Maintenance came while gone now Jaco is growling!

[Jaco1007]

Ok... So the maintenance guy came over yesterday to fix my air conditioning... while I was at the movies. It was Jaco's first time alone in the apt. with someone he didn't know. I know, I screwed up! Now he growls at anybody who comes through the door. I have tried easing him into a person. He is just too traumatized! Any helpful tips? I know I should probably take him to a bird meeting to get him more socialized....He has had territory issues. For instance, he flies to the bathroom when i'm showering or doing something else in there. He thinks the whole apt. is his territory. It is just him and I in a small apt. I am his only flock But he gets TONS of toys and TONS of play time with me. He is also let out of his cage at LEAST 12 hours EVERY day. He is just a loving bird. He has NEVER and i mean never bitten me. He loves to cuddle... loves to get his neck scratched. He is mumbling and saying his first words. Now all of a sudden he hates all other people.

He is 7 months old.

[siobha9]

The maintenance guy only came yesterday, which was obviously a new experience for Jaco, to see somebody new in HIS place. It'll probably just take him a while to calm down again. I would just treat him perfectly normally, as if yesterday never happened, and I am sure he will come back to his usual self. He is still fine with you isnt he?

[Acappella]

Just do everything normally, don't react to the growling in a way that he may see as getting extra attention, or he may persist for that reason. Other people should also not make a fuss, just walking by his cage saying hi to him and keep on going. Have your normal routine. If he's more fearful let him stay where he feels safe, like his cage, but with the freedom to come out if he wants. He'll soon figure out things are back to normal. I had to leave Dorian in the house with the cleaning lady yesterday, even though I know the sound of the vacuum upstairs still scares him. When I came home, about an hour after she left, he was shaking a bit but I just carried on normally and he calmed down.

[siobha9]

Acappella wrote:

I had to leave Dorian in the house with the cleaning lady yesterday, even though I know the sound of the vacuum upstairs still scares him.

 

That's funny, my guys LOVE the vacuum cleaner. They start singing and shouting really loudly trying to be louder than it :laugh:

[Tycos_mom]

My birds love the vacuum cleanr also they get so excited my Amazon always thinks it cleaning time and as soon as she hears it jumps into her water dish for a bath :laugh: :woohoo:

[bettyboop]

I think I would be asking the maintanence people some questions . They aren't suppose to talk , mess with or look at anything except what they are there to fix.Why would a bird get so upset because someone came in ?If they were doing their job , was it around his cage?

Mary

[spookyhurst]

Good point Mary! Maybe they were curious about Jaco and tried messing with the bird in some way. Even if they just looked in the cage and talked to him, it may have been upsetting. Add some finger poking, and it would really flip him out. People seem to have this weird need to poke at birds, either with their fingers or a pen or something :huh:. Whenever I take Nikko to the park, there's at least one person who pokes their finger in her cage.

[Acappella]

Even though we watched Dorian closely when he was in the pet store, we'd inevitably turn our back or go into the office for a second to come out and see someone poking something at/into his cage. I know that's a big reason he was so hand shy, and is still terrified of sticks.

 

Maybe ask the maintenance people if anything they did seemed to scare him, explaining how easily greys can be startled. I hope he settles after a full nights sleep.

 

btw Dorian loves the vacuum when it's in the same room with him. It's when someones' bumping it around on the floor above him, and he can't see what's happening, that he freaks out.