For the past year, my 7 year old Ringneck has been screaming almost non-stop. When he's not screaming, he's sitting still inside his cage or sleeping. His cage is left open for the whole day, everyday. I've gotten him so many toys and foraging, he has a play stand kitted out with anything a parrot could dream of, none of it interests him though. The only thing he shows interest in is food. He will often stand screaming with his wings slightly out and shaking, as if he's trying to fly somewhere or do something.
I've tried everything. I leave the room when he screams, never acknowledge the screaming, I reward him when he's quiet. Nothing works. I try spend as much 1-on-1 time with him as possible but he's apathetic more often than not, after 7 years together I think he still only sees me as a provider of food, not as a part of the flock.
The screaming is so loud and piercing, it's not a flock call, more of a shriek. It's been constant all year long so can't be hormonal. I think it could be loneliness but I'm not in a position to care for two parrots in the case that they don't get along or it doubles the problem from one screaming parrot to two.
I've taken to wearing earplugs and noise cancelling headphones and it still gets through at quite the volume. I work from home and he can only be in the same room that I work, which makes getting anything done so frustratingly hard. He screams frantically anytime anybody else walks into my room which makes having guests or even brief conversations with family members in the same room impossible. I'm at my breaking point. I'm considering rehoming but he's been a part of my family for so long, the thought of it hurts. But living with him right now is torture. He'll have such gentle sweet moments of accepting scritches and whistling songs, only to launch into another hour-long non-stop scream frenzy.
I don't know what to do. I have autism so I'm particularly sensitive to the screaming. Normal screaming is fine, he's a parrot and parrot's scream, he was perfectly fine for the first 6 years of our time together. But this has become incessant and never-ending. I'm moving out next year and I'm not sure how well apartment living would go with him when I can still hear his screaming outside my house and down the street.
I've tried everything. I leave the room when he screams, never acknowledge the screaming, I reward him when he's quiet. Nothing works. I try spend as much 1-on-1 time with him as possible but he's apathetic more often than not, after 7 years together I think he still only sees me as a provider of food, not as a part of the flock.
The screaming is so loud and piercing, it's not a flock call, more of a shriek. It's been constant all year long so can't be hormonal. I think it could be loneliness but I'm not in a position to care for two parrots in the case that they don't get along or it doubles the problem from one screaming parrot to two.
I've taken to wearing earplugs and noise cancelling headphones and it still gets through at quite the volume. I work from home and he can only be in the same room that I work, which makes getting anything done so frustratingly hard. He screams frantically anytime anybody else walks into my room which makes having guests or even brief conversations with family members in the same room impossible. I'm at my breaking point. I'm considering rehoming but he's been a part of my family for so long, the thought of it hurts. But living with him right now is torture. He'll have such gentle sweet moments of accepting scritches and whistling songs, only to launch into another hour-long non-stop scream frenzy.
I don't know what to do. I have autism so I'm particularly sensitive to the screaming. Normal screaming is fine, he's a parrot and parrot's scream, he was perfectly fine for the first 6 years of our time together. But this has become incessant and never-ending. I'm moving out next year and I'm not sure how well apartment living would go with him when I can still hear his screaming outside my house and down the street.
