Can my birds smell the Cat urine in the adjacent garden.
and asking why Bill might be refusing to go to bed at dusk.
The story:-
Yesterday when I returned from the back garden, having been away from the house and the birds for 2 hours my oldest budgie Bill, two and a half years was 'flighty'. This was not in response to me , or my dog, or his budgie friend Blue. It seemed random.
The house had been locked when I was away , so that no visitors would enter and leave doors open while looking for me.
My old dog had being outside with me sleeping in the sun on her pushchair. (Yes that's right she has arthritus.)
So what happen during that time to scare Bill ?
Bill afraid of the dark?
At dusk.
Bill would not settle in the cage. Hell he would not go into the cage. His younger friend of one year had been settled for an hour.
Bill had the option of using an open second cage but lately he had been sleeping with Blue.
Consequently Blue became disturbed by the super vigilant Bill flying about like predicting an earthquake or something and Blue had followed Bill out of the cage and up to the ceiling perches.Twice.
I confess before I went to bed I followed Bill about the lounge telling him to go to bed. I know harassing him was wrong.
I felt guilty this morning thinking Bill would have lost all trust in me.
But he was better than ever at ' touch the chopstick with his beak . I click. Then he samples millet.'
Touch training.
I deliberately avoided training.
But at 11 am Bill made it clear to me he wanted to play. He does that by following me about and positioning himself in a usual training spot.
I am lucky.
And lucky for me he jumped off the roof from the top of the Cage down onto my wrist and then he proceeded to shuffle sideways to my fingers to take the reward.
The jump from a height to my wrist was pre-empted by Blue coming over to basically 'get in the way.'
I was surprised because I had not even touched his beak. It was his idea.
Bill outsmarts me.
All progress seems to unfold with Bill taking control this way. Since I have relaxed a bit more Bill initiates things.
So I began to take advantage of him 'sitting on my hand' to click and treat him into the cage and onto the perch. I asked him to 'step up.'
OK
He dosn't watch the same videos as me but he did it anyway.
Bill keeps me humble.
He flew away before I could fathom how to reward him for leaving the cage.
Which he was bound to do right?
It is stupid and funny.
I am often standing about thinking about what the hell just happened.
I would like to get him to 'step up ' and 'step down.' Then I could ask him to go to bed nicely couldn't I.
It could still have been a battle going to bed tonight. I wrote in my diary that it was not until the last train was leaving the station that Bill went to bed.
I left a doorway size gap in the covered cage where Blue was sleeping and then Bill flew inside the cage.
Can birds smell cat urine?
Do they care?
What startled Bill?
Is he really scared of the cage or not really?
Is Bill worried about the position of the cage(s)?
Could Bill be afraid of our neighbours cat?
There is every opportunity for puss to look in our windows at the birds.
The cages are now right next to the windows of the front garden which reeks of cat urine.
Our neighbour's cat is a gorgeous animal who thinks he owns my newly aquired home. He came in and sprayed when the first person with the key opened the door.
Your thoughts?
Bev
Once I watched a documentary where lab rats had been modified to not recognise that cat urine meant predator. The rats lived very short lives.
I cannot remember the point of the experiment. It must had a human sequlae to generate funding. I got stuck on feeling sorry for the rats.
LOL
and asking why Bill might be refusing to go to bed at dusk.
The story:-
Yesterday when I returned from the back garden, having been away from the house and the birds for 2 hours my oldest budgie Bill, two and a half years was 'flighty'. This was not in response to me , or my dog, or his budgie friend Blue. It seemed random.
The house had been locked when I was away , so that no visitors would enter and leave doors open while looking for me.
My old dog had being outside with me sleeping in the sun on her pushchair. (Yes that's right she has arthritus.)
So what happen during that time to scare Bill ?
Bill afraid of the dark?
At dusk.
Bill would not settle in the cage. Hell he would not go into the cage. His younger friend of one year had been settled for an hour.
Bill had the option of using an open second cage but lately he had been sleeping with Blue.
Consequently Blue became disturbed by the super vigilant Bill flying about like predicting an earthquake or something and Blue had followed Bill out of the cage and up to the ceiling perches.Twice.
I confess before I went to bed I followed Bill about the lounge telling him to go to bed. I know harassing him was wrong.
I felt guilty this morning thinking Bill would have lost all trust in me.
But he was better than ever at ' touch the chopstick with his beak . I click. Then he samples millet.'
Touch training.
I deliberately avoided training.
But at 11 am Bill made it clear to me he wanted to play. He does that by following me about and positioning himself in a usual training spot.
I am lucky.
And lucky for me he jumped off the roof from the top of the Cage down onto my wrist and then he proceeded to shuffle sideways to my fingers to take the reward.
The jump from a height to my wrist was pre-empted by Blue coming over to basically 'get in the way.'
I was surprised because I had not even touched his beak. It was his idea.
Bill outsmarts me.
All progress seems to unfold with Bill taking control this way. Since I have relaxed a bit more Bill initiates things.
So I began to take advantage of him 'sitting on my hand' to click and treat him into the cage and onto the perch. I asked him to 'step up.'
OK
He dosn't watch the same videos as me but he did it anyway.
Bill keeps me humble.
He flew away before I could fathom how to reward him for leaving the cage.
Which he was bound to do right?
It is stupid and funny.
I am often standing about thinking about what the hell just happened.
I would like to get him to 'step up ' and 'step down.' Then I could ask him to go to bed nicely couldn't I.
It could still have been a battle going to bed tonight. I wrote in my diary that it was not until the last train was leaving the station that Bill went to bed.
I left a doorway size gap in the covered cage where Blue was sleeping and then Bill flew inside the cage.
Can birds smell cat urine?
Do they care?
What startled Bill?
Is he really scared of the cage or not really?
Is Bill worried about the position of the cage(s)?
Could Bill be afraid of our neighbours cat?
There is every opportunity for puss to look in our windows at the birds.
The cages are now right next to the windows of the front garden which reeks of cat urine.
Our neighbour's cat is a gorgeous animal who thinks he owns my newly aquired home. He came in and sprayed when the first person with the key opened the door.
Your thoughts?
Bev
Once I watched a documentary where lab rats had been modified to not recognise that cat urine meant predator. The rats lived very short lives.
I cannot remember the point of the experiment. It must had a human sequlae to generate funding. I got stuck on feeling sorry for the rats.
LOL