by Natacha » Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:00 pm
I think routine is very important with 'toos, more so than with any birds, based on what I've seen.
I look at my mom's birds and they do get time out and they do get daily attention, but they are also used to being in their cages and having to entertain themselves. At first, some of them would scream the moment we stepped away (none of her 'toos were babies btw). The moment they realized that they would be in for a bit and then come back out regularly, they stopped. They will, however, scream if they are in longer than they usually are. Not right away, but they know if they've been in for much longer.
She got one that was chewing his feathers. He has stopped. He gets a bit more attention, but not that much, but his schedule is definitively more regular.
If they know what to expect, regardless of it being 2, 4 or 6 hours of attention, they tend to do better. The regularity of it seems to be much more important than the amount. However, I wouldn't get a 'too if I couldn't at least promise it 4 hours out of it's cage per day and at least 1 or 2 hours of undivided attention.
My birds are also on a routine, although I do try to make it vary a bit so that they aren't set in stone. The time out doesn't vary that much, but when it is can vary. It is also why I try to make it different on the week-end.