Spoiled rotten - bad table manners!

[kodimerlyn]

So as I am getting to know Cricket more and more, and she is becoming more and more comfortable with us, more behaviours are cropping up. She is ADAMANT about getting to ANY food that I am preparing. I have a play stand for her in my dining room which is right next to my kitchen (smallish apartment) and she is forever coming down off the stand, onto the breakfast bar stools, onto the kitchen counter, across the sink, across the STOVE eek and to me or primarily whatever food I am preparing. I am trying to teach her that the stove is an absolute no-no but I think I'm going to have to just lock her up when I am cooking on it. She has also found the jar where the granolla bars are kept and will dive right in, thieve one out and destroy it faster than I can blink! I'm worried there is too much sugar in them for her...so now I'm locking those up and away.

Also, she is adamant about eating from my mouth, prefers it in fact. I'm trying to break her of this habit by turning my head and saying no and so far she's not absolutely persistent to the point of belligerence at least. Is there a specific issue about her eating food from my mouth (ex. germs etc.)? Other than most people find it a disgusting habit for some reason.

Any tips for how to break her of these habits? Is there a "stay" technique that works other than having to lock her up? Her "lockup cage" is in my room where she spends the day with the dog who's in his crate and a radio.

Also...she absolutely ADORES cheese! I seem to recall dairy not being the best for birds? Can someone refresh my memory on this? TIA!

 

[kodimerlyn]

Oh and as for the table manners...if I allow her to eat at the table with us, she's the messiest girl on the planet! She will grab as much food as she can, splatter a bunch around the table, dig in and grab more when she hasn't barely touched what she's taken originally! She just a glutenous wee fiend! LOL! Anyone else have a CAG that does this?

 

[Birdman666]

Also, she is adamant about eating from my mouth, prefers it in fact. Is there a specific issue about her eating food from my mouth (ex. germs etc.)? Other than most people find it a disgusting habit for some reason.

Any tips for how to break her of these habits? Is there a "stay" technique that works other than having to lock her up? Her "lockup cage" is in my room where she spends the day with the dog who's in his crate and a radio.

Also...she absolutely ADORES cheese! I seem to recall dairy not being the best for birds? Can someone refresh my memory on this? TIA!

Yes. It's very risky to feed them from your mouth.

Cheese can be fed in moderation. Mine love it too. Just very small quantities.

 

[Birdman666]

She is ADAMANT about getting to ANY food that I am preparing. I have a play stand for her in my dining room which is right next to my kitchen (smallish apartment) and she is forever coming down off the stand, onto the breakfast bar stools, onto the kitchen counter, across the sink, across the STOVE eek and to me or primarily whatever food I am preparing. I am trying to teach her that the stove is an absolute no-no but I think I'm going to have to just lock her up when I am cooking on it.

I have known several people who have lost birds to accidents with the stove. Birds who accidentally fell/flew into an oven, or a boiling spaghetti pot, etc. It's a horribly painful way to die! PLEASE DON'T LET THEM AROUND THE KITCHEN WHEN YOU'RE COOKING!

This is a recipe for disaster! Especially given her propensity and determination for getting into things where food is present. Don't risk it.

 

[Flboy]

My aunt lost her parakeet when it dove into her dish pan while washing dishes! My JoJo rides my shoulder, unless I am working the stove.

 

[JerseyWendy]

......

Also...she absolutely ADORES cheese! I seem to recall dairy not being the best for birds? Can someone refresh my memory on this? TIA!

I'd be VERY careful with cheese. My Hunter developed a recurring Xanthoma on her third eyelid. Xanthomas 'may' be caused by high cholesterol, and there is plenty of that in cheese, which she used to get on rare occasions, and very sparingly. After her 4th surgery I ceased giving her any and all cheese (also no more sunflower seeds and no more peanuts), and the Xanthoma has not returned.

 

[thekarens]

......

Also...she absolutely ADORES cheese! I seem to recall dairy not being the best for birds? Can someone refresh my memory on this? TIA!

I'd be VERY careful with cheese. My Hunter developed a recurring Xanthoma on her third eyelid. Xanthomas 'may' be caused by high cholesterol, and there is plenty of that in cheese, which she used to get on rare occasions, and very sparingly. After her 4th surgery I ceased giving her any and all cheese (also no more sunflower seeds and no more peanuts), and the Xanthoma has not returned.

