Bedtime hater

[Billdore]

Sometimes Timneh decides she just doesn't have to go to bed tonight. Not sure if it's an extra long nap during the day or what but sometimes she won't take her bribe to go to bed. This time she got the treat and jumps right back on my hand and starts running up my arm. So after 10 minutes of the running up my arm game I gave up and walked my dog. She did go in for bed after awhile and another treat. Pulls at my heart strings she loves her daddy. I don't want to give in to much though cause she will try to push me around even more than she does. She's gotten better about stepping down back on to her cage but I need a treat most times. She tries really hard to get out of time outs, she'll flip upside down and hang on tight. It's like aaah what the heck. She is so cute, she'll stick her but in my face when she's on my shoulder so it's harder to get her to step up or hide in the middle of my back dangling from my shirt. Quite the character sorry for ranting, I just feel guilty sometimes when I'm too tired to stay up any later. Thanks for listening.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Sounds like Timneh does love her Daddy! You do not say what time is bedtime and how late it was that she was still up and active? We have had some quite warm days here in the UK and Plum has been very sleepy as a consequence but, when it comes to bedtime he has been wide awake up to 1 hour 40 minutes later on these days. You will do better to do something very active for 20 mins or so, or if you have a Pak O Bird to put her in, all go for the dog walk. If she has excess energy she will not want to go to bed. Maybe look at the routine because if her bedtime is so close to yours it doesn't give you much of a gap for days such as these.

"hide in the middle of my back dangling from my shirt" Yes get this also, parrot hanging off your butt! LOL

 

[Billdore]

Timneh is up too late for a little birdie but she demands to come out when I get home from work around 11:00 sometimes a little later. She stays up too late for sure, we have a few games we do to burn off some of her energy. We do the stair stepper, and wrestle and she likes to hang upside down. She plays with her bell and flaps her wings quite a bit doing it. Timneh is an amazing African Grey I got so lucky. She seems willing to adapt to whatever is going on, and do it with a great attitude and a whistle. We are working on her Aviator harness and hopefully soon we will successfully get it on her. I want to wait till shes good and ready after the first failed attempt a couple months ago.

 

[plumsmum2005]

It is not unusual that she wants to greet her Daddy when you come home. They are very good at knowing our schedules and is working to that. If you get into a routine where she knows she has some playtime and a cuddle for example and maybe a treat and then it is bedtime that may help. Good luck with the harness.

 

[Billdore]

We were doing our cuddling last night and then we went to get our treats and go to bed and she decided again she wanted more pleat time. This time the little
Monster broke the skin during her upside down tantrum and she kept trying to lick my blood is this normal? It wasn't a bad cut but I had her treats in one hand and was defenseless in the other so she literally got a taste of me. It was just a tiny nick though I don't think she meant to break the skin. She hasn't done that in a long time actually knock on wood. Tonight I get out earlier so we will have more time together hopefully she will got to bed with out any fussing. She loves her bedtime cuddling too. She pushes her head into my chest under my chin and then she lets me have free range of petting and skritching. Her favorite is scratches on her kneel and under her chin. She is so soft it's really awesome. I never thought my African grey would let me do such a thing to her as cuddling!!!

 

[Billdore]

Timneh jamming away on her bell. I forgot to mention that Timneh has from out her flight feathers from when I got her and has flown into my finger twice now. She so only done it on her own so far but hopefully we will get a command in there. I'm always so excited when she does it I forget to put the command word in there.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Perhaps some firmness may be required to stop her playing games with you. Sometimes it is a case of telling Plum "no, it is bubbyes time!" and just taking him to his cage. You are more likely to get a bite by a tetchy and tired parrot btw. Head off this before she bites, be the flock leader!

PS check that you are not winding her up with the stroking OK?

 

[Billdore]

Yes thank you I try to keep the back stroking to a minimum. I just love the way she feels. I'll keep any eye out to see if I'm getting her fired up. I think your right a bit of firmness is needed. I hadn't done it in a few months but I kind of giver her no choice but to step down when I put my arm underneath the wooden perch going across her cage. So she has to step onto the wood if she wants to go up my arm. Seems to work well I hadn't had to do it for awhile. I notice if I give Timneh and inch she'll take a mile. Sometimes I try to humanize her too much and forget I still need to work in birdie rules.

 

[LordTriggs]

A good trick to make them more susceptible to going in the cage is during play time and during the day would be to put her in the cage but keep the interaction going, playing in the cage ETC, then bring her out again. I think her main thing is she knows when she goes in the cage daddy leaves. It may help you out. She seems very happy and very nice!

 

[Billdore]

That's a great idea! I feel like I got so lucky with Timneh. She's trained me very well, I had never had a larger parrot before. I went into the pet store to get some hands on before I got my African grey. And boom there was the exact bird I was looking for. I fell in love and she was like what the heck get away from you crazy guy I just bit you. Then everyday she got happier and happier to see me. Before I knew it we were fast best friends. She is amazing. Parrots are amazing and everyone on here are amazing.

 

[LordTriggs]

That's a great idea! I feel like I got so lucky with Timneh. She's trained me very well, I had never had a larger parrot before. I went into the pet store to get some hands on before I got my African grey. And boom there was the exact bird I was looking for. I fell in love and she was like what the heck get away from you crazy guy I just bit you. Then everyday she got happier and happier to see me. Before I knew it we were fast best friends. She is amazing. Parrots are amazing and everyone on here are amazing.

