Nico Needs Some Assistance

[kme3388]

I’ve been trying to psychoanalyze a situation with Nico. If anyone has any insight or suggestions please let me know.



Nico likes to be outside. I take him for walks in the summer with myself & my dog. He just rides on my shoulder, and he appears to enjoy it a lot. It’s almost like he expects this every morning. I live in a place that can get very cold (Minnesota USA). I can’t take him for walks outside everyday as it wouldn’t be safe. I refuse to take him when it’s 68 degrees or below. The days I go for a walk without him I’m finding feathers at the bottom of his cage (it appears like he feather plucks while I’m gone), and he screams is what my husband tells me when I get home. He’s gotten to the point to where he won’t eat his breakfast until he gets back from his walk.



What on earth is this silly parrot doing? Any suggestions?

 

[chris-md]

The concern is that he’s acting out while you’re gone on the walk?

 

[kme3388]

The concern is that he’s acting out while you’re gone on the walk?

Yes, something with him having to be outside is creating a bunch of behaviors

 

[chris-md]

kinda sounds like separation anxiety to me. Does he do it when you leave the house for other reasons, errands etc?

 

[kme3388]

kinda sounds like separation anxiety to me. Does he do it when you leave the house for other reasons, errands etc?

No, he doesn’t really care when I leave. As long as it’s not in the morning, and with my dog. I’ve tried to walk my dog in the morning before I even go into Nico’s nighttime room to open the shades, and wake him up. He’s already up, and just knows? He will start talking his a typical words, and once I leave he screams. He bangs his beak on my back patio door where we take him outside at times too. We just assumed he wanted out, so we took him outside. Now we’ve created a bunch of issues.

 

[Jcas]

Is there some other special activity you can do with him on days when he can’t come on walks; like a special toy, treat, or play/ training session? I don’t have experience with a bird in this situation but I know when I can’t take my dog on a walk due to bad weather or when she’s had an injury, I make up for it by doing things like playing hide and seek with her favorite toy or giving her a raw bone to chew on. That way it becomes sort of an either/ or situation ( either we go for a walk or do this fun activity inside) and mentally that seems to help her settle down. I don’t know if something like that could help Nico? ( also, I think it’s kind of cute that he likes going on walks, even it has created some issues! )

 

[kme3388]

Is there some other special activity you can do with him on days when he can’t come on walks; like a special toy, treat, or play/ training session? I don’t have experience with a bird in this situation but I know when I can’t take my dog on a walk due to bad weather or when she’s had an injury, I make up for it by doing things like playing hide and seek with her favorite toy or giving her a raw bone to chew on. That way it becomes sort of an either/ or situation ( either we go for a walk or do this fun activity inside) and mentally that seems to help her settle down. I don’t know if something like that could help Nico? ( also, I think it’s kind of cute that he likes going on walks, even it has created some issues! )

This is something I can try. He does like his training sessions for pine nuts. He also likes his showers, and other things as well that I could attempt to do before I leave to go on a walk. He doesn’t understand he can’t go on walks outside when it’s 30 degrees out.

 

[kme3388]

He finally has his tail feathers back too!! He’s destroying them with whatever he is upset about with these walks he can’t come on

 

[Beepers]

Maybe take him with you when you run errands or visit family and friends. I put my bird in a bird backpack, works extremely well. Maybe too cold to go outside, but you can preheat the car.