Behaviour of Grey's after a near death experience

[danmcq]

Yesterday I had Dayo out most the day while at home from the Hospital visiting Kim. I had a scheduled appointment for windshield replacement here at my Home.

 

When the man arrived to do the work, the Dobermans went nuts (like always) when he rang the doorbell. Rather than go out the front doors and fight back the dogs, I always go out the garage, open it and greet the person if they are a stranger.

 

I ALWAYS tell Dayo to STAY up on his perch and he normally complies. However, The 30 seconds I was out, he flew into the living room whilst the dobies were still VERY ALERT. I heard all Hell break loose inside, with Dayo screaming. I ran back in the House and immediately yelled "CRATE" to the dobies which they went running towards the back rooms.

 

I found Dayo on the Dinning room floor, scared as hell in a defense stance fluffed up, wings held away from his body and beak open. I SLOWLY approached and bent down to him offering the back of my hand for a step-up. Dayo has never growled in his life, but he did at my hand. However I kept going forward because I had to get him up to safety and more importantly check out the damage.

 

He lost 4 tail feathers along with around 10 surrounding smallest of feathers with some down. His right eye surrounding area was swollen but no skin breaks. I carried him into the other room and placed him on his favorite almost ceiling level perching place.

 

I then went back to the seen of the "nail and kill you" spot and realized they first had him by the tail in the entry way, not the dinning room where I found him. He must have flown out of fear from the entry way, tried to turn the sharp corner and banged his eye area on that side.

 

I have never seen a Grey scared for their life until now. They react like any other harmed critter that escapes and finds a place of safety. He would not move from his high perch at all and stayed there all night with all the lights turned out except one very weak night light.

 

If I approached too close offering my hand, water cup etc. He would Growl and stand firm. A peep never came out of his mouth and you would think I was a predator along with the Dobermans. It was almost as if he became a statue and wanted to remain that way.

 

I placed his food bowls, fruit and water up where he perches and he did very cautiously eat this morning, but no friendly stuff. He seemed to gone into a deep fear and depression state of being. I have never observed him so still, quiet and cautious to me.

 

My Wife came home this afternoon (His cuddle muffin Mommy) and I could visibly see his eyes light up and the urgent want of a "Safe" companion they love deeply to comfort him. In the last hour, his shell shocked attitude and lack of what he considered his soul mate for support melted away and comforted him. He was soon giving her kisses on her shoulder, peeping, regurgitating and playing ball with her in short order.

 

So, the observation here is, any critter that experiences an NDE from a predator and is even slightly wounded. Will become completely silent, stay in a safe place and not move a muscle for hours and days until they feel it is safe and they are well enough to resume normal movement. They do not wish to bring any attention to themselves at all until then.

 

They know, being the wild creature they are, that a wounded critter is lunch to a healthy predatory critter.

 

Dayo still will have nothing to do with me at this point. He is still shell shocked and scared. But of course relishes the comfort and safety of being attached at the hip with his soul mate Kim.

 

He will come around, but it could be days or weeks before he is at the previous trust and love level he had with me.

 

I mainly wanted to post this, so others will know the type of behaviour to expect from a Grey or other critter that has been severely scared by a predator, earthquake or other event that they consider a life and death situation.

 

Lastly, never leave your bird alone...even for a second, it can turn disastrous in the blink of an eye.....<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/01/11 15:10

[judygram]

OMG Dan, that is one scary story and it could have had very dire consequences but glad to hear Dayo is fine or will be fine very soon. I can imagine that Kim coming home when she did has a lot to do with him coming around to his more normal self or he might still be sitting up on that high perch at this very moment.

 

Thanks Dan for sharing this story with us as I have never seen Josey in such a situation and hope I never do but their natural instinct takes over and they do get very still so as to not be noticed.

 

Thank God your dogs obey you when you give them a command.

[Poppy]

Dan ,I'm so glad this situation had a happy ending and not the one it could have been .I have a cat and although she takes no notice of George ,HE takes very good notice of her and I'm sure one day he will go for her cause he goes in to attack stance whenever she is near ,so I watch like a hawk .Many thanks for this warning .

[DavidH]

Lots of good lessons in this story. Thanks for sharing, Dan, and I'm happy Dayo came through ok!

[Talon]

OMG Dan. What a lesson we have all learned here. Thank you for sharing this with us. I am happy that Dayo is fine, and that Kim is home now.

But remember, you were the last person Dayo saw before the "attack". That is what he remembers...but he will come around, once time passes, and the scare is replaced once again with safety and trust. He will be fine with you.

[LisaM]

I'm so glad that Kim was able to come home today so he had someone he could trust 100% around to start his healing. What a scary incident. It's good to get the education on their response, but I'm sorry it had to happen the hard way!

 

My heart goes out to little Dayo tonight. I wish him AND Kim get well soon!

 

Lisa

[LindaMary]

Dan, you are a wonder. In the midst of all the stress you have experienced in the last 11 days or so - you are still able to step back three paces, analyze a highly volatile situation which I'm sure had lots of emotional tags for you, and glean from that a post that will be useful to us all.

 

Just sent you karma, and wish I could send you 5. Thank god for your well-trained dogs, and thank god for your level head. All is well, and will be better, too.

[Goralka08]

Woah! I have 2 dogs, so this story will definitely stick in my mind when future decision making episodes arrive.

 

Dayo is one blessed bird to have escaped those dobbies! That would have been horrible for Dayo, you, and especially for Kim after all she has gone through lately.

 

So glad Dayo is safe and sound now!

[DayosMom]

Dear Friends,

 

This experience while I was in the hospital, just broke my heart. I wanted to RUN home, so I could comfort Dayo. As I know so well, that is what he so badly needed.

 

I will offer him my hand when he gets scared, and he always accepts. Then - as I draw him close to my heart, I cradle his wings in a gentle touch of reassurance. He will step onto my chest, and I cradle him close to my heart speaking soft words of encouragement to him until he is calm again. This whole event takes seconds, and then we kiss, and he's up on my shoulder ready for the next adventure with "mommy."

 

With me gone, he didn't receive this comfort. And so, he withdrew into the safe place inside himself. Since I have been home, he is doing so much better. Though not there yet, he is improving by the minute. He constantly seeks the reassurance of my cradles, which I give to him freely.

 

Accidents happen when we LEAST expect them to. That's why they are called accidents. Dan is still heartbroken over this experience. I'm divided in offering comfort to each.

 

We will ALL be OK in time. Soon this will all be a faint memory, but one we will not soon forget.

 

Thank you for your comfort, dear Friends.

Kim {Love-000200BF}

[judygram]

I know you all will be ok and Dan shouldn't feel so bad about it, things like this happen but alls well that ends well.

 

I think Dan is a little jealous of the close bond you have with Dayo, you can give Dayo comfort where Dan cannot but greys chose who their favorites are and Dayo chose you but he still loves Dan, just not like he does you Kim.

 

I do hope you can come and visit with us from time to time like you used to do, we have missed you so much here but at least Dan lets us know how you are doing and how close you and Dayo are.

 

You are truly blessed Kim, in so many ways.

[Luvparrots]

Thank you for sharing this experience with us, Dan. Thank God, it is a learning experience and not a tragedy, Professor McQ. If I were in your place, I'd be getting Dayo a big helping of his favorite treat and Kim a dozen red roses for the heartbreak that was by the Grace of God diverted!! Hugs and kisses to all of you.

[Janfromboone]

I'm so glad Dayo has the support system he needs to help him through this bad experience. Bet he recovers his confidence and gives it back to those dobies.

[danmcq]

I am glad some of you have gleaned some helpful information here. :-)

 

Dayo is certainly not himself yet, but he is bathing in the return and comfort of Kim and wants nothing else but to be with her at all times.

 

He did actually come over and interact act with me briefly. I suppose just to let me know he recognized my being a part of the flock and to try and pop a button off my shirt. He loves buttons.... :-) Then he ran back over to Kim.

 

I can not describe the internal sick feeling you have for days when something like this happens. It is felt to the very core of your soul as if your own child's life was almost taken.

 

I hope this perhaps takes away any false confidence someone may have. That thinks their other critters will not at sometime have a predatory trigger kick in and just react to snatch that moving, wing flapping thunderous air moving target out of the sky.

[she]

I am so glad Dayo is recovering. He is one lucky bird.

 

Kim I am so happy you are home from the hospital.

[daveyj]

My heart was racing reading your Post Dan best wishes to yourself Kim & most of all Dayo

[danmcq]

I thought I would note the changes of behaviour on Day 3 so others might know what to expect as time progresses after a scary incident.

 

- He has still wanted to maintain maximum height, when not with/on Kim. He will not climb or fly down to any place on his own, except to Kim's or my shoulder. Mainly Kim's of course.

 

- He just started a little preening. Which is the first since the incident. I am surprised he would go that long with his feathers in a mess. Any bird is very attentive normally to any feather being out of place.

 

- When down, he is very cautious and deliberate in each step and movement. Always keeping a very alert stance driven by residing fear.

 

- He does not make any sound or talk at all. He will let a very faint cheep out when he sees Kim.

This is not like the chattery Dayo at all.

