Pictures 25 year cockatiel advise?

[pennygirl]

Hi,

I just recently adopted a 25 year old male cockatiel from a local rescue. I have already taken him to the vet and got his blood work done. He is in good shape now. He mostly eats pellets with fresh food along with a little seed and nut thrown in there occasionally. He is partially blind in both eyes, is arthritic, and I'm waiting for all of his flight feathers to grow back in (they were clipped). I have 5 birds and he is the only one who I keep caged most of the day. Why? because he can't see and falls off the table that has several play gyms and other toys. He can't catch himself when falls. He usually just flaps his wings crazily and lands on his tail feathers. He is not the most graceful bird. This is probably because he was kept in a cage his whole life so has absolutely no idea how to fly.

Now here is my question: Those of you with senior birds, how do you enrich their environments? He has toys in his cage but can't move around very well so he just stays on one perch that is close to his food and water. I hate leaving him caged as all my other birds are flighted and have their own room. Is there anything I could do to make his life more pleasurable?

At the moment he is hanging out on the play stand but only because I am in the bird room. So I only let him out under strict supervision. I assume this is what I should be doing. I would love any recommendations. Please shoot them my way.

Thanks!

 

[sunnysmom]

Awww, thank you for helping this bird. I have a huge soft spot for senior tiels. He actually looks good for his age. Maybe try some platform perches for him too? I had a senior tiel but he was still very active. You can try adding senior nutriberries to his diet. It has supplements in it that are good for senior birds. I would have to break them up for my tiel though. The balls were a bit too hard for harm to break up. Hopefully once he adapts more to his cage- I'm assuming it's new to him?- he'll move around more. Can he play on the floor? That way you wouldn't have to worry about him falling, although I know not everyone likes to have their birds on the floor. My cockatiel liked walking around on the floor much more than he flew.

 

[JLcribber]

Those of you with senior birds, how do you enrich their environments?

The best thing you can do for a bird that is in the twilight of life is give as much of your love and attention as you can manage. Companionship is one of the meanings of life. Give him that and he will leave this life content. That's all we can ask.

Enrichment involves being able to move and explore even if they don't fly. Convenient ways to climb up and down from stuff. Rope highways up high that run from place to place for a way to get around by "choice". Things like that.

 

[JLcribber]

Why? because he can't see and falls off the table that has several play gyms and other toys. He can't catch himself when falls. He usually just flaps his wings crazily and lands on his tail feathers. He is not the most graceful bird. This is probably because he was kept in a cage his whole life so has absolutely no idea how to fly.

Eyesight is probably the most crucial element involved in flight. Those years are almost certainly behind him.

 

[Lady Jane]

Welcome to AA. Sending you a birdie hug for taking him in your home and heart. Other wise cockatiel members will be here to add to the great advise already given.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Awww, he is so cute! Thank you for bringing him into your home!

The best thing you can do for a bird that is in the twilight of life is give as much of your love and attention as you can manage. Companionship is one of the meanings of life. Give him that and he will leave this life content. That's all we can ask.

This got me all teary-eyed for some reason!

 

[Tara81]

Awwww it is so nice to hear you adopted him! I'm sure the other tiels making whistles probably help him feel safe. Do the other tiels come visit him? maybe being the other tiels to him once or twice a day by loading his cage floor with some millet I also would probably let him roam the floor, I bet he would enjoy a lot of cage walls with toys , things to chew that aren't in his way, with millet hanging on some parts of it. Sorry not much help, I would so be giving him cuddles as much as possible if he likes that! Oh, I saw a blind tiel on YouTube once , playing a drum with his beak. Maybe give him a tamberine to play on when you are watching him, help teach him to play it?

 

[Peachfaced]

Perhaps get some long, flat perches (platform style) and give him enriching/foraging toys along it?

 

[iamwhoiam]

Congrats and thank you for taking the beautiful senior 'tiel into your home. You may want to purchase some platforms for him.

 

[pennygirl]

Thank you all so much for all of the advise! I appreciate it a lot.

