A Day in the Life of a CAG

[paleale]

Our little girl is due to come home in the next 3 weeks or so. I'm still reading and viewing as much as I can before her welcome home. What I'd like to know is what a day in the life of your fid is like. I've seen everything from bathtub perches to videos of the CAG on the robotic car to opening birthday gifts to wearing tiny hockey jerseys... I've read tons of experiences here on the forum, posts, suggestions, precautions. As the big day gets closer I find myself wondering what a real day will be like with her. (Before anyone says it... Yes, I'm aware each has their own personality and every parrot will be different...) For example, do you get up and go to work each day? Does your parrot hang out in the bathroom with you while you get ready for work, kitchen while you prepare breakfast, living room while you have coffee? I will certainly find out soon enough what a "normal" day will be like with her. Probably the obvious activities I do in daily living now can include her as well? What do you do with your fid?

[murfchck]

My guys don't get up until 7:30. I open the window blinds, turn on their tv's and let them slowly wake up. Before i had 5 kids to wrangle, i would let them out to stretch and flap but now there are too many to get back in their cages before i have to leave for work. I remove their fresh food bowls and get their breakfast ready. I only work part time so i make sure there are things for them to hunt for during my time away and put their bowls in the cages. When i get home at 3, out they come and the house is theirs to destroy! Lol by destroy i mean boxes to shred, toys to fling, furniture to poop on! My greys help me get dinner cooked. They have a perch over the sink area but they mostly wait on the cutting board to steal food! The macaws are on the couch with their payload of toys and shredding stuff and the umbrella is on the back of the kitchen chair waiting for us 2 legged people to stop moving so he can fly to the floor and attack our feet. We have one on one time with each of them in the evening before bed, then dinner is put in the cage with tv shows they enjoy around 7-7:30, and lights out about 8 pm. At that point, i amble to the bed and am asleep before the birds no doubt! Yes, mine do shower with us on the weekends and are with us in every room except our bedroom, that is my space and not bird safe.

[Timbersmom]

We get up at 6 AM. Timber is in the kitchen with me while I fix breakfast and get things together for the day. He watches me put on my makeup in the bathroom and do my stuff, all the while attempting to get down to the floor to harass the cats, who are also following me around in the morning. I give him breakfast, put vegetables on his skewer that hangs in the cage, and put a forage box (cardboard box with shredded paper, coffee filter, foot toys and treats) in the bottom of his cage for his entertainment while I am gone. He also has some forage type toys in the cage that I put something in. At 7 AM, he has to go in the cage and I have to leave. He knows the drill, when I say "gotta go to work" he goes straight in the cage (most of the time) without a fuss. Sometimes, if he is particularly interested in the forage item I put in there, he goes sooner because he can't wait to get at it. His avian light comes on at 7 AM and goes off at 3 PM. My husband gets home at 2 PM. He doesn't let Timber out of the cage (my husband is in constant motion and can't watch him), but he takes his skewer out and checks his food. He also interacts with him wherever he is in the house (whistling etc.). Timber tolerates hubby, but is bonded to me. I get home at 4:30 and let him out. He goes wherever I go. About 7 PM we have cuddle time then he goes to bed about 7:30. My biggest concern is leaving the skewer in too long, but he doesn't eat much of it and it isn't a perfect world!

[Ray P]

There are not too many things that you can not do with you grey in a normal day.

So I will go to a normal week, month or year.

Corky our CAG has been all over the United States with us and has been in over 25 states along with Cricket our BFA. They are never left behind and have traveled in our car, van, truck, suv, and motor home. Over night trips short trips and long trips, they have never been left at home, they go with us.

When we have traveled by car or van they (us) have stayed in hotels, motels. and the homes of friends and relatives.

A lot is going to be up to you as to what you can do and what you can`t do.

I know what I said is long term but I wanted to take it to the next step.

