Boredom

Aavogaro

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(Pending adoption) Paco - 25yo CAG
Hi all.....me again (goodness, I’ve started the previous 3 threads! lol) So I’m getting the impression Paco is getting bored. He’s been out of his cage all day (I don’t have an appropriate tree stand for him yet.....going to the bird fair March 21st) so when our he hangs out on his door or on top of his cage. So far today he watched me overhaul and redecorate my budgies’ cage, we’ve had some cuddle time, and spent some time on the kitchen island exploring and learning colors. He’s had a lot of the others in the household also interacting with him verbally and physically. But he’s going to the top of his cage and pulling on his bell toy repetitively and making some of his noises over and over. None of it is bothering me but I’m getting the feeling he is bored. He’s very toy phobic. I have a variety of toys in every material waiting and visible but only one has made it inside the cage and he uses it the same as his favorite bell. Just jingles it to make noise. He doesn’t have foraging toys or chew toys he will accept yet so I am at a loss for how to keep him stimulated when I can’t be interacting one on one with him. Looking for any ideas/suggestions.

Also......in hopes of not starting a 5th thread, if you’re reading this and have any suggestions for introducing a cage cover at bed time to a bird that has never been covered, I’d welcome any tips on that as well. Love you guys!
 

texsize

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Dealing with a phobic Grey is difficult. My Bella has been very phobic from day 1.
She is going through puberty and her behavior has changed 180Âş. When she is shoulder surfing I have to keep everything at arms length cuz she want to grab everything.

Bella doesn't play very much with her toys. 1 or 2 she bites at but most of them she uses the way a hunter uses a blind. She hides behind them if something scares her or sometimes just to be by herself.

You have to go really slow with new toys and try a large selection of stuff to get a handle on what tickles your birds fancy.

When your bird vocalizes be sure to respond. Let him know you are listening.

I am still something of a newbie when it comes to AG behavior, I have had Bella for a little over 4 years. Even the best cared for AG can pluck feathers. It doesn't make you a bad parront.

My Bella was a rescue and she was a sad sight in the beginning. Looks better now but still she plucks & barbers her feathers.
 

wrench13

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A lot of parrots, including greys, will"monkey see monkey do" with toys, including you. Meaning if they see you playing with a toy, they will give it a shot to find out what all the joy is about. Same goes for new foods. So play with the new toys,exclaiming how much fun they are and let him see yoou doing it. Itworks for my Salty.

If hes never been covered why start now? Butif you feel you must, its again a case of gradual introduction. Let him see the cover, for a few days, then hang it on a corner for a few days, gradually covering more and more. Consider leaving a corner up or cutting a viewing hole, so hedoesnt get nite frights.
 
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Aavogaro

New member
Jan 3, 2020
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Austin, TX
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Fish & Blue - the budgie brat pack
Snoopy - lovable M whitefaced cockatiel
(Pending adoption) Paco - 25yo CAG
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A lot of parrots, including greys, will"monkey see monkey do" with toys, including you. Meaning if they see you playing with a toy, they will give it a shot to find out what all the joy is about. Same goes for new foods. So play with the new toys,exclaiming how much fun they are and let him see yoou doing it. Itworks for my Salty.

Thank you. That is exactly what I’ve been doing and it does pique his interest, but as interested as he is in the toy when I’m playing with it, it’s not allowed in his environment. If I’m holding it he seems to be willing to look at, touch it or even bite it a little, but the minute it’s out of my hands it’s scary again. Perhaps I’m just rushing my wishes for him to find joy in the things I have for him, and I know this all is to be on his terms, but I guess it stems from my feeing like he is bored right now and I don’t know what else I can offer him in the meantime so he isn’t an adorable grey feathered perch potato.
 

wrench13

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Your doing fine. Every parrot has their own sense of timing. The thing is to learn to expect change on their time scale not yours. The fact that heshows interest when your playing parrot is very encouraging. Encourage, don't push. Paco will come around,nver fear.
 

fiddlejen

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Ill betcha he's not really bored. Going by my own (much smaller) birdies -- when nervous, or faced with anything or anyone new, they do their best to act as bored and un-interesting as possible. You haven't had him that long -- and it's going well -- but everything is still relatively new for him. I think he's really still doing a lot of "interacting" with his environment which still involves just taking it all in. Some time down the road you'll probably start seeing more visible engagement with toys & objects etc -- but I betcha that right now it's not really boredom at all, probably just the opposite. He's probably, quite wisely, just chilling so as to avoid over-stimulation.
 

bigfellasdad

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I'd agree with the above, enzo when quiet and not interacting as much generally occurs when she is just quietly content.
 

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