He has lived his whole life in the cage he is in now. I tried rearranging it once but that didn't go over so well. He couldn't find his food so only stayed put in one spot. I then put it back together how it was with a new platform perch (which he didn't care to use) and everything was all good after that.

Also, my female cockatiel sits on top of his cage a lot so he get quite a bit of attention from her. She will sit and stare at him, especially when he starts to sing. When I have him out of the cage she tries really hard to be his best friend. She will go over and stand by him. She'll also do whatever he is doing such as chewing om paper and inching closer and closer to him. He of course seems to thrive off anger so he hisses and lunges towards her when she gets just too close for his comfort. I think they are making progress though as the amount of aggression seems to be going down a bit.

He isn't people friendly either. Every I walk by his cage he acts like he's going to bit me. I seriously think he is fueled by his anger haha

He is a great bird though

thanks again

 

[sunnysmom]

My tiel came to us in his original cage that he had had for 15 years. I got him a new one and he wouldn't go near it- even after months of trying. I had completely underestimated how attached he was to his cage. So I let him keep it. It makes sense if your tiel has trouble seeing that he wouldn't be comfortable with changes to his cage. And how sweet that your female is trying to befriend him. I hope she wins him over. When you walk by his cage, do you talk to him? I wonder if he startles easily because of his eye sight. When I first got my tiel I would sit with him and read him magazine articles. It sounds silly but it got him used to my presence in a nonthreatening way.

 

[DQTimnehs]

Awww he's not angry, he's just nervous. He's old, can't see, can't fly, falls, is in a new place with strange people and strange birds making advances towards him! It's all pretty scary! I know I'd be pretty scared if I couldn't see, even if everything else was the same around me. Just give him time to settle in and make him feel comfortable.
You can pad the bottom of his cage with a cotton blanket or flannel sheet under the newspaper, on top of the grate, in case he falls there. Rope perches will also be good for his old feet.
Thank you for taking him in!

 

[Tara81]

Sounds like he is nervous and scared, poor guy. I guess the original owner never taught him to accept change very well. You are doing the best you can! Aww so sweet your female tiel wants to be his friend ! Maybe In A few months either of you will win him over

If he is chirping that means he is happy, so don't worry.

 

[JLcribber]

He has lived his whole life in the cage he is in now. I tried rearranging it once but that didn't go over so well. He couldn't find his food so only stayed put in one spot. I then put it back together how it was with a new platform perch (which he didn't care to use) and everything was all good after that.

Ask any blind person and they will tell you that familiarity is super important. Knowing where things are that don't change as well as routine/consistency is what makes them comfortable.

Sound is also much more important now. Use your voice and talk about everything. Always announce yourself. Tell him what you are doing. All very helpful.

 

[CeciliaZ]

Thank you for giving him a home. Let him get used to you...offer him treats.

 

[Alien J]

This got me all teary-eyed for some reason!

Me, too! I'm actually crying! Well said, @JLcribber .

@pennygirl Bless you for adopting this bird. I'm on the opposite end of the adoption scale... I adopted (confiscated would be more accurate) a 20 day old tiel from an abusive home (the kids were playing ball with the baby... the baby was the ball). I pray if he lives to be 25 and I'm not alive to see it, someone with a heart like yours will be there for him.

 

[JLcribber]

This got me all teary-eyed for some reason!

Me, too! I'm actually crying! Well said, @JLcribber .

I think anyone who has had a long full life friend/family/pet pass on realizes how important it is. Money doesn't buy happiness.

 

[Alien J]

When I first got my tiel I would sit with him and read him magazine articles

I read to TD to this day. We can't have as much out of cage time as most, and certainly not as much as we would like, but I am interacting with him almost 24/7. I read to him from the posts on the Avenue... except for @cassiesdad 's Milton stories. Ever since he said, "Eat woof-woof cake, NOW!" I've banned the outloud reading of Milton stories!jk

 

[Alien J]

know I'd be pretty scared if I couldn't see, even if everything else was the same around me.

That's no joke. My vision, which has never been any where near good is failing rapidly. It's scary. And frustrating. And scary. Did I say scary?