Advice needed !!!

[Joe Bachi]

Hi guys,

I've had my grey Mikko for 42 days now and he is starting to trust me; he eats treats from me, he is responding to target training, he lets me stroke his beak... however sometimes he tries to bite me when we're training for the hand-foot shake (and usually draws blood) so I stopped this exercise.

 

The problem is that due to an unexpected turn of events, I am now out of the house from 8 to 7 every Mon-Wed-Fri , and from 8 to 5 every Tue-Thu, and I have to leave the house every Sat @ 3 pm till 4 pm (the next day) Sun.

 

This is obviously no living situation for a grey and I was wondering if taking him(in his cage) with me would be a better option.

Where he is now, he sees no people except me and my sister(rarely), and I'm certain that if I don't change things ASAP, he won't bond with me or learn to talk .

 

Anyone has any ideas?Opinions?

Regards

Joe

[Luvparrots]

A little more info Joe. Where do you work and where would Mikko be during the day. In your office, in your car, or in the waiting room? what about interaction with others? We need more info please!

[Joe Bachi]

I work at a school in the exam management department, during my work hours Mikko is usually home all by himself.

I was thinking of taking him with me on the weekends when I go visit my parents, there he will have more human interaction and he won't be so lonely. As for the week days, there's nothing I can do for him

[Morana]

Is he ok with traveling? Do you have a way to transport him? If the trip wouldn't be too much stress for him, the company would do him good:-) Even if he doesn't like to travel, there are ways to solve that so he would enjoy it rather to be stressed about it. Unfortunately, I'm no expert regarding that:-S I hope someone with experience wil comment on that. And when he is all by himself you could turn on the TV or radio, computer or whatwever. Does he have toys in his cage? Does he know and like to play with them?

[FirstPenguin]

I believe that travel and new environments, when introduced early and regularly in a birds life, can be made into a minimally stressful event. I think we make bird more prone to stress by keeping them in the same environment for the better part of their life. Depending on how old your bird is, introducing it in small doses could lead to a regular thing and much more adaptable bird. Don't leave for 8 hours in the first go. go somewhere and come back within an hour or two a few times so your bird learns that whenever he leaves he always comes back to his usual cage.

[Joe Bachi]

LoL, I live in Lebanon guys, the trip I'm talking about would last a maximum of 45 mins (only when the traffic is terrible ).

So I guess it's settled, I will be taking him with me to our country house from now on

BTW, he has no toys in his cage because it's a very small one and I don't want to overcrowd it, but no worries as I'm saving for a new, bigger cage and some toys

Thank you

More advice is still very welcomed guys

Joe

[Morana]

My Zak also has a small cage and I'm also saving for a bigger one but it doesn't stop me from putting 2-3 toys in it. It can get a bit crowded but he has to have something to do while he is alone. He really, really does! :-) Do your own toys from paper, straws, ..nothing big.. I often buy paper bagels from e-bay and make something out of them. He loves to shred those. I put one big paper bagel on the top of his cage or on the side, put few smaller and small ones on the sisal string inside and he enjoys making a mess;-)

 

PS: The cages we have in our country that are called big are pathetic and expensive in compare the ones I have seen in UK or US. I don't want to buy such a cage. I'll find someone to make it or even raise much money to get a big cage shipped from somewhere..

[danmcq]

The more time you can spend with Mikko, introducing him to new things like travel, people, other homes, businesses, views of the out doors etc. the better.

 

As others said, placing just a couple of toys that will keep him busy and happy would be good for him and he does need wood items and other items to chew and shred on, especially when you are absent. Otherwise he is a very bored birdy.

[judygram]

Please do check out the toys and playstands room for foraging ideas that may help to keep him occupied during the day when you leave him at home. If he is kept busy with toys and stuff then he will not be bothered by leaving him but it would be wonderful if you can take him with you to work as he will just be happy to be with you and be exposed to other people.

[birdhouse]

From your other posts, I think Mikko sounds like he could be pretty adaptable. He sounds like he has decent potential as a possible traveler. It certainly seems worth a try. Sitting in an empty, undersized cage alone is probably more detrimental than any of the alternatives you've proposed. Just be very sensitive to his reactions & tolerances. Make every effort to keep him as comfortable as possible & reassure him that he's safe.

 

But the first thing to do is get Mikko some activity. Why haven't you hung anything on the outside of the cage where he can reach it? Assuming the bars are spaced for a parrot, he'll be able to reach thru & haul things in to play. He should be interested in things like unwaxed paper cups, coffee filters, pieces of telephone books or magazines (no staples), rolls of adding machine tape or maybe some clean, bird safe leafy branches hung out side or partially thru the cage bars.

 

You can use plastic zip ties (no metal) to attach plastic straws or qtips to the bars. I actually use little plastic baby barrettes so the fids can find & unclip them & have them for foot toys as well. You can fill a spare food cup w/small foot toys & that won't take up any extra space. Plastic bottle caps & single serving fruit cups, Popsicle sticks or wood bits are free or inexpensive toys that you don't have to save up for.

 

I don't know what shopping is like in Lebanon. But if you use just a little imagination, you can also go thru any baby department & find a lot of safe, things that are quite inexpensive fun for a fid. For example, my guys each probably go thru 3 plastic teething rings a month. They cost me a dollar a piece.

 

I hope this will go a long way towards making Mikko's life better immediately. Then hopefully, you'll be able to work out the rest over time.

[chezron]

I agree. I think it would benefit your bird to bring him along. They are so smart that the stimulation is good for them. Make it like an exciting adventure and it can be fun and a bonding experience for your bird. Good luck on the target training. I think it is the best way. Let us know how it goes.

[birdhouse]

They are so smart that the stimulation is good for them. Make it like an exciting adventure and it can be fun and a bonding experience for your bird.

 

LOL That's what I tell my guys before I get them ready to go, "Want to go for an adventure?"

 

But not right at the start. They need to be introduced to the world slowly. Cover most of the cage while in transit & don't go too far for too long. It's important to minimize the drama for the first few outings so they can build enough confidence to eventually enjoy their adventures.