A CAG for Me?

[HyperFerret]

Hellos. I don't have one yet but someday I will have a CAG. Well, at least I want one really really really badly. Me being me, I constantly think about things extremely early! Okay, I've read that CAGs do not handle change well at all. My main concern is that every single year at the very same time I always go on an out-of-state vocation trip. Usually, I get a critter sitter for everyone except for my Budgie Parakeet, Ymdrib. For Ymdrib, I used to always take him to a friends house. Ymdrib would stay the entire time at my friends house. Well, would I be able to do that with a CAG? Or would he (the CAG) totally freak out going to someone else's house? Oh, also, the vacation I take every year is 2 weeks long. With Ymdrib, it was easy, I would just talk to him before I left - sometimes talk to him over the phone while I was gone - and then baby him when I got back home. Will a CAG have issues with me disappearing for two weeks? Is there anything I can do to help better the situation?

Not handling change well, does this mean I won't be able to take him anywhere with me? With Ymdrib, I always took him from room to room to room of the house - basically, where ever I went, Ymdrib went. Also, I would sometimes take Ymdrib to my friends house with me when I went to visit them. Could I do this with a CAG?

Still with change.... I LOVE to decorate for the seasons! Is a CAG so bad that he'll totally spas when I redecorate???

And one more question! I also read that CAGs could sometimes bond with only one person and when they bonded with that person they will not want to socialize with other peoples. Well.... I live with my Mom, whom I help take care of. I leave the house for work 5 days a week. Mom is home on disability every single day. With Mom being home every day like that, does that mean the CAG will bond with her and not me resulting in "my bird" becoming "her's"?

Okay, that's it for this moment but I'm sure I'll come up with more questions to throw at you. LOL. Any info is appreciated! Thanks!!!!

[birdsnreps]

i think if you get a baby, and expose him to diff things while he still young, you wont really have probs with him but if you adopt an older one, you probably will have issues. i always see people that take their greys on car rides and short little trips, and their birds do just fine :)

[Bradleyzoo]

It's so good that you are thinking ahead about your lifestyle and how it will affect a new fid in your family. I'm no expert but I believe what a lot of people have said here on other threads... that each bird is an individual so nothing is cast in stone... and that if you train a bird early to the things it will be exposed to then you should have fewer problems than if you don't.

That all being said... following are our experiences. We bought Phoenix, our CAG, from a pet store when she was 3 months old. We were visiting friends in Phoenix, AZ and 2 days after we bought her we flew home to Alaska. She was the first bird in our family so we had a lot of adjustments to make. We had 3 large dogs and 2 cats. We spent a lot of time with all of the animals to let them know that this was another family member (and not a snack) and to let Phoenix know that she was safe in our home. Our pets all got along so well that Phoenix would get down off her perch and walk around the house, and if a dog was in the way she simply walked OVER it.

Just like you described with Ymdrib, Phoenix goes everywhere with us. Outside, inside, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, etc, etc. I've even taken her to the grocery store on my shoulder. We moved from Alaska to Honduras and we drove all the way from Alaska to Florida, then caught a freighter to Honduras. Phoenix was on my husbands shoulder in the van the entire way. We stopped to visit family along the way and we camped out - so Phoenix was in a new environment every day. (not to mention cars and trucks on the highway) She LOVED it!! As long as she was with Mom and Dad she was fine.

Even though she has done these things, she doesn't like some change very much. New toy - no way. At least 1 week of gradually getting it closer to her until it finally makes it into her cage, and even then it's a couple of weeks before she'll touch it.

As for bonding... we've heard so much about them only bonding to one person. Phoenix is only 7 years old so this may change, but she is equally bonded to both of us. She has specific little routines with my husband and different ones with me. We also have friends over and workers around a lot. She bonds with some and not others. It takes her at least a week to warm up to someone new, but as long as they don't make sudden moves around her or do anything to frighten her she eventually does warm up.

When we go out of town we have a "pet sitter". We have had to chose someone who the birds trust - which narrows the field a bit - but it can be done.

As for decorating around the holidays... I would suggest starting out slowly and interact with the bird while you're doing it and showing him/her that it's OK. Keep in mind things that look like predators will scare them.... long, flowing things that may look like snakes, in particular. What I do when I introduce Phoenix to something new is I set it out on the other end of the room and let it sit there for a day or two. Then I take her over to it and talk to her sweetly and "pet" the item and tell her "it's OK" - and then I take her back to her perch. Then the next day I get the item out and do whatever it is I'm supposed to do with that item. If you bring something large into a room suddenly it will most likely scare any bird - ie: ladder, big box, etc.

My (long winded) point is... as long as you are aware of their fears and are willing to spend time helping them to adjust to new things I don't think you'll have any more of a problem with a CAG than any other bird. (keeping in mind this is a generalization)

I hope this helps..... and good luck!! Sorry this is so long... I just wanted to touch on all the points you asked about.

[DynamitePsycho]

My parents have a TAG who has moved with us every move (being a military family). She handled it well, but we also kind of started her young. My mother loves to rearrange furniture and decorate for the seasons, but she doesn't spazz out at all. My CAG is still a baby, so I am trying to expose him (like how birdsnreps has explained) so he becomes used to change. He's turning 6 months next week, so he's still pretty impressionable. Since both my husband and I are military, and my husband is rarely home because of that, I make it a point to take him out on "walks" and socialize with other people, so when my husband isn't deployed Ziggy has an easier time adjusting to him. It just takes time and patience and trying to let your bird have an open mind. Good luck! :o)