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Post by donna on Jan 27, 2014 22:10:11 GMT
Sorry for the glum attitude, maybe it's me, maybe its the winter, maybe its because my parakeet seems to just not want to have anything to do with me anymore and my patience is thin. Pickle just seems to be regressing for Petes sake! He is at the point where he won't even come for millet. All I did was change a couple of things in the cage, and he is is utter shock!! But honestly, even before that, he just seems like not a happy little guy. I have spent so much time pouring into this little guy, and it's one step forward and a bunch of steps back it seems. He really is not intrigued by me at all, and I have taken allot the steps to have the bonding time. Not sure what to do at this point. He starts the wall climb when I go in there. The only thing he seems to tolerate is me sitting in front of his cage like square one. We have had this little guy for 8 months. Is there any hope for us, any bird whisperers out there. I am sure many of you have gone through rough patches, but its not like we can take our birds to therapy. He just seems unhappy, he wont even talk with me like he used to, I haven't changed anything outside of a perch or two and rearranged a couple toy things. When I go in with millet, he runs to the other end of the perch. There is only so much time in the day to sit with the little guy. Thanks gang for listening.
Have a good night!
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Post by dianapalmer on Jan 27, 2014 22:47:08 GMT
Oh, dear! I'm so sorry you are going through this. I don't know what to say. I know you've been trying very hard and been very patient. So, I don't want to tell you just to be patient.
I hope maybe others will have some suggestions. Maybe it's just his personality.
Do you think there's any chance he is sick?
Maybe getting another budgie, in a separate cage, who might have a different personality and which you could tame?
By the way, it is a Very Hard Winter, and I'm a bit glum myself.
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Post by kmic on Jan 27, 2014 23:03:14 GMT
I am definitely no budgie whisperer, but what I used to do when my budgies totally didn't want me anywhere near the cage even for treats, we kinda reached a compromise. I'd stay near the cage (either trying to talk to them, or if I was really busy, studying on my laptop near them) so they'd have to tolerate me, and they'd get a piece of millet through the cage bars (i.e. i'd insert the millet spray from between the cage bars (next to me)). And if I had to get up (literally even if I went up for a couple of minutes) I'd remove it (they were very good at rushing to it once I wasn't next to the cage).
Slowly this started to work. They knew what the millet was 100%, and soon enough they decided it's a good compromise. Step by step they started getting used to me so I'd take another step, you can eat from it if my hand is touching the cage etc.
I know it's very different in your case since if I remember correctly you had mentioned Pickle even let you scratch him (?). It might be the weather as diana said. But this is the only thing I could think of in terms of getting him to come to you. Hopefully others will think of something else.
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Post by Pammy on Jan 28, 2014 0:18:17 GMT
Donna, I'm so sorry you're having a hard time. It seems that so many of us go through ups and downs with taming our little feathered friends. I guess the only advice I have is to continue on with sitting beside him when you can, and speaking to him in a cheery, but gentle voice, and never with frustration (even though the situation is very frustrating). Like Diana, I won't tell you to be patient, because you have been. You're a good budgie mama. Don't lose heart. Perhaps this little one had some incredibly traumatizing experiences with hands before he came into your care, and no matter how kind and patient you are, he's just plain scared.
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Post by kennyt on Jan 29, 2014 12:45:03 GMT
I've learned myself not to stick my hand inside their cage/home, and have even read posts by sarah and other's that you shouldn't do it. when I do even Kyba will step aside or push my finger away from him I'd try and do what kmic said to try with the millet through the side bars and sit with pickle doing what have been doing. hope it all works out for you in the end. also may want to try and get him a friend it might help also
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Post by donna on Feb 1, 2014 14:23:03 GMT
Hey gang, thanks for the advice and well wishes, I had a thought this morning as I was going through some different budgie sites and forums. One of the things I have seen mentioned on a couple of the sites is that they say to start training take your bird to a "neutral room" when training. Now, I started to contemplate this and realized that I never have taken him/his cage, to a neutral room, and I assume that means that is a "bird safe room" aka quiet?, no windows, problems with unreachable high perch areas etc... With that said, maybe our house is a little to busy for his training sessions. Maybe I should take him to one of the bedrms away from everyone else while I work with him? My kids are not super young or rambunctious running at the cage or anything. But they are in the room abt 15 feet away and there will be peeling out noises by matchbox cars and explosion noises occasionally, and thank God lots of laughing:) With that said though, maybe in another room, it would be quieter and less intimidating for him? Also, I don't know if it varies per bird, but, Someone said on a forum that taking the bird to a new room will make them insecure of their surroundings which will encourage them to look to YOU for their security there cause your familiar? Any thoughts on noises or the thoughts on taking to a new room away from the kids noises? Also someone said a small room. let them out of cage and they will come to you as familiar? I am feeling kinda desperate here, he just seems unhappy.
Thanks gang!
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 1, 2014 14:58:06 GMT
Hi, Donna. Yes taking him to small quiet room may help. Some have suggested a bathroom (with the toilet seat closed LOL). Here is a link to a description of this type of method: talkbudgies.com/showthread.php?t=152809 |
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Post by Pammy on Feb 1, 2014 20:51:06 GMT
I've even heard of one girl who pitched a small tent in her living room (not practical for most of us) and she'd take her bird into the tent for some one-on-one time.
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Post by rdkntriker on Feb 1, 2014 21:32:42 GMT
I agree with a safe room
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 1, 2014 21:38:03 GMT
Yes--about the tent: That's the link I posted in my earlier reply.
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Post by donna on Feb 2, 2014 0:32:04 GMT
Thank you everyone, and thank you Diana for the link, does anyone happen to know if this gal is on the forum here? I went to a blog she has with the same info, and I wanted to ask her a question, but maybe some of you all know. How on earth do you get the little creature into a tent? Also, we are in a spot right now where we can't afford a tent, so what I did was buy two of the dollar store large table cloths (plastic), and I am going to try to rig up my downstairs bathroom where I can sit on the floor with him and let him out of the cage. I am thinking of draping it overhead to, kinda like a kid again building a fort he-he. But even so, I suppose I bring the cage off its stand in there with me and sit it on the floor and open the cage door? Any takers? Then how to get him back in? Thats if I can get him out:) Thanks again for the link, what she had to say really made sense.
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 2, 2014 1:21:25 GMT
Yes, Donna. I do think what you say is consistent with what she suggests. I do not believe she is on this forum.
I hope he will go back in if he gets hungry. If you are giving him millet, I guess just try not to totally satiate him, so he's hungry enough to go back into the cage for it.
I will be very interested in whether this helps with pickle.
What you described, in terms of family noise, does make sense in terms of making him being especially scared, if he is temperamentally a timid soul, which he seems to be from what you say.
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Post by violetcloud on Feb 8, 2014 13:32:14 GMT
Hi Donna,
Sorry to hear of your frustration with little bird.
If you go to "Caitlins little budgie buddies", there is an email address for her. I exchanged several emails with her, she is very knowlegable about birds and happy to share her knowledge.
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