Blancaej
New member
- Apr 5, 2013
- 2,329
- 5
- Parrots
- CAG Quincy - BD 3/27/00. Gotcha 6/00 ~ GW Macaw Savannah - BD 6/21/93. Gotcha 4/13 ~ B&G Macaw Coqui - BD 9/3/03. Gotcha 10/13 ~ Blue Crown Conure Sidney - BD Unknown Approx 5 Years Old. Gotcha 6/15/
So things have been going very well with Savannah. I've taken her to the store once a week for two weeks now and to school on Tuesday of this week. So she has left the house about once a week for the last 3 weeks. I've also managed to get her in her harness 3 times now and she's been outside 3 times in about a weeks time. She seems to enjoy going outside!
Her new play gym that some of you may have seen, she will hop on if I put her on it and eat nuts, but she won't roam on it at all she is refusing to check it out. So the new play gym is slow going.
Savannah is cage territorial and loves her cage a little too much! I get her to step up on my arm to come out of her cage because she is very uncooperative outside of her cage so I try not to let her hang out on the outside of the cage, because I can't get her to step up from outside of the cage. So I usually bring her right to the play gym, which I don't think she really likes. Anyway, she has learned if she wants to come out to step up on my arm. Otherwise, she stays put. Well the past week she has not wanted to get on my arm, so she stays in her cage. Even with that said, usually she warms up and wants to get out within an hour of me being downstairs so she comes out none the less. Which is fine for me. But the last two days she hasn't come out at all in the morning. I did manag to get her out yesterday afternoon. (Although she snuck out while I was changing her paper this morning! LOL!)
So this is what I am thinking is going on. I think she is not wanting to come out because of the school visit on Tuesday. This poor girl was cage bound most of her life and was only brought out occasionally. So her new life is a BIG change! I know she loves being out but she wants it on her own terms. I want to be able to get her out of her cage in an emergency so I need to figure something out.
I think all the stimulation is the cause of not wanting to come out. I don't want to stop having her try new things because I know it is good for her. And if I don't keep up taking her to the store and taking her outside, she will never get the social interaction she deserves. I also think the new play gym might be contributing. Right now, it's not really her favorite place. So I took all the color off. I find she wants nothing to do with colored toys so I've been trying to offer toys that are all natural colors. That's the other thing, she doesn't really play with toys! I am really trying to get her to start! But that's a whole nother post! LOL!
So this is my game plan - I really want her to come out in the mornings. Since I work everyday she needs that morning out time, before I go to work. I know the other play gym that I had for her she would walk on and eat on her own. So I thought I would put that play gym by her cage and use the new one down the road when we move the cages out of the dinning room. The new play gym can stay in the dinning room and we can slowly get her to adjust to it. I figured in the mornings I will put her breakfast on the old play gym and once she comes off her cage I will close her door to the cage so she can't go back. She will then have to step up to go back to her cage. The other issue is she was never properly taught to step up. She may have before her adoption many years ago but they never picked her up much that way. She was stick trained but the old owner didn't hold her on her arm. I think she had a fear of her going to the shoulder. I've had no issues with that. So I am going to work on getting her to step up better. Any suggestions there would be helpful.
So after all my babbling (sorry) what do you guys think? Should I keep doing what I'm doing and have her step up on my arm in order to come out or should I change back to her old play gym and let her come out on her own and climb onto the play gym in the am. Maybe I just need to give it a couple of days before I decide anything. She may have to just get over being at school with all the kids! Although they were very well behaved!
My biggest fear is she won't want to come out anymore and I DON'T want her cage bound again. The old owner said she didn't like coming out of her cage. I want her to look forward to it! I know I've been doing a lot with her. Should I cut back?
I know I have rambled on a bit, but any advice, tips or help anyone could provide would be great! Thanks!
Her new play gym that some of you may have seen, she will hop on if I put her on it and eat nuts, but she won't roam on it at all she is refusing to check it out. So the new play gym is slow going.
Savannah is cage territorial and loves her cage a little too much! I get her to step up on my arm to come out of her cage because she is very uncooperative outside of her cage so I try not to let her hang out on the outside of the cage, because I can't get her to step up from outside of the cage. So I usually bring her right to the play gym, which I don't think she really likes. Anyway, she has learned if she wants to come out to step up on my arm. Otherwise, she stays put. Well the past week she has not wanted to get on my arm, so she stays in her cage. Even with that said, usually she warms up and wants to get out within an hour of me being downstairs so she comes out none the less. Which is fine for me. But the last two days she hasn't come out at all in the morning. I did manag to get her out yesterday afternoon. (Although she snuck out while I was changing her paper this morning! LOL!)
So this is what I am thinking is going on. I think she is not wanting to come out because of the school visit on Tuesday. This poor girl was cage bound most of her life and was only brought out occasionally. So her new life is a BIG change! I know she loves being out but she wants it on her own terms. I want to be able to get her out of her cage in an emergency so I need to figure something out.
I think all the stimulation is the cause of not wanting to come out. I don't want to stop having her try new things because I know it is good for her. And if I don't keep up taking her to the store and taking her outside, she will never get the social interaction she deserves. I also think the new play gym might be contributing. Right now, it's not really her favorite place. So I took all the color off. I find she wants nothing to do with colored toys so I've been trying to offer toys that are all natural colors. That's the other thing, she doesn't really play with toys! I am really trying to get her to start! But that's a whole nother post! LOL!
So this is my game plan - I really want her to come out in the mornings. Since I work everyday she needs that morning out time, before I go to work. I know the other play gym that I had for her she would walk on and eat on her own. So I thought I would put that play gym by her cage and use the new one down the road when we move the cages out of the dinning room. The new play gym can stay in the dinning room and we can slowly get her to adjust to it. I figured in the mornings I will put her breakfast on the old play gym and once she comes off her cage I will close her door to the cage so she can't go back. She will then have to step up to go back to her cage. The other issue is she was never properly taught to step up. She may have before her adoption many years ago but they never picked her up much that way. She was stick trained but the old owner didn't hold her on her arm. I think she had a fear of her going to the shoulder. I've had no issues with that. So I am going to work on getting her to step up better. Any suggestions there would be helpful.
So after all my babbling (sorry) what do you guys think? Should I keep doing what I'm doing and have her step up on my arm in order to come out or should I change back to her old play gym and let her come out on her own and climb onto the play gym in the am. Maybe I just need to give it a couple of days before I decide anything. She may have to just get over being at school with all the kids! Although they were very well behaved!
My biggest fear is she won't want to come out anymore and I DON'T want her cage bound again. The old owner said she didn't like coming out of her cage. I want her to look forward to it! I know I've been doing a lot with her. Should I cut back?
I know I have rambled on a bit, but any advice, tips or help anyone could provide would be great! Thanks!
