Help! Late for Work everyday!

[Talon]

Hi, yes, the title says it all. I am late for work every day 15-20 minutes because of Nilah!

 

She used to be easy to put back in her cage after breakfast so I could eave for work. Then gradually, it became harder to get her into her cage...so I used bribes, snacks, treats, food...her most wanted items.......that worked for a while until she figured out what I was up to. Now, she wont fall for any of my tricks. She flies away from me constantly!!!

 

FOr the last week, I have had to try and grab her, or when she will step up, I can see she is going to fly off, and I have to hold her tightly against me while she makes hamburg out of my hands...Luckily no blood, but boy does it leave red marks for days and it hurts!!! I don't react at all or say a word to her at that point. I DO praise her when she is in her cage and give her a treat just so there's no hard feelings.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated....please...

[birdhouse]

Sorry to hear that you're getting off to such a stressful start in the morning. Bummer for everyone. And this is coming from someone who is definitely not a morning person.

 

This sounds a little like the trouble you had getting Nilah to bed. So what types of things helped most then? Nothing succeeds like success.

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?194735-Need-Advice-for-Nilah!

 

Changing the current schedule might help some until you work thru this. A little more time to say good bye if that's what she needs. A little less stress for you if she bolts. Good Luck!

[Talon]

Thanks, yes, we did get thru bedtime. That has settled down.

 

I do keep them out of their cages and interact with them all morning for about an hour and a half. I am guessing eventually, she will figure out, she's never going to win in the am.....let's hope she does! Also, I do not let on that I am getting irritated at her, I try and chat with her while she is perched somewhere or go about my business like I don't care where she is and what she is doing....she's not falling for that trick either!

[JeffNOK]

Have you tried dimming the lights like luvparrots has suggested? I don't know if you could draw the curtains/shades and make it darker and then try. Gracie is more compliant when I do this.

[Talon]

I would, but it is daylight and I have a lot of windows, drawing the curtains if I could would never darken my house...unfortunately.

[SRSeedBurners]

Can you hold off on breakfast until it's time to go in the cage?

[Luvparrots]

Sorry Talon but your being late is not Nilah's fault. She is a BIRD. Let Nilah know that if she does not go into her cage when asked, she can't come out in the AM before work. Be tough! I talk to my birds and use tone of voice to get my point across. I believe they so want to understand their human. Ana Grey is a diva but the most willing to go into her cage without a problem. She flies to the perch over her cage and waits for the step up command and goes into her cage, no problem. Sterling Gris loves to eat so he is willing because he know more food has been added into his cage. A step up command and hand over his back gets him in. Louie is always the last into the cages, he is the sentry and flies to the boing over his cage and with little hand motions and cage tapping he goes into his cage. He knows the routine and is always willing to oblige with a little patience. Remember Louie is untouchable but wants to belong so I do all I can so he can understand me. It is my job to see that my parrots know what I want and how to accomplish that. Frankly, I believe Nilah has a great personality. I have to find me a female zon, I think I want one!

 

Patience, the hardest but most important trait of being a parront!

[Talon]

Can you hold off on breakfast until it's time to go in the cage?

 

That's a very good idea, however, all 3 of my birds & I share breakfast together and they fly off when they are done for some outside time before work. It's all they ever know for breakfast. I have thought about leaving her in her cage in the am, but hate to do that since she would scream my name all morning and would be in her cage until I get home around 5:30.. I am a big Proponent of OUTSIDE cage time..

[Talon]

Janet, I tend to think like you, but am a bit of a softy......I do need to be more assertive, I guess at breakfast time. I am going to have to work on that, I am going to try and put her in her cage first before she can see the others in their cages and know what's coming. I always have a bowl of snacks /treats for them, but after breakfast, she would rather be defiant than go with the flow. That is her personality.

[JeffNOK]

I am going to admit something that I have not shared. I don't put Gracie in her cage when I leave for work. I live in a small one bedroom condo, and I leave Gracie out during the day while I'm gone. She has her cage and play stands and toys to occupy herself with. I have done this for the last year and she is always fine, happy, content and well behaved when I come home. I justify it by saying it is her safe bird room. The only time I put her in her cage is at night when she needs to sleep. I know I am breaking all the rules here, but my little condo isn't really much different than many people's bird rooms. I don't know what your home is like or how your birds behaves on her own, but for me and Gracie it has worked out.

[Luvparrots]

If you know Gracie well, and I believe you do, then you know what she will most likely do. My Ana Grey is a well-mannered little lady so I could leave her out if I wanted I believe. The other two are little demons and I don't trust them at all. Have I left them out when I go to the store, yes. I have child proofed my house so I do feel comfortable when I do leave them but I don't do it often.

[Wingy]

I had to leave Jake out one night. I just couldn't get him into his cage for bed. I worked at it from 8pm until 12:30am. I had to be up for work at 3 am so finally I begged the kitty to be a good girl and layed down for a nap. I was still up every half hour trying to coax him in. Finally my partner got him in at 4am right before we had to leave. I don't let Jake out in the mornings. I am up way to early and he is just to hard to get back in. We don't like to leave him out and unattended. He is a bully and since he can fly now he tries to attack the cat when she sleeps on her window perch.

[chezron]

Hi Jeff,

I, too, break the rules as I leave out all THREE of my parrots when I leave the house. I have done this for years. They just chill until I get home. Most of the time they are exactly where I left them. They leave everything alone when I am gone. They tend to only get in trouble when I am around, that is when they try new things and get destructive. I wouldn't be so quick to tell you all this if I didn't think it was okay. I have years of success. I usually find them all on Brutus' cage standing on one foot.

[Talon]

Hi guys, I also can break the rules and have on occasion, but only when I am outside due to Nilah having to be watched so much. When I am going outside, I tell them I am going to feed the horses (they are in the back yard) MY birds fly to the windows in the back of the house or the curtain rods, and watch & wait. IT is one of the rare times they ALL behave! I have to say the words" I am going to feed the horses, be back in a minute", or else it doesn't work. I use those words even if I am going outside for a few minutes for other reasons.

[Talon]

UPDATE on the last 2 mornings:

 

I have kept things very calm in the mornings by not worrying about when I leave for work. I include Nilah in everything I do, talking to her and asking her questions if she decides to go somewhere else. We chat a lot, I keep her on my shoulder as we go about our morning chores. I ask her to come with me when I do things and she seems to love that. WE make breakfast together, start laundry, pack my lunch, eat breakfast, clean up, empty the dishwasher etc. I don't include her in getting the cages ready, I open the window & put her on the windowsill to look out, (her favorite thing to do!)

I remember that in the past when ever I put the birds in their cages, it always went better if she went first. But because it is so much easier to put the other 2 in their cages, I have been doing that first...giving her warning of what's to come. SO I keep the tv off, take her somewhere in the house as we chat, and then continue our walk into the bird room and into her cage before she realizes what just happened! then I get the others and put the tv on for them. And give them all their favorite "I just got in my cage special swirly long uncooked noodle treat!"

 

2 days went well...hope I can keep it up! It's exhausting all this planning in the morning...

 

Anyone who has an amazon knows...they can read your minds telepathically better than a grey. Whatever I ponder...my amazon knows before the others do, she picks up on it and behaves accordingly...me thinking about leaving, she knows before I let on, and keeps away from me if I get anywhere near her cage.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Talon