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Post by Scratchpost on May 9, 2023 4:37:47 GMT -7
I put mountain or oat hey (depending on the season) at the bottom of Aka's cage so his bad foot' doesn't fall through the bars when he walks on the floor. I have done this since we got his big cage and it's just a thing now. I change the hay every day or every second day if there isn't any food on it.
After a few hours the hay becomes spread out in a different way compared to when I put it in the cage because of Aka walking on it and he also nibbles on it a little.
I put him in the sun for a few hours every day so the hay moves around a bit when I do that, and changes it's original shape. I put Aka in his usual sun spot today and when I started walking away I saw he was petrified of something. He was chilling on the side bars when I started moving him but when I looked back, he was frantic and he was still on the cage bars, but hanging upside down, clinging for dear life, and looking at the floor in absolute terror.
I followed his gaze, and nothing. No scary new objects, no toy pieces that might have come off and turned into a scary monster because he hasn't seen it like that before, no large insect or lizard, just the bars at the bottom, and the newspaper. When I moved the cage, the hay covered the scary spot must have moved and Aka saw newspaper instead of hay and he freaked out. His eyes were pinned to that spot for a good few minutes while I was trying to figure out what the hell was so scary, and when I couldn't see anything, I saw that. I covered the spot with the hay again and Aka climbed onto his perch as if nothing happened. I kept reassuring him that there wasn't anything new but he wasn't having any of it.
So now I know: Keep the newspaper covered with hay or Aka will be scared of his cage floor (and growl very loudly).
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Post by Jane on May 9, 2023 6:28:39 GMT -7
Oh yes the dreaded African Grey growl!
I remember when Mitzi was at the vet in 2019. I was sitting in the waiting room and someone came in with a box that was growling. I asked him if he had an African Grey in it and he said yes he did.
Jane
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Post by Haz on May 9, 2023 6:37:49 GMT -7
I don't use the grate in the bottom of Chy's cage. I just line the bottom tray with newspaper which I change every day. It works well for me.
Haz
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Post by Scratchpost on May 9, 2023 9:45:32 GMT -7
Hi Jane,
Haha yes, the growl. Most people (like my family when I showed them videos on Youtube when I visited them) don't realise they can scream and how unnerving it sounds sometimes. My mom asked if the parrot on the screen was screaming in pain (he wasn't, he just didn't like the new plant in the house).
Hi Haz,
The bottom (and top) grates are what enclose his cage so I can't leave it open. There's a gap of about 10cm between the grate and the tray (where I put the newspaper).
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Post by Jane on May 13, 2023 5:00:42 GMT -7
The growl is a very unpleasant noise coming from such beautiful birds. I have had to warn workmen that they will get growled at by Mitzi. (Monty just likes everyone and doesn't growl at them)
When the vet was bringing Mitzi back along the corridor in her covered carrier the growling got louder as they approached the waiting room and I knew it was Mitzi. When they arrived in the waiting room I lifted the cover up and Mitzi immediately stopped growling and said "hello".
Jane
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Post by Haz on May 13, 2023 11:34:53 GMT -7
When Chy hurt herself and needed an operation, she wouldn’t talk or eat. When they brought her out after the operation and she saw me, she said, “Hi sweetie pie. Let’s go and eat”. Everyone at the place was laughing.
She doesn’t growl at people. She is either silent or chatty when meeting new people. She only growls at things that frighten her.
Haz
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Post by Scratchpost on May 16, 2023 8:25:22 GMT -7
Hi Jane,
Definitely an unpleasant noise from such pretty birds, that's probably why people are so surprised when they growl. That's so cute, they have completely opposite personalities then. Aka growls at people with coloured hair or if they are holding a box or something in their hands.
Hi Haz,
That's so cute. Does she have a favourite food? Aka growls at the vet but not at the vet assistants for some reason, and anythinh new if I don't introduce him slowly. It took him a while to stop growling at his bath (outside the cage). It went from "Growl, I am scared of you" to "Please put it in my cage so I can investigate it."
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Post by Haz on May 17, 2023 8:48:27 GMT -7
Chy eats her pellets, Nutriberries and breakfast mix. She wants to eat anything that I am eating. Typical grey.
Haz
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Post by Scratchpost on May 24, 2023 5:23:57 GMT -7
Hi Haz,
Aka has started doing the same. It took him a while to start so I was wondering if he would at all, since he's a bit odd, but it started all right. When I make supper I normally make our food and a bird-safe version of our food for aka. For example, I make a lot of stews, but I cook with onion and garlic so I can't give that to Aka. I normally make a small pot of stew with vegetables and spices other than salt and pepper (lots of green spices) without the meat, onion, and garlic. It looks the same so Aka thinks it is.
When I can't do that, I make our food and his separately but I pretend to give him a piece of whatever we are eating. This works with pasta or anything that can easily be hidden in his bowl. I put my hand in his bowl with the food he thinks I'm going to give him, but I drop the unsafe food into my other hand before it reaches his bowl. His bowls are deep so he can't see me do that. We tried leaving it once and just not giving him anything, but he stopped eating and climbed out of his cage and started howling. It was quite cute. He does that whenever he reaslises our food is different.
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