Lucky's update....

[Luckygurl78]

Hello Kimbear! It's been a while since I last wrote but I told you that I'd keep you updated and so here I am!

I decided to move Lucky over to my home from my mother's in his old cage because he was simply not getting enough " 'Too-Time". We moved him in last sunday and OVERALL, he's been better. HOWEVER....he's STILL screaming...A LOT. I'm feeling a bit of a prisoner sometimes cause the moment I leave the room, he goes crazy. He eats some...but due to stress ( at least I HOPE it's stress) he's not eating as much as he had before the move. He doesn't play with his toys, only watches me wherever I go. And when I leave his eyesight...the screaming starts. His poops are more frequent and slightly more watery than before...again, I HOPE It's only due to stress. Seeing as how he didn't have that problem BEFORE the move. He started out OK, but two days ago, he bit me hard on the back (which I'm thankful that it wasn't on the face again....). After the bite, I decided to "ground" him from coming out of his cage for about another week. Maybe let him settle in a bit...get used to the "ebb and flow" of the home before I try that again.

Maybe he's doing the obligatory "jealous 'too" thing? Afterall, I do have a "mate" in the home and there is a dog involved now. (They are ALWAYS seperated by a child gate and they both seem to ignore one another for the most part...).

Either way, if you have any added advice and/or encouragement, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again...
Wish us luck!
Misty and Lucky

[Luckygurl78]

Since my last post, Lucky still hasn't been playing with his toys much...but his poops have gone back to normal, which I'm happy for! I was really starting to worry there!
But he's still screaming his little cockatoo heart out whenever I leave the room...

Yesterday he screamed for two hours straight. The bf and I left him alone until he was done, and THEN came to talkt to him later.

Thanks for reading!

[KimBear]

If you're certain that the screaming is for attention, than it's important to not offer attention when he screams. However, there may be something else going on as well. Here are just a couple of things to look at:

--sleep schedule: He should have about 10 hours of sleep uninterupted by television, talking, etc. If you keep late hours, consider setting up a separate sleeping cage for him.

--exercise: Since he's not playing with toys, he may not be getting enough active play. This could be addressed as an issue separate from the screaming, but as well as a possible contributor

I recommend that parrots be given "jobs" to do, instead of just coming out and sitting or being cuddled. Examples include things like learning tricks (see my website for the trick training videos I recommend, www.kimbear.com ) and just playing simple games that you make up together. You may have to end up teaching him how to play with his toys, or look into what other types of toys he may like better than the ones he has.

Cockatoos in particular are active, intelligent birds, and can get very frustrated when they don't have enough mental or physical stimulation. Lucky may still need a bit of adjusting to his new home, but he will still benefit from some added attention that includes activities and a chance for him to use his brain.