Advice for Inconsiderate Spouse?

[TJ Relic]

I just posted this on the Conure board, but thought it might be better here. Sorry if that's not okay. (newbie)

I wake and feed Rigel first thing when I wake up at 7am, and put him to bed at 7 or 8 pm depending on if he is beak grinding or already dozing on his perch at 7.

My hubby doesn't believe having the TV on at night is going to disturb my little guy's sleep. Its driving me up the wall that he's being so inconsiderate! I've compiled pretty much every resource and of course they all say 10 hours of quiet and dark sleep is the minimum. Hubby insists that "birds in the wild live in the jungle where its always loud." Nonsense. Of course its never silent because that means there is danger close by, but they certainly don't have TV flickering and shows with explosions and yelling. The TV didn't go off tonight until 11pm.

My only other solution (because Hubby is so stubborn) is to put a sleep cage in the bedroom. I'm concerned that the morning alarm will be stressful for him. Opinions?

[bekfreak]

Sleep cage in your bed room.

[catschair]

I think it just depends on the bird. All of my fids (32 of them) are housed in the living room with the TV, stereo, etc. Most of them will go to sleep regardless of the noise or light. Some nights I have to cover them to get them to calm down (especially the budgies), but everyone will sleep with the noise. They all wake up when I get up around five (they are already up in the summer), and go back to sleep when I go to work. Other experiences may differ!

[Sally]

12 hours of quiet sleep is important. I have not been in the jungle, but I bet the animals sleep and do not stay up all night and make noise. When the sun goes down, birds find a place to sleep. We all have to have sleep for our health.

[tielmama]

The sleep cage in the bedroom sounds best. The alarm will be something Rigel will get accustomed to. My birds are in the living room covered before 8:00pm. It's not too wild in the living room, but my husband watches TV in there too. We turn off almost all the lights, and he turns the volume down. They hear us, I'm sure, but they just beak grind, and then get completely quiet. We might stir around in the kitchen, which is open to the living room, earlier, but I don't uncover them until 9:00am. They don't make a peep until I uncover them. My Sennie actually acts like I have awakened her when I take her cover off! Mine are not cranky or bitey during the day. If they were tired, I'd think they would try to take a nap. They don't. My Sennie takes a short one around 3:00pm, and my U2 rarely takes a nap. I think they're fine.
If you're worried about the alarm, is there another room for a sleep room?

[birdguy]

sleep cage in bedroom.

My lovie is in the living room with the TV, radio, etc. which is connected to the kitchen so there is always noise. she will just fall asleep when ever she feels like it.

personally, i think that you are being overcaring of your conure. saying to your husband, who is supposed to be more inmoptant than your birds, that he can't have the TV on past 8 is non-sense. in my time zone, all of the good shows start coming on at 8. get the bird a sleep cage in a different room or just leave him in the living room. he'll adapt, that's what animals do.

[luvmy3kids]

I think he'll adapt, or just sleep thru anything but the most noisy TV stuff. Just my 2 cents.

[TJ Relic]

Birdguy-
My hubby was re-watching a show we've seen several times, on DVD, with the sound system (not just tv speakers). He also could have watched the DVD on his computer with the headphones on, but no. I don't see how a little creature who has to be caged and alone when we aren't home has to take a backseat to a grown human who can go and do wherever he wants in the house or elsewhere. My husband has many things to occupy his life, Rigel only has me, food, and toys. (And music played low during the day when I'm not home.) Not only that, but Rigel himself makes me happy, and I'm not the sort of woman who will put my husband's happiness above my own and an innocent creature's.

Everything I've read says he will "adapt" by becoming aggressive and unhappy. Given that he's already a nipper, I don't want that to get worse. I'm going to try the sleep cage in the bedroom and see if it doesn't ease his nippiness or if the alarm will be more a stress than the TV at night.

[birdguy]

the alarm should be fine. he'll wake up then go back to sleep. nothing really bothers my bird. my mom is up till midnight or later some times watching TV and peaches sleeps right through it. no problem.

[TJ Relic]

Oh I feed him as soon as I wake up, so I would just take him to his primary cage as soon as the alarm goes off. I just know it isn't a fun way to wake up myself, hehe.