"Quality Time" in your Opinion

[tiffanyh]

Alright, I am feeling a bit guilty and need your opinions!

 

My grey, who I acquired 2 months or so ago, is doing well. He was a rescue per say, and although I had always wanted a grey I planned on waiting 5 to 10 years because I have small kids now who take most of my attention. But here I happily am.....

 

He spends most of the day with free range on top/inside of his cage. He talks, looks out the windows. My mother is my "hired childcare" , so she is here during the day when I am not. She chats with him, gives him treats here and there also. If no one is here, I play some music for him which he chirps along to.

 

In the evening, he comes in the living room on his perch with us and watches TV or sits on my lap and gets his head scratched. Eventually, he gets to loud (screams) and he heads back into his cage for bedtime (usually 9:30 or so).

 

FInally my question: Is this enough time for him? I feel guilty knowing he is such a smart little guy and feel like he needs more. He has toys which I change around weekly, some talk to him.

 

HOw much time to you give your greys and what extracurricular acitivites do they seem to enjoy?

 

Thanks, Tiffany and Higgy

[chapala]

Sounds to me like your Grey is getting enough attention, with someone at home much of the day who talks to him and gives him treats. The one-on-one time also is important, but I think with his screaming he may be telling you one of two things. 1) he is bored just sitting there while you watch tv, and/or 2) he is up way past his bedtime. 9:30 is pretty late for a parrot, depending on what time your household wakes up. With possible boredom just sitting there (Kali is not crazy about sitting either), if you can devote some time, even 15 minutes, walking with him around the house, talking, showing him new things and toys, putting him down (with you right there) in new places, really being with him. My Kali is an active bird, and doesn't really like just sitting except when he's in the head scratching mood.

Reta

[judygram]

If he is screaming by 9:30 then he may be indicating he is more than ready for bed, they are all different in how they react to things. Josey goes to bed between 9:30 and 10:00 but she does not scream, if she is out of her cage she just starts drifting off to sleep sitting on her perch and then I put her in for the night.

 

But it sounds to me like he is getting plenty of attention just make sure he gets some one on one time with you every day that is different from just being out of the cage.

 

Since this is a rescue bird he may have some behaviors that pertain to his former life and maybe he had to scream to get what he needed.

[Tari]

Sounds like your baby is getting tons of attention. How long well you have the "pet sitter" might want to start having her only come in for shorter periods get him to use to being in the cage and learn how to entertain himself when need be.

[tiffanyh]

I teach at a college so I am off now for 6 weeks. My mom watches the kids (and bird) 4 days a week while I work. He does do well playing alone for a while. Good point though, he does have to know how to entertain himself here and there, didnt really think about that.

[judygram]

Greys are just like small children, they have to be able to entertain themselves and not have someone keep them occupied all the time.

[ziggy]

Hello Tiffany,

 

First of all he needs to be a bird first then a pet. The screaming is a sign of attention to him. Birds need to be birds because like others are saying they need to occupy themselfs. You have a life with your kids and household chores that you need to keep up with and not always be there for the bird every minute of the day. Thats why no matter how much you want to be there for him every waking moment they need to be a little self suppotive. Greys are a bird of dominence and will push there luck to see how much you will give into them. This bird could have had 1 of 2 things happen to him in the past.

1) Not enough attention from the prior owners.

2) Had to much attention and now is spoiled.

 

I am willing to say it is reason 1 if he was a rescue. You are a teacher so you know that when a problem child wants attention he/she will do things even if they know it is wrong JUST TO GET THE ATTENTION this is the same with your bird. Attention is attention whether good or bad. He will continue to push you and you need to show him that you are the boss and will not be pushed around. Birds need cage time to relax and have quiet time. You need to set ground rules and he will have to get used to it. You also said that you change his toys every week stop doing that. Greys also like routine and by you always changing his routine your are making him upset that his cage is always differant. How would you like it if someone changed you furniture every week? You would get upset with that person. The bird is getting upset with the constant changes to his house. Try doing this

 

Leave the toys you have in the cage.

Set the rules and stick to them.

Cut the out of cage time down.

Tell him when he screams NO in a firm but calm voice.

Cut the on top of the cage time down.(anything over you head he takes as I am above you)

 

Try doing these things and let me know if you see a differance.

[danmcq]

tiffanyh wrote:

HOw much time to you give your greys and what extracurricular acitivites do they seem to enjoy? Thanks, Tiffany and Higgy

 

Hi Tiffany and Higgy!

 

To answer your specific questions posited. Dayo (CAG) on week days, receives about 3 to 4 hours out of Cage time and interaction with my wife Kim. After he has greeted with his run around the cage and wolf call accompanied by his "happy dance" he comes out and just wants to be snuggled, scratched, kissed and praised.

 

Then he plays all over the kitchen counter tops, play-stand and vocalizes every whistle, sound and murmuring he knows.

 

After an hour or so of that, he goes in the living room and sits on Kim's lap, preens, snuggles and receives scratches until 7 or 730 and then starts fluffing and drifting off. That's when we return him to the cage and eats one last meal then goes night-night covered.

 

Weekdays, when I work from home or weekends, he is out from the time we get up, until it's his bedtime, normally around 730. Even my Conure will become antsy, start screaming and finally just fly to his cage in the other room if we go past 730 too much.

 

It sounds like Higgy has wonderful life with your Mother there and then the time he spends with you in the evenings and I would imagine more so on weekends.

 

One thought on the screaming....if it is because he is tired and wants to go to his Cage, perhaps you could try just caging him earlier, say around 730 and see how that goes. :-)

 

Most of us learn our Greys preferences through trial and error until we get it right. :-)

[Laurie]

On weekdays, Klaus gets out when I get home (around 6) and doesn't (won't!) go to bed until I do. He rides around on my shoulder part of the time, plays on top of his cage, and most nights is with me when I'm here on the computer. He loves it when I do dishes - that's the time he's most vocal. Usually around 7:30 I give his cage a quick tidy and give him dinner & fresh water. The majority of the time he goes in and eats (but with the door open, he's free to come back out after his dinner). On weekends, he's out a lot more. In fact, he's with me now and either myself or my husband has had him on our shoulder all day. A little spoiled, don't you think? But I went to my company Christmas party last night, so we missed our evening visit. The guilt is killing me, so Klausie is running the show today.

[NerfGunWarHero]

I think you should continue changing the cage toys. But do it in a different way. Change out one at a time every week instead of all at once. And if there is one toy he REALLY loves, just leave it in there all the time, no harm in it.