New owner of African grey - looking for help

[Citybuild122]

Let me start off by saying this is my first bird, so I have pretty much zero experience. He’s been very well loved, and was a great family bird. I’ve owned him for a week, and he’s taking time to adjust.

Right off the bat, I was told that his cage is his safe place. He will not step up in his cage, and generally doesn’t socialize in the cage. He does let me hand feed him inside the cage and occasionally stroke his beak. Mostly though, he gives me mixed signals. Sometimes he’s fine, a lot of times I’ll approach the cage and he’ll lower his head, puff up, and stare me down ready to bite. The other night, I was socializing with him, hand feeding him inside the cage. I went to pet his beak and he snapped at me. Luckily I was able to pull my handout with him just barely nipping my finger.

He doesn’t come out of his cage as much as I’d like him to so I can hold him. He stays in pretty much all day, only coming out occasionally. He is not persuaded at all. If he wants to stay in, he’ll stay in. Doesn’t seem to care about treats. When he is out, sometimes he lets me hold him. A lot of times he either goes back inside when I approach, or puff up like he’s mad and start staring down my finger.

BUT. When I do hold him, he’s a very nice bird. Doesn’t bite, doesn’t get pissed off. We whistle at each other in different rooms. He talks and makes noises a LOT.


Like I said, I get a lot of mixed feelings from him.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Wow!

First of all, welcome! I'm glad you're reaching out, wanting to learn, wanting to join our Community.

Second of all... back to the "Wow!" It sounds to me as if you're doing a great job, and so is your bird. In a very short period of time, you both seem on your way to a great relationship!

We have a dedicated bunch of parrot lovers here, and I know you will get a lot of support. In your welcome/introduction letter (sent to all new members as a private message), you will have gotten a lot of good general tips. In addition, the Search engine above is a good one.

Feel free to ask questions and share experiences.

I'm glad you're here!

 

[wrench13]

You're doing well! Grays are super smart and observe EVERYTHING ! Take your time, he is not going anywhere, and you must progress at his pace (and not yours). Could be weeks before he is comfortable enough to let his guard down. Parrots especially rehomed ones, have no reason to trust humans - you must give him reasons to trust you. Most grays are not 'cuddly' so you maybe want to approach that very cautiously, lest he take your efforts wrong.

For a treat, try shelled pine nuts ( available in bulk in most supermarkets). Its important that you discover his favorite because that now becomes his training tool. Step Up is the first thing to teach him, and that has to be done 100% consistently until he steps up almost as a reflex when you ask him to. Because there may be times when you need to move him in an emergency and the last thing you want is to have to chase him and maybe towel him those are HUGE trust busting actions.

 

[Citybuild122]

Thanks so much everyone! I do think we’ll get along. In the mornings he says my name to wake me up! How cool is that?

 

[wrench13]

Right? My Amazon, Salty, says "Hi Daddy" when I come home from work. Makes ya all warm inside.

 

[corkyness]

I adopted an African Grey 6 years ago. They are ridiculously smart and definitely a bird that demands respect. It's been a long road for her and I, but certainly rewarding.

When I adopted my Dany girl, she never wanted to leave her cage. To this day, she still prefers her cage over anything else. She loves spending time with me for a hour or two a day, but she just prefers to chill quietly in her cage for the most part. But in the beginning she didnt trust me or her environment, so she didnt want to come out at all.

I quickly learned to respect her wishes. I leave her cage open during the day while I'm home and let her decide if she wants to come out. If she crawls out and sits ontop of her cage door, that's her telling me she wants to socialize and I will go get her. If she stays in her cage even with the door open, I leave her be. If I try to pet her and she leans away, I leave her be. I saw that her trust in me came quick after I first adopted her, and I think it's because she learned that I wasn't going to put her in a situation she didnt like. She knew what to expect from me and learned she had a choice, and it really helped her bond with me.

Luckily she isnt a biter, but she does get upset if I mess with her cage while she is in it. If I need to clean, change out toys or similiar changes, I make sure she is out of her cage so she doesnt get stressed or angry at me (when she is angry with me, like after taking her to the vet, she will refuse me getting neer her for like an entire day)

My conure however sounds a little bit like your Grey. My male Green Cheek is extremely bi-polar and very aggressive. One moment he is sitting on my lap perfectly calm, the next he is taking a chunk out of my thigh. Why does he do this? Who knows. I have learned a trick though to keep my fingers safe from him. When I see him preparing to bite, I tuck all my fingers in and roll the top of my hand gently into his beak (keep your knuckles safe). The skin there doesnt give them much to grab, so it just shows them that their biting is futile and hopefully your Grey will learn it gets him nowhere.