Plus parrots can't digest diary, so I'd avoid it. There's plenty of other things you can give them for human food treats.

 

[labell]

I agree no cheese I know there are people who do it with seemingly no ill effects but I really don't think it is wise when there are so many better options as snacks.

By the way, thanks Wendy... I googled Xanthoma and a bunch of pics with them on humans came up and almost my dinner as well!:vomit-smi

 

[JerseyWendy]

....

By the way, thanks Wendy... I googled Xanthoma and a bunch of pics with them on humans came up and almost my dinner as well!:vomit-smi

ROFLMAO! OMG, Laura, lemonade just exited through my nose when I read your last sentence. My sinuses are now 'slightly' acidic and burning like a 'B'.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Wow..I gave Smokey bits of cheese from time to time,and when I cooked for her and Amy <a well scrambled egg with veggies> I would put a couple small pieces of American cheese in it to melt into the concoction
God, I hope I wasn't the cause of her passing away!!

As far as being the messiest bird around,you obviously have not met Jonesy,my Goffins!!

Jim

 

[kodimerlyn]

She is ADAMANT about getting to ANY food that I am preparing. I have a play stand for her in my dining room which is right next to my kitchen (smallish apartment) and she is forever coming down off the stand, onto the breakfast bar stools, onto the kitchen counter, across the sink, across the STOVE eek and to me or primarily whatever food I am preparing. I am trying to teach her that the stove is an absolute no-no but I think I'm going to have to just lock her up when I am cooking on it.

I have known several people who have lost birds to accidents with the stove. Birds who accidentally fell/flew into an oven, or a boiling spaghetti pot, etc. It's a horribly painful way to die! PLEASE DON'T LET THEM AROUND THE KITCHEN WHEN YOU'RE COOKING!

This is a recipe for disaster! Especially given her propensity and determination for getting into things where food is present. Don't risk it.

Well as I said, I will be putting her in her lock down cage in my room when I'm cooking. I just don't trust her around a stove at all. Last night she found the granolla bar bowl again...This is a pic after she stole it from the jar (you can see the jar behind her:

this is a blurry pic of her picking it up and running away because she KNOWS I'm coming to take it from her! I finally got smart and turned the jar to face the wall...that's when she decimated a banana!

 

[Dopey]

You could get her (or make one from pvc) a stand or table top stand to stay on while you are cooking in the kitchen. I know some people use the "Station" command when they are training them to stay on them. Mine don't like to be near the running water so they don't come into the kitchen too much.

As for the granola bar - if you don't mind her in the jar when you aren't cooking I would put some "Nutriberries" in it for her. That way she has something in there for her.

It's nice that she wants to be with you so much.

 

[labell]

If the stove is on the birds are put away no exceptions. Even Brady who really stays put and doesn't fly around goes in her cage when the stove is on. One thing I did was buy smaller cages for the main living room the doors are open unless I am cooking and they are butted up to java stands. So they can come and go as they please back in the cages to eat or out on the stands to play.
They have bigger cages in the bird room, this is where they go to sleep as well as if I have to be gone from the house for any length of time. But if I need to I can quickly put them in the smaller cages in the living room and shut the door such as when I have to answer the door (fully flighted birds) or if I need to do something and can't be watching them every second.

 

[Birdman666]

In my household, the birds eat more of the granola bars than we do...

 

[kodimerlyn]

In my household, the birds eat more of the granola bars than we do...

So they're okay for them? I kind of thought there was too much sugar in them? My kid likes the ones with chocolate chips in them for his lunches.

 

[kodimerlyn]

One thing I did was buy smaller cages for the main living room the doors are open unless I am cooking and they are butted up to java stands.

She has a play stand on the main floor in my dining room...my main floor is all open concept though so dining room, kitchen and living room are kind of all one big room...and sadly I have no more room for another cage. So she has to be upstairs. I do have an acrylic travel cage (pictured below) but it fits her and maybe a small water dish and that's it...def. only for short journeys and very brief periods of time...maybe I could use this? Seems a bit cruel but would keep her close by for the time I'm cooking?