Nothing is sacred

[TextsFromParrots]

Lafayette has a very light clip so he's pretty mobile around the house. He flies around all over, but for the most part sticks on top of the cage with Piper. Or at least he did. We've now found out that he has no respect for any boundaries. None at all. Today I went to the bathroom when I hear beating wings and suddenly a turquoise streak bursts into the bedroom to land on my head chirping excitedly at having found me. Okay....next time even if I am home alone, bathroom door closed. O o And then we had another incident today where I was trying to get some mixing done in the kitchen he came streaking in to me not once, not twice, not three times, but a total of SIX times. Do I just place him back on the stand and reinforce that's where he belongs? Do I put him away if I plan on leaving room? Should I give him a treat when I take him back to the cage or would that be reinforcing that flying off the top ends in a treat?


... I'm more concerned about my private bathroom time. O o It's kind of awkward getting bird to the head.

 

[Birdbabe]

No fear dear, I cant take a bath or shower without my trusty IRN shadow Merlin. Hey at least he still wolf whistles at me....

 

[Anne & Gang]

sounds like your training is coming along nicely..

 

[TextsFromParrots]

Lafayette is a little hellion with wings! So far we're working on landing on my hand, rather then his favored spot which is my head and tangling with my hair. I'm glad Piper's flights haven't grown in yet or I'd have no safe place to hide!! The guys are in the cage when I shower. I don't think I want to find a green missile launching itself at me. HEhehe

 

[bubblelady]

Hey, Gussie wouldn't think of letting me go into the bathroom alone!!! In fact, Gussie wouldn't think of letting me go anywhere alone She came to me clipped & I continued to clip her for a while before I decided to let her flights grow out. It was almost comical the first time she got lift off...a big bird flew past the window & her instincts kicked in. She ended up across the room on the desk, obviously surprised. She sat there for quite a while till I took pity and retrieved her. She got used to her new skill quickly, however, as I discovered much like you. I went to the bathroom & was soon joined by a little green flyer. She has been my shadow ever since!

 

[dolldid]

with flight or with out Mango has to go with me to bathroom,,lol so i just tell him time to peee

and he comes faster,,lol so get used to it,,lol its a birds trate,,lollol


hugssssssss doll mango

 

[TextsFromParrots]

LOL between the cats rubbing against my legs and the bird now launching himself at me it makes me wonder why my animals assume I can't go to the bathroom by myself. *sighs* I apparently need moral support!

 

[Leza]

Odin does this to me at night now, she can see me doing stuff in the bathroom late at night and wants to watch so here she comes! lol, not much you can do for a flighted bird. but yes reinforcement is key, ignore it if it really bothers you and eentually he will understand you don't want him with you in the bathroom.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

A little off the thread, but... My best friend had a cat that if my friend got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, the cat would come running from where ever she was and jump into my friend's lap while she sat on the pot. One night, my friend got something in her eye and she went into the bathroom to irrigate her eye; didn't bother turning on the light. While she stood there splashing herself with water, she heard her cat's little paws galloping toward her, into the bathroom and heard a splash. The cat had launched herself thinking my friend was on the toilet and instead poor Amber landed head first in the water.... Never again did Amber jump into her lap in the bathroom without making sure my friend was sitting down.

My cats follow me into the bathroom all the time. My alpha cat, Timothy Patrick Tiger likes to crawl into my underware when it is down around my ankles and sleep there until I tell him to move. He is a mess.

 

[Megan]

I've had flighted parrots for 14 years. In your position, I would teach him the command "stay", tell him to stay before you leave his sight. If he does come to you, allow him to land on you, then give the cue to have him return to his perch/cage. When he returns to his perch/place, on his own, then reward him, big time. Practice, Stand a couple of yards from his perch, tell him "fly to your perch", and give your hand a little toss in the right direction. Treat his success with dramatic praise, food and scritches. Repeat so long as it is fun for both of you. I never scold a bird for coming to me. If for some crazy reason the bird is in danger, or has been lost, or whatever, I always want my birds to know that they can come to me. It's like a dog, teaching recall is very difficult, so use every chance to reinforce recall. I've used cues like "fly off", and "fly to your cage", to teach a bird to leave me. I will also attempt to direct a flying bird to an appropriate landing spot. You can say "fly up", or "fly to your perch" when you hear wings. That's how I do it. (Dramatic praise ="oh! what a good bird!! You are *amazing!" Wow!!") Tell other people about your birds amazing feat in proud, dramatic language, in the birds hearing. Tell a whole story, using the birds name, and use the cue words, like "and he *flew back to his perch!*" They are so smart, they totally eat this up. I hope you have a great time with him!

 

[rikkitikki]

LOL between the cats rubbing against my legs and the bird now launching himself at me it makes me wonder why my animals assume I can't go to the bathroom by myself. *sighs* I apparently need moral support!

There's obviously a secret door that you'll escape out of if they don't chaperone you!!

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

This is one reason why I have a birdroom. The only way to keep the cats out of the bathroom is to either 1. turn on the shower, or 2. close the door. Who knows what type of great treats or wonderful things you are doing inside that bathroom if they are not with you? I mean, really, isn't their presence the highlight of your life?

 

[65sunnyday]

A little off the thread, but... My best friend had a cat that if my friend got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, the cat would come running from where ever she was and jump into my friend's lap while she sat on the pot. One night, my friend got something in her eye and she went into the bathroom to irrigate her eye; didn't bother turning on the light. While she stood there splashing herself with water, she heard her cat's little paws galloping toward her, into the bathroom and heard a splash. The cat had launched herself thinking my friend was on the toilet and instead poor Amber landed head first in the water.... Never again did Amber jump into her lap in the bathroom without making sure my friend was sitting down.

My cats follow me into the bathroom all the time. My alpha cat, Timothy Patrick Tiger likes to crawl into my underware when it is down around my ankles and sleep there until I tell him to move. He is a mess.

The mental image w/this is PRICELESS !!!

 

[K&J Birds]

What part of owning cats didn't prepare you for the complete and total lack of privacy??????

 

[Bokkapooh]

I'm suppose to be allowed privacy? My birds find it fun to be with me when I shower, pee or even get dressed! A bunch of weird peeping toms!!!

 

[TextsFromParrots]

Hmm maybe we should get a support meeting together and hope they learn better habits! With our luck, though, they'd just end up learning even creepier habits.

 

[LittleGems]

The first time I took Ninja in the shower with me, he completely freaked out when I took my clothes off! Nice boost to my self esteem, huh? LOL

Then when I thought about it I realized he probably thought I just plucked ALL my feathers at once

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

That is priceless, LittleGems! Oh, wow! I am a bit of a nudist inside my house so my birds know my body covering changes to all skin frequently. But when you think about it, that could freak out a bird the way we so easily change colors. I once had a cockatiel that would fly to anyone who wore a red shirt; but when she realized it wasn't me should would always alarm call and fly away quickly. I finally realized when I bought her, I wore a red shirt and she had associated me with that color. I guess that is the reason why birds get so upset when we change our hair color or nail color, etc. It reminds me of the time my one year old brother burst out crying and refused to go to my aunt when she changed her hair color from black to blonde over night. Poor baby.

When you think about the mental age of our birds as compared with human children, it gets easy to understand why the birds want to be with us constantly; that is what children want to do until they are between 6 or 8! Mommies can't get any privacy either, Kalan. Luckily it isn't considered abuse to put a bird in a cage so they cannot follow you everywhere; but it is frowned upon with children. Besides, it is the parronts who need the support group, not the birds! They are perfectly happy with the way they are now!