Anna, I have a question...

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Brenda tells me that Uriel was never caged. If you read my post about the Goffins I am thinking about taking in, I have a similar situation. She is 22 and has never been caged. She stays on a perch and, well, that's it. Do you leave Uriel out? Was he able to adapt to a cage? I know you have a bird room that is safe (which I don't) and I'm thinking she might stay put where she is now, but move her to a new home after 22 years and she may behave differently. What's your take on this?? I'd appreciate some input...Thanks.

Patty

[FoxersArtist]

Patty,
there is always going to be risk involved when leaving a bird out on a gym or on top of their cage unsupervised. Even if a bird has lived on a play gym it's entire life, there is no garantee that it wont suddenly decide to go wandering one day. The good news is that those chances decrease when a bird learns that it is not ok to be on the floor or is afraid of the floor.

We try to teach our birds that the floor is where scary monsters live and we "act" panicked when a bird flies off a gym and starts wandering. The bird picks up our urgent body language and begins to question the safety of the floor. Keep in mind though that if you make over THEM every time they leave, they may start to leave to get attention. So the focus has to be on the situation, not the bird.

We leave some of our birds out. Peggy Sue is out from sun-up until bedtime and sometimes she is on a gym 24/7 when a foster is occupying her cage. Peggy Sue will occasionally fly from her play gym, but every time this has happened, something had spooked her. I am home most of the time and can go scoop her up and put her back, but when I have not been home, peggy climbs up onto one of the dinning room chairs and waits for me. This is a risk we have decided to take because Peggy is not a chewer and has never gotten into anything that is not hers. We even have to bribe her to play with her toys. I guess what I am saying is that I would be much more concerned with a bird that is chewy...like...Uriel.

Uriel is out on a gym 24/7 and completely refuses to be locked in a cage. He totally self destructs. In my opinion, I think that it is great that a bird learns to stay on a gym for a lengthy period of time during the day (though this is hard with most cockatoos) but I also feel that it is equally important for them to accept being caged for safety reasons. Whether or not you will be able to teach a bird that a cage is O.K. after 22 years of not being in one largely depends on the bird. We tried to work slowly with Uriel, putting him in the cage for just a few minutes at a time. He went absolutely bonkers and after several trials he started ripping the feathers off his legs. We tried putting him to bed on top of the shower in the bathroom where he couldn't get to anything that might be harmful, but again he plucked his legs. We decided that the emotional damage that being caged would do to Uriel was not worth the ensured safety. Then again, we made this decision before Uriel started climbing down off of his perch. Uriel needs an environment where he has the illusion that he is free to wander, but is kept in an area that is safe. So to answer your question, we were not successful in integrating Uriel into a cage. We probably could have continued working with him, but we were very concerned about what it was doing to him emotionally.

On another note...and I know this is getting very lengthy, we once fostered an amazon who had been in a cage for 12 years without ever being let out and as I understand it, with rare cleaning. When we got the bird, we built him his own play gym. it seemed like the moment we got him out of the cage, he was so relieved to be free that it was next to impossible to get him back in. So instead of forcing the issue, we placed his gym right next to a cage and left the door open. We would wander over and drop some almonds into the cage so that he had to go inside to get his treat. After about a month of this, the bird willingly went into a cage and came to enjoy the comfort of a cage and the freedom of a gym. That's something you could try. Also, it may just be that the little goffins may be thrilled at the idea of a cage. Just because he hasn't ever been in one doesn't mean he won't like it. I guess you'll just have to try it and see. Let us know if you end up getting the little guy.
-Anna

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Anna,
Thanks so much. It sounds like Theo is very much like you describe Peggy Sue to be. She is not a chewer, and was described as a perch potato. You're right. She will have to decide whether or not a cage will work. I guess if I get her I will just have to go plexiglass crazy to block off any area she might get into, hide wires and outlets etc.
It really does sound like a good match for the very active Linus, but as I mentioned we'd have to give it a trial first. But between you and me, I'm not one to give up and unless I felt it was detrimental or dangerous to one of the birds, I would find a way to make it work.
22 years old...that's twice the age of any of my birds. I hope it's not too traumatic for her. I'll let you know as things pan out. I hope this guy calls soon.

