life or his whole story resulting in letting go of his buddy. Sorry to have offended you in some way. Edited March 3, 2011 by ParrotLawyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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