It's been almost 3 years, time to admit I have no clue what I'm doing.

[marleymadness]

Hi, I'll try not too make this too long but im in desperate need of help. I've had my green cheek conure, Marley, for 2 and a half years and I honestly feel like I have no idea what I'm doing and not providing the best life for him. I got Marley for my 14th birthday at a flea market, he was only 8 weeks old but they sold him to us with a cage and formula for $180. So I hand feed him formula through a syringe for the first few weeks of having him. That's where the problems started, I had planned on getting a 1 - 3 year old parrot, I had no clue what to do and i had google as my only resource. Through the years I've had problems that I can't find soultions to because it seems no other parrot owner does them. Like, how to keep him from getting bored while I'm at school for 10 hours, or how to make him stop pooping on my carpet because I rarely close his cage and so he has free roam of my room because I'm scared he'll be depressed if I lock him in a cage for 10 hours or if it's necessary for parrots to get shots. I just feel like I completely started everything off wrong and I'm not sure how to fix it or what I need to fix.
What prompted me to start this account and topic is because recently Marley's been having "panic attacks"? Basically, out of nowhere he'll fly out his cage screaming (he lands on the ground because his wings are clipped) and he'll start furiously flapping around my room or house and he won't stop until he finds a spot where it's dark, and he's closed in on both sides. Once he'a there he won't move, or respond to anything not treats, toys or me. The only way to get him is to move one of the objects closing him in (like today it was a box, last time it was my dresser) and then he'll panic again and he'll be breathing so fast I can see his chest moving. Eventually he'll calm down and hop back to me like nothing happened, the only differnce is he becomes super clingly and will only lay between my neck and chin, my neck and bed or my body and comforter (once again, somewhere very enclosed). These episodes freak me out and make me worry something is seriously wrong with him. I want him to live the best and longest life he can, but I'm at a point where I dont know what to do anymore.

If you managed to finish this, thank you so much. Any advice, tips, opinions, ideas, etc. would be helpful. I used to read all the time before I got marley how parrots weren't meant for kids and now I understand, I'm only 15 and I'm struggling to take care of myself, let alone another living thing with as many needs as me. But I have him now and I just want to do what's best for him.

 

[Aquila]

First off, you did the right thing coming here.

Second, no, parrots don't need shots so that's not something to worry about. If you have a large enough cage for Marley, he won't get bored in his cage with plenty of toys, and if there's no one else home, it's better for his safety to be in the cage, unless he has a bird specific room that's safe.

It sounds like he's trying to fly and getting startled when he lands with a thud. I'd recommend letting his flight feathers grow in and let him learn to fly and he might behave a little better because he can land safely and not possibly injure himself. If you want him to remain clipped, look into doing a partial clip, which is only an inch and a half or so off the first three or four feathers, to where he can still fly, but not gain as much altitude.

My cockatiel was clipped like that, and her feathers are pretty much all grown back in now, but she could fly very well and land up on the curtain rod. My previous GCC was fully flighted and would have times where she would squawk and fly in circles around the room until she got tired.

For 15, you seem very well spoken and mature, so I have no doubt that you can get through this. Your conure is also probably going through a bit of a hormonal phase as well, which could be triggering the fits. Some others will chime in for sure with good advice and we're all here to offer you support.

 

[1CuteTiel]

Is there something new or different by his cage when he does the panic attack behavior? It sounds like Marley is escaping from something he thinks is dangerous. Birds can be very sensitive the "new" things.... introducing a new toy to my cockatiel was a slow process of letting him see it at a distance 1st, then moving it closer to his play area, this could take more than a week. If I put the new toy by him right away he would freak and fly, he was sure since it was new it was evil and gonna get him. I guess when you are on a lot of "menus" like birds, you gotta be careful! Try to think back or watch and see if these attacks are related to new objects in your room or objects that are moved close to his cage that havent been by it before. Even sometimes light spots or flashes can be a problem. Our dogs love laser pointer dots and chase them, the bird didn't he was convinced they were something evil that was going to get him. I had a shirt with rhinestones on it that upset him, it took me a while to figure out he didn't like the light flashes of the bling on my shirt. It startled him the way the light flashed off of it. I had a pair of earrings with rhinestones i them I could not wear around him.

Cages can be a good thing for a bird as it can keep them safe and out of trouble. Electrical cords are a danger sometimes. My cocktail sometimes seemed to think they were like new feathers and that the insulation needed to be peeled off of them. When I wasn't around to supervise for a while the cage kept him away from any cords he might be interested in. As long as the cage is good sized and has appropriate toys - birds can do well....
There are many good books out there about parrot care, your library may even have some. One I have thought was good was "The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook" by Gary A Gallerstein, DVM - speaking of Vets
Another idea might be to make sure that Marley isn't sick. Sometimes when birds don't feel well they behave oddly too ... if you think he is not looking quite right or as active as usual it may be time to take him to an Avian Vet for a check-up.
I am sure other people here on the forum will have some good recommendations too
Good luck I am sure more people will answer and hopefully give some ideas for you. Good Luck, hang in there, so far you seem to have done well.

