Emmi gets sad when my stepson leaves

[KimberlyAnn]

Emmi is having separation anxiety. I think?

It has everything to do with my stepson and custody. It's been an issue for the last month or so.

We have my stepson every week from Thursday to Sunday evening, then he goes to his mother's house. When my stepson is here, Emmi acts normal. She spends time with all of us...favoring the person who is trying to eat, has the remote control, (That thing with the buttons she'd love to chew if given the chance) or is just holding something she has to try and own. Mostly, she sticks with me though. When no one is more interesting. Lol I'm the default person simply because I'm with her the most, I think.

But the evening my stepson leaves, she's stuck on my stepson like glue. She won't leave his side and nothing...not even treats, will stop her from staying with him. We have to get her to go in her cage early or pry her feet off his shirt as a last resort. Once my husband and stepson leave to go to the kid exchange meeting place, she will fly to a spot near the door and contact call until my husband comes back...then sometimes even after that. No matter what I do, she still just flies back and calls for my stepson. If she's in her cage, she's stuck to the side of the cage where she can see the door It's so sad!

When I leave for work, I'm very routine. She calls a few times when I close the door. I've waited to listen a few times recently and looked through the window...she just is either eating, chewing, or preening. When my husband leaves, she's still in her sleep cage next to my side of the bed, sleeping. But if he leaves while she's up...no big deal. A few contact calls maybe. But that's it. We always come back within hours, could that be it?

Can anything be done to help? What could be causing this? What can we do to help her? I'm expecting in January so she will be going through a huge change then too. I want to make things as easy for her as possible.

We have a new bird shop in town. One of the people there said I should let Emmi go with my stepson to his mom's house. Yeah right...not happening!

[Pajarita]

Awwww, poor Emmi, she bonded with your stepson and cannot understand why he leaves her and, unfortunately, there is really very little you can do about it because, in her world, friends or mates don't leave. Not ever. Human lifestyle is not good for parrots, we can't give them what their flock does...

I don't blame you for not giving her to your stepson because, parrots are not easy to take care of and her care will fall to your husband's ex-wife who doesn't necessarily have to be a good parrot caregiver... How about getting her a mate? If she bonds with him (and GCCs are real easy to make to bond with another GCC of the opposite gender), she won't miss your stepson or feel neglected when your baby is born. But don't buy a baby because it won't work if you get an immature male for her, he has to be a grown, adult male.

[DanaandPod]

I thought you posed a good question regarding the time frame that you return verses your step son. But, I don't know enough to comment on that. My Pod does basically the same regarding me leaving. People keep telling me about how they got another parrot in hopes to have them bond as companions but it didn't work and instead were stuck with two parrots always fighting for the human attention though...:/ Lucky for you... your kind of parrot is easy to come by. I cann't find an adult female Jardine's anywhere or a Poi. However, especially because you are expecting a baby... I would try if I were you! this type of change could really make him feel neglected... I vote for trying to get a mate for him!