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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 19, 2020 3:54:43 GMT
Usually the boys go back into their cage around 7pm and stay. I close their door. Around 8pm I cover them up for the night. Tonight around 7pm they came out of their cage and I didn't think too much about it. I wasn't looking, I heard the flapping of wings. They were flying around their cage and I thought maybe they just wanted a bit of exercise. A little later I looked over because it was getting closer to their bedtime and they were still out. They were taking a lap and landing on the top of their cage looking skinny and scared. I couldn't entice them with millet. It was getting dark and they were not going in their cage. I thought something in their cage scared them. I checked the perches - all were still attached and in the same spot. I checked their toys, especially the one they are obsessed about right now. Nothing different, they hadn't chewed through any strings, nothing different. I felt bad about it but I decided I was going to have to towel them to get them back in. I had to chase them a bit but I got Buddy and put him in the cage. I chased Tweetie Pie but he saw Buddy in the cage and went in on his own. I did my usual routine of covering them for the night. I peeked in about 15 minutes later and they were in their normal sleeping spots. Any ideas? What should I do tomorrow? I don't want to have to catch them again and I know I'll need to build the trust again (we were doing so well, sigh).
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Apr 25, 2024 7:50:00 GMT
Deleted
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2020 7:13:13 GMT
Hi tpm, I've had my birds do this, too. Something has spooked them and they've done the flapping thing late at night- once it was a small spider on the bottom of the cage.
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Post by blue48 on Jul 19, 2020 7:32:01 GMT
Maybe one of them caught his foot or something, then both of them panicked.
I'm hope they'll be okay today. BertieB recovered very quickly from the week long medicine ordeal where I had to grab him twice a day.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,752
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Jul 19, 2020 7:48:13 GMT
It could be anything from a tiny fly to a seagull or car alarm.
With most of my birds, I just usher them towards their cages with my hands (used to be the stick, but the little ones are scared of that) can you try something like that? I do it and say "bedtime" and eventually they got it.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 19, 2020 16:50:18 GMT
Thanks everyone. I've never had to force them back to their cage. Usually they go back in on their own about an hour before dusk. As I mulled it over, I think it must have been something about the latest toy they are obsessed with, especially Buddy - he was playing with it all the time! I've only seen Buddy get scared once and yesterday he was the one who was scared. Tweetie Pie follows his lead. When Buddy flew out of the cage scared, Tweetie Pie came out also. When Buddy wouldn't go back in, Tweetie wouldn't go back in. Tweetie Pie kept trying to go over to Buddy and "console" him, trying to give him a kiss or get close to him and Buddy would snap at him. Tweetie Pie started making his "put me to bed" chirps but wouldn't go in. As soon as I got Buddy in the cage, Tweetie Pie followed. They both are acting normal this morning. I'll watch to see if they play with the suspect toy. There are possibly many things that could have scared him. Right now I'm wondering if one of the "strings" was swinging and hit him. If they don't go near it this morning, I'll remove it for awhile.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 19, 2020 19:17:08 GMT
I guess I'll never know what happened. Buddy is playing with toy today. Both ate some millet that held up in my hand. I'll be little cautious with my hand around them for the next couple of days.
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Post by yellowfacedviolet on Jul 20, 2020 3:48:07 GMT
Given where you live, might there have been an earthquake tremor that you didn't feel but they did?
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 20, 2020 5:13:37 GMT
It is possible yellowfacedviolet although I didn't hear anything on the news. It has been windy the past couple of days. Today there was a plastic bag blowing by the window where their cage is located - those bags that you put produce in at the grocery store. It spooked them a tad. I went out and put it in the trash. Maybe it was something like that which scared Buddy. Its just so unusual because Buddy does not scare! When Tweetie Pie gets scared and flies to the cage bars, Buddy just sits there looking at him like "what's your problem". When Tweetie Pie sees Buddy is not scared, he'll climb down and start playing again. They were acting normal again today, came in and out of their cage as usual.
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Post by criswell on Jul 20, 2020 21:24:27 GMT
I'm glad they seem to have got over their fright. I hope they go in like good boys this evening.
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Apr 5, 2019 23:14:31 GMT
reenie
Normal Green
Posts: 300
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Post by reenie on Jul 22, 2020 8:00:05 GMT
My two had a freak out the other week and it turned out that there was a tiny little fruit fly in their cage. You'll probably never know. Glad they're OK now.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 22, 2020 15:38:08 GMT
Thanks reenie! They seem to be back to "normal", coming and going from their cage as before. It was just so strange that Buddy, my adventurous brave boy, wouldn't go into his cage which is supposed to be their safe place. At least there are no lasting bad effects, even for my hand after I towelled him to get him in the cage.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 31, 2020 2:46:22 GMT
Well, it happened again but this time I was there and saw.My neighbor is doing some work on his roof and climbed up the ladder to his roof. Apparently a human appearing on top of a roof is very frightening! I had the cage door closed so they didn't come flying out. They are each on a different perch at the top of the cage, very still and looking frightened. I immediately closed the shutters so they can't see out - was that the right thing to do or will they be more frightened?Talking softly to them doesn't seen to help. Any ideas? I may have to move them to a different window until he finishes.
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Post by Hezz on Jul 31, 2020 8:33:44 GMT
All sorts of things can frighten them in the short-term. How you deal with it might be up to how willing you are to pander to their panics. That sounds a bit narky, not meant to be but I can't think of another way to word what I'm trying to portray. For me, I'm more of a "get over it, kids" kind of person, whereas others might be more of "you poor babies! Mumma's here to keep you safe." (Loki will have a mad screech at seemingly a leaf being blown sideways and that will set everyone off. Maybe he still has feelings of being a foreigner, an alien. ) If keeping the shutters shut for a short time will help you and the birds keep your equilibrium(s)?, then why not?
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 31, 2020 15:15:16 GMT
Thanks Hezz! I guess I am more of the "Mommy's here, nothing's going to hurt my babies" type! It does make me feel so bad seeing them sitting there so frightened. It is really strange - Buddy is my brave little guy so I was surprised that he got frightened at that. Whereas Tweetie Pie, my skittish guy, didn't seem to care but he got frightened because Buddy was frightened. This morning they are doing their normal chirping.
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Post by ffiscool on Jul 31, 2020 15:47:46 GMT
i suppose anything they have not seen much before, will be enough. maybe they thought the neighbour was coming in - in their view or something
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