Yet another 'help me, I have a screaming conure!'

[Peeko]

Its nothing new, but I've now exhausted anything I could think of to curb this issue, so I figured I'd ask for some advice.

My little guy isn't a screamer in general. He only screams when I'm asleep and he isn't. Which is the issue, because then neither of us are asleep!

Initially, I covered his cage at night, for about three months. It didn't help the screaming at all.

So then, on a suggestion, I had him in a sleep cage next to my bed for quite a long time and he never screamed. It worked brilliantly, until he began chewing the paint off of the cage bars and for his safety I did away with the cage. I couldn't have him eating paint. Ever since then, he screams. He can see me/my bed from the place his big cage is, but seeing me isn't enough, apparently.

I have major sleep problems and sleep aids used to work, but I developed a tolerance. I'm nocturnal, I don't go to sleep until the sun's up, and I only get about three hours before he starts screaming.

I cant keep buying new sleep cages for him because I just don't have the money to replace an extra cage every time he chews paint off. I haven't been able to find a cage the appropriate size that doesn't have painted bars. He has his travel cage but I wouldn't trust it unsupervised because of the size of the bar spacing on the door (its a Look N See travel crate for small dogs/cats and despite stock photos the meshy wire isn't also on the door, its like a standard dog crate spacing instead).

I understand that this may just be a fact of life with this bird, and I'll just have to deal with it if there's no possible solution. At least its mildly entertaining when he screams, tells himself to Shhhhh, and then starts screaming again But has anyone had an experience like mine, and was able to find a solution?

 

[Kalidasa]

Just curious, when you say you're up all night, and he can see you from his cage, is it dark and quiet, or are the lights/tv or other distractions on?

 

[BoomBoom]

Looks like the sleep cage set up worked. Perhaps you might consider investing on a sleep cage that is all stainless steel? No more peeling paint!

Something like this, though expensive, will last you forever. They have an all stainless steel variant. Could also double as a travel cage. : [ame="http://www.amazon.com/ALUMINUM-PARROT-TRAVEL-CARRIERS-ATT1214/dp/B00BB7DWKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390448003&sr=8-1&keywords=kings+travel+cage"]Amazon.com: KINGS CAGES ALUMINUM PARROT PET TRAVEL CARRIERS CAGE ATT1214 bird cages (BLUE): Pet Supplies[/ame]

 

[Peeko]

Kalidasa: Its dark and quiet and he sleeps in his tent, which is turned away from the side of the room that my desk is on, so he has no visual distraction at night while I'm awake. He sleeps fine.

Boomboom: I wont go above 1/2" spacing because he's on the small side, even for a green cheek. I don't want to risk something happening. I would also have a hell of a time convincing my father to pay more for a sleep/travel cage than we paid for his flight cage...
I looked for an appropriate cage to use for a sleep cage on ebay, amazon, various pet store/bird store sites, and found nothing that was proper size/bar spacing, no paint, and within budget. :/

 

[BoomBoom]

Could your dad give you some chores around the house, so you can slowly build up some cash to increase your cage budget - it would mean more options? Maybe even a part time job for a month or two, if it means saving you and your bird's sanity as well.

You can also try craigslist for used cages, you might come across a great steal!

 

[Peeko]

I have money, but I'm not allowed to spend it on anything except vet visits. Extra chores wouldn't accomplish much because money is tight (dog had to go to the vet twice in the past month) and a job isn't possible because of several personal issues and circumstances. :/ He wouldn't be willing to let me earn money if he knew that I intended to use it to buy a cage 1/10th (total guesstimation, don't take me seriously - point is its way smaller) of the size of his flight cage for a higher price. He's a very stubborn person.

I keep an eye on craigslist and our other local craigslist-like site, nothing so far though. Parrots and birds in general aren't popular pets around here, except for chickens.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I used to keep Skittles in the living room even at night - but I stay up VERY late, and he kept being groggy during the day.

So now, I just move his cage into the bedroom at bedtime, where it's quiet. I cover his cage with several blankets so that it is not only pitch dark in his cage, but he can't see any light through them.

I would suggest that if you can't move his cage from room to room, save up and buy a high quality sleep cage, it doesn't need to be big since he's gonna just sleep in it. If he can see you during the night, he may be screaming cause he's being disrupted.

I don't know about all conures - but I do know that sun conures need 10-14 hours of uninterrupted sleep during the night.

 

[MissBMonkey]

My Ducky gets up as soon as the cat gets up in the morning and she won't go back to sleep. I'm usually up until about midnight and I get up at 7am for work most days, but on days I want to sleep in....say on weekends....I'll keep Ducky up late, around 12 or 1, so she sleeps in with me. So what if you kept your baby up late? Ducky stays out 95% of the time when I'm home and she's good - she just sits on my shoulder and lets me do whatever I need to do. Have you tried getting him tired? Give him a few exercise flies around the room and play with him before you put him to bed.

Also, Ducky only sleeps when it's completely dark, so I have to cover her sleep cage, but I don't like to use really heavy blankets - I'm scared of her not breathing - so sometimes I'll put her sleep cage in my closet where it's dark, if I want to sleep in the next morning. This works great for her, and we're both happy.

Or...what if you invested in an acrylic cage? One he can't chew? Personally, my Ducky doesn't like see through cages, so you might want to make sure you can return it.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Some birds will only sleep when it is COMPLETELY dark and quiet.

I'm fortunate in that I don't have to put Skittles to sleep, he tells me when it's bedtime - like clockwork. I get up from my chair and he goes right into his cage on his own and races to the bottom and runs and hides in his cuddle hut.

However, my cockatiel Peaches tends to make noise even when its dark - cause I don't have her in the 'pitch dark' cause of past night frights, so I occasionally have to deal with her getting him going.

I used to have a ringneck dove that would make dove calls (like an owl) every day at 5a, it drove me nuts!

 

[SoCalWendy]

Its nothing new, but I've now exhausted anything I could think of to curb this issue, so I figured I'd ask for some advice.

My little guy isn't a screamer in general. He only screams when I'm asleep and he isn't. Which is the issue, because then neither of us are asleep!

Initially, I covered his cage at night, for about three months. It didn't help the screaming at all.

So then, on a suggestion, I had him in a sleep cage next to my bed for quite a long time and he never screamed. It worked brilliantly, until he began chewing the paint off of the cage bars and for his safety I did away with the cage. I couldn't have him eating paint. Ever since then, he screams. He can see me/my bed from the place his big cage is, but seeing me isn't enough, apparently.

I have major sleep problems and sleep aids used to work, but I developed a tolerance. I'm nocturnal, I don't go to sleep until the sun's up, and I only get about three hours before he starts screaming.

I cant keep buying new sleep cages for him because I just don't have the money to replace an extra cage every time he chews paint off. I haven't been able to find a cage the appropriate size that doesn't have painted bars. He has his travel cage but I wouldn't trust it unsupervised because of the size of the bar spacing on the door (its a Look N See travel crate for small dogs/cats and despite stock photos the meshy wire isn't also on the door, its like a standard dog crate spacing instead).

I understand that this may just be a fact of life with this bird, and I'll just have to deal with it if there's no possible solution. At least its mildly entertaining when he screams, tells himself to Shhhhh, and then starts screaming again But has anyone had an experience like mine, and was able to find a solution?

Sounds like you both need a quiet, dark room. And you need ear plugs. I use ear plugs when Rio is being too rambunctious in the morning and I want a few more Zzzzzzzz. She has a sleep cage. She will wake me up between 7-8:30 I take her to her day cage, give her a couple of Nutriberries and tell her see you later and go back to bed.

 

[Peeko]

I cant move his cage; I'm not allowed to have my pets in any other room, except for my bedroom.

