Clara and what to do at night.

[texsize107]

I still have no solution about what to do about or with Clara in the evening/night time.

It’s just my hunch/opinion but I think she is suffering from birdy PTSD.
She probably had her toes bitten off at night and no one was there to help her. So now at night she hates being shut up in a cage.

When I put her in her cage at night she does the “foot in the air, pick me up” display. If I do that, take her back out she does the “I want” wing flapping motion. Mostly she just wants to be with me getting scratches till my fingers wear out. Given a choice I think she wants to sleep with me.
But that would be a death sentence and I know it.
Next best thing would be to move the cage into my bedroom at night and leave the door open.
For the short term this might work.
Until her flight feathers grow back but even clipped she might be able to get to the bed and have a very bad ending.

She doesn’t like being covered any more than shut in her cage, it just doesn’t help.

Closing her up in a spare bedroom.
I could do that, there is a spare bedroom but……
This house is not built on a slab, it’s a wooden floor above a crawl space and it’s not possible to walk and not make noise. She would be fully aware anytime someone was walking around.

A lot of these problems are going to change soon.
My stepmother is coming back and I will be returning home within the week. But that really won’t make them better.

She still won’t want to “go to bed”.
There won’t be the option of a spare bedroom.
She still won’t want to be covered.
And.
And.

What if she’s scared of Bella?
What if she’s afraid Bella is going to bite of more toes?
I guess I’m borrowing trouble with that issue and will get to it if/when it comes up.

 

[AMD100]

My 18 yr old Tiel Baby, used to have night frights, and we had NO idea as to why, since we got him as a wee baby. The breeder told us to just talk softly to him till he calmed down, and then put him back to bed. In your case, maybe for Clara leave a night light on for her, and soft calming music and let her know it is bed time. I tell mine "nite,nite" everynite, and Nibbles (Senegal) tells all the other birds "nite,nite" go to bed. lol Each bird with it's own personality will respond to different things. Wishing you the best.

 

[texsize107]

My 18 yr old Tiel Baby, used to have night frights, and we had NO idea as to why, since we got him as a wee baby. The breeder told us to just talk softly to him till he calmed down, and then put him back to bed. In your case, maybe for Clara leave a night light on for her, and soft calming music and let her know it is bed time. I tell mine "nite,nite" everynite, and Nibbles (Senegal) tells all the other birds "nite,nite" go to bed. lol Each bird with it's own personality will respond to different things. Wishing you the best.

I do leave a light on at a distance and a night light close by.
I always tell my birds what’s going on.
Going to the shower.
Going to the kitchen.
Going to the window
And good night/ time for bed.

Never had this trouble with any other bird but I never had a bird with toes bitten off.
Cause and effect???
No idea.

My Cockatiels get night fright any time of the day/night with no warning.
Not all of them.
But Cheeky the father and Popeye (the son) and Angel (the daughter).
Mango (also daughter of Cheeky) and Baby (unrelated) don’t have the problem.
I have read that white face cockatiels are more prone to this and Cheeky is a white face. Perhaps the other two inherited the trait.

With the Tiels it’s like switching on the get away from danger switch. No thought process, just go, go, go.

With Clara it’s more…….scaired/uncomfortable .
What’s the saying, a cat in a room full or rocking chairs.

 

[osklvste57]

You're over thinking. You know how intelligent, sensitive, emotional, temperamental, adept at owner training a CAG is. Clara is in a new environment. She maybe picking up emotions from you. Her intelligent sensitive nature is saying self protection engagement necessary. New human flock member mustn't be allowed from sight. His emotions suggest potential danger. Settle down. Clara hasn't had nearly enough time to adjust. It may be fear of loosing a new flock member she's starting to trust that's keeping her awake. Calm down.

 

[Inger]

I'm sure you have a bedtime routine, but could you try adding to it? Put her in the cage, close the door, sit with her for a few minutes? Read her a book, sing her a song, talk about the weather, whatever...all in soothing tones maybe with lights dim? Then after 5-10 minutes it's lights out and night night sweetheart I'll see you in the morning.

And like osklvtse said above - don't project your feelings onto her. She may very well be training you and she seems to be a master at it.

 

[texsize107]

Writing this at 4 am.

Last night I moved Clara’s cage into my bedroom.
Around 8 pm.
Because the homeowner (stepmother ) is back I thought this the best option to let Clara get a good night sleep.
Instead of leaving her in the living room subject to potential late night tv at loud volume (stepmother is very hard of hearing).
I went to bed about 9:30 pm.

I don’t know what time she started her……sleep deprivation technique.
Maybe around midnight, I didn’t check the clock.
But she started stepping onto and off of her food dish.
Clink clack….clink clack……clink clack.
I told her Clara…stop it.
I told her Clara go to sleep.
I tried to ignore it.
Nothing helped.
In the end I grabbed my clothes in the dark and left the room.

She was partially covered to protect her from air conditioning drafts and there was a low brightness night light on the kind you plug into a wall outlet and it just hangs there.

I don’t really care about my level of sleep but I want her to get a decent amount of sleep.

I don’t want her to end up becoming another feather plucking African Grey.

 

[GivemeSeedsorgivemeFlesh107]

Is there a parrot equivalent to melatonin? Maybe a vet could help with a calming medication? She sounds very anxious. I have a parrot feather calm powder to put on food but have never used it.

 

[texsize107]

Is there a parrot equivalent to melatonin? Maybe a vet could help with a calming medication? She sounds very anxious. I have a parrot feather calm powder to put on food but have never used it.