In my experience, Greys are very wary birds. Trust takes a long time and a whole lot of patience and willingness to understand their boundaries. It took me like two years before my Grey fully trusted me, but now we have cuddle sessions on the couch all the time.

 

[Ira7]

It sounds like you’re both doing great. Just take your time and don’t push it.

What are you doing about his fresh diet?


Introducing him to dozens of new fresh vegetables and fruits is not only good for the bird, it’s a great bonding tool. However, make sure you’re aware of what NOT to give him.

If you don’t want to go down the enormous lists of yes and no, ask here.

 

[noodles123]

Take time to be patient and build trust...lots of trust..lots of time....get the bird comfortable with associating you with positive/low-stress activities (HINT:if a bird hesitates to eat from your hand, this is NOT a low-stress activity)...Just make sure good things happen when you are in the same room lol.

 

[noodles123]

Pretty sure this is an older thread, but because people are still replying----here is my "new to birds" speech:

Here is something I always post for new parrot people---and I want you to really understand, that adopting a parrot is like adopting a 4-year-old child with special needs who never grows up and lives for 20-80+ years (depending on the species). They are extremely complicated pets. That having been said:

Since you are a first-time owner, I am also posting this (because it's stuff you may or may not know, but definitely need to know). If you already know it, disregard.

I am going to write a ton here because it sounds like you are very new to this and there is a lot to learn. I don't mean to overwhelm you!

One really important thing when keeping a pet bird in the house is that you cannot use scented products or chemicals/fumes in your home (even things that smell nice to us(---things like smoke, perfumes, air freshener, standard cleaners, vaping, burning food, incense, cigarettes, glue, paint, window sealing kits, polishes, aerosol sprays etc can harm your bird's sensitive respiratory system (which is not the same as mammals'). Using products that heat or are heated which contain Teflon/PTFE/PFCs = very very dangerous. These products off-gas and can kill a bird in under 5 minutes. Teflon/PTFE/PFOA/PFCs are most commonly found in the kitchen (pots, pans, cookie sheets, drip trays, air fryers, popcorn poppers, baking mats, crock pots, toasters, toaster ovens, popcorn poppers, waffle irons, electric skillets etc. They can also be found in space-heaters, curling irons, blow-dryers, straighteners, heat lamps, heat guns, irons, ironing board covers etc. These fumes have killed birds through closed doors and on separate floors of a home, so you should replace your cookware with stainless steel, cast iron or ceramic. You may be thinking-- well, I have used them before and my bird is fine, but they kill very inconsistently and it depends on what you are cooking, the age of the pot/pan, the specific bird etc. There was a member who lost many of her birds from a pan she had literally used for years...then one day, her husband cooked an egg (without burning or overheating) and many of them died, while the rest showed signs of respiratory distress.

You will need an avian-safe cleaner to use within your home (both on the bird cage, but also, around the house). Again, chemical cleaners cannot be used in the home unless avian safe. F10 SC (the yellow/clear concentrate) is a great, avian-safe disinfectant. Other (less effective) options include products such as "poop-off", white vinegar + water, grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda etc. Peroxide is also fairly safe for disinfecting places like your bathroom, but you do not want your bird to come into contact with it.

Some foods are toxic to them--avocado, coffee (even decaf), caffeine, rhubarb, alcohol, onions/garlic/leeks/chives, mushrooms etc. Salt is also very bad for them, as is most human food. They love it, but it's not healthy.

They should not just eat seed--you will want to feed lots of washed fresh vegetables. Fruit is fine in moderation, but too much can lead to obesity and behavioral issues due to sugar. I feed my bird a mix of high-quality seed (no sunflowers, no peanuts) and pellets (in addition to fruit/veg). Fruit pits are toxic, as are apple seeds. Corn cob and certain nut shells (if swallowed in big pieces) can cause blockages, so you should be very cautious if you give your bird nuts in the shell. Peanuts can harbor aspergillosis, and should be avoided altogether (even they you often see them marketed towards parrots).

It is important to make sure that your bird's toys and cage are made of safe metals. Stainless steel is safest. They can get metal poisoning from playing with or mouthing objects made of unsafe metals.

They need a set amount of sleep each night (at least 10 hours) and the largest cage you can manage with lots of different perches. You want to avoid the totally smooth/round ones as they can lead to a condition called bumblefoot. Never place a cage near drafts and never allow cool air to blow on a bird. They are sensitive to drafts and any temperature shift greater than 10 degrees can cause a shock to their system.

They need lots of safe toys and safe wood to chew. Not all wood is safe, so don't just assume you can give them any kind you want.

They hide illness and so you have to watch them to make sure they are eating normally and pooping normally etc. You should try to find an avian vet (certified avian) if at all possible and take your bird AT LEAST 1 x yearly for an exam. An avian vet is NOT the same as an exotics vet who sees birds--- so if a certified avian vet is available within a few hours of where you live, you will want to set up care.

All parrots can easily confuse the relationship with their human for a sexual one. You don't want this to happen, even though it seems sweet at first. Stick to petting on the head and neck only (the rest is sexual) and do not allow your bird to play in shadowy places, like boxes or under furniture, as these spaces are similar nesting sites and are hormonal triggers. NO SNUGGLE HUTS/TENTS!

Food and water should be replaced daily--- wash the containers daily. Never leave wet food out for more than a few hours (as it can lead to bacterial growth). Never try to medicate a bird via drinking water and never add vitamins to water. Vitamins can be over-dosed easily and harm a bird. Plus, when you add things to water, it makes it impossible to know how much they have gotten and it also encourages bacterial growth. Sometimes it can prevent them from drinking adequately if they don't like the flavor of whatever it is you added.

These birds have the intelligence of a 4-year-old human, but they are wild animals (not domesticated like dogs). This means that they see the world (and humans) in a very unique way and so you must learn about their behavior in order to prevent problems (screaming, plucking etc). They need lots of time out of their cage daily and a lot of interaction (at least a few hours). At the same time, you don't want to spend TOO much time with a bird of they will become overly dependent and not know what to do with themselves when you go to work etc.

Finally, baby birds are ALWAYS sweet compared to adult birds. When your bird hits puberty, expect that it will exhibit some annoying and problematic behaviors (much like a teen). A through knowledge of behavior and setting expectations at an early age will make your life easier when that time comes, but do prepare yourself and expect that things will not always be so smooth-sailing. Think about a baby human compared to a teen...

I am sure there is more...but that is a basic overview of caring for birds.

Here is an excerpt from another post (which you may want to reference when shopping/ calling about Teflon:
The most insidious is the Teflon/ptfe/pfoa/pfcs because you have to call the company to verify that anything that heats or is intended to be heated does not contain these substances ("PTFE free" doesn't mean PFC free and so there are a lot of marketing gimmicks out there to make people buy what seems like healthier cook-ware, even though it still contains a version of the same chemicals). Also-- these chemicals can be woven into fabric, mixed into metal during the moulding process, applied as a powder, applied as a clear-coat, or mixed with a colored coating. You cannot assume that you will be able to identify them visually, so, when you call, you must provide all abbreviations and full names + spellings of each chemical compound (and then they usually give you "the run around" for a week or so IF they ever answer your questions at all---because sometimes it's a "trade secret"). It's all very sketchy and DuPont (manufacturer of Teflon) claims that off-gassing only occurs at really high temperatures, but there have been numerous documented/scientific and anecdotal reports of birds passing away at temperatures in the 300 F range (and again, it kills through closed doors and on different floors).
FYI- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
A perfluorinated compound (PFC)
Teflon (a common brand-name of non-stick cookware containing these chemicals)

10- 12 hours nightly for sleep, so if you get up at 6 and make a bunch of noise, you will wake the bird up (even if they are still covered). If they wake up at 6, bed should be between 6-8. You want to keep it around the same time if possible (because that's how it is in nature).

Food- I leave a high quality mix of pellets and some seed in my bird's cage (no peanuts, no sunflowers, avoid fillers like corn etc)..Fruit/veg daily (more veg than fruit if at all possible--and not too much fruit). Citrus and fruits high in vitamin C should be given in extreme moderation because they can cause "Iron Storage Disease" (for a cockatoo, 1 small tangerine slice 1-2 times a week was okay, according to my vet). She gets something interesting/ cooked (no salt or sugar or unsafe spaces-- like a grain) 2x daily as well but she is picky as heck, so you have to watch it because some birds will fill up on one thing and not get proper nutrients or they will eat too much and become obese.


