My African grey: Little help also?

M_A_K

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I just wanted to share my african grey, Timmy!

http://i.imgur.com/vqky0C7.jpg

and a question... can greys be retarded? This bird used to love me a lot then my brother came for a short stay to visit me and he terrorised this bird... Now for some reason he's scared of me as well, If I even approach him he flies away! Does my bird lack the mental power to differentiate between people? He was very affectionate now I'm lucky if he even approaches me.
 

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jasper19

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why would you allow your brother to terrorize your pet!...and why would he, he hates animals?:eek:
 
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M_A_K

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why would you allow your brother to terrorize your pet!...and why would he, he hates animals?:eek:

It was done in my absence... He told me he did after I realised my parrot's behaviour changed, He is just ignorant about birds.
 

weco

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Yes companion parrots can have a diminished mental capacity, but I don't think that is what's going on here.....actually, I might be inclined to think Timmy is very upset with you, maybe even to the point of having lost trust in you ! ! !

You said "This bird used to love me a lot then my brother came for a short stay to visit me and he terrorised this bird..." Companion parrots accept us as their flock members and in doing so, put a lot of trust in us...Timmy did you...and...you thought nothing of his trust when you let your brother, as you said "terrorize" timmy...you didn't intervene on Timmy's behalf and that was fully evident to him.....

While birds, many times to their detriment, are often forgiving, I think you're going to have to prove to Timmy that you deserve his trust again.....
 
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M_A_K

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Yes companion parrots can have a diminished mental capacity, but I don't think that is what's going on here.....actually, I might be inclined to think Timmy is very upset with you, maybe even to the point of having lost trust in you ! ! !

You said "This bird used to love me a lot then my brother came for a short stay to visit me and he terrorised this bird..." Companion parrots accept us as their flock members and in doing so, put a lot of trust in us...Timmy did you...and...you thought nothing of his trust when you let your brother, as you said "terrorize" timmy...you didn't intervene on Timmy's behalf and that was fully evident to him.....

While birds, many times to their detriment, are often forgiving, I think you're going to have to prove to Timmy that you deserve his trust again.....

Weco, this was done in my absence I had no idea! I was gone for like 2 hours and when I came back I noticed his behaviour then my brother told me.
 

weco

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why would you allow your brother to terrorize your pet!...and why would he, he hates animals?:eek:

It was done in my absence... He told me he did after I realised my parrot's behaviour changed, He is just ignorant about birds.

Whether you were there or not, Timmy looked to you and when he saw your acceptance of your brother, he must have followed your lead, so he is also upset with you.....

I also think that if & when your brother comes to visit again, you probably should have Timmy in his cage to make sure Timmy doesn't try to attack your brother.

An African grey's memory or any parrot's memory, for that matter, is considerably longer than you might think.....I might be very careful about your brother visiting too often, especially when you are not around as that very well might ruin any trust progress you are able to make after this.
 
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M_A_K

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why would you allow your brother to terrorize your pet!...and why would he, he hates animals?:eek:

It was done in my absence... He told me he did after I realised my parrot's behaviour changed, He is just ignorant about birds.

Whether you were there or not, Timmy looked to you and when he saw your acceptance of your brother, he must have followed your lead, so he is also upset with you.....

I also think that if & when your brother comes to visit again, you probably should have Timmy in his cage to make sure Timmy doesn't try to attack your brother.

An African grey's memory or any parrot's memory, for that matter, is considerably longer than you might think.....I might be very careful about your brother visiting too often, especially when you are not around as that very well might ruin any trust progress you are able to make after this.

Well weco now that you've told me what exactly is wrong, could you also tell me a solution?
 

weco

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Well weco now that you've told me what exactly is wrong, could you also tell me a solution?

Patience, a lot of patience and go back to the beginning, offering him food and treats through his cage bars.....when he is ready to trust you again, be sure you don't break his trust again.....

Good luck.....
 

Blancaej

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African greys are one of the most intelligent parrots out their. He has been hurt and does not want to trust anyone at this point. Even though he was very loving, like Wecco said, you will have to start over and rebuild the trust once again.

It was not him being "retarded" after your brother terrorized him, it was him being the intelligent being he is and trying to protect himself from more harm. After what happened to him, he doesn't know if he can trust any human again. It is now your job to build his trust with you again so he knows that he is not going to go through that again.

Good luck.
 
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M_A_K

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so the problem is solved! I spent two hours straight with my bird and things are much better
 

punkindave

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It doesn't take much to get the "stink eye" from a grey..
They punish you for any perceived infraction and while they'll get over it quickly most times, they can certainly hold a grudge.

We recently moved and felt that it would be best to board the birds for a couple of days. All the others had a BLAST when they arrived at their new home, the Gray spent two days giving us the "I'm not looking at you" treatment and sulking in the cage. Couldn't figure out if she was pissed for being boarded (something she normally enjoys) or for the home change. By the third day she was joyfully joining in the festive exploring sessions with the others and all was OK again. Go figure, they are like little kids in so many ways..
 
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Blancaej

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I'm really glad things are going better with your grey! Great job on your part for taking the time to get him to come around again.

And it is true, grey's can hold a grudge. It sounds like this situation was not as bad as it could have been and he has gotten over it. Keep up the good work! :D
 

Birdman666

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Grays can be slow to trust, and once that trust is violated, they might need to start all over again, with basic taming and trust exercises...

SOMETIMES IT ONLY TAKES ONE A$$HOLE TO RUIN A GOOD BIRD!!!

What ever he did to your bird scared the living hell out of him... to the point of being averse to human interaction.

Now you have to teach your bird that not all humans behave like that so he differentiates between humans... it takes time, but it is do-able.

Tell your brother he's not allowed anywhere near your bird from now on.
 
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M_A_K

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It doesn't take much to get the "stink eye" from a grey..
They punish you for any perceived infraction and while they'll get over it quickly most times, they can certainly hold a grudge.

We recently moved and felt that it would be best to board the birds for a couple of days. All the others had a BLAST when they arrived at their new home, the Gray spent two days giving us the "I'm not looking at you" treatment and sulking in the cage. Couldn't figure out if she was pissed for being boarded (something she normally enjoys) or for the home change. By the third day she was joyfully joining in the festive exploring sessions with the others and all was OK again. Go figure, they are like little kids in so many ways..

Sounds like greys are more like teenagers :p
 
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M_A_K

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Grays can be slow to trust, and once that trust is violated, they might need to start all over again, with basic taming and trust exercises...

SOMETIMES IT ONLY TAKES ONE A$$HOLE TO RUIN A GOOD BIRD!!!

What ever he did to your bird scared the living hell out of him... to the point of being averse to human interaction.

Now you have to teach your bird that not all humans behave like that so he differentiates between humans... it takes time, but it is do-able.

Tell your brother he's not allowed anywhere near your bird from now on.

Yes he will not be troubling him anymore.
 

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