 

[marleymadness]

First off, you did the right thing coming here.

Second, no, parrots don't need shots so that's not something to worry about. If you have a large enough cage for Marley, he won't get bored in his cage with plenty of toys, and if there's no one else home, it's better for his safety to be in the cage, unless he has a bird specific room that's safe.

It sounds like he's trying to fly and getting startled when he lands with a thud. I'd recommend letting his flight feathers grow in and let him learn to fly and he might behave a little better because he can land safely and not possibly injure himself. If you want him to remain clipped, look into doing a partial clip, which is only an inch and a half or so off the first three or four feathers, to where he can still fly, but not gain as much altitude.

My cockatiel was clipped like that, and her feathers are pretty much all grown back in now, but she could fly very well and land up on the curtain rod. My previous GCC was fully flighted and would have times where she would squawk and fly in circles around the room until she got tired.

For 15, you seem very well spoken and mature, so I have no doubt that you can get through this. Your conure is also probably going through a bit of a hormonal phase as well, which could be triggering the fits. Some others will chime in for sure with good advice and we're all here to offer you support.

He's on his 3rd cage right now, it's about 20x20x30 and i think it's big enough? It's certainly tall enough but I see videos of people with these gigantic cages and it makes me feel like it's not big enough but this one was almost $200 so I can't really afford an upgrade. What is considered enough toys? He has alot but I feel like since he see's them everyday, he doesn't find them that entertaining.
Also, he was free flighted for almost all of the first year I had him, but he would fly where I couldn't reach, poop all over my clothes and it just made him really agressive because he didn't need me as much to do what he wanted and so he would attack me and run me out my own room - not so fun. But it's all gone now

 

[marleymadness]

Is there something new or different by his cage when he does the panic attack behavior? It sounds like Marley is escaping from something he thinks is dangerous. Birds can be very sensitive the "new" things.... introducing a new toy to my cockatiel was a slow process of letting him see it at a distance 1st, then moving it closer to his play area, this could take more than a week. If I put the new toy by him right away he would freak and fly, he was sure since it was new it was evil and gonna get him. I guess when you are on a lot of "menus" like birds, you gotta be careful! Try to think back or watch and see if these attacks are related to new objects in your room or objects that are moved close to his cage that havent been by it before. Even sometimes light spots or flashes can be a problem. Our dogs love laser pointer dots and chase them, the bird didn't he was convinced they were something evil that was going to get him. I had a shirt with rhinestones on it that upset him, it took me a while to figure out he didn't like the light flashes of the bling on my shirt. It startled him the way the light flashed off of it. I had a pair of earrings with rhinestones i them I could not wear around him.

Cages can be a good thing for a bird as it can keep them safe and out of trouble. Electrical cords are a danger sometimes. My cocktail sometimes seemed to think they were like new feathers and that the insulation needed to be peeled off of them. When I wasn't around to supervise for a while the cage kept him away from any cords he might be interested in. As long as the cage is good sized and has appropriate toys - birds can do well....
There are many good books out there about parrot care, your library may even have some. One I have thought was good was "The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook" by Gary A Gallerstein, DVM - speaking of Vets
Another idea might be to make sure that Marley isn't sick. Sometimes when birds don't feel well they behave oddly too ... if you think he is not looking quite right or as active as usual it may be time to take him to an Avian Vet for a check-up.
I am sure other people here on the forum will have some good recommendations too
Good luck I am sure more people will answer and hopefully give some ideas for you. Good Luck, hang in there, so far you seem to have done well.

First, thank you for the book reccomendation , I will definetly check it out!
Second, now that I think about it, last night was a bit chatoic because of a lizard I found in my room that caused my room to end up trashed in an attempt to catch it. It was after school today when I came in with the broom today that he had the panic attack. He's seen it before but maybe it's because it's the first time he's seen me sweep in my room by his cage. I'll be more mindful of what I take in my room and how he reacts, just to make sure it's not a medical problem.

 

[MonicaMc]

I got Marley for my 14th birthday at a flea market, he was only 8 weeks old but they sold him to us with a cage and formula for $180. So I hand feed him formula through a syringe for the first few weeks of having him.
I know it's out of your control, but I would say this was the first major mistake.... someone selling an unweaned bird to a family who has no experience raising chicks! Thankfully, you all made it out alive! But there are a lot of horror stories out there of people buying young birds who are not ready to leave the breeder...


