Scary stuff

[Lizzie]

Hi there

I bought my birdie a rope type of perch for him to hang on or sit on in his cage but when I introduced him to the rope he freaked out completely, I am thinking it probably reminds him of a snake..
If he is aware that it is in the same room as he is he will take off in the other direction.

The same with small plastic ball I bought for him (like a cat toy) not sure why he is scared of this.

But anyway my question to you is how do I get him to accept that it is a toy perch and not out to get him?

I have considered just leaving it close enough for him to see so that he can get use to it but I am not sure if this is the right thing do, I don’t want him to sit scared in a corner all day.

After I showed it to him, he even treated me like I was out to get him.. running around trying to get away from me.

i am hoping he will be loving me again when i get home this afternoon.

[Graybeard]

I'm no expert, but I'd bet there's a lot of snake fear dna in that bird. I'd take it back.

Can you describe the pet parrot scene in SAfrica, and which parrots are native to where you live?

GB

[ljeanne]

whenever i pull out my ironing board all my birds panic and fall off their perches. maybe i can quit ironing. lol

[marie83]

Leave the perch or bell in the birds sight but at nearest point you can have it without freaking him out. When he is completely unaware of it move it a bit closer, again wait til he has stopped paying attention to it and move it closer still until eventually you can put it in his cage. Attatch it in the cage when he is not in it so it looks more perch like. This process may take several days or even weeks depending on the bird but can be used to introduce anything, you may be able to speed things up using positive reinforcement but dont go faster than your bird wants to.

[marie83]

whenever i pull out my ironing board all my birds panic and fall off their perches. maybe i can quit ironing. lol

Thats a pretty perfect excuse to skip the ironing! lol

[gabbagabbawill]

Leave the perch or bell in the birds sight but at nearest point you can have it without freaking him out. When he is completely unaware of it move it a bit closer, again wait til he has stopped paying attention to it and move it closer still until eventually you can put it in his cage. Attatch it in the cage when he is not in it so it looks more perch like. This process may take several days or even weeks depending on the bird but can be used to introduce anything, you may be able to speed things up using positive reinforcement but dont go faster than your bird wants to.

Agree 100%

Some birds are just afraid of new things/ toys. It may just take them some getting used to different items you may want them to play with/ use. I just wanted to add that this makes a good case for introducing new toys and objects to your bird often. It will begin to help your bird familiarize himself with new surroundings better, becoming a more well-adjusted bird.

[Shelby]

As he gets more comfortable with it being in his peripheral vision outside the cage, you could also try targeting him near/around the perch while it is lying on the floor or a table so he becomes familiar with it during normal play time with you. This kills two birds with one stone (excuse the expression, haha) because he is practicing the targeting behavior and he is being rewarded for going near/on the perch.

[ljeanne]

oh dear...now they hate the broom too. how will i ever do any housework ever again?

[DustyTheGrey]

I had a parrot bunji that was just too big (in Dusty's opinion) and left it in the room at the other end of the room for about two months!
I would occasionally play with it myself without even looking at Dusty and then put it back.
When I eventually attached it to Dusty's cage he climbed right on it and its been his favourite toy for the last week!
So maybe try that! it only took my bird nearly 3 months but he loves it now.

Can you describe the pet parrot scene in SAfrica, and which parrots are native to where you live?

GB

Hey there, Im from South Africa too! We love our parrots just as much here but not very many people own parrots or know much about them.
In america, if a certain percentage of the population LOVES parrots, even tho its a small percentage, there are still millions of people that are parrot crazy.
But in south africa, if you take the general population and consider only those who can afford parrots, then those who actually take the time to learn a lot about them, the numbers of people are not very high.
This has an affect on what products (toys, food, etc) are available to us, as there is not such a big market.
I browse american bird store sites and just drool at the variety of toys!