Congo Owner in need of some help

[Wonderfunk]

Hello everyone! I just joined because I'm in need of some help with my African Grey.

I've had her about four years and she's seen some bad behavioral signs lately. Almost immediately when I wake up in the morning, she wakes up and starts whining, constantly saying "Are you hungry?" I'm confident she knows what it means since whenever I'm making her or giving her food, I say that. Her frequency has gotten higher though, and I'll give her treats, seeds, pellets, or warm vegetables and she still CONSTANTLY whines, once about every 10 seconds.

I work from home now, I live alone, and I cannot give her the constant micromanagement she needs all the time. I'll bring her in different rooms in the house and she still whines, saying "Are you hungry?"

I think this might be attributed to some treats I used to give her. I used to buy her sesame seed sticks that she loved dearly and I would beep three times first. If she repeated it, I would give her a sesame stick. Now the company doesn't make those sticks anymore, and she goes on this round robin pattern of whining, beeping three times, and asking me "Are you hungry?"

I don't understand what she wants. The only apparent temporary resolve is putting her in the bathroom, where she seems to quiet down at least for about a few hours. Other than that, anywhere else in the house it's a constant whining.

I honestly don't know if I can live with this much longer because it's such a frustrating behavior pattern that it's draining my time and energy. I'd appreciate any help this community can provide. Thank you!!

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'm an awful example, in that I have produced one of the worst-behaved parrots on the planet.
Still, if I put my thinking cap on, I suspect that evetually you're gonna have to show her the whining does NOT get attention. That'll be sooooo hard, but most parrots will take a yard if you give them an inch. And when you ignore her, waiting for her to be quiet so you can reward her, you will have to be absolutely resolute.
Also, does she have toys and activities she can do? Foraging toys?
Stay tuned. You'll get help here.

 

[Wonderfunk]

Thanks! Yeah it's very hard to do such a thing because sometimes I need to focus on projects and she's in the corner whining every 10 seconds. Not only that, I live in a complex with thin walls so I think that it might be pissing off my neighbors since I think they can hear her a lot (I've asked, but they deny it...I don't know). Maybe it's just a matter of my resilience, but I'm concerned that something is wrong, and I can't figure out what! I want to listen to her needs, but I just don't know where to draw the line between A) do I cater to what she wants and B) do I ignore her so she's good enough to deserve attention?

 

[DRB]

Just be honest and tell her "No I'm not hungry since you keep asking".

All jokes aside, patience will be key, reinforcing what is acceptable and what isn't will be harder for you than the CAG in my opinion.

 

[Billdore]

Yeah maybe going through puberty also. 4 years old is when this happens I think no expert though. From another thread someone else reinforced any silent times by giving treats when he was quiet for a minute. Too bad there no replacement sesame treat for the poor baby.

 

[EllenD]

Have you tried to find a similar treat? As silly as it sounds, birds are creatures of habit, and a CAG being one of the more intelligent birds he may really be upset and not understand why the treats suddenly stopped. If this behavior started after the sesame treats stopped then there's a good chance that he's trying to get you to give him one of the treats. I'd try to substitute another treat stick that looks similar and is made of similar ingredients. I'm sure if you do a search online there is something close.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[itzjbean]

Hello and welcome! We all understand your frustration and are here to help.

As EllenD stated above, it certainly sounds like your CAG really enjoyed those treats, and simply wants more of them as they ended so suddenly. Try finding one similar to it if you can, otherwise, maybe research some cool toys to give your bird something to do. Ignoring the whining will be hard, but necessary to stop the behavior. You can put earbuds in to ignore it, or go to another room and close the door.