Need some advice on Galah

So I came down to my parents house for the week. I saw my parents galah after two months. The last time I saw her was when I went with my brother to pick her up and after bringing her home, my family and I left to come back to NYC.

Anyways, she's had a hard two months. The initial vet visit the vet took off her band and scratched her feet , failed to mentioned it, which led to mutilation on her right feet and a collar on her for 1.5 months. Now she's doing wonderful, different vet, feet all healed and no more mutilation.

So here I come to my parents house two months later with my children, and I'm scared she's going to go all bonkers because of them. She did remarkably well and loves it when my 4 yr old gives her scritches. I think my children's monkeying around is entertaining for her. So I made a bunch of foraging toys for her and she finally finally is beginning to forage and loves the gift tissue papers, crinkle paper and Kraft sticks. i hide her treats in the gift tissue paper and she loves ripping through them to get to her treat.

My parents had requested me to take her with me to train her and encourage her to forage more. I have no problem and already have a big cage ready with toys all ready. But my concern is the stress level on her she does really well with me and loves speaking with me and playing with me. She made sounds and speaking noises that my parents haven't heard coming out her mouth in the last two months. It's not like she's not happy with my parent's, she is, she loves them. But with them she is a perch potato unless she's let loose on the floor.

She would be with me for a month and half and then would return back to my parents. I'm just so worried about her stress level going from house to house. I'm also worried about her self mutilaing herself again after coming to my house.

Sorry for such a big post. I do want to help my parents out but I need to look at rosey's stress level as well. I honestly think she would do wonderful and my family enjoys her company and I think she enjoys ours. It would be something like boarding but better right?

Sticky!
How far away are your parents? Could you just visit a little more often, or is it quite a distance? I don't know the States at all, so please excuse my ignorance if that's not viable Alternatively could you make up a package of foraging treats once every few months and courier them?

What if Rosey stays put?
- is happy, relaxed.
- is a little couch potatoish (remembering these guys are prone to fatty tumors.

If she comes with you
- More exercise
- more mental/physical stimulation
- risk factors for plucking.

It is a hard call. I'd be inclined to leave her be, and send stuff to the folks, however I think you could make it work. Our Galah actually belongs to my mother, but is with us for a minimum of a year. He's very cautious and shy by nature, but has settled in well, will step up for us, is playful and most of all...remembers Mum, with love. There is no behavioural differences once Mum's left here either. If you take her home however, the foraging training and exercise will make a difference to the birds physical and mental health. Your parents will still need the skills to continue this stuff on. You'd want some of those anti plucker type toys hanging up, and to keep a super close eye on any agitated/nervy/anxious behaviour. If you're really worried about her stress levels, you take her home early - she'll remember her home, and she'll remember her parents.

Good luck, whichever way!

Hello mamaof3 from reading your text my feeling is that she is bonding with you! You are becoming the preferred one. She is social with everyone, loves the kids and that's brill but you get stuff no one else does. Are your parents prepared that if she bonds with you and therefore would want to stay? This is a hard one. Have no idea of your parents age but are they fit and able to try and give her more exercise etc. A RB2 that just sits is not good in the long term. If you can set a good regime early on that is better for her. Re going from home to home if done right and the distance not too much should be fine. I regularly have another younger RB2 to stay, here for 16 days in January and he goes back and forth on a regular basis no problem. There's no guarantee she wont pluck where she is if not happy after you leave, although it sounds like the mutilation is related to vet visit. Good luck and keep us updated please?

itchyfeet said:

Sticky!
How far away are your parents? Could you just visit a little more often, or is it quite a distance? I don't know the States at all, so please excuse my ignorance if that's not viable Alternatively could you make up a package of foraging treats once every few months and courier them?

What if Rosey stays put?
- is happy, relaxed.
- is a little couch potatoish (remembering these guys are prone to fatty tumors.

If she comes with you
- More exercise
- more mental/physical stimulation
- risk factors for plucking.

It is a hard call. I'd be inclined to leave her be, and send stuff to the folks, however I think you could make it work. Our Galah actually belongs to my mother, but is with us for a minimum of a year. He's very cautious and shy by nature, but has settled in well, will step up for us, is playful and most of all...remembers Mum, with love. There is no behavioural differences once Mum's left here either. If you take her home however, the foraging training and exercise will make a difference to the birds physical and mental health. Your parents will still need the skills to continue this stuff on. You'd want some of those anti plucker type toys hanging up, and to keep a super close eye on any agitated/nervy/anxious behaviour. If you're really worried about her stress levels, you take her home early - she'll remember her home, and she'll remember her parents.

Good luck, whichever way!

Click to expand...

I live about three hours away. I usually visit every month but the last month things came up and couldn't visit, but we FaceTime...lol. My mom will be coming to my house to visit in 2 weeks so I think that would be good. I do send foraging toys to her via mail all the time. From what my mom tells me she showed no interest.

