Spending time with Keeta

[fredric14]

After searching the forums, and google, I came up with no answers and since you guys have the answer for everything, I'll give it a shot here.

Keeta is a female quaker I got about 6 months ago, and at the time she was about 2 months old. So that puts her around 8 months give or take. She's generally a good girl and doesn't bite. She has her bad moments where she doesn't want to be bothered, and she lets you know about it! I've also noticed she barely ever bites me, and if and when she does, it's usually my fault but a couple minutes passed, and she goes back to snuggling and preening my eyebrows LOL. But she goes crazy on everyone else. I live with 2 room mates, and they're both animal lovers but when she go near her cage, Keeta launches at the side and bangs her beak off the side of the cage and if they stick their hand in the cage, she bites them and goes crazy. Why won't she bite me, but she'll bite everyone else?

I also had a question about spending time with her, as the title suggests. My room mates have 2 cats, but it is a very controlled situation. bird stays in my room, and the door is always closed. No exceptions. That way, the cats never see her, and she never sees them. But here's my question. How much time should she have out of cage? I'm a little worried about her well being. I work usually 5 hours during the weekday, and 16 hours over the weekend. But I spend a lot of time in the same room as her, so when I'm in the room playing on the computer, she's in her cage right behind me and I talk to her while playing. I generally have her out of the cage for half an hour at a time about 3 times a day. Is this enough play time for her? I'm just a little worried because some times I walk out of the room and she lets out a loud screech, chirps for about 10 minutes, then he starts to calm down. So given the amounts above, is she getting adequate play time out of her cage? Thanks for any help you can give guys!

 

[suebee]

your friends should not put there hands or go near your birds cage, she has not bonded with them, to her they are invading her space/scary

spending time in same room is not the same as spending time together! re-arrange the room so the cage is to side of pc etc so eye contact canbe made, also this way you can increase her out of cage time while you play, get her toys so she can entertain herself, but you we need to teach her what these toys are for!

half an hour, 3 times a wk i do not feel is enough

nut is out when ever we are at home, she will entertain herself out of the cage with her toys or generally getting up to no good,
but before when i got home from work let her out, if i tried to sleep she would squawk some grrr but now she is happy to let me nap for an time she thinks is suitable for me, about half an hour, and she'll be squawkin! after that i get up do what ever, she will either follow me about or continue entertaining herself, but through out our time together, i will go give her a head rub when she asks (not all the time)

if we are all out, the tv is left on for her, i make sure there is hidden food, her fav chew toys etc enough to keep her busy

 

[Pedro]

Owing quakers myself & having a 10 year old male that is a pet. I also had the same problem with my bird he would bite everyone except me. He has calmed down over the years. It's because your Keeta hasn't been socialized with others as well as the reaction she gets when she bites someone. Also she lives in your room all the time so if others invade her space they can expect to be bitten.

As far as time out of her cage goes i guess in the long run it all depends on your situation & how happy you think your girl is. If she is happy the way things are why change. You know your bird better than any of us. Some of my companions don't get out of their cages everyday. Sometimes i am just to busy & don't have the time. However a quick cuddle & a tickle often works for my lot. It's what they get used to & don't let anyone tell you different.

 

[fredric14]

half an hour, 3 times a wk i do not feel is enough

No, I said half an hour 3 times every DAY. not every week. an hour and a half a week would be cruelty! But no, shes out for about a total of an hour to an hour and a half per day

 

[fredric14]

Owing quakers myself & having a 10 year old male that is a pet. I also had the same problem with my bird he would bite everyone except me. He has calmed down over the years. It's because your Keeta hasn't been socialized with others as well as the reaction she gets when she bites someone. Also she lives in your room all the time so if others invade her space they can expect to be bitten.

As far as time out of her cage goes i guess in the long run it all depends on your situation & how happy you think your girl is. If she is happy the way things are why change. You know your bird better than any of us. Some of my companions don't get out of their cages everyday. Sometimes i am just to busy & don't have the time. However a quick cuddle & a tickle often works for my lot. It's what they get used to & don't let anyone tell you different.

Yeah. She seems happy, but they can hide emotions pretty good. I just didn't know if an hour and a half per day was enough time. Plus spending time in the same room with her while shes in cage. I just hear horror stories about bored birds plucking themselves and it's not something I wanna put her through. She seems happy and always keeps busy in her cage though.

 

[BanalityBob]

Penelope, my Quaker, and I tend to spend very little time together four days a week. I work four 11 hour shifts a week, but even when I get home, in the hour I have before I have to go to bed, she is allowed out. Now, she doesn't usually go out--all I mean by outside time is that her cage is open so she can come and go as she pleases. In that hour, I make sure I'm in the same room and responding to her "where are you" calls, and if she decides to come out and be social, I respond with kisses, pets, and walnut pieces (a fave). An hour and a half outside the cage is fin, IMHO, as long as you have a couple days of the week where your fid can play outside for longer. Penelope gets 6+ hours a day on my days off, but she is a spoiled rotten fid and still prefers talking to me from behind bars.

 

[suebee]

half an hour, 3 times a wk i do not feel is enough

No, I said half an hour 3 times every DAY. not every week. an hour and a half a week would be cruelty! But no, shes out for about a total of an hour to an hour and a half per day

sorry for miss readin

 

[bhatnaashish098]

hi!

good information about keeta