Birds

[Bambee]

Hi Guys, so my Bambina hates my African Grey...At 3-5 months she was ok with him not even noticing him...but now at almost 8 months she wants to kill him i think I have been trying to calm her and try to make her understand that that is her brother (she barks non-stop at him)...my little grey has been with me since he was 3 months...he's almost 6 years of age...the thing is I know she is a terrier and that she hunts for mice...but I guess I did not do my enough search to know that that includes birds too...last time I had my first scare with them...my grey has always been on a bird tree perch where he stays when I get home in our living room...I take him out of his cage and he hangs out on his perch...it has been this way for almost 6 years...last night he fell from his perch (which sometimes he does) and there she went to get him...I was a lot faster and was able to grab her before the worst can ever happen....So I was wondering what can anybody suggest? These two are my babies...I love my parrot as much as I love her...I know they have to always be supervised, but I believe now I cannot have him on perch while she is there even though we are there with them...a tragedy can occur any second....help

[Mayzoo]

Originally Posted by Bambee

Hi Guys, so my Bambina hates my African Grey...At 3-5 months she was ok with him not even noticing him...but now at almost 8 months she wants to kill him i think I have been trying to calm her and try to make her understand that that is her brother (she barks non-stop at him)...my little grey has been with me since he was 3 months...he's almost 6 years of age...the thing is I know she is a terrier and that she hunts for mice...but I guess I did not do my enough search to know that that includes birds too...last time I had my first scare with them...my grey has always been on a bird tree perch where he stays when I get home in our living room...I take him out of his cage and he hangs out on his perch...it has been this way for almost 6 years...last night he fell from his perch (which sometimes he does) and there she went to get him...I was a lot faster and was able to grab her before the worst can ever happen....So I was wondering what can anybody suggest? These two are my babies...I love my parrot as much as I love her...I know they have to always be supervised, but I believe now I cannot have him on perch while she is there even though we are there with them...a tragedy can occur any second....help

Absolutely constant supervision.

Can you put an x-pen around where his perch base is so if he falls off she cannot get to him? Does he fly, or would he stay in that area?

[matese]

Before I had yorkies I had draw parrots. When I came home from work I would let them out, their wings were clipped and they were happy to hang out on top of their cage. Then I got my first yorkie, she was fine with the birds (3) until she became appox. 7 months old. If I let them out she would leap at the cage, if they were in their cage she would sit under the cage and salivate. YES, she wanted to kill the birds. 3 years later I got yorkie # 2, same thing. The birds were not allowed out of their cages after getting my first yorkie. When the last bird died that was it for me and birds. As they got older they never bothered with the wild birds that came to my feeder. My adopted boy Cody goes crazy when he sees birds and would kill one if he ever got it. African Grey's live for years. X-pen is a great idea. I would not let the bird out of it's cage, these yorkies are fast, you may not be lucky the next time your bird falls.

[Bambee]

Originally Posted by Mayzoo

Absolutely constant supervision.

Can you put an x-pen around where his perch base is so if he falls off she cannot get to him? Does he fly, or would he stay in that area?

he doesnt fly...once he falls he just walks on the floor he either goes to his room or just walks around until we put him back on his perch..he will look for me... his perch is about 5 ft tall...all this is breaking my heart...

[Bambee]

Originally Posted by matese

Before I had yorkies I had draw parrots. When I came home from work I would let them out, their wings were clipped and they were happy to hang out on top of their cage. Then I got my first yorkie, she was fine with the birds (3) until she became appox. 7 months old. If I let them out she would leap at the cage, if they were in their cage she would sit under the cage and salivate. YES, she wanted to kill the birds. 3 years later I got yorkie # 2, same thing. The birds were not allowed out of their cages after getting my first yorkie. When the last bird died that was it for me and birds. As they got older they never bothered with the wild birds that came to my feeder. My adopted boy Cody goes crazy when he sees birds and would kill one if he ever got it. African Grey's live for years. X-pen is a great idea. I would not let the bird out of it's cage, these yorkies are fast, you may not be lucky the next time your bird falls.

Yeah, my thing is she is such a little cute dog...never imagined this this way....but I will not put my greys life in danger....I think my little grey will just have to live in his bird room with his tree perch...I have 2 other cockatiels but they dont go out of their cage much...its just my grey...thanks for your thoughts

[Mayzoo]

Originally Posted by Bambee

he doesnt fly...once he falls he just walks on the floor he either goes to his room or just walks around until we put him back on his perch..he will look for me... his perch is about 5 ft tall...all this is breaking my heart...

If he does not fly, I would just put an x-pen around the base of the perch. That way if he falls, he has a confined, secure area to walk around (and even a few toys??) and the pup cannot get to him. It would buy you a little more time and possibly avert disaster.