Patty

[michelle]

Thank you for posting this here instead of exchanging information privately. I really found the stories of Uriel, Peggy Sue, and Anna's zon fascinating.

Patty, I hope everything works out for you!

[FoxersArtist]

Thank you for posting this here instead of exchanging information privately. I really found the stories of Uriel, Peggy Sue, and Anna's zon fascinating.

Patty, I hope everything works out for you!

Your welcome. :) I think that's why we are all here anyway, to learn from one another!
-Anna

[too&me]

There is still so much that is not known about our FIDS it only makes sense to share whatever we can that might be helpful. Thank you both for contributing to all of us with what you have tried. More birds will benefit the more we share.

[Evelyn]

Patty -

As Anna says, it would be better if your new Goffin's could learn to be in a cage when you are not home; but if it gets to be a problem, could you put a perch in your bathroom or utility room and let her stay there when nobody's home? Of course, you would have to "bird-proof" it first but it seems to me she couldn't get in as much trouble outside her cage in a room like that.

While all of my birds usually prefer being outside their cages (or at least having the cage door open), they all seem to think of their cages as safe places. Nobody minds going into their cage (unless they think they haven't had enough petting, in which case we have to practially scrape them off us). Of course, I haven't had one that was never kept in a cage.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Evelyn

[FoxersArtist]

Patty -

As Anna says, it would be better if your new Goffin's could learn to be in a cage when you are not home; but if it gets to be a problem, could you put a perch in your bathroom or utility room and let her stay there when nobody's home? Of course, you would have to "bird-proof" it first but it seems to me she couldn't get in as much trouble outside her cage in a room like that.

While all of my birds usually prefer being outside their cages (or at least having the cage door open), they all seem to think of their cages as safe places. Nobody minds going into their cage (unless they think they haven't had enough petting, in which case we have to practially scrape them off us). Of course, I haven't had one that was never kept in a cage.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Evelyn
I think this is also a fantastic solution, so long as the perch or play area has lots of stimulation...toys, chewables, interesting food, etc.
-Anna

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Evelyn,

That is just a great idea. Thank you so much.
I talked to the guy for the first time tonight. He is very sad about having to make this decision. It sounds like he has taken good care of her. He got her at a Walmart about 20 years ago. She had a quarantine band on and was completely unsocialized. She sounds like she's come a long way. Her diet is reasonable, she likes a good cuddle, is used to other pets, and has been loved. He doesn't feel like she's living an enriching life with him anymore. So, we have tentative arrangement to get the birds together on Saturday (tentative because of my schedule) and we'll see if the two look like they could make it work. I can't wait to meet her.
Now, thanks to your great suggestion, I only have one issue to tackle. That is how do I quarantine her with no room to put her in that isn't already occupied by a bird? Any more great ideas?? Thanks again, Evelyn.

Patty

[Evelyn]

To be on the safe side, it is always better to quarantine a new bird. Surely, there is space somewhere that doesn't have a bird in it. How big is the bathroom?

BUT, if space is a problem, and the new bird has been vetted within the past year and has not been exposed to any other birds during the past year or has not been in close contact with any person who has been around other birds during the past year, you are probably all right not to quarantine.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this, do you have somebody who could keep the new bird for about 30 days.

I remember that Wal-Mart was the store that got sued several years ago because it sold a parrot that had parrot fever, and the buyer caught the fever. The buyer won, too.

I wouldn't make too quick a judgment based on how well the new bird gets along with the others in the beginning. They will be strange to each other--that on top of the new bird being moved from a home she's been in for 22 years. It will probably take some time to adjust.

Good luck. Can't wait to see how it works out.

Evelyn

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Thanks Evelyn. I will figure out something regarding quarantine. I thought about the bathroom and will use it if necessary...it's so small I trip over myself in there.
She is the only bird in her current home and the owners are not around other birds. I will have the vet check her before I bring her into the house. I can't wait to meet her, hopefully Saturday morning.

[FoxersArtist]

Patty, plase let us know how it goes. I can't wait to see pictures.
-Anna