Like, how to keep him from getting bored while I'm at school for 10 hours
Look into foraging activities! Want to engage your bird more? Don't feed him in one food dish. Try feeding him in 5 or 6 different food dishes placed around the cage. Granted, this works best with a large cage.... Or! Make him have to forage for all of his food! Instead of taking 5-10 minutes to eat, it might take 30-45 minutes instead!

If he doesn't know how to forage, then he needs to learn how to do so before you stop free-feeding him.


how to make him stop pooping on my carpet
Birds poop. It's nothing like dog or cat poop, but they gotta go! I know you realize this! It's a fact of bird ownership! You *can* potty train your bird, but it's possible to potty train them too well, and this can lead to health problems....

Your best bet is to make stations around your room where your bird can be and it's easy to clean up after... such as various small play gyms with newspaper on the bottom.


I rarely close his cage and so he has free roam of my room because I'm scared he'll be depressed if I lock him in a cage for 10 hours
If he's been cage-free for a while now, and you start caging him, he *will* have an issue with being in a cage and being locked up. It's unavoidable. However, you can make sure he can enjoy spending time in his cage with plenty of toys, treats, food, perches, etc! Try to make it a good experience!



What prompted me to start this account and topic is because recently Marley's been having "panic attacks"?
I agree with the others... something is frightening him! It could be a new object in the room, it could be something outside the window, it could be a light refraction off of an item, it could be a shadow, heck, it could even be something on a screen! (TV or computer monitor for example?)


Basically, out of nowhere he'll fly out his cage screaming (he lands on the ground because his wings are clipped) and he'll start furiously flapping around my room or house and he won't stop until he finds a spot where it's dark, and he's closed in on both sides.
If he had his flights, then he would fly somewhere up high where he would feel safe and could be able to look out over his surroundings to see if things were safe below. On the ground he feels vulnerable.

Think about it... parrots in the wild have flight for a reason. If scared, their instinct is to fly as far away as possible from what terrifies them, seek cover and get as high as possible. If they are down on the ground, they may be more vulnerable because they have less room to maneuver and get away from a predator.

Him being clipped could potentially be making these attacks worse because he doesn't feel as if he can safely get away from what scares him. You, chasing after him and trying to grab him can also be making these attacks worse, because his mindset is to get away and he could accidentally pair you with what terrifies him, thus he becomes afraid of you.


I used to read all the time before I got marley how parrots weren't meant for kids and now I understand, I'm only 15 and I'm struggling to take care of myself, let alone another living thing with as many needs as me. But I have him now and I just want to do what's best for him.
Kind of know what you mean, here! I was 12 years old when I got into parrots, starting with budgies. By the time I was 13 (well, a few months away from turning 14), I was given a cockatiel. Month after that, I was given an older cherry headed conure that was attacked by a ferret, mutilated himself, was partially blind in one eye (and later started going blind from cataracts), couldn't fly, had poor grip, suffered from seizures..... oh, and he wasn't friendly, either! Month after that, a lovebird and some grass parakeets.

My cockatiel is now 14 years old, and the last remaining of those birds. One of the grass keets I had back then passed on earlier this year, at an estimated age of 19 years old (give or take a year?).




He's on his 3rd cage right now, it's about 20x20x30 and i think it's big enough? It's certainly tall enough but I see videos of people with these gigantic cages and it makes me feel like it's not big enough but this one was almost $200 so I can't really afford an upgrade.
Sadly, for the same price (or less!), you could have bought a flight cage... they are 32" w x 21" d x 35" h, not including the stand.

You could possibly trade your cage for a flight cage if you could find anyone who is willing to make the trade? Craigslist is usually a good place to check. I mean, if you really want to have a larger cage?


What is considered enough toys?
That's a tough question to answer.... minimum would be 3 toys, but if you can, 5-6 toys at least with several others to switch out. Some people, with the right sized cage, will put around 12-15 toys in the cage!


He has alot but I feel like since he see's them everyday, he doesn't find them that entertaining.
Sounds like a) he doesn't have enough toys if you don't switch them out or b) he doesn't know what to do with them.



Also, he was free flighted for almost all of the first year I had him, but he would fly where I couldn't reach, poop all over my clothes and it just made him really agressive because he didn't need me as much to do what he wanted and so he would attack me and run me out my own room - not so fun. But it's all gone now
Ya.... uhm....... there's a reason for that. He was being aggressive because you were being demanding of him and probably didn't teach him to go to you.

All of my birds are flighted, and out of 8 birds, 6 of them will fly to my hand or some other part of myself. Of those 6 birds, only 3 of them are tame and friendly. Of the two that wont fly to me, one is a wild caught african ringneck that is still terrified of humans and the other is a new addition who's clipped so can't fly....

