OzzyCAG Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Ozzy is not big on playing except for his toys although I have found a few things he loves. When I watching TV he loves to climb around and play on a laundry basket. I put a towel underneath and he has a blast climbing around and playing all over it. The other morning as soon as he was finished playing with it Harry the cat decided it was his turn. You would have thought it was some expensive toy. He likes to say peek a boo so I try playing that with him. I got Ozzy when he was a year and a half. It has taken a while to figure out ways to play. I have figured out he likes to get on my laptop and likes it when I chase him with the tv remote control. He likes to pretend he is big and bad and fight with the remote. It is hard to find ways to play with them. I wanna just scoop him up sometimes and give him a hug or a kiss but that is not going to happen unless I want to miss a piece of my face and I don't so we try to find ways to entertain him. He also likes to just run around on the bed while we watch tv. He has fun running around and jumping off the footboard onto the soft bed. He also likes it when we laugh at things he does. A new toy he enjoys is pinecones. He likes to get on his back and play with them. Luckily I have a yard full. There are things he is afraid of and paper, phone books and toilet paper rolls are amoung that list. Just take your time and try little ways of having fun. Playing keep away with a straw or chasing him around while he runs on the bed. These things he might hate but there are things you will notice he takes an interest in so expand on those. He like shirt collars so play peek a boo or I see you. I tell him Im gonna get him and then I act like I am running with my fingers. Anything that doesn't scare him that he seems to enjoy. It took me a while to find a game to play with ozzy but once you find one there are usually similar things you can expand on. I have enjoyed following your story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Yeah soy! Stewart however, totally afraid of the phonebook. He sat inside his cage on a perch and didn't move for over an hour. All i did was set it on top of his cage. I even cut it up some since it was so big. Hrrumpfff! Oh well, the search continues, phonebook still there for him though just in case. Lol We will be finishing his outdoor aviary today so since he has been flying (trying too) this should be fun for him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 im gonna be making an outdoor aviary too I cant wait but for now I got marco's harness and Im so so excited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 With the phone book, or any new toy, the way you introduce it is important, especially if you have a bird that considers anything new a potential parrot killing device. Like Nancy said, if they think it's something they shouldn't have it'll be much more attractive. I'd sit infront of the cage, (with Dorian, if I sit with my back to him it's even more effective) and 'play' with it. You know, flip through the pages, rip up some pages, split it into smaller pieces etc... al the while telling him what fun you're having. If he comes down to investigate offer him a small chunk, but if he doesn't move toward it right away, take it back and make a big deal about playing with it yourself. Do this for a while, then offer it to him again. Repeat this a few times and he might be chomping at the bit impatient to get at the thing that he was terrified of an hour ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I'm happy phonebook is okay! nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 Yea, we did that, lol. I flipped pages and made a phone book look like a treasure. Oliver fell for it, Stewart not so much! We did have a good one on one play time today, i tried the hide and seek as suggested. Not sure if he liked it but hey, its new and he didn't bite or fly so we will try it again tomorrow. I had fun with him anyway, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 I decided I needed a " lazy" weekend. Time to spend with my birds, and doing, whatever I wanted to... or not! Sean my 17 year old, had a sleepover here with three other friends. He closed the hallway door, so Sophie knew, she wasn't invited. ( poor Sophie!) When I came down this morning, I left the doorway open, so she could come out. She walked into family room. " I'm here!" She sat smack in the middle of all the kids in their sleeping bags. They were talking and laughing. She started laughing at everything they laughed at! They talked so fast, she couldn't keepup, so she broke into baby talk, laughing. She sooo wanted to be part of the gang! They started to pay her so much attention, she was pleased! They kept asking me to decipher her baby talk. I knew she was p[leased with her status, I told kids.... " She said...if you don't share your pancakes with me, I'm going to nibble on toes!"( they believed me!) Needless to say, Sophie had alot of teenagers more than happy to share their pancakes! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire Cat Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tui has a fair few toys inside her cage which she plays with, but she also like to 'ride around' on my shoulder with me. For example, I always take her into the kitchen with me on a morning and when I make cups of tea she comes with me and I explain to her everything I do. She doesn't so much play with me, but she spends time with me looking at things and letting me fuss her. Tui does also have a tendency to fly over to me when I'm reading and begin looking over the book at me or chewing the spine of the book. Lol. She likes my constant attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 24, 2012 Author Share Posted April 24, 2012 Lol, got another phonebook delivered yesterday. I have tried hand games with him but i am torn with that. First i can not tell if he likes it, he chases my fingers and bites them, not hard, but i don't want him thinking finger biting is okay. He wasn't nippy until we started that game. Now when i try for the step up, he lowers his head for petting and i get about 2 good strokes in then he turns his head and bites hard but then he steps right up. Its like i have taught him that biting is okay, i get nipped now changing food and water bowls. I thought too that i was special to him because he kisses me all the time, yesterday he kissed everything! His playstand, his paper roll, the apple, the window and the air! To see him walking to the edge of his stand and kissing it with a big kissy noise is a sight to behold. No loyalty, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 When he bites... the answer is NO! Gently grab the beak, say No! Distract, move onto something fun! Make life fun! If you want to play games... which they love... they have to follow the rules! If they want to play the game with the family, they have to be on the best behavior. Sophie is not big on toys, but LOVES games. Thats where she learned to socialize, learned to stepup, and learned, noone wants her on their team, if she bites. She learned quickly! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzzyCAG Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I have had some problems with hand games too although we do play some if Ozzy bites I say no bitting then we continue but if he does it 3 times we change the game. If I find him biting more after a particular game we change it. He used to love me using my fingers to chase him away from my laptop but he became more bity so we change it to now we use the tv remote. He loves to fight with the remote and chase it and he loves to boss it around. Now the biting is less. So what I would try is find a neutral object he likes like the remote or something that won't get torn up maybe a spoon or a sock or anything that you can use instead of fingers. I am not sure how old your grey is but Ozzy was 15 months old when we got him so I do not have any idea what he was used to in the past. I just try to find different things to do. He is terrified of phonebooks and hates paper but he likes more solid objects. When we got him he used to love to chase toes and bit them we broke that real fast and I haven't seen him do that in a while. I would just keep not doing things that encourage bitting until he understands more and from my very little experience it is very possible for him to understand that biting is not allowed. This has just been my experience. Another idea is teach him to drop pennies or other objects into a metal bowl they tend to like to hear them drop and make a noise. I also like to take a small wiffle ball and roll it. Ozzy loves to chase it and he is learning to bring it back. He also loves to swing it around while making noises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 25, 2012 Author Share Posted April 25, 2012 Ozzy, Stewart i was told is 5 yrs. I can not believe i forgot the drop it in a cup game! When i first brought him home i would do that with him every night, sometimes he would play. I will try it again! I have been batting around getting him a babble ball, it talks or makes noises when banged around. (i just am not fond of the noises, lol.) i think i will try the little ball first! Nancy, oh we tell him no when he bites, and mind you it really isn't a hard bite. I just worry that i am sending him mixed signals with that hand game. But he does enjoy it so i will keep trying and see if he will soon start playing it my way! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmar Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 my sasha doesn't like playing with toys in his cage. I have had tried ALL kinds, and he just doesn't care. He loves playing when he is out of his cage, but won't do anything in his cage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 When playing with your bird, ( whether they like toys, or not), you are teaching them " acceptable behavior". During a game, ( such as TROUBLE), Sophie's favorite game, if she wanted to pop the bubble, she had to stepup to next person. She did! If she " bit", we all gently grabbed her beak, said NO! Once the trust was established, and she wanted to be with us all the time, she went into " timeout", for five minutes for any bite. Repition! She stepsup to the entire family, but learned early, she couldn't manipulate any family member, as we stook together. This was twelve years ago. Sophie is awesome, goes to entire family, and her timeout cage is long gone! We LOVE Sophie. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 I got whiffle balls for him and Oliver, 2 sizes. Heres a shocker.. Scared to death of them. I strung his beloved paper thru the holes and hung it on his stand to get use to the scary ball. We had a first last night, i am so excited! He let me rub, scratch, tickle him for about 5 minutes! Before I was only allowed to give him 2-3 little rubs right on his neck. I was going from his beak to mid back both with and against his feathers! I was even able to kiss the top of his head twice! He also flew off his stand to find me when i had left to go to the store. ( daddy was home ) He flew to the entry hall and was walking to the door! I think getting love will be his game of choice for a while! Thats okay with me! I didn't expect to have this strong a bond with him this soon after getting them both in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 murfchyck... You've got a baby, who loves you, and is showing trust! Congradulations! It is an important event. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 I am enjoying this thread with your many ideas on initiating play with a reluctant grey. Gilbert has been with us a little over a year now and is just becoming more open to trying to play. We try things and he may reject them ten times and suddenly he will take off on a new approach to the same old playthings. Lately I discovered he likes to play with a chunk of a baguette. He just tore it apart and then went back to the dried pieces and flings them around more to play with them than to snack on them. After reading last night, I tried again with some strips of adding machine paper and he went into great delight grasping it with his talons and shredding, shaking, playing tug of war with himself. Today after reading again, I went to my stash and got a little golf ball sized wiffle ball and he tossed it off his cage every time I handed it to him. We are making slow progress and I appreciate the ideas you are all giving me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 He played today! With me and all by his self! The whiffle ball is "da bomb" in his eyes! He has also been smitten with my orange juice screw cap! He was on my arm when i opened the fridge door, he spotted that cap, scooted down my arm and started chewing it ( my oj has no lid now but who cares! He loves it! ) He started playing just in time, seems i may be going back to work. Starting the transition with half days for a bit. They have always been out of their cage since they moved in. I'm very sad....:'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingy Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 (edited) At the bird show today I saw a video of grey's playing with a toy. This toy was very simple. It was a coconut shell half with piece of wood for a top. Now this piece of wood had been cut so that it had a lip and fit onto the coconut shell and didn't just slide off. Then there was a largish hole in the middle of the top. Anyway, the video showed a grey trying to fling a wiffle ball into that coconut shell while the top was off and another fitting the wiffle ball through the hole then working the top off to get it back. In the video both birds and humans seemed to be having a good time. If your concerned about the safety of the materials in the one I saw I don't see why the same thing couldn't be made from a stainless steel dish or other container, a piece of bird safe wood and an unpainted wooden bead. Disclaimer: There are inherent dangers in any toy. Please use due diligence when providing anything for your fid. Injury or death could occur when interacting with any item whether it is deemed bird safe or not. Edited April 29, 2012 by Wingy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 I would love to see it! He could be good at that. I was outside watching him thru the window as he played with the bigger ball and got to see him aim it for my little dogs head! Direct hit! Then he got the smaller one but missed! Its funny, i was wondering what he would do with it when he was done playing, he put it in his food bowl. Going to find a little box to attach to his stand since he has three toys now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingy Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Oh your poor doggies. They have become moving targets. I would love to see it! He could be good at that. I was outside watching him thru the window as he played with the bigger ball and got to see him aim it for my little dogs head! Direct hit! Then he got the smaller one but missed! Its funny, i was wondering what he would do with it when he was done playing, he put it in his food bowl. Going to find a little box to attach to his stand since he has three toys now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Heehee, sometimes those poor dogs deserve it! Lol He has turned this ball playing game into "fetch mama". I guess if i reach the weight i was in high school, maybe this won't be as bad as it feels right now! ( and i am finding out our home has a slant to it! He tosses it off his stand and it will roll thru the living room, down the hall and curve into the guest bathroom. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 I forgot to ask this, now that he is playing with some things i have noticed he taps things against his head. The ball, the water pitcher when i fill his water. Its like he wants these objects to give him skritches! Normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 murfchck... anything they do, is normal! ( just normal to them!) LOL! ALWAYS listen to your bird. ( advice I once received!) Sophie's favorite thing lately is listening to the " Sound of Music". She LOVED the movie. I've been playing the songs on the piano and she has been dancing. She can't get enough! ( meanwhile, I learn a little slower, and she doesn't like it!) nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 I am not stopping him from it! He wants to tap on his head, okay! Lol Wasn't sure if it was aggresstion toward the items or like an invite to play. Good thing thoses balls came in a 12 pack, 1 down already. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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