1 Step Forward, 1 Back

[Snowghost]

Oh Greys can keep us hopping. I was getting ready to run errands and Paco deceids to swing down from his cage to visit. Glad I had on slippers. I can't help it my heart just pounds when he does this.

So the little stinker that he is does NOT like new things. A friend sent me so e goodies and toys, I laid them out so he woul get used to them. He didn't come out of his cage all day. I felt bad, put them all away and he stepped up on my hand a perfect gentleman now, gently nipping arm and lightly holding on to step up. Well that changed, went to put him to bed and he chomped. I just grit my teeth and put him to bed. Gotta love these dinosaurs. Pics below

 

[Toy]

We've had our CAG for almost 20 years now. Got her when she was 6 months old. She is a Velociraptor, LOL. She bonded to my husband, but once she reached breeding age, she got very nippy. Then she started to bite hard, to the bone, for no reason that we could see. He finally gave up handling her & leaves her up to me. I discovered in order to keep her from biting I needed to explain every movement I made, every reason for her to step up/down, everything I wanted her to do, in detail, or I'd get nailed big time. I found that CAG's tend to be on the defensive at all times. Any time I am carrying her I talk to her non-stop to keep her attention, which usually results in no biting. I also discovered that she is food motivated. If she is acting like she will bite I warn her if she bites she won't get any pistachios, her favorite nuts, for a week. I hold her to it too. Oh & she takes revenge the day after I give her a shower too, because she doesn't like showers. CAG's are so intelligent it's hard to get inside their head. Those who have one of the really laid back ones are lucky, because they are far & few between.

All I can say is keep a good supply of Neosporin & Band-aids .

 

[Snowghost]

@Toy, yes they are intelligent. Almost to the point of being scary. He is 19 and we have been together 7 months, and this is our second hard bite. It was my fault. He had been upset all day long staying in his cage cause he did not like the new toys. I wasn't thinking and just stuck my arm out and said "step up" and he went for it. Someone else mentioned to me, Bert or Hawk when I got him to talk to him, and I always do, telling him what I am doing.

It has occurred to me after spending more and more one on one time together and watching what he is afraid of (virtually everything) he as not been around people or activity in a very long time. His last owner had him for six years, poor diet and cage was in the corner of a room, she worked 2 jobs and I'm pretty sure he was ignored.

I wonder if clicker training might help him? He does nothing but sit on his cage door or on top of it. He will ring his bell and has lately been nipping at a wooden toy hanging in his cage. He is so scared. I want him to be happy and feel safe. He had one food bowl and a water bottle. I replaced that with a water bowl and 2 stainless steel bowls. He is still nervous around the bowls. His feathers have grown back in and he has gained a little weight. I just don't know how to let him know he is safe in this new world of his. I clean is cage 2 times a day, talking to him and I do the same with his bowls. The poor thing was living in 8 inches of soiled newspaper and there was plexi glass screwed to the sides of the cage to keep the paper in the cage. It was the saddest thing I ever saw, he even smelled.

We have accomplished a lot in these short months, I just want to learn as much as I can so I can increase his happiness.

 

[Toy]

Our CAG (Jengo) really likes acrylic beads & shapes in pretty colors. She prefers those over any other toys. I string a bunch together & hang them along the side of her cage, as she likes to bang them around. She also likes those big plastic bolt & nut foot toys. Somehow she manages to unscrew the nut. She has a set of baby keys she plays with a lot too. I put a clear plastic bowl (from the deli) in the corner of her cage & toss foot toys in it. She takes them out & even puts some back. She's gotten better with new toys, but I can't change a perch. The pet store we got her from had a policy....you buy the bird as a package deal...cage, toys, perches, etc, so it was all set up when we got her. I tried to change the rope perch years ago & she freaked, stopped eating & hid in the corner. I had to put it back in. I found I must touch anything I hand her or put in her cage to my face. That lets her know it's safe. Same thing with any new food. I need to taste it or fake like I'm eating it. She needs to know it's OK to eat.

Jengo is not a climber like my B&G Macaw or U2 are. CAG's aren't the best of climbers. She will go down to the seed skirt, but never climbs off her cage. She will fly off it & land on the floor & walk around, but not very often. She prefers to sit on the door or top of her cage.

We have a big aviary (6' W x 12'L x 7.5' H), under roof, with perches, orb, boing, cargo net, toys, etc., in the back yard for use in spring & summer. I take them out as long as the sun is shining & the temp is 72 or above. They spend late morning (after breakfast) to early evening out there. Never on rainy days, as they hate rain. If a storm blows in quickly & I don't have time to get them safely back in the house, they go to the ceiling & hang there until the rain stops. They have water, but never food as it draws bees. She likes to go out there & climb all over, go down to the ground & dig holes in the dirt. On days she's being a brat she will chase my B&G Macaw & U2 around the aviary & threaten them. She attacked my B&G Macaw once & they both ended up with facial boo-boos. CAG's can be fearless.

I'd try keeping toys small for now. If he takes to them, later on you can try something a little larger. It will take a lot of time & patience to make any changes or introduce new things. Keep wood toys small too. Jengo doesn't seem to like thick wood, but more thinner stuff she can bite thru, like popsicle sticks.

You can try clicker training. Not sure if all CAG's are, but Jengo is very food motivated.

 

[Snowghost]

Thank you for this information. He so afraid of everything. I will keep going slow, talking and try smallerr toys.

 

[BertAllen]

@Snowghost
Tinker and Paco must be wired together as Tinker gave me two nasty nips yesterday when I told him I had to go to work. He's been good lately but this time I had to pick him up and put him in his cage.

 

[Snowghost]

@BertAllen Too funny. They can be little beasts can't they? My hand is really sore today and you know he would have to bite my right hand. When I wear my brace to support my wrist it rubs the bites.. uggg I had to swipe down cob webs yesterday, I about scared poor Paco to death. He's o.k., did get some good wing flapping in.

Will start working on introducing small toys. I put a small paper tube on the top of his cage in the back. He growled and fluffed but is ignoring it for right now.

@Toy I can't believe you baby went after a B & G Macaw. I always wanted one of those birds. I knew a guy that had one and they are amazing and really big. Do you have any pics you can post?

 

[Toy]

@Snowghost Jengo attacked her more than once. I have lots of pics of JaJaBinks. Will try to post some on the shutterbug page. Still trying to figure how to do things here.

 

[Snowghost]

@Toy I'm sort of a newbie myself. What is the shutterbug page?

 

[LynnInColorado]

Lucky birds to have very such caring and patient humans. I had a re-homed Severe Macaw that I decided not to handle at all until he wanted to be handled. He got lots of attention and eventually wanted to step up. They’re all different aren’t they?

 

[Zara]

What is the shutterbug page?

¨Shutterbug Street¨ is the forum to post non bird related photographs, perhaps flowers, scenary, weather, other animals, etc
I think @Toy was thinking of ¨Feathered photos fairway¨, the forum to post our bird photographs