Of the three birds that aren't tame and friendly that still will come to me.... well, they are rehomes (only one of my birds isn't a rehome....) from various backgrounds and one is an ex-breeder. (all 3 are cockatiels) The ex-breeder is a very skittish bird and avoids human contact, however he learned to enjoy eating from my hand and chose to fly to my hand or shoulder to be fed because I was able to teach him that I'm not out to eat him. In fact, I'm not all that scary after all!

I didn't teach him this by chasing him around the room and forcing him to eat from my hand! Rather, I gave him the option but I didn't force him or starve him into it. It took several weeks to get him comfortable touching my hands, but it was worth it! It was worth it to see that light-bulb go off in his head when he realized that he doesn't need to be that terrified of me, so instead of flying away from me, he was flying to me! Sure, I can't pet him and love on him like I can my tame birds, but he also doesn't need to be stressed out when he sees me anymore!

 

[Mallory]

I agree with the idea that the fits are most likely a fear/panic response. Consider as well anything the bird might be seeing outside of your window (think new objects, hawks, cats, etc.) and any noises in the environment as they might be the culprit. It would be much better to rule out environmental triggers - an object or noise that is scaring him - before jumping to mental issues. I have worked with cats, dogs and horses with brain damage and similar issues however that had similar problems, so a neurological issue is definitely not beyond the realm of possibility. It is just far more difficult to diagnose and treat than a natural fear response.
As for cage size, it will definitely help to give him more room but also consider how you can best use the room he has to mentally stimulate or enrich him. My GCC has what I would consider a large cage - about 2.5'x4'x4' tall, and she uses every inch of it. I still swap toys and perches constantly to keep her entertained and even then, she always prefers being out with us to being in her cage. I can leave my amazon unsupervised on a playstand because she is very polite and a "perch potato" - she has no inclination to explore or destroy anything but a few of her favorite toys. I could never do the same with my conure, she would roam the house looking for things to get into, and of course she has no sense of what is and isn't safe. The main areas of my house are ferret proofed yet they still pose dangers to a conure because of her small size and superior climbing abilities! Instead of letting your conure out while you are away and cannot supervise, I highly recommend setting a schedule for his out of cage time and sticking to it so he knows when to expect interaction. This will help him learn to entertain himself and gives him a routine that should help with his apparent anxiety issues.

 

[PickleMeDickles]

Okay, just my opinion. First of all, you were a kid. This is on your mom, not you, and I am sure it was a matter of just "not knowing". You seem very mature and kindhearted. Those are traits many "grownups" never even receive. By coming here you did the RIGHT thing. If anyone has made you feel bad, please don't let it hurt you or your good intentions. I wish I had half the insight at your age.

That being said, you do need to act now to improve the life of the creature that is your responsibility. Coming here was a WONDERFUL first move. All of the suggestions made by the members sound great, I can say nothing more that would answer your particular question. PLEASE feel free to post further questions. More likely than not, many of us have been in your particular situations (AS ADULTS), but you recognize them (as a very young adult) and plan on acting on the information you received. Keep up the good work!

 

[walsh366]

Hi, new here from Australia and read you whole post, I am confuse how he lay between your neck and chin and then on your bed comforter?? My birds are not coming near to me!

 

[Flboy]

Hi, new here from Australia and read you whole post, I am confuse how he lay between your neck and chin and then on your bed comforter?? My birds are not coming near to me!

Welcome to you! This poster was a hit and run, hasn't been back in a year!

Many birds, especially conures, are cuddle bugs! As I type, my JoJo is pressed into the side of my head!
Take time! Trust! What type of bird do you live with?

 

[Iholm5]

First off, it sounds like you're doing a great job with Marley, especially for a 15-year old. I could barely keep a fish tank alive when I was your age.

The best way to keep your bird happy is to change things up for him, but be aware this comes with a price. As birds are prey animals, change can be scary for them. Whenever we give my green-cheek a new toy she stays as far away from it as possible and only slowly inches towards it as we move it closer to her. Much like your bird, Zelda is a family bird and not caged often (we call her a free-range chicken). When you're giving Marley toys pay attention to what he plays with the most, and get toys similar to that one. For instance, Zelda likes toys with tassels and 'dangly bits'. Even after 3 years, a bird can change dramatically but the best you can do for Marley is be patient him. If he's hiding, let him come out on his own. Gently coax him, maybe offer a treat, but don't reach for him or grab him (imagine hiding under your bed and some giant comes and snatches you up). I also recommend to keep your bird flighted, or just trimmed if need be, because a clipped bird is going to naturally have much more panic issues as they can't escape from perceived danger. When we stopped clipping Zelda's wings, a lot of her fear behaviors gradually diminished and disappeared.

Good luck with Marley but take comfort in the fact you are doing great.