Sounds like the perfect match! One day I'll hopefully get that story going!

It worked amazingly with Rio, he would run up my arm the second he knew he was going into the cage until I started playing with him in there. A good treat once inside doesn't hurt either, I would normally show him a raisin and then put it on the perch that he would step off onto and it was a good incentive to stay put long enough to close the door

 

[Billdore]

I gotta admit having trouble gettin. Timneh to bed is getting super annoying. I have to take my shirt off just to put her back on top of her perch so I can get a break. I love you Timneh but Holy %€*%. I thought I had an African gray not a cockatoo. I'm getting exhausted staying up so late trying to get Timneh to bed. By the time I get her in bed I'm waking up again and have trouble sleeping. Sorry for whining just tired. I'm thinking of getting a smaller cheap cage that she can sleep upstairs with me in. Thanks for listening to my whining.

 

[plumsmum2005]

I gotta admit having trouble gettin. Timneh to bed is getting super annoying. I have to take my shirt off just to put her back on top of her perch so I can get a break. I love you Timneh but Holy %€*%. I thought I had an African gray not a cockatoo. I'm getting exhausted staying up so late trying to get Timneh to bed. By the time I get her in bed I'm waking up again and have trouble sleeping. Sorry for whining just tired. I'm thinking of getting a smaller cheap cage that she can sleep upstairs with me in. Thanks for listening to my whining.

Certainly worth exploring if everything else is failing LOL

 

[Billdore]

I always feel guilty, all she wants to do is hang out with me longer and all I c am think about is going to sleep.i think timneh is just a little jealous my piglet fallows me up to bed I think she would like to do the same. Or at least give Bella pinch on the butt. Lol

 

[clark_conure]

On nights I don't have to work and I'm home... with Clark I've found if I go to bed with him, (his cage is upstairs in the bedroom, the most climate controlled space for winter and summer), then he will go to sleep fine. There's been times I've just laid down and feigned sleep for 10-15 minutes till he nods off then I sneak out of the room go back downstairs and do whatever I need to do.

May not be easy or possible for some people but it's a system that works for me. He's much more comfortable if he thinks I'm going to bed at the same time so he's not missing out on any "adventures". Also right before bed he gets at his most talkative and starts trying out new words and stuff so I'm entertained before he nods off.

 

[bigfellasdad]

My new to me CAG was getting harder to get to bed since she arrived 3 weeks ago, it got to the stage where I physically but gently had to pick her up in both my hands and carefully place her in her cage. She seems very relaxed when I do this so I dont think in causing any stress. Monday/Tuesday nights I gave into her and let her sleep on a portable stand next to my bed but we both got far too little sleep as I would wake her up or she would wake me up very early, so we are both tired. Last night however she went to her cage when she got tired without me asking her to, hopefully lesson learnt for her.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

LOL..wow I must have weird fids lol.. All I have to say to Amy is "ok Amy..nite-nite time" and she'll climb down from her play top and go right in.

When Smokey was here,it seemed RIGHT AT 10pm..give or take five minutes,she would yell "GOOD NIGHT!! GOOD NIGHT!!!!" and go into her house,and CLOSE the door behind her!!
And if I took my time to dim/shut off the lights,she'd keep it up,and get LOUDER until I complied to her demands lol.
Dang...I miss that little Grey so much
Sounds to me you have a very lovey and NORMAL Grey,Billdore


Jim

 

[DRB]

Perjo has always been cooperative about bed time, but as she approaches 2yo she's made a bit of a game out of it. From day one I say "get ready for bed" about an hour or half hour before I will put her down. If she's on or in the cage she will move to a particular place and vocalize a little. If she's in the cage and I close the door and say it she gets on her bed time swing perch and swings for a bit. If she's with me and I say it she tends to walk from shoulder to shoulder across my back looking for scratches, almost as to say "I want to stay here". When I start to take her to the cage she pretends to fuss, she really likes to go through the bed time routine but I think she wants me to think she doesn't enjoy it so she fusses a bit and doesn't want me to put her down. Ultimately once I turn off a light she knows it's real and starts he routine of circling the cage upside down waiting for her cage blanket.

 

[bigfellasdad]

Well i had another night trying to get my very strong willed Enzo to bed last night, i think its time to me a little more strict with her and try and build a routine.
I think ill try and put her cage under the stairs as that is a darker and quieter place for her to sleep. Wish me luck!

 

[Scott]

I gotta admit having trouble gettin. Timneh to bed is getting super annoying. I have to take my shirt off just to put her back on top of her perch so I can get a break. I love you Timneh but Holy %€*%. I thought I had an African gray not a cockatoo. I'm getting exhausted staying up so late trying to get Timneh to bed. By the time I get her in bed I'm waking up again and have trouble sleeping. Sorry for whining just tired. I'm thinking of getting a smaller cheap cage that she can sleep upstairs with me in. Thanks for listening to my whining.

A sleep cage in your bedroom is a good alternative. I've done this with one of my highly bonded Goffins and he loves being next to the bed. The only drawback is he gets up early, as I typically do. By first light he's making gibberish sounds that will escalate into screams if I "oversleep!"