I plan on making an appointment with my CAV soon as I can get home.
I understand there is something available to help high strung parrots.

I really think it goes back to her missing toes.
No way to know but if someone bit a few of my toes off at night I would be very anxious at night time.

There is supposed to be an exotic vet near by but I don’t fully trust an exotic vet when it comes to medication.
There MAY be a CAV in the next town over but real hoping to head home in the next few days

 

[Jcas66]

When JJ first came to me, it took him a while before he finally settled into a nighttime routine. I put his cage in my room. I am a light sleeper and would hear him shuffling around etc at many times throughout the night. Then up at the crack of dawn ( despite being covered) screaming and screeching despite no one else being up. I think it took him a good month or so to really start settling into a routine. The move to my place was definitely stressful for him after he had lived with the same person for about twenty years. Now, he sleeps like a champ; sometimes doesn’t even want me to uncover him first thing in the morning . Gives me a grumpy old man look until I cover him back up for another half hour or so. Hopefully beautiful Clara is just figuring things out and will soon settle into a new routine but it could take a little time . Hopefully you can get some rest, too!

 

[texsize107]

When JJ first came to me, it took him a while before he finally settled into a nighttime routine. I put his cage in my room. I am a light sleeper and would hear him shuffling around etc at many times throughout the night. Then up at the crack of dawn ( despite being covered) screaming and screeching despite no one else being up. I think it took him a good month or so to really start settling into a routine. The move to my place was definitely stressful for him after he had lived with the same person for about twenty years. Now, he sleeps like a champ; sometimes doesn’t even want me to uncover him first thing in the morning . Gives me a grumpy old man look until I cover him back up for another half hour or so. Hopefully beautiful Clara is just figuring things out and will soon settle into a new routine but it could take a little time . Hopefully you can get some rest, too!

Thanks, that gives me some hope.
I know these things take time but it’s easier to say than to go through it.
I mean I’ve given that advice before to others ( go slowly and go at the bird’s pace) .

Now I have my stepmother storming around the house.
She doesn’t understand birds at all.
I told her “move slowly “ and “be calm around her” but it doesn’t do any good.
She came up to Clara trying to talk to her (loudly cuz she’s hearing impaired) and waving a towel in her hand.
I had to explain that towels are used to control parrots in the veterinary office and coming up quickly with a towel scares them.
She’s only used to cats despite what she thinks not very good with cats either.

 

[osklvste57]

Hang in there. A night at a time. Nameliss picks up on my down mood. I go online shopping for stupid stuff. It cheers me up. It's quite. I relax. I'm in Texas. What do I need with electric pocket warmer, flashlight and USB port? 2 months?

 

[osklvste57]

There are parrot equivalent of melatonin, calming agents. I've seen them online. My thoughts have been why would someone do that without an avian vet exam, dose and recommendation?

 

[HarleY 0648]

Gee, eeee - all this advice.
Clara is devious, Clara is controlling . . . she started the ball rolling and its ended up you on the back foot, in a hole, totally lost.
this is one of the instance you say, or do, NO - not no with an alternative; just NO Way
some birds learn fast - some go the ''we will see who gets what I want".
Someone, from the forum, please explain how texsize should handle the TOUGH LOVE bit,
I have enough of my own macaws all trying in their way to get what they want - with their antics

 

[osklvste57]

My daughter with tough love for my CAG... beak muzzle, wing restraints and box for time out. Seems my daughter holds grudges because of one measly unreleased rump chomp.

 

[texsize107]

What a difference a day makes..

Last night was much better.
I left her in the living room last night.
She only spent a few minutes lifting her foot for a pick up. I covered her up a little bit more, mostly top and front of her cage.
She settled right down and even ended up perching near her cuddle up bird warmer.

I feel so relieved you can’t imagine……well if anyone can imagine my relief it’s my friend here on the PF.
Thanks for sticking with me and all the support.

For my next trick…..
My long trip home. I hope to head out tomorrow.
Was going to take my dad’s truck but my wife has convinced me my diesel VW is better option.
Even though diesel is over $8 a gallon my car only sips the stuff instead of guzzling gas and making numerous stops for fill ups.
Just one stop for fuel in the VW.
Going to come down to how ez it is to disassemble her cage and get it to fit in the car (with back seats folded down)

 

[osklvste57]

Have a safe trip.

 

[HarleY 0648]

will be interesting to hear about the trip home.
p.s - the TOTAL covering of the cage at bedtime, should tell you that she has been a light sleeper, and any intermittent light/disturbance/noisy takes her back to where here deformity occured (opinion only!)
my macaws roost everynight inside my house. If I draw the curtains closed to all the sunlight; nightlight etcetra I seem to have no problems.But on occassion during the night for different reasons, when some night light is found - usually something spooks one of them and then all hell breaks out!!
So I understand fully what the affect it can cause to the life of the carer. Its like our first born child - how we carried on like turkeys, when our youngster first came home to our crib . . then rolled over, or did something that caused us concern. concern that proved pointless, but it didn't help . . we are who we are and it does not help when someone tells you what to do. You need to weigh up all the input, and hopefully make the best choice and that comes by the results only from your trysts.

 

[Inger]

Hang in there. A night at a time. Nameliss picks up on my down mood. I go online shopping for stupid stuff. It cheers me up. It's quite. I relax. I'm in Texas. What do I need with electric pocket warmer, flashlight and USB port? 2 months?

Texas is notorious for cold summers. That hand warmer is gonna come in clutch.