Tantrums....

[jabbgard]

So we reciently adopted a U2, and yes I was fully aware of the noise level of them....but my 3 year old wasnt lol...when she crys.....mickey crys....well screams....and that just upsets my daughter more....I know if I go to Mickey and show him attention he is going to think he won the battle and I cant get my daughter to calm down cause mickey is screaming.....Mickey is here to stay so my daughter is going to have to get used to it.....and we have only had him a few days so everyone is still settling.....but I was just wondering if anyone has experanced this or has any kind of suggestions.....Thanks

 

[MickeysMom]

Does he have a special toy? My Mickey will stop screaming if offered his favorite toy.....that's all I can suggest, as it works every time for him.

After thinking on this, I'm probably setting myself up on down the road....but he rarely screams...and this seems to work. My Mickey does more of a pegleg stomp when he's upset /throwing a tantrum........

 

[BillsBirds]

It may be easier to calm your daughter than Mickey. Understand that Mickey is reacting to the alarm that your daughter is sending out. Birds feed off of our emotions, and he thinks that something is wrong because a member of his new flock is sounding an alarm. I'm sure that they'll adjust to each other in time. Birds in noisy environments become noisy birds. Be patient. Calm the child, and the bird will calm down as well. I have taken in screaming birds who were from busy, hectic homes that calmed down immediately in my quiet home. My wife works, and I'm the only one here all day. So, the only noise is from other birds. A calm, quiet flock signals the new bird to be calm also. Hence, Mickey will become better in time.

 

[KellyH]

I have to agree with Bill. Try to get your daughter to calm down a bit first. By 3 yrs. old she should understand if you tell her that Mickey is crying too because she is sad. Hopefully she will calm faster and then Mickey will follow her lead. My kids were both very sensitive to the feelings of pets and although it doesn't stop the crying/tantrums or fighting, they will calm down faster if I remind them about how their behavior is making the pets feel.

 

[roxynoodle]

I agree, try to calm your daughter. She is able to understand that her being sad is making the bird sad. Kids her age are usually very sensitive to animals having feelings, too. More than adults, actually. They are often more able to see animals as being like people than us grown ups sometimes.

 

[jabbgard]

Thats what I keep telling her That when shes upset Mickeys crys too....I think shes getting it cause now when he starts talking she just leaves the room lol I feel bad though cause she was here first haha But I know, they will adjust....shes somewhat sound sensative and hes only been here a few days

 

[Jerakk]

Yeah I agree with some of the guys here.. try and explain to her that the cockatoo is just a baby and babies get upset very easily. If you think about it.. that's all they are. When someone asks me about my cockatoo Suki I just tell them the same thing "It's like having a perpetual 2 year old that has a can opener for a face". Just be thankful yours isn't like mine. Suki has severe separation anxiety. The minute she's in the room all by herself (even though she has Gabe for company) she'll start screaming bloody murder and won't stop for at least 25 minutes. It's not the usual "screeching" that I've seen most others do.. it's the full out "you can hear it for 3 city blocks" banshee wailing. I still love her even though my neighbor hates it when I leave the house lol