 

- Kim was able to place him in his cage last night after hours of closeness with him. Once covered, the beak grinding of contentment began. Which is a very good sign. I actually expected him to wish to be in his cage from the first day. Due to that being his home and place of security. But, that was not the case, as I stated in my first post.

 

- Any unexpected or loud noise that he never reacted to previously. Is now reacted to by a noticeable flinch and quick eye to the direction it came from.

 

Every Grey or Parrot is different though and may take longer or shorter amounts of time, than Dayo. But, I would expect most would go through a similar reaction scenario to a horrendous event.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/01/11 19:21

[LaceyGrey]

Wow! Dan, my heart goes out to all of you! What an absolutely terrifying event, and I wish you all a speedy recovery.

 

One question: What has been Dayo's reaction to any visual contact she has had of your dogs since the incident? Has she heard them barking, ect.?

 

Again, my heart goes out you all!

[danmcq]

LaceyGrey wrote:

One question: What has been Dayo's reaction to any visual contact she has had of your dogs since the incident? Has she heard them barking, ect.?

 

Dayo's reaction to a Dog Bark is a quick flinch and he starts visually scanning the direction it came from.

 

If they enter the room, he watches them like a Hawk. Also, if he is sitting on My or Kim's shoulder for example, when they come into the room. He will stop eating, preening or whatever he is doing, climb up to the highest point and draw close to the body as possible, while watching them intently.

 

It is obvious he no longer trusts them at all, which is a good thing.

 

Previously, he would preen on Kim's or my Leg whilst the Dogs laid with in inches of him. Sometimes we would need to stop him from grabbing an ear with his beak. So he had become very desensitised to them over the last few years.

[Carolyn]

Dan my heart goes out to all of you Kim, Dayo and you to have had to go through all you have over the last 2 weeks.

But you really have hit home here, as I often leave Mika alone on his cage while running down to do laundry or up to make beds and clean up stairs. We to have a very large doberman and a cat that share space with Mika and I have not really thought about it till reading this at the chances I take doing this. Thank you so much for the much needed wake up call in this house, I appreciate it. From now on he will travel with me or be put back into his cage.

 

I am glad that all turned out well with you, dayo and the dogs.

 

Carolyn & Mika

[judygram]

Not that I wished this would have happened but it has a silver lining in that now Dayo is on alert and no longer will be very close to the dogs now and probably for a very long time to come, as Dan has said he was getting too desensitised to their presence.

 

This is a lesson we all can learn from.

[Lyric]

It was a terrible lesson to learn, but I'm so glad it ended up okay. And, I'm glad that your Kim is home again and able to share her love with you and Dayo.

 

I've learned to watch my dogs like hawks too- they are fine most of the time with my birds but if one starts wing flapping or flying it triggers a reflexive chase response in the dogs- they know they aren't supposed to do it but I don't think they can help themselves. I hope everyone will read your message and take extra special care of their feathered friends when they are around another animal.

[danmcq]

Changes of behaviour on Day 4:

 

- He will now climb down from his highest perch place, walk around countertops, fly to other perches and eat/drink from his foods bowls on lower areas.

 

- He is now fully preening, but it's a big job that is going to take him a few days. His feathers are ALL a mess from that event!!

 

- When down, he is STILL very cautious and deliberate in each step and movement. Always keeping a very alert stance if a Dog is within view and will normally start climbing to a higher location driven by residing fear. I really want this HEALTHY fear to remain.

 

- He is is now whistling and talking again, but in lower volume than normal, which I assume is to not bring too much attention to himself from predators (Dobies).

 

- He now will accept going to his cage readily once he's tired and ready for bed.

 

- Any unexpected or loud noise that he never reacted to previously. Is STILL reacted to by a noticeable flinch and quick eye to the direction it came from.

 

- He is now again perching on me, getting head scratches, beak rubs even more so than he did previously. Kim's starting to think he may be switching partners. :evil:

[Poppy]

Im so happy things seem to be getting back to normal after this terrible scare.I do hope Kim is ok as well and not suffering any more pain .My best wishes to you both

Marie

[Irishchicky]

I cant even begin to imagine how scared the poor thing was .

[Raposa]

Dan and Kim,

 

What a terrifying experience for you and for Dayo. Dan, I would not doubt that you are also showing trauma behaviors, whether or not you realize it! ~hugs~ I am so glad Dayo is ok, and have no doubt that with the loving care you both give him, he'll not suffer any long term negative effects. Quite the wake up call, and not only for you - the rest of us who have other animals in our homes will benefit from your and Dayo's scary experience.

 

Sending hugs, support, and gratitude for Dayo's safety your way