OH-- something I didn't mention in my last post-- stainless steel is really one of the only safe metals for them. Research the heck out of your cage and make sure that if it uses a powder-coating it is truly non-toxic. Birds can get metal poisoning from playing with sketchy toys (many made in China do not adhere to best practices) and just mouthing things like money, bolts, locks etc can cause toxic impacts...A man I know allowed his bird to play with un-used toothbrushes and (unbeknownst to him) there were small copper bits that held the bristles in place-- this nearly killed his bird even though the bird didn't actually swallow the pieces.

 

[Citybuild122]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I haven't been active on this forum in the last 2.5 months. So here's what's going on with koko.


First off, the previous owner had a great bond with this bird. He's clearly been trained interactions. He has no problems taking food from my hand, he's done that since day one. He has no problems stepping up WHEN HE NEEDS IT. So if he flies off his cage. Other than that, nope. So I would say that in the time I've owned him, I've held him less then 10 times. As soon as I go to put my hand or arm out to step up, and ask him to step up, he immediately puts his head down in a bite stance or moves away from me. Note, he has done this since I got him.


I will admit, my behavior with the bird hasn't been the best recently. At times I've gotten frustrated at him. If he strikes at my hand and misses, I'll purposely aggravate him because I am pissed off myself.

I'm to the point now where I'm going to start looking into bird trainers. I've tried getting him to step up on perches, offering him an apple slice to step up, trainer gloves so he can bite me and realize that it doesn't work and I'll keep my hand there regardless. I've watched videos on changing my demeanor towards him (Asking him to step up rather than order him to step up).




Now, as for what someone said above here, do I really need to unplug air fresheners in my house because of the bird? And toxic fumes from pots and pans? That seems a bit extreme to me. I've never heard of someone having to completely change their household for a bird THAT much. Cleaning supplies, air fresheners, the material of my kitchen supplies?

 

[1oldparroter]

Another source of info on African Grey is on YouTube.com type wingsNpaw in the search window. He has quite a few video's up. jh

 

[noodles123]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I haven't been active on this forum in the last 2.5 months. So here's what's going on with koko.


First off, the previous owner had a great bond with this bird. He's clearly been trained interactions. He has no problems taking food from my hand, he's done that since day one. He has no problems stepping up WHEN HE NEEDS IT. So if he flies off his cage. Other than that, nope. So I would say that in the time I've owned him, I've held him less then 10 times. As soon as I go to put my hand or arm out to step up, and ask him to step up, he immediately puts his head down in a bite stance or moves away from me. Note, he has done this since I got him.


I will admit, my behavior with the bird hasn't been the best recently. At times I've gotten frustrated at him. If he strikes at my hand and misses, I'll purposely aggravate him because I am pissed off myself.

I'm to the point now where I'm going to start looking into bird trainers. I've tried getting him to step up on perches, offering him an apple slice to step up, trainer gloves so he can bite me and realize that it doesn't work and I'll keep my hand there regardless. I've watched videos on changing my demeanor towards him (Asking him to step up rather than order him to step up).




Now, as for what someone said above here, do I really need to unplug air fresheners in my house because of the bird? And toxic fumes from pots and pans? That seems a bit extreme to me. I've never heard of someone having to completely change their household for a bird THAT much. Cleaning supplies, air fresheners, the material of my kitchen supplies?

YES- UNPLUG- my CAV's holding message on the phone literally lists these as deadly!!!! "Did you know that air fresheners like Glade Plug-ins can kill your bird?" in a female recorded audio voice...SERIOUSLY
and in terms of the pans....DEADLY...(also listed on the hold message)....
There are entire threads devoted to just that!
It's a reality- not extreme.. Your bird isn't a mammal....!!!! I am sorry this makes me so mad, because it kills more birds than anything else, and it is precisely due to that response...It doesn't happen every time, but it has (a million times over)...would you risk it?
You are dealing with far too many variables--- age of pan, heat, acidity of food, liquid content, previous exposure. I swear to you that this kills birds daily- and at lower temperatures than those quoted by Dupont. Please, know that I am not making this up to make your life difficult..and if you know anything about their respiratory systems, you would know that chemicals, wax and any oils in the air can also kill them! This upsets be greatly.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general...e-s-pfoa-s-silicon-ceramic-cook-bakeware.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/85787-aware-non-stick-pans.html

