Play time issue

[texsize]

I am looking for some advice here, something I have not thought of yet.

This is about Bingo and Luna.

In a nutshell, every time Bingo starts to really play with his toys Luna objects to it very loudly. This makes Bingo stop his activity and go back to being a perch potato.


Bingo is not a very active bird and does not fly so he needs to get as much activity as he can get.


Bingo and Luna can't be in the same cage but.... Luna gets very upset if I was to say take Bingo into the shower with me. She does not want Bingo to be out of her sight.


I can't think of a way of re-arranging the cages so that they can't see each other and if I could.... Luna would scream cuz she can't see Bingo. Even if she (Luna) got use to having Bingo out of her direct view she would know if Bingo was playing with his toys (by the sound) and I think she would still object by screaming.


Luna very much wants attention and interaction from/with Bingo and Bingo wants nothing to do with her. This is one of the reasons I was so serious in considering getting the RLA that is/was at the pet shop a while ago.


I am kind of out of ideas here, don't see a solution.

 

[Laurasea]

Hi, oh the joys of more than one! If you can dedicate some time near enough to Luna so that the first instant Bingo plays with a toy you give Luna a treat before she can object, repeat often. Or clicker train he plays with toys click she gets a treat. Or you ware jungle toys yourself around the house so there is always toy sounds. Or you tape toy sounds to play while you give treats. Ok that's all I could come up with! My GCC hated my phone, I or phone would get bit. This sucked as her time is the evening when I also want to play on phone. So I started treat city when ever she saw the phone she got treats, when I use the phone she gets treats. After a few days she ignored the phone and I don't have to give treats anymore. Alas I can't talk on the phone tho or I still get bit, but that's workable I just put her away for phone calls. Good luck!

 

[Scott]

That is a tough situation because one of the issues is noise from toys. The sight issue is fairly easy by moving cages or even using a portable wooden room divider.

Is Luna playful, and if so can you get her identical toys? Perhaps once Bingo starts playing Luna would follow?

 

[noodles123]

if Luna objects, I would move your other bird (Bingo) away from her (another room) and let her deal with being alone (while you play with Bingo). If you move Luna, you are providing attention for bad behavior, and it sounds like that (+control) may be what she is after. IF Bingo is playing and appreciates your attention, then pour it on, because Luna is raining on Bingo's parade hard, and she needs to know that it is not okay. It could be that she wants to be the center of attention...it could be that she dislikes the fact that he is playing unpredictably (uprooting perceived roles/routine). Either way, she is having an impact on his behavior (because when she reacts, he stops) and she knows it! Her whole goal appears to be either A) To test her control on the environment or B) to get him to stop...for whatever reason..

 

[ChristaNL]

When one of them misbehaves.. and screaming is misbehaving in almost all situations -> get her out of there.
You've accidently trained her to scream to get what she wants - not its time for some re-education

 

[noodles123]

But----if you move the one who is misbehaving, she might misinterpret that as fun/attention (getting picked up), so if possible, move the good one and leave the rude one by herself while you guys go and have fun...Unless that isn't possible.

 

[ChristaNL]

If the one finally playing will stop doing that -> remove the screamer.
Being pluncked down in isolation is not fun.


I know we have this rule that any attention is perceived as good by the bird- but they are not stupid.
if screaming = the kind of attention that gets you kicked out of the flock , the coin will drop!


If you cannot move the bird fast/ easily enough I would even go as far as to isolate the bird (the screamer) by plunking on a cagecover of some kind.
Screaming to see the other bird?
Then you *only get to see the other bird if you are quiet or whistle something nice.


Does this sound cruel? Probably.
But if the other bird needs some private time to do his own thing... we should give him that. It's not fun being the arbiter, but parronting is not always being verry nice and cuddly; we also have to make the hard choices about whose needs come first and what is acceptable flockbehaviour.

 

[noodles123]

If the one finally playing will stop doing that -> remove the screamer.
Being pluncked down in isolation is not fun.


I know we have this rule that any attention is perceived as good by the bird- but they are not stupid.
if screaming = the kind of attention that gets you kicked out of the flock , the coin will drop!

Christina, you are probably right in this case.
I wrote what I wrote because I have known a few birds who didn't mind short-lived isolation as much, as long as they got enough one-on-one human attention to meet their needs thresholds. In such cases, moving the aforementioned (theoretical) birds could be enough --especially if being part of the flock wasn't a priority at that very moment. Some birds get used to being alone when we go to work etc, so they can handle being isolated temporarily (as long as they still get what they perceive to be as "special attention" from their human--and a bird's perception of novel/exciting attention is often opposite of our intentions). Let's be honest, this imposed "isolation" would not be a lengthy one, so a stubborn bird with specific priorities could easily wait-out his/her human's guilt lol.

That having been said, in all likelihood, the imposed isolation factor will irritate her (even if there is initial attention). So, Christina's statement is generally going to apply (but not always).

I just wanted to explain that in some attention seeking birds, a brief moment of focused attention from one person means more to them than attention in a group, which is why I was cautious about telling you ( OP) to move the feisty one. Again, if you do what Christina sad and it will probably work, I just was suggesting caution in case your bird is super into you, and less into group interaction.