[aw64]

Alfie is 10 months old I have had him since he was 10 wks, we dont have a typical day as if you read some of my other posts we have had some problems but thanks to advice on here we now aim at being uncovered in a morning sadly cant come out then as his a little tinker to get back in but he is given breakfast which is cereal (cherrios) I sit by cage while I have my drink and we chat for a while, when i come home mid morning (i work odd hours) he normaly comes out and flys to where ever I am and has free time for as long as he wants within reason, always back to cage at tea time before family come home then evening back out just me and him with just a lamp on which really does work and we have special time head tickles ect, when im not working he does come to bathroom while i shower but not got him under shower yet but just this week he has sat on shower screen, Alfie was out alot more until he got to about 9 months we then hit problems with biting and returning him to cage so I have had to go back a few steps with the help of people on here we are getting better again, its a long road and somtimes hard but they are so cleaver at working us.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

paleale... only you and your family can establish the routine. Include your baby the best you can. Unfortunately, we have all had to limit our birds. Don't ever feel guilty. They thrive on guilt. Anytime your home, or supervision is available, open the cage. Safety is always a first.... socializing is second. Sophie is a social butterfly, enjoys meeting new people. I work 40 plus hours, and she does just fine. Nancy

[DanielaWelborn]

I get up around 6:30, make coffee,uncover Jellybean and feed everybody (dogs, fish and parakeets). Have some coffee and fix my breakfast shake and Jellybean's breakfast. While I am having coffee Jellybean eats whatever he likes from the night before. At this point if it a weekend Jellybean comes out, on a weekday I leave him in , because I have to drive my daughter to school shortly. After that, it is pretty much depending on my day and what I have to do AND Jellybeans mood. Dinner around 5 p.m. and more outside cage time. Then to bed around 8 p.m. and we retire to our bedroom. Jellybean sleeps in the living room.

[Jayd]

All wonderful post. Grey's, parrots and all of the creatures Great and Small possess what is called a Circadian clock, our parrots and all creatures attempt to follow this universal function. Some creatures such as man can adapt [to a point], others it's very hard and can cause hardships and even illness, parrots are such creatures. What would be safe and prudent would be to cover their cage at sunset and remove it at sunrise, following the natural seasons where you live [in a perfect world]. A plausible routine would be to cover the same time at night to allow for 11hr's sleep, and uncovering at the same time each day 24/7 365....Remember, length of day, temperature, misting and types of food controls mating and hormones, part of the Circadian cycle....Thanks Jayd

[Wingy]

I am up between 3 and 4 am depending on what time I have to go to work. I do not open the cage door because my buddy is a bugger to get back in and we are both a bit grumpy that early. I change out the water/food bowls, give him whole fresh vegies, ask him to make his poops (he won't do it unless I ask), turn on his radio and light and say I love you as I walk out the door. I am usually home before 4pm and he is free to play with me or independently until bed time which is between 8 and 9pm. Saturdays and Sundays are his days. He is out most of the day between 6 am and 9 pm except for a 2 hour period when I take a nap.

[paleale]

I love all the responses!!! murfchck, I think it's hilarious they wait around near the cutting board for bites! Timbersmom, I'm going to have to look into making some of the foraging boxes for our little girl. That's something I'm sure our 6-year-old would like to help with too. Ray P, that is the answer I was looking for! I was really curious if there are "restrictions". Your traveling adventures are so cool! aw64, thank you so much. I agree, the forums are a huge help. The experience is invaluable. kins2321@yahoo.com/Nancy, that is great advice and also very reassuring. I will keep in mind to never feel guilty. DanielaWelborn, thank you! Jayd, excellent advice as always! Wingy, sounds like you two have a pretty laidback schedule, which I like. Everyone- thank you so much!

[Jayd]

Thank you for taking the time to ask and being so opened minded. Every time a question is asked and answered, we all learn..........

[stewie3130]

my cag, stewie, loves his morning bike ride in his backpack,on my bicycle! back pack is by " celltei".We use it to transport him everywhere. we had a store bought backpack previous to this one, and he riped holes in it in very short time. the celltei is african grey proof! I cant imagine not having one. i gives us the freedom to take him with us vs. leaving him home. And no, i dont work for celltei. This thing is just awsum.