.....I am struggling...and for the record, there is not a single avian certified vet in the US that would disagree with what I have said.

https://www.ewg.org/research/canari...-cleaning feature on the,over seven years [6].

https://wagwalking.com/bird/condition/teflon-poisoning/

http://kbahonline.vetstreet.com/ptfe-the-silent-killer-lurking-in-your-home

https://www.windycityparrot.com/blog/2017/03/29/bird-safe-cookware-alternatives/

 

[LaManuka]

Unfortunately it is absolutely true that Teflon and many associated non-stick coating type products can and do offgas toxic fumes which are lethal to domestic birds. Their respiratory systems are so much more sensitive than ours - there's a reason they used to use canaries to detect poison gases in coal mines! But you don't need to take my word for it, here's a fairly recent tragedy that occurred with one of our members...

http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/77950-devastating-post-must-read-now-teflon.html

And it doesn't stop there, even dishwashers can be potentially hazardous ...

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/68106-terrifying-fumes-dishwasher-warning.html

You have brought a highly sensitive animal into your home and appropriate steps need to be taken to responsibly safeguard his life.

 

[Anansi]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I haven't been active on this forum in the last 2.5 months. So here's what's going on with koko.


First off, the previous owner had a great bond with this bird. He's clearly been trained interactions. He has no problems taking food from my hand, he's done that since day one. He has no problems stepping up WHEN HE NEEDS IT. So if he flies off his cage. Other than that, nope. So I would say that in the time I've owned him, I've held him less then 10 times. As soon as I go to put my hand or arm out to step up, and ask him to step up, he immediately puts his head down in a bite stance or moves away from me. Note, he has done this since I got him.


I will admit, my behavior with the bird hasn't been the best recently. At times I've gotten frustrated at him. If he strikes at my hand and misses, I'll purposely aggravate him because I am pissed off myself.

I'm to the point now where I'm going to start looking into bird trainers. I've tried getting him to step up on perches, offering him an apple slice to step up, trainer gloves so he can bite me and realize that it doesn't work and I'll keep my hand there regardless. I've watched videos on changing my demeanor towards him (Asking him to step up rather than order him to step up).




Now, as for what someone said above here, do I really need to unplug air fresheners in my house because of the bird? And toxic fumes from pots and pans? That seems a bit extreme to me. I've never heard of someone having to completely change their household for a bird THAT much. Cleaning supplies, air fresheners, the material of my kitchen supplies?

Good to have you back!

Okay, a few things to address here. Looking at the timing from your initial post until now, it looks as though you've only had him a few months at this point. Keep in mind that grey are known for both being extremely intelligent and VERY slow to trust. I say that to emphasize that forming a bond with one can take time.

Patience is key. Take your time, and don't allow your frustration with the bird to show. Ever. It only slows your progress Or worse, subtracts from any progress you might've made up until that point. You can never take the behavior of a bird toward you personally. Remember that their minds are wired completely differently from yours. Don't anthropomorphize him. He's not snapping at you because he doesn't like you. Or to be mean. He's doing it because he feels it's the only way to make his point that seems to get your attention.

Birds do a lot of their communication through body language. Much of it to an extent of subtlety that human beings simply can't grasp. As such, he is likely completely confused when you continue doing something that he's clearly telling you makes him uncomfortable. (Clearly to him, anyway. It simply never occurs to him that you might not be fluent in bird-speak.)

So first thing is to work on getting better at reading his body language. This doesn't come overnight. It takes time. And work. And patience. But once you get there, you'll find that the frequency of bites will drop significantly. Here are some links that might help:

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/63988-bite-pressure-training.html

And here is a link to a thread I replied to a while back. That bird's biting issue was worse than the one with yours, but the details of my response might prove helpful to you in this case. So, feel free to take a peek: http://www.parrotforums.com/behavio...got-fearful-after-trying-dispiline-him-2.html

Lastly, as for your questions about whether the advice about pots and pans and air fresheners you'd received from Noodles earlier might have been extreme? No, she's right. Especially the stuff about pots and pans. Birds have very delicate respiratory systems. So fumes we might not even notice could easily prove fatal to them. (This is why canaries were always used in mines way back when. The poor birds would go into respiratory distress and die from gases the humans in those tunnels didn't even notice. Served as a reliable, if cruel, early detection system.)

