Giving Parrot’s Too MUCH Play Time?
Common sense tells us that common parrot behavior problems usually have some common contributing factors. A frequent contributor to many problems is when parrots aren’t given enough out-of-the-cage time. While there are certainly plenty of people who aren’t letting their birds out enough, did you know it’s actually possible to error in the other extreme? That you may be contributing to a problem parrot by not putting him in his cage?
This is the “free-range parrot factor”, and it can vary from a parrot having no cage at all to one that has too many opportunities to come and go from his cage as he pleases. While this isn’t usually the only factor involved in a parrot’s inappropriate behavior, it’s often a major player. For some parrots, it is one of the biggest mistakes an owner can make. Just ask anyone who has ever had to get around their home without stepping on the floor because they were being pursued by an attack cockatoo with a major Napoleon complex.
A parrot that comes and goes wherever and whenever he wants can become difficult to handle, to say the least. Biting and a bullying, territorial attitude are some of the possible consequences when your bird “runs loose”, as well as the risk of your home becoming one giant parrot chew toy. Setting some limits for your bird is part of being a responsible parrot owner. Having a parrot that’s out of control isn’t. We know our dogs need to stay in their own yards or on leashes when they go out. So why would we let our birds run amok around the house?
Often an owner thinks he’s doing the right thing for the bird by allowing all that freedom. The thought of a parrot spending considerable amounts of time in a cage is distasteful to us. After all, we know how much room a wild parrot has at his disposal. But look at it this way: Most of us have a room in our homes in which we spend large amounts of time, and are comfortable doing so. If you look at your parrot’s cage as his room, and not like it’s a prison cell, then you may not feel so guilty asking him to be in there once in a while. If you really feel bad that he’s in one spot, setting up multiple cages around the house is an option. Or at least have a couple of stands or play gyms where he’s taught to stay.
With a “free range” parrot often comes an “I won’t step up unless I feel like it” problem, often very common in Macaws. This tends to happen when the bird doesn’t have a strong sense that stepping up for his people leads to privileges, like getting to come out of the cage to play, or getting to go back in for a bowl of treats. It can develop in parrots that are kept at liberty, and also in those that are kept in a cage where the door is almost always open and the parrot goes in and out at will. I used to be guilty of the latter myself, so I know it’s an easy habit to get into, but in the long run, it’s not a good one. You can find that your parrot resists stepping up altogether. Why should he step up if he can get out whenever he wants? A solution to this is to teach your bird that he doesn’t get to come out unless he steps up. It may take some time, but is well worth doing.
I’m normally a big believer in following through with a command. If you ask your bird to step up, you should see that he does. But I’m also a believer in keeping stressful “arguments” to a minimum. And I think parrots can be given some choices about when they want to come out. So teaching your bird to come to a certain area of the cage when he wants to come out is a good idea. This way, you’re likely to get the response you want when you ask for it. Otherwise, you may be frequently reaching way into the cage, dodging toys and perches, chasing after your bird, pleading for him to listen to you. This is a problem, and our own good intentions may have contributed to it. A parrot that doesn’t mind being in his cage, and doesn’t mind coming and going when you ask is a lot more pleasant to have around. And common sense says that’s no problem!
Written By Kim Bear
Parrot Behavior Specialist
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Hi Kim, Chet and Dave,
I wanted to talk to you about something I’ve noticed but I’m not sure how to contact you or if this is okay.
I had a quaker parrot who used to display very aggressive behaviour on his cage and when being fed. Through Birdtricks, I withheld the food each time he attacked and said “no” then quickly returned the food with a “good boy!” each time. Very quickly I taught him to say “good boy” instead of attacking me.
It was just excitement turned into the attacking behaviour then turned to something more appropriate. My son and I have Aspergers Syndrome and I find the techniques in dealing with each other are very similar to dealing with our parrots. It’s all about trusting what they REALLY want (love and affinity) despite what they DO (display rejection, stress, anxiety and anger).
As far as sudden biting goes, normally we live in a quiet household and this particular morning I was playing rather rambunctiously and loud, making noises and enjoying his funny reactions. My son came over to join in the fun and our parrot lunged out and bit him. Feelings flared and got hurt.
I concluded that, like us, it’s a stimulation thing, not just hormones. Perhaps, like my experience with autistic spectrum people, they just get overloaded with feelings and can’t handle it so they lash out to find some peace or consistency of mind. I find playing and intense attention leads to tears. It’s like an internal, mental “AAAARRGHH!” It’s just too much to cope with! Sometimes just being with someone even if you love them, is very stressful and you kind of want them to stop - stop BEING SO “THERE” - you know, just talking, teaching, eating, drawing attention to themselves, demanding not my attention (that’s a selfish thing) but my whole being! I sit there with my stomach in knots just waiting for the next “thing” they are going to “do” that will overwhealm me. My son dissolves into tears, I go blank - I call it “the static”. If I was a parrot, maybe I’d try to bite them just to stop them before they start. But of course, they don’t “get” that! It’s hard to be nice although I can do this, but it has caused a lot of mental anguish if I just internalise it. I really understand the feather plucking thing. If you can’t bring yourself, or don’t know how to, ask for space, you end up making yourself sick or tired or something unhealthy. Some autistic people pull their hair or eyelashes or masturbate or get addicted to something that distracts them from the intensity of others. At least, if you do things to yourself, you feel like you are pulling your attention back to yourself. But it doesn’t work because you can’t ever get away from others and anyway, you don’t really want to be alone and abandoned so you yell and scream for company but, when it comes, here come all those horrible intense feelings along with it!!! Run up the arm - Bite! Love! Bite! It seems so conflicting but that’s because it is!!! Fancy being in a cage, being ignored and misunderstood for being who you are - a creature with intense feelings, so intense they cause you to withdraw or be aggressive.
Like my son and I, my birds like to have non-direct attention - just “being there” with the occaisional one-on-one, a quick pat, a call across the room, a sideways smooching noise when they are on our shoulder or knee, but not too intense or prolonged. They want to learn lessons quickly and get them over and done with. Conflict must be resolved fast or it’s too horrible and has to be avoided at all costs and if this means being mean, surly and angry, so be it - just get out of my space so I can think! I want to be with you and I love you, but you drive me insane!!!
September 1st, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Kim I totally agree! We have to have some control for the birds safety as well as our own. My CAG had free reign of the house years ago and became so obnoxious it really took the fun out of having him around. He walked around like he was ten feet tall and everyone treated him like he was !!! He finally got so mean I couldn’t let him out of his cage at all anymore. Now he is 13 years old and I am trying to re-establish a proper relationship with him using Chet Womach’s and others methods of Parrot Training. This was a good article. Thanks Lee
September 27th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
I agree completely! I wasn’t really sure what caused the superiority feelings in some birds, but it does make sense to me now. When you treat your bird better than your; spouse, kids or yourself, the bird will not know any different. I guess the saying “He ruled the roost” fits pretty good here.
Fortunately, I haven’t had any issues like this with birds. I am thankful for that. I enjoy playing with them and being around birds, but I also allow them enough of their own space that they can feel comfortable. I would have never thought that to much play was ever bad, ask my wife, she would say I play to much.
I think training your birds to be in a location that is their own is not only rewarding, but essential. Playstands and Play-top cages are fantastic places to have your bird enjoy their own space, while allowing them to be free from the confines of a cage. These type of cages and playstands contain the mess that birds make and some even allow you to move to a different location if that is what your bird needs.
Thanks for the hints.
Ken
September 28th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
How add your article to digga.se?