And again, the room is dark and quiet while he sleeps, he sleeps fine. There are times that I'm unable to fall asleep at all and I lay in bed listening for when he wakes up, and every time that's happened, he has gotten 10-13 hours of sleep before he wakes himself up. I'm unsure if some people misread or not, since a couple people seem concerned about his sleep schedule as if that's the problem. His sleep schedule isn't a problem at all, mine is, but I'm unable to reset it as I've been trying to for four years now with the help of medication and it hasn't accomplished anything.

I guess I have no choice but to try to convince my father to buy another sleep cage, if I can find one without painted bars, 1/2" bar spacing or less, and at a price my father would be willing to pay. Fingers crossed, but breath not held... He was royally ticked off when I told him the sleep cage he had bought was unsafe because of peeling paint and stopped using it. In all likelihood I'll have to just suck it up and not get enough sleep.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I hear your concern. I have sleep issues too. Which is why I put Skittles in the other room.

The hours of sleep aren't the only concern however. Is the timing the same? Do you put him to bed and wake him up at about the same time each day? If they get off their cycle they can get grumpy and noisy - just like us humans.

 

[Peeko]

He goes to sleep at the exact same time every night - on his own - and also wakes himself up at roughly the same time every morning. Some days he sleeps in a little, but its pretty consistent otherwise.

Everyone who has experienced his morning screams agree that he's screaming for my attention. He goes silent and content as soon as I get out of bed. I wish I could adjust to his sleep schedule, trust me - it would be so much more convenient for a million reasons - but its just not possible. He screams if I try to take a nap too, no matter what time it is.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Okay, I think I understand you completely now.

He is on a regular sleep schedule, but you are not. He gets the right amount of sleep, but you don't?

I put Skittles to bed at about 9p, sometimes 10p. I wake him up between 11a-12n since I sleep in. If I decide I need a nap, I let him out for a bit and then take an afternoon nap, often times he joins me.

I hate to say it, but it seems like you're gonna have to just live with it. It's like with kids, if they sleep through the night but we are up for whatever reason, we still have to wake up to get them up and ready for the day.

 

[Peeko]

Yeah, his sleep schedule is completely fine~ I'm the one who's all screwed up

I honestly expected that answer. If my father was less stubborn and would be willing to let me spend my money on a new sleep cage, the problem would be solved. But, I'm not allowed to spend any of my money at all on anything except vet visits. Every penny I get goes into savings by his rule.

 

[Peeko]

Well I just plead my case and my father said since my birthday is coming, if I can find a suitable sleep cage for $50 or under, I can have it for my birthday. Judging by the prices I've seen so far I doubt I could find a good one that cheap but here's hoping!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

You might be able to find a good used one, but if you do make sure you THOROUGHLY clean and disinfect it before putting your bird in it.

Sometimes Kings Cages have good deals. I got a play stand for Skittles from them for just over $100. Every one of the ones I saw elsewhere was well over $200.

 

[t0mmick]

Well the only thing i can suggest is to try sleeping at night when ur bird does! Its normal for a bird to get up with the sun and start his day, it would be strange if he was screaming all night in the dark and not during the day. Also sounds like he's asking for attention(possible separation anxiety) because this is a normal time for him to want to be up playing. I have insomnia and understand what its like to not sleep well or when u want ,but im sure if you force urself you can get back into a normal sleeping pattern that will benefit both u and ur bird!

 

[Kalidasa]

Oh, I see now its you with the sleeping problem. I feel for you as I've had that for many years. What helps me if I get off schedule is to stay up until bedtime, no naps. And if I'm up all night I stay up all day,then crash at bedtime and that gets me back on track. Birds are up at the crack of dawn, it's what they do and have been doing for millions of years. It's us who have to adjust to that. Hope you get back on a normal schedule, sleep disorders and irregular sleep can cause depression.

 

[kiwiS]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation I used to sleep like a log, but I've developed terrible sinus problems that keep me up all night now. It's real tough!

Have you tried looking into alternatives from bird cages? Like maybe a cat carrier or dog carrier? Those go pretty cheap, i think you can get one for 15 bucks. And then cover it with a dark towel.

Ear plugs is a good suggestion too..maybe that can help a little bit.