AngelGoffin
Sprinting down the street
Not too long ago I posted with an inquiry on how to get my girl to play with bird toys. She loves to lace and chew on shoe laces, I sew strips of buttons and leave them in the cage for her to pull off, she plays catch with water bottles and toilet paper rolls and she loves toothbrushes. I've spent a lot of money on toys but she was just not interested. Well, until about a week ago. I bought her a colorful ring of shoelaces thinking it'd be somewhat familiar and she'd play with it. But she just freaked out when I showed it to her. I'd have it on my lap during her quiet time - the two hours we sit on the couch and watch TV and I'd chew on it and throw it and she just either ignored me or freaked out. I still put it on the opposite perch in her cage and you can imagine my shock and pure delight when I came home the other day and she was happily working on her bird toy.
So much advice I received on these boards was all about being patient and letting her play with what she wanted to play with and basically being happy that she was playing at all. I took that advice to heart and just hoped that she would find things to amuse herself with while I'm at work. It's so great that she is not just playing with one two, but two. The second toy is a toothbrush that had bells and beads on it. Granted she ripped right through that in no time flat, but I have been making her toothbrush toys for a week now. I bought several packs of six at the 99 Cent Store and bought some rope and some beads and it takes her much longer to destroy these toys. But it's great that she now has something else to amuse herself with.
The other thing that has shown me how much a bird can change has to do with towels. Her previous owner never clipped her and when she would get out of the cage he had a hard time getting her back in - because she was out so rarely (poor thing). He would chase her and capture her with a towel and put her back in the cage.
All this time, up until about three months ago I couldn't even go into the living room with a dish rag in my hand - never mind it never went anywhere near her, just the sight of it would cause her to panic.
As time has gone on and her confidence grows she isn't even phased by that any more. About two months ago she was on my shoulder and I had the rag in my hand and tossed it up over my shoulder. She grabbed and pulled and grabbed and pulled until it fell to the floor and gave me that look. I cracked up and picked it up and threw it back over my shoulder and she did it again... and again... and again - never demonstrating any fear. On about the sixth time I accident tossed the towel over her head and much to my surprise she did not freak out, just pulled it off and dropped it to the floor. These days we play peek a boo with a towel. I will toss it over my head and she will remove it and then I toss it over her head and she will remove it. I never thought I'd see the day...
I believe her confidence grows daily and it's such a joy to see how far she has come in the two years I have had her. I'm attaching two pictures of her playing with her two new toys and one with her playing underneath newspaper - she has never like anything over her head. The joy I felt when I got home that day is beyond description but those of you who have had the patience to work with abused or neglected birds will be able to appreciate what it means. It wasn't always easy but the rewards are indescribable.
Thanks to everyone for all the feedback on my last post about this. I have learned so much just reading questions and stories and replies and I for one, appreciate everyone's feedback immensely.
Here's my girl:
Toothbrush toy:
Playing with newspaper over her head - amazing!
So much advice I received on these boards was all about being patient and letting her play with what she wanted to play with and basically being happy that she was playing at all. I took that advice to heart and just hoped that she would find things to amuse herself with while I'm at work. It's so great that she is not just playing with one two, but two. The second toy is a toothbrush that had bells and beads on it. Granted she ripped right through that in no time flat, but I have been making her toothbrush toys for a week now. I bought several packs of six at the 99 Cent Store and bought some rope and some beads and it takes her much longer to destroy these toys. But it's great that she now has something else to amuse herself with.
The other thing that has shown me how much a bird can change has to do with towels. Her previous owner never clipped her and when she would get out of the cage he had a hard time getting her back in - because she was out so rarely (poor thing). He would chase her and capture her with a towel and put her back in the cage.
All this time, up until about three months ago I couldn't even go into the living room with a dish rag in my hand - never mind it never went anywhere near her, just the sight of it would cause her to panic.
As time has gone on and her confidence grows she isn't even phased by that any more. About two months ago she was on my shoulder and I had the rag in my hand and tossed it up over my shoulder. She grabbed and pulled and grabbed and pulled until it fell to the floor and gave me that look. I cracked up and picked it up and threw it back over my shoulder and she did it again... and again... and again - never demonstrating any fear. On about the sixth time I accident tossed the towel over her head and much to my surprise she did not freak out, just pulled it off and dropped it to the floor. These days we play peek a boo with a towel. I will toss it over my head and she will remove it and then I toss it over her head and she will remove it. I never thought I'd see the day...
I believe her confidence grows daily and it's such a joy to see how far she has come in the two years I have had her. I'm attaching two pictures of her playing with her two new toys and one with her playing underneath newspaper - she has never like anything over her head. The joy I felt when I got home that day is beyond description but those of you who have had the patience to work with abused or neglected birds will be able to appreciate what it means. It wasn't always easy but the rewards are indescribable.
Thanks to everyone for all the feedback on my last post about this. I have learned so much just reading questions and stories and replies and I for one, appreciate everyone's feedback immensely.
Here's my girl:
Toothbrush toy:
Playing with newspaper over her head - amazing!
!!
