please help!! African grey christmas dilema

[cikazako]

African grey christmas crisis!!!!


Hello, so I don’t know what to do with my african grey this christmas. We always spend christmas at my grandparents and usually leave the african grey at home. However she is plucking her feathers and whenever left alone for more than a couples of hours she plucks everything she can. So I don’t know, should we take her with us? There would be a lot of people wich can be stressful but they are not strangers, she knows them all and has seen them before. But she was never at my grandparents and also the drive to get there is around 1 hour. But if we leave her alone for 1 and a half days she will be lonely and stressed and will probably pluck all her feathers. So are the drive, the new environment, about 10 people too much for her to handle? Is it better if we leave her home?


please help i really dont know what to do..

 

[SandraK]

If you took her with you, where would her cage be? In your bedroom or in a public area where there would be strangers she doesn't know? Personally, I would not want to leave my birds alone at home unless someone would be stopping by to change water/check on food daily. I would suggest you look back in your history with your bird to try to figure out what happened or changed that is causing her to pluck. As in what changed around the time you bird started plucking? Did your family get a new cat or dog? Did someone she liked (God forbid) pass away? Was the house remodeled (noise/strangers) or was her cage location changed? If you have a maid/cook/housekeeper come to your house have any of them changed or does one of them dislike parrots?

 

[cikazako]

I don't know where her cage wwould be it could be in a bedroom or in a public place, but these people are not strangers to her, she knows them all, she sees them a couple times a year. As for the plucking there were no big changes, she started plucking when she flew away and hit a tree and scratched her wing. But I think by now it has become a habit.

 

[Sylvester]

African grey christmas crisis!!!!


Hello, so I don’t know what to do with my african grey this christmas. We always spend christmas at my grandparents and usually leave the african grey at home. However she is plucking her feathers and whenever left alone for more than a couples of hours she plucks everything she can. So I don’t know, should we take her with us? There would be a lot of people wich can be stressful but they are not strangers, she knows them all and has seen them before. But she was never at my grandparents and also the drive to get there is around 1 hour. But if we leave her alone for 1 and a half days she will be lonely and stressed and will probably pluck all her feathers. So are the drive, the new environment, about 10 people too much for her to handle? Is it better if we leave her home?


please help i really dont know what to do..

I could have sworn I posted on this thread.

My reply went like this: Is she a social bird? You know her best; does she get along with people? She obviously doesn't like to be alone, so why not try it?

 

[cikazako]

Yes she is a social bird, she likes company and people and likes to observe everyone and talk along, but she gets scared easily, when people want to pet her especially if there is a lot of people. And I am afraid that this experience might be too stresfull for her. Not so much the people beacuse she knows them, but I don't know how she will react to a completely new environment.

 

[Kodigirl210]

I would say it comes down to what you feel is most important.
You know that if you leave her home she will definitely pluck her feathers.
If she goes there’s only the possibility she might get stressed and pluck. The balancing factor being that you can always take her to another room/quiet area to calm her down and then bring her back out which may keep her from plucking at all. If she’s at home that’s not a possibility at all.
If I were you I would take her with you so you or someone else can keep an eye on her. Also there’s the offshot chance that with all the distractions she might not pluck at all.
Whatever you choose I wish all of you the best!

 

[Shezbug]

I personally would take my bird rather than leave it alone for any length of time. If your bird knows all the people there and you have suitable places to put the bird then I do not see a problem with taking the bird with you. I am not sure if your bird has problems with traveling or things like that so I think you are the only person who knows the best thing to do in this situation.

I hope you have a lovely time with your family

 

[macawpower58]

I have taken my birds so many places, and never regretted it.
Set rules for the guests. Find a place with the family, but also a littler more quiet. A corner of the room maybe.
You will never know if it works if you dont try it.

 

[kathyth]

My Grey traveled 10,000 miles with us and loved it! Take her.

 

[Sylvester]

Yes she is a social bird, she likes company and people and likes to observe everyone and talk along, but she gets scared easily, when people want to pet her especially if there is a lot of people. And I am afraid that this experience might be too stresfull for her. Not so much the people beacuse she knows them, but I don't know how she will react to a completely new environment.

Can you put her in another room of the house? And tell them straight up not to pet her. This is family, so they should understand.

And if they are the stubborn type, just put a "I bite" sign next to her cage. That ought to do it.