Help! Chloe has gone Dora the Explorer

[Lintini]

Hello everyone,

Recently Chloe has decided to climb off her cage and explore my dresser which was my grandparents so that is not okay for her to be on, the floor and into the rabbits pen. None of these areas are okay places for her to be!

I blocked off the rabbits pen, and now she goes on the floor to get to their pen. I am unsure of what she is really up to in there, but I know she could really hurt them, or they could box her and overall it's just bad.

The floor.......we have a four month old puppy.....not good. Not good at all with the other 3 dogs.

My dresser....lots of things to destroy and chew and ruin...TV...cables....jewelry boxes.....bad.

What on earth can be driving her to do this now? She has a play top on her cage. I really can't let her out now, and she doesn't even want to step up to me even when she is on the ground!


I guess I am asking what on earth can I do with blocking her off and keeping her on top of her cage??? None of our other birds have done anything like this and I used to leave her out and it was fine, I would just close my door, but now with her climbing in with the rabbits and on the floor it's not okay, especially with my grandparents bedroom set. My grandfather just passed away exactly 4 weeks ago and grandma 3 years ago...their bedroom set is precious to me .....and so is Chloe's life considering all of my dogs..... why is she doing this?!!?!?

 

[MikeyTN]

You should get a tall play stand, then they can't get down onto the floor from the cage. Same thing like what I've suggested to you once before, perch train! Then place her on the play stand.

 

[Lintini]

Chloe is a special case...she hasn't been handled in 15 years since me...she's not aggressive to me but jut puts her head down for pets when I try to get her off the floor.

Okay so I pick her up with a perch when I want her. Got it. But what about trying to wander all over all of a sudden???

I don't have a tall play stand to set on the floor.....My room is very crowded with having her large cage in here and a 100 gallon fish tank and my cali king bed...... I can make a stand or buy one but my parents will totally b*tch if I put it out where they can see it and it is so unfair because my dad is the one who told his sister I could take this bird for her but they are already sick of how loud the amazon and conures are.

So you think to take her out I should place her on this? Next week I am going for the holidays to a place that has manzineta (I know spelled that wrong) and could make a play stand but dang I don't have room for something like this honestly. She's been fine for months on top of her cage, I don't understand.

So I make her a play stand and then she can't get off unless she flings herself off and maybe hurts herself on my tile floor?

I am just frustrated that now I have the added issue of the puppy when it's my brothers dog and not mine. I will not have my own house until my bf's sells his hopefully this year and we get a place down here. He currently commutes 1.5 hours to work and is in the process of selling .......ok long story short I won't have to worry about dogs in the future but I don't like her trying to escape off her cage.

 

[MikeyTN]

Your best bet is a play stand. How good does she fly? IF she drops straight down, it might be wise to place a large rug surrounding the play stand so she won't hurt herself jumping off. Birds should always be observed while out of their cage. Never leave them on their own cause anything could happen!!! Once they learn they can get down onto the floor from their cage, they will keep on doing it.

 

[Lintini]

I clipped her in June when I got her, but her feathers have grown back...but she drops like a log if she tries to flutter. Okay...rug...no problem.

I felt like she could be safe in my room if she accidentally fell, and I was keeping my room closed but now she is surely not safe so it's a huge problem. I never would have thought she would have such an obsession with my closet or rabbits.....

Okay hopefully I can find some really nice branches next week to make an awesome stand. I bet my mustang will love hauling all of them back home...haha

 

[MikeyTN]

LoL...Make the bf do it!!! There's some pretty good DIY home made play stands I've seen around. Give it a try and see!!! Good Luck!

 

[Lintini]

YA lol!!! That's the plan....I'll pick the branches.....then he sands them and fixes them all up....... LOL!!!!!!!!!! *evil smirk*

 

[MonicaMc]

She just might be hormonal... or bored and curious. After all, what fun is it to stay in one place for long periods of time when it's more interesting to go elsewhere?

An alternative to a playstand is to get some acrylic/plexiglass and cut it (or get it cut) to fit around the cage sides. Don't use top to bottom pieces as the cage still needs ventilation! But put them in a way that your grey can't climb down them. Saw this done for a blind ruby macaw to try and keep her out of trouble. Needless to say, it didn't work! Even 100% blind, she still managed to climb down her cage and terrorize the cats!


Maybe some new toys and foraging is in order?

 

[94lt1]

I was going to suggest bored or hormonal too... my amazon had bouts like this too.. well, she still has them if we don't pay enough attention to her some times she's very independent, others, she wants a lot of attention

 

[Sassy]

why not try hanging something from the ceiling... that way they can't get to the floor...

 

[Lintini]

Thank you all for the ideas and tips!

I just bought her 2 new toys and she isn't interested in them, she loves chewing up cardboard boxes and has had one for about a week now and is do for a new one.

What type of foraging toys would you recommend? She also loves toys with bells on them.


I am going to have to agree with hormonal, she has been a booger lately and wasn't even interested in my bf who she normally ADORES when he wanted to get her out. And my room does seem really interesting compared to just sitting on top of the cage.

 

[MonicaMc]

Any kind she takes a fancy to... although, since you mentioned cardboard.... you might try some cardboard foraging toys! Maybe even acrylic?
Creative Foraging Systems
FORAGING TOYS by MY SAFE BIRD STORE

If she has any interest in wooden ones...
StarBird Enrichment - Large - StarBird

Or leather (didn't know about these!)
Parrot Pockets - StarBird


Foraging can be as simple as wrapping up some treats, food and small toys in a paper muffin cup, putting shredded paper, toys n treats into a brown plastic bag, creating a foraging bin using large pebbles and mixing in nuts and seeds, etc. Here's some sites that may be of further help!
Parrot Enrichment
Foraging for Parrots
Parrot Enrichment
Foraging for Parrots

 

[MikeyTN]

It can be hormonal yes. BUT getting off the cage to explore is what they can learn to do regardless if they're hormonal or not.

Yes I've heard of the plexiglass method around the cage top, you sure can try but if there's a will there's a way like the blind macaw getting off of it regardless. But a stand makes it more complicated. The only way off is to jump off.

 

[Lintini]

Thank you for the links to the toys!

Her cage is next to my dresser and closet so there isn't really a good way to try to block her from getting off. The cage originally came with a very large seed catcher which might help with the exploring problem but there is no room for it for now.

So I guess more toys and a play stand for now and see how that goes

 

[MonicaMc]

Your other option is a hanging playgym... They come in several varieties... some made from actual hula hoops, some using flexible PVC, some using wood of various types, etc.

I have a hand made hoop ball (directions somewhere on the internet...), although currently no place to hang it.

 

[Lintini]

oo that is neat! thank you!