New Grey Owner

[shasha]

Hi, I'm excited to be a new AGC owner. I adopted a 21 year old male from an older women who took good care of him. I have had him for 2 weeks. He is very gentle. I am taking it very slow with him. I have read 3 books and believe I have the knowledge to care for him properly but I would like some advice along the way being that he is my first Parrot. I am looking forward to the stories, and advice on this forum.
My question is this: Is it normal for a parrot not to play with toys? Everything I read says to keep them stimulated with new toys. I have tried his old toys and new ones. He seems to LOVE eating and sitting and fighting with his swing but nothing else. The previous owner said he doesn't play with toys. She said he is a "fatso". She was too sick to play much with him. I have been wearing toys, playing with them and hanging them on the outside of his cage so that he can get use to them. He has no interest in them. Do you think if I keep this up he will eventually get the idea? I am affraid he IS going to get fat from eating and just sitting on his perch. I know it takes a lot of time and patience for him to get to know me but is it possible to teach this older bird to play with toys?
Thanks!

 

[Julianna]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new grey! I'd say it's not normal for a parrot to ignore toys, but every bird is different. If your grey hasn't ever played with toys before, he might just not know what they're for, but you can probably teach him to play with them in time. Does he enjoy interacting with you and moving around, or does he really just like sitting on a perch all day? So long as he remains active, I wouldn't worry about his health. Just make sure he has the opportunity to play and interact with you. If you're really concerned about him, you could always take him to an avian vet for an exam. Good luck!

 

[shasha]

Thanks for your reply. I think you may be right, I don't think he knows what toys are for, I also think he doesn't like them. I have a small dog and I play with my dog in front of him, then I use the same language and play with his toys. I did get him to hit one of his toys few times and then I praised him for it. After touching it twice he completely ignored it and walked away. He is very smart and I really think he did that on purpose. Lol! He does climb around and on top of his cage so he does move. I don't think he is physically sick, he just needs some mental therapy. I agree it's not normal for a parrot to hate toys. I will keep trying. Thanks again

 

[jenphilly]

You might want to try treats hidden or stuck in the toys, a type of foraging if you will. But if he has to interact with the toy to get a favorite nut or nutriberry treat, it might jump start the playing with toys or shredding things. If you get one of the toys that is like woven leather and braided rope, you can tuck nuts into the weave and he will need to work on pulling them out. You can also hang a fairly flat basket or box with foot toys and mix in treats so he has to push them about to get to the treats.

I know it might sound silly, but I've found our cockatoo is like a little kid - buy an expensive present and they play with the box... Get a box of tissues or a pile of napkins, see if he shows any interest. Unfold the napkins and let them fall on his head, if you find something that he shows interest in, then keep going in that direction and bring in other toys to the mix. If he likes napkins, then roll them out like a rope and tie around birdie donut shredding toys or such. Little by little you might be able to connect the dots for him with interactive play.

Good luck!! Kinda funny to hear you say you're guy won't play with toys and I can't keep up with coming up with new ideas to keep mine interested! Hopefully you'll have that problem soon enough yourself!!

Jen

 

[TessieB]

Maybe he needs different toys. I fostered and AG who hated anything round. He was a shredder, though, so I gave him shredding toys. He also liked to chew on clothes so I went to the local Goodwill store and purchased one of those ugly Christmas sweaters that had tassels and giant knots. I cleaned and sterilized it and allowed him to play with it when we had our play time. He thought it was great!

Also, if this is an older bird, he may be to arthritic too enjoy toys that require a lot of movement. He might enjoy something that he can sit on and nibble at. A vet exam is always good because he/she can evaluate the bird's physical condition, including how well your bird can see.

Give your bird time. He might be missing his other owner, or he might not know how to play with people.

 

[Birdman666]

If he's perch potato-ed for years, and he is food oriented, then the thing to start with are foraging toys...

Scale back on the amount of food you give him and make him work for it.

Are you familiar with Dr. Scott Echols' research on foraging with pluckers? The same research applies to lethargic birds, and "fatties."

 

[shasha]

Such great advice from all of you THANKS! Actually I did purchase a foraging toy that hasn't been delivered yet so it's good to know that I am on the right path. I think treats are the thing to make him work for. He loves salt free pistachio nuts, also I give them to him when meeting new people. I was allowing him to indulge for a few weeks because I know he is missing his previous owner and surroundings. I wanted him to feel safe and like me. I did try paper toys for shredding but he just ignored them. Perhaps I should try tying treats to them. I like the idea of tying treats to toys in general. Good advice "if I find something that works to go in that direction". I agree I don't think he knows how to play with people. Also I am going to look up Dr. Scott Echol's research. Thanks so much, anything else you can think of is appreciated!

 

[gizzygirl]

Lead by example. I sometimes have to do that with my macaws. I chew on it a little and act like it's so much fun and then they will too. It's odd but effective. Just do it when nobody's around.

 

[shasha]

LOL! Yes I do that too, but I am guilty of doing it in front of everyone! It's funny to watch the reserved ones join in. He is watching us closely, I am hoping he will join in the fun soon. From what I hear Greys are cautious and need a lot of patience. My Parrot has helped us to eat healthier, act crazier and live in a chemically free environment!

 

[TessieB]

Lead by example. I sometimes have to do that with my macaws. I chew on it a little and act like it's so much fun and then they will too. It's odd but effective. Just do it when nobody's around.

So true! Birds learn by mimicry.

I had a friend complaining her bird would not eat fruits and vegetables. I asked her if she herself ate those things and admitted she didn't. She was a junk food junkie and so was her bird. :09: