Advice Please

[autum_howard]

I have wanted a bird all my life, I have done tons of research, and i felt confident. There is a local pet store that i felt comfortable going too, because they also rescue birds. I spent two hours talking to the owner about what bird would be right for me, i don't and have never believed that animals are disposable, i know that having a bird is a huge commitment, i explained our lifestyle, we work at least 10 hours a day, i wanted to bring have the bird to work with me during the week and at home on the weekends, that way he/she would hardly ever be alone, i told her that if that wouldn't be healthy for a bird, then owning a bird would forever remain only a dream to me, not because i didn't expect to have to alter my routine, or that i was expecting to find a perfectly amazing bird with no flaws, i just wanted to make sure that i could provide everything my new friend would need to live a happy healthy life, if i couldn't then i had no business having one at all, some people just don't have the right life style to have certain pets. So after our conversation we decided that an amazon would fit the best, they love an audience, they are clowns, and they wouldn't have much of a problem with having 2 homes. We then started looking at the different amazons, she had a few different babies, they were beautiful, they were hand fed and a few were ready to go to there new homes, and then there was Sweet Pea, a beautiful double yellow headed amazon, she was 4, and had been brought in because her owner had become ill and had to downsize on his birds, she was sweet and a bit of a show off, i had no problem getting her to step up or take a treat from me, i fell in love, i spent quite a bit of time with her over the next week. I brought her home on saturday, everything seemed to be going quite well, she was talking and playing with her toys, and then it kinda changed, she doesn't seem as happy, she doesn't want to come out of her cage, no talking, no whistles, she will play inside her cage, but when we put her on her play stand she just sits there, she has also been slightly raising her wings and shaking them, i am lost, i understand that she might need more time to adjust, i just thought it was kinda weird that she was so happy on her first day. I would really appreciate any advice anyone would be willing to give me.

 

[SandyBee]

The change of environment has had an effect on her, this is very normal.
She is a little unsure and needs you to pay attention to her, become her friend. It will take a little time but she will open up to you.
Include her as much as possible in your activities, spend time with her, talk to her. Sharing meals is often a great way of bonding. work at her pace for a while until she is more comfortable.

 

[autum_howard]

Thank you so much, it is reassuring for someone to say its ok lol, i talk to her a lot, i sing and dance around, she is next to me all day. I guess what really worried me was that she seemed so happy the first day we brought her home, we're only on day four, but this morning when i tried to get her out of her cage she went to the back of her cage, and i thought, great she hates me, i have doomed her to spend the rest of her life with someone she doesn't want to be around, also i was told to mist her once a day....she HATES it, is that normal, or maybe just because she doesn't trust me and its a little scary for a crazy lady to be close to you with a spray bottle?

 

[SandyBee]

The first day she was excited and now she is trying to adjust and figure out what all the changes mean.
If she hates misting so much, back off of it a little.
She doesn't need it everyday if it bothers her. 1-2 times a week is fine for now.

Give her a few days off and try and establish a bond, after she starts trusting you a bit you can do it more often again. My amazon doesn't like misting too much, in the beginning I did it at his cage. After he got more comfortable I take him into the bathroom with me and mist him while I am in the shower. Sometimes he likes it, not always.

But he does love going outside in his cage on a sunny day and being showered with the garden hose. Try new things and the most important thing right now is establishing the bond and setting up routines.

 

[SandyBee]

Another thing that really helped for me in the beginning is that I let Bosley come to me, I didn't force interaction or even try to get him out of his cage. (I probably would of lost a finger)
I had his cage right by my couch and he decided to crawl down to me because what I was eating he had to have some. I also got him a stand that sits right outside his cage that he can get to by himself and go back to his cage when he wanted.

 

[autum_howard]

I have heard that they are piggies lol, Sweet Pea hasn't taken any of my food yet, i've tried , she just turns her head away, she never turns down a walnut though, i haven't been bitten yet, i've tried to read a lot about their body language, but i'm sure it will happen eventually, i will move her stand next to her cage, i haven't left the door open to allow her to come out on her own, they heavily stressed to me that it would not be a good idea to let her play on top of her cage, so i was worried about that. If she doesn't step up for me i just give her some space, but letting her come on her own is a good suggestion, i will most certainly do that, thank you so much for taking the time to give me advice, i'm glad i joined this forum

 

[SandyBee]

No worries, we are all here to help.
With my Bosley I don't keep any toys or food dishes on the top of his cage. He goes up there some of the time, birds feel safer higher.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Sandy has given you some AWESOME advice!!!

Sweet Pea will come around, just give her time. Yes, wait for her to come to you. Whether it be for a treat or for a scratch.

I was just thinking that maybe Sweet Pea has to adjust to being an only bird now. You said that her previous owner had to downsize on his birds, so this is possibly the first time that she is the only bird in a house.

 

[christinereed]

If she doesn't want to come out of the cage, she doesn't hate you, she just needs time to get to know you. Be gentle and you will be rewarded with her trust. As far as the misting goes, Em doessn't really like it, either, but she tolerates it. Then, every couple of weeks, she'll try to fit her whole body into her water dish. I agree that you can go to every other day, or even twice a week, until your bird feels more comfortable with you. These birds live many years -- so you've got lots of time.

 

[davisn456]

Although I have a B&G macaw, my experience was nearly identical to yours. Frankie's first day was pretty uneventful, but I didn't try much with her either. After a couple days, she seemed more comfortable, but I had trouble getting her to step up because she would run to the back of the cage, nearly the same scenario you're talking about. I've had her for 2 months now. Some days, she's just in a bad mood and doesn't want much interaction, so I leave her alone. Other days she's begging for attention. I felt very discouraged a couple of times early on, thinking she hated me or something, but not taking it personally is the key. Sometimes birds just want to do their own thing, and you'll learn how to tell with practice. SandyBee nailed it though...very good advice.

 

[autum_howard]

Thank you all so much for your advice, she has not been to the vet yet, she has an appointment on friday, last night she danced in her cage with my husband, and talked like crazy, so maybe she picked him lol.