Fire Alarm vs Grey

[featheredfriends]

OMG I need advise!! I am not a novice with Greys as I have had my female grey since she was 5 months and is now almost 10 years. She is a really great and very smart bird. We have an unbelievable bond. Last month she laid eggs!!! Unfertile of course but I believe she would be a super mama bird. So I got this great (stupid?) idea to find her a mate. I found a 6 year old male Grey online that needed a home. Yes, here comes the problem/delima. The home I purchased him from was small quarters, blasting Tv and usually lots of people. AND they had a fire alarm with a weak battery. You know that sound? Short loud chirp sounds about every
10 seconds? While I visited the house, the bird was very quiet, never out of the cage just sits there...like depressed or something. Probably was. But I thought as great as my Grey was, I could bring him out of it and give him a quieter calmer environment and he would be a happy sings talking bird. Well guess what. While he lived at his former home, he learned to imitate the dying fire alarms' loud chirping. He has it down so well he even has it timed just like the alarm!!! I asked the former owners how long that fire alarm had been making that noise...can you believe; 6 MONTHS!!!!
Can you imagine hearing that 24/7 for 6 months!!! OMG!!! So now we have adopted the problem and it is disrupting our once very peaceful household. It's hurts my cats ears so much that they cry and take off and my other bird hides in her 'bird shack'. He husband wants to put him in the stew pot already! I know about the attention/negative behavior and am trying VERY hard to just ignore the sound. I have taken to rattling a coke can when he does his 'alarm' sound which startles him and I'm afraid it will ruin what little trust he has in me. WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP THIS???
It's not that he is a bad bird, but the alarm is just embedded in his bird brain. I don't think he has ever even been worked with as he does not know 'step up' or many words at all. I feel sorry for him and hope to bring him around to being the bird I know he can be. How to get past this problem? I have had him only 5 days. I know that is not long enough to squash any bad behavior, especially where everything is new to him. But this is upsetting the entire household, animals and all! So much for my good intentions on rescuing/finding a mate. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[WolfmoonCT]

I would give him more time, and igore that sound, but praise and reward other sounds. He should hopefully want to make sounds that he gets attention or rewards for. 5 days is a bit short to make him change it. I'm glad my grey doesn't do that.. hehe.

I hope he does stop it once he realizes that it's not going to get him attention.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I know about the attention/negative behavior and am trying VERY hard to just ignore the sound.

Good, sounds like your on track.

I have taken to rattling a coke can when he does his 'alarm' sound which startles him and I'm afraid it will ruin what little trust he has in me.

Then again maybe not. What happened to knowing about attention/negative behavior?

WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP THIS???

There is very little advice anyone could give you if you already know what the right thing to do is but you choose to do the complete opposite anyway.

 

[featheredfriends]

Ya know, I joined this forum asking for advice thinking most people here know their birds well and may have experienced similiar problems and could give advice. 'Super moderator'??? Give me a break!! I don't need insult to injury...I admitted I did wrong all the way around and am asking for ADVICE...NOT confirming I DID WRONG. If you can't say something useful, find something else to do with your time.

 

[Ecclipse]

Hi Featheredfriends,

Auggie's Dad is extremely good with giving advice because he has taken time to research parrot behaviour and helping anyone who is in need - he helped me with my parrot and I hold him in very high regard - even though I have never met him or been on this forum for long. The one thing about Auggie's Dad's advice is that he says it how it is - that is the only way that a person can get over their oops and move on. I was never intimidated or felt that he was being mean because Auggie's Dad was always honest. Look, no one is perfect, we all make mistakes - I have only had a parrot for nearly a year and boy I have made some real crackers!!!

Its only been 5 days - it took me 3 months to touch my parrot and still today I am working on bonding with him. Auggies' Dad is a super moderator on this forum for a reason - his advice is solid. You can learn so much if you just stop and listen - no-one is out to insult you. Your sensitive right now and feeling desperate. Dont give up on this forum because you can learn so much here and be part of a community of "friends" who share love for thier parrots.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Thanks Ecclipse but FF has a right to be angry. That does not mean I have any other response though. Animals are easy to train: you show them what works - ie what gets them what they want - and that's what they'll do; show them that something doesn't work and they will no longer do it. Humans often fail to learn so well - yet so many humans like to consider themselves a member of the smartest species.

I can sometimes give guidance on what will and will not work in changing a pet's behavior. I cannot however change the behavior of the owner.

FF check out old threads on the forums, there is much information here. I wish you the best of luck and hope for your success, but other than that I will grant your request and I'll find something else to do rather than stay in this thread to see it escalate.