Petrie wont do anything "new"

[psittac]

So I've decided to break old habits of the same routine with Petrie and start taking better care of her.

Problem is she won't do anything new, she won't take jalapenos which I know she loves, won't eat the bird street bistro I got, and she won't use her heated perch.

I'm taking her to the vet soon because she has had runny poo for some time now, do you think it could be related?

She will however eat fruits if I give them to her.

 

[MonicaMc]

The food could be all in how it's presented and weather or not she recognizes it as food. The runny poo would indeed be a concern if it's a new development.

 

[psittac]

I will try a few different ways to give her new food.

The runny poo has been ever since I moved out of my parents basement. I've been here for 11 months and at first I wanted to give it a little time to go away. I had over 300 gallons of fish tanks in my parents basement so thought it could be due to humidity and once my swamp cooler started running in the spring she got better. There was a direct correlation to the swamp cooler turning off as well. So I've been trying to figure it out, I have a humidifier running 24/7 and my humidity is between 45 and 50 which isn't much lower then with the swamp cooler. It couldn't have been any higher in the basement either. I'm pushing the highest amount of humidity I can without frosting my windows when it's cold, but I could get a pad for this other larger humidifier.

I'm working with my dad to schedule a time with our vet to see what he thinks, it's just hard to coordinate.


As far as the perch goes she doesn't like the texture, she's used to a sand perch and has some other wood perches too, used to have those rope ones, but all of them would allow her to grip, this one is very smooth and she can't stay on it.

 

[Kalidasa]

You could wrap the perch with narrow cotton rope or jute to give it more grip. The perch won't improve her health at all, it's just a comfort thing. I've found it's best to introduce new foods first thing in the morning, hand fed in extremely small pieces until they get a taste for it. Or leave it in the same spot every morning. Of course, with birds it's monkey-see monkey-do, and eating is a social thing, so eat healthy things with her. Acting as if its forbidden (at first) will usually seal the deal.