Teflon is notorious for this. And the tricky part is, it only happens when there is an off-gassing. But there's no way for you to know. So, you could be cooking... same as you do every other day... and yet this time, BOOM! Your parrot suddenly dies. And without warning, mind you. Quick as that, he's gone. Not an exaggeration. Just tragic truth.

Air fresheners can also be deadly if employed in the same room... or in heavy enough concentrations to carry over to the room in which the bird resides.

So, just be careful.Because the fact it hasn't happened yet is no indication that it won't. Even Russian roulette is lucky 5 times out of six. But it only takes one time, you know? I replaced all of my teflon with ceramic, copper and stainless steel. Oh, and this stone type that's also really good. And I don't even miss the old stuff.

EDIT: Looks like I was typing at the same time as LaManuka... but she's lots faster. Lol! Great links, my friend.

 

[1oldparroter]

If you plan on doing things that are proven harmful to birds, you are "WRONG". Air fresheners and teflon are 2 things, so is smoking tobacco. Give the bird to someone who does care about its' health. jh

 

[bigfellasdad]

I will admit, my behavior with the bird hasn't been the best recently. At times I've gotten frustrated at him. If he strikes at my hand and misses, I'll purposely aggravate him because I am pissed off myself.

Please dont do that, trust can along time to build and a second to shatter.
Patience is so important with birds, Ive had enzo for nearly 3yrs now and i still never force her to do anything, this will sound strange but I have to be calm and ask her to do something. You are constantly reading her body language, and guess what, your grey will be reading yours. It will no you are happy/stressed whatever before you do! Enzo has only ever bitten me as warnings or as protection (another time!) from something, as when i get frustrated I will stop, take a few deep breaths and wait for Enzo to relax before trying again. If i get really frustrated ill walk away and stop interacting with her for a good 5 minutes.

I'm to the point now where I'm going to start looking into bird trainers. I've tried getting him to step up on perches, offering him an apple slice to step up, trainer gloves so he can bite me and realize that it doesn't work and I'll keep my hand there regardless. I've watched videos on changing my demeanor towards him (Asking him to step up rather than order him to step up).
Now, as for what someone said above here, do I really need to unplug air fresheners in my house because of the bird? And toxic fumes from pots and pans? That seems a bit extreme to me. I've never heard of someone having to completely change their household for a bird THAT much. Cleaning supplies, air fresheners, the material of my kitchen supplies?

oops i should have read further before replying above!

There are plenty of good youtube channels, birdtricks i think is good, lots of content but always with training in mind.

As for changing the house, ive never used air fresheners as i like to keep windows open, deodarants i wont use if enzo is anywhere near at all, pots and pans that are non-stick, yes, you hear of birds dying because of them. I cook low and slow with stainless pans and never had issues with any birds ive had. So yes there are compromises to be made too.

Keep at it though apart from losing patience and reacting you you are doing well, the rewards are spectacular when you crack it...

 

[bigfellasdad]

https://www.windycityparrot.com/blog/2017/03/29/bird-safe-cookware-alternatives/

 

[Citybuild122]

Going tomorrow to buy new pots and pans, and my air fresheners have been out for some time. Is there anything else? I’ve literally never heard of Teflon or heard about these dangers. So thank you all very much.

 

[noodles123]

Going tomorrow to buy new pots and pans, and my air fresheners have been out for some time. Is there anything else? I’ve literally never heard of Teflon or heard about these dangers. So thank you all very much.

You shouldn't use anything with a scent unless it is known to be safe- no candles, no oil warmers, no aerosols, polishes, paints, vaping, incense, smoking, no fabreeze, burnt foods, etc..
and no standard cleaners unless avian safe..
They are just SUPER sensitive to things because of their respiratory systems.

Remember- Teflon is a brand, but PTFE/PFOA, PFCS etc are all the chemical compounds.

No self-clean function on your oven and no silicone cookware either.

Sometimes the damage from other chemicals takes time, so while your bird may not show issues right now, it is best to stop all of the unhealthy stuff ASAP, as fumes of any sort (even those from perfumes etc) can be extremely harmful. Also- essential oils are not safe either...

 

[Inger]

Going tomorrow to buy new pots and pans, and my air fresheners have been out for some time. Is there anything else? I’ve literally never heard of Teflon or heard about these dangers. So thank you all very much.

Thank you for taking this so seriously. Having bird companions is really a lifestyle. I used to love candles and wax melts and after 3 years without, I’m shocked and how strong and icky they smell to me now.


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