how do i get George to play

[gourdlady247]

George never moves from the perch that reaches from one side of the cage to the other. he has toys in there of course but he never plays with them. When he moves around the cage he uses the bars. I clean the paper in his cage a couple times a day just in case he wants on the floor and play. But no such luck. Good thing Thrifty Nickles are free. Any suggestions on how to get him to play. I sit forever playing with his toys trying to get him interested but nothing. Do I just keep playing or hat. I don't want him to be board, but he just sits there.

Thanks

Marla

[Kaedyn]

You're doing exactly what you should. Play with his toys and teach him how it's done. My first grey, Rigel, had no idea how to play. I attempted to teach him, but it was a slow process. What finally worked was getting my second grey (Not that I am recommending you do the same). If there was one thing that Sierra did well, it was playing with toys. She eventually taught Rigel how it's done.

 

You might want to take him away from the cage and distractions other than toys. Sit on the floor with him and play. He'll eventually figure it out. Act excited and make sure he knows how much fun you're having.

[gourdlady247]

we still can't touch him yet. The day the lady that used to have george came and trimmed his wings he was on the floor and we like to not have caught him. But I now know the areas to look if he ever gets away again LOL.. cause he went evey where

[judygram]

Jim has it right, you have to play with his toys and make out like you are having the time of your life, eventually he will not be able to resist and join in.

 

Since he is new to your home, maybe he needs a little more time to settle in and feel comfortable enough to play, some adjust quicly and some take more time, be patient with him and see what happens.

[Kaedyn]

Ahh. If he's that new to you and your environment, just give him some time. He is probably still adjusting and playing isn't on his mind right now. Just make sure he has the toys he needs for when the mood arises.

 

I just read your introductory post where you say that he's between 7 and 10 years old. Do you know much about his past? Specifically, do you know if he had toys?

[gourdlady247]

he came with a big blue ball with holes in it i guess it is to get treats out of. I hope I put them in there trying to entice him and it has a big bell attached to it. But other than that I don't know if he had more toys.

[judygram]

Then he may not know how to play with toys but follow the advice given and you may have your work cut out for you but when he finds out how much fun he is missing he may just surprise you.

[gourdlady247]

Ok thanks

I just wanted to know that I as doing what I needed to be doing. I talk to him all the time and stuff. I just don't want to do anything to set us back.

Thanks for the advice, we can use all we can get.

[Mistyparrot]

Perhaps he is depressed because you insist on clipping his flights.

Some birds will tolerate it better than others but in either case it takes away a large part of being a bird. Many greys feel insecure on the ground especially if they are unable to fly. Does he ever come out of his cage ? Perhaps you could make him a play gym from tree branches and thick ropes to explore. Just makes sure he has a soft place to fall on the floor underneath just in case.

 

 

Steve n Misty

[danmcq]

Hello Marla,

 

In your first post introducing yourself, you said George had not been handled in 5 years. You've only had him 2 weeks and it's going to take a lot of time and patience to get him to act like our Greys you are hearing about on this forum.

 

Do you know why he was not touched in 5 years? Where was he kept, in a room isolated with just someone feeding him?

 

His whole world changed 2 weeks ago. he is now in a strange place with strange people, sights and sounds. The last thing on his mind is playing. He is observing his surroundings, getting familiar with things that may frighten him, including you and family.

 

This is going to take time and patience. After hearing how one of the first things done in your home was the other owner holding him down and clipping his wings, then him getting lose and being chased all over to catch him. I would say he had a pretty traumatic experience right off the bat that included having to chase him around and I assume toweling him to get him back in his cage.

 

Time, Patience and love, like you are showing by sitting next to him, reading etc. is what will slowly bring him around to a point of starting to feel safe in his environment. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/11/02 13:55

[Hrund]

When I first got Nökkvi (he is 6 years old) I was worried that he didn´t know how to play. He came with one toy that he didn´t touch. We bought lots of toys for him and he didn´t even look at them. I spent some time playing in front of him but nothing happened. After he had been with us for a few weeks he started to play all of a sudden, he clearly knew how but just didn´t want to at first. Now he plays all the time, his favorite toys are the ones he can tear apart with his beak.

You just have to give Gerorge some time to get used to you and his new surroundings.

On the other hand I know exacly how you feel, you want everything to go well and you want the bird to be happy, I felt the same way, but patience is the key word.