I did tell my parents that after I bring her back she must continue with the training and encouraging her to forage.

plumsmum2005 said:

Hello mamaof3 from reading your text my feeling is that she is bonding with you! You are becoming the preferred one. She is social with everyone, loves the kids and that's brill but you get stuff no one else does. Are your parents prepared that if she bonds with you and therefore would want to stay? This is a hard one. Have no idea of your parents age but are they fit and able to try and give her more exercise etc. A RB2 that just sits is not good in the long term. If you can set a good regime early on that is better for her. Re going from home to home if done right and the distance not too much should be fine. I regularly have another younger RB2 to stay, here for 16 days in January and he goes back and forth on a regular basis no problem. There's no guarantee she wont pluck where she is if not happy after you leave, although it sounds like the mutilation is related to vet visit. Good luck and keep us updated please?

Click to expand...

My parents are in their early 70's. They do try, I guess with them she feels I'm just going to relax like them rather than work. Hopefully by the time she returns home she'll be foraging for 60% of her food.

That might honestly be stressful for her, especially if she continues to bond with you and gets used to seeing you on a daily basis and then moving back to her "old life" would kinda be like what the heck??? orrrrrrr she could be one that just goes with the flow! It's one of those 50/50 chance things....

One of my girls is technically a long term foster, and her mom still visits her on a monthly basis~ she's so so happy when she gets those visits, and only throws a fit for a few minutes after she leaves and then everything goes back to normal.

As far as moving her, she may be quiet in her new surroundings for a few days- or it might not even phase her since she'll be with you. Again- one of those 50/50 chance things....

Without knowing the bird I can't say whether it will trigger more bad behaviors or not. Best advice: Try it and watch closely to see how she reacts, and be prepared to take her back in short order if it triggers bad behaviors.

SOME BIRDS STOP PLUCKING WHEN THEY GET THEIR HORIZONS EXPANDED. OTHERS MUTILATE THEMSELVES AT THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF CHANGE...

Without knowing which of these polar opposites your bird is, I can't give you an educated guess.

And I'd hate to make that problem worse.

Could you make it permanent? Not very scientific research but two from two galahs here seem to recognise and cope with visits from their previous owners. Could your parents come around to the idea of her living with you now?

I know people in their early 70's can still be active and spritely. But if something goes wrong for either one of them and the other is left to care for the first - that's a huge amount of stress, and you might likely take Rosey for them given the situation, which would be stressful for you both then too. It's probably better to move her without the emotion stress of being forced due to the situation?

itchyfeet said:

Could you make it permanent? Not very scientific research but two from two galahs here seem to recognise and cope with visits from their previous owners. Could your parents come around to the idea of her living with you now?

I know people in their early 70's can still be active and spritely. But if something goes wrong for either one of them and the other is left to care for the first - that's a huge amount of stress, and you might likely take Rosey for them given the situation, which would be stressful for you both then too. It's probably better to move her without the emotion stress of being forced due to the situation?

Click to expand...

My brother purchased Rosey for my parents as their anniversary present, and still continues to purchase food, toys, vet visits, anything they need for Rosey. Rosey and I may be bonding but she has a special place for my parents. When my dad leaves to go to work she goes crazy, until my father has to assure her that he'll be back later. She says " morning" to only my mother in the morning when my mom comes downstairs and no one else. After she came into my parents life my moms high blood pressure leveled out, her nephrologist was ecstatic, she's had high blood pressure since she was in 9 th grade. See my parents are empty nesters and my brother brought them Rosey for this reason because they just flat out missed us so much. They are truly happy with Rosey and so is she.

I have no intention of permanently taking Rosey away from them. She is their new baby and I see how happy they are with her. I know either I or my brother will inherit Rosey one day. But not anytime soon! When that day comes we will have to deal with it one day at a time.

Yeah I totally get that, fair enough.
You've thought it through well - let us know how you get on

Mamaof3 said:

itchyfeet said:

Could you make it permanent? Not very scientific research but two from two galahs here seem to recognise and cope with visits from their previous owners. Could your parents come around to the idea of her living with you now?

I know people in their early 70's can still be active and spritely. But if something goes wrong for either one of them and the other is left to care for the first - that's a huge amount of stress, and you might likely take Rosey for them given the situation, which would be stressful for you both then too. It's probably better to move her without the emotion stress of being forced due to the situation?

Click to expand...

My brother purchased Rosey for my parents as their anniversary present, and still continues to purchase food, toys, vet visits, anything they need for Rosey. Rosey and I may be bonding but she has a special place for my parents. When my dad leaves to go to work she goes crazy, until my father has to assure her that he'll be back later. She says " morning" to only my mother in the morning when my mom comes downstairs and no one else. After she came into my parents life my moms high blood pressure leveled out, her nephrologist was ecstatic, she's had high blood pressure since she was in 9 th grade. See my parents are empty nesters and my brother brought them Rosey for this reason because they just flat out missed us so much. They are truly happy with Rosey and so is she.

I have no intention of permanently taking Rosey away from them. She is their new baby and I see how happy they are with her. I know either I or my brother will inherit Rosey one day. But not anytime soon! When that day comes we will have to deal with it one day at a time.

Click to expand...

I think that is great really Rosey has the best of everything she could wish for and god forbid if anything does happen she has an assured future home waiting [/'-n the wings. Good luck with her Sorry about the goobly gook I have keyboard help this morning from Plum. He now has his head upside down on it for a head scritch.