[Jkpal]

I'm sure you can figure out something so your much-loved bird can continue to live the life he is used to...I like the idea of something around his perch to protect him. Maybe you can leash your pup when the bird is on his perch? I don't know, just want to make sure your bird is happy and secure. I get that you love them both very much and I'm sure something can be figured out for the happiness and safety of both---just might take some ingenuity and 'thinking outside of the box..." Good, good luck, truly!

[Yorkiemom1]

My yorkies all love to chase birds.....and if I had a pet bird, it would be constant uproar in the house! They LOVE to run up and down the fence line, fromm tree to tree, chasing the birds all over the back yard....I can say, "Bird? Bird?" in a whisperd voice and that will set the whole pack off, searching for the "Bird" intruder! My precious little Lexee would chase birds until she could hardly stand up from all the running....and dont let me ever THINK about getting my FEATHER DUSTER out to dust!!! They all go NUTS, wanting the "bird"!!!! I tried to tell them that was NOT a "BIRD"....it was a "DUSTER".....they quickly learned the "bird" was NAMED "Duster" and then all I had to say was the word Duster, and they thought the bird was coming out to play!!!!! It is a freaking ZOO around my house!!!

I think you are going to do well putting an x-pen around the base of the bird perch....may have to put 2 of them together, so the area enclosed around the perch is large enough so bird can not jump-fly from the perch out and end up OVER onto the outside of the enclosed perch....am I making sense?? Good luck with this....just really watch your two precious pets closely.....given the opportunity, the pup will kill the bird!

[Cherie6446]

You can buy metal fences cheaper than an x pen. I would create a safe zone around the perch. I had amazons and cockatoos with my first yorkie. Gina didn't go near them - they were too loud. Even my cat stayed away. One day my cat walked by the cockatoo's cage and Casper grabbed her tail and bit it. After that the cat didn't go near them.

[EarthAngel]

I have a Yellow-Nape Amazon parrot and she is on her perch in the kitchen. It is also a tree one about 5 ft. high. My yorkie and boxer are both in the kitchen with her when I am around. I would never think of leaving her unattended. When she very rarely lands on the floor I am there to get her quickly. Bentley my yorkie will go up to her and try to sniff her. My parrot is 23 years old and has been with all kind of dogs from Afghans to Shepherds. But as I said I am very diligent in being with her when she is on her tree.

The idea of having a barrier like an x-pen sounds like a good idea especially if Bambina is intent in doing harm. Every situation is different and you have to do whatever you can to keep your parrot safe by all means possible.

[Bambee]

thank you all....i had no idea these dogs were like that...the chihuahua I grew up with never harmed a bird...we had cockatiels walking around the house the chihuahua never had interest ...yet again I always thought he was an old soul...he never played...even as a puppy...he lived 16 years!...this little yorkie girl just hates my grey...I will find a way to always protect both...but especially my grey....I just fear that if i place him in his room without interacting with him he will pluck his feathers and just be sad...it was hard enough for him when I brought her....he knew she was not part of his "flock"

[Bambee]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

My yorkies all love to chase birds.....and if I had a pet bird, it would be constant uproar in the house! They LOVE to run up and down the fence line, fromm tree to tree, chasing the birds all over the back yard....I can say, "Bird? Bird?" in a whisperd voice and that will set the whole pack off, searching for the "Bird" intruder! My precious little Lexee would chase birds until she could hardly stand up from all the running....and dont let me ever THINK about getting my FEATHER DUSTER out to dust!!! They all go NUTS, wanting the "bird"!!!! I tried to tell them that was NOT a "BIRD"....it was a "DUSTER".....they quickly learned the "bird" was NAMED "Duster" and then all I had to say was the word Duster, and they thought the bird was coming out to play!!!!! It is a freaking ZOO around my house!!!

I think you are going to do well putting an x-pen around the base of the bird perch....may have to put 2 of them together, so the area enclosed around the perch is large enough so bird can not jump-fly from the perch out and end up OVER onto the outside of the enclosed perch....am I making sense?? Good luck with this....just really watch your two precious pets closely.....given the opportunity, the pup will kill the bird!

lol, can I ask how many dogs you have?

[Bambee]

Originally Posted by EarthAngel

I have a Yellow-Nape Amazon parrot and she is on her perch in the kitchen. It is also a tree one about 5 ft. high. My yorkie and boxer are both in the kitchen with her when I am around. I would never think of leaving her unattended. When she very rarely lands on the floor I am there to get her quickly. Bentley my yorkie will go up to her and try to sniff her. My parrot is 23 years old and has been with all kind of dogs from Afghans to Shepherds. But as I said I am very diligent in being with her when she is on her tree.

The idea of having a barrier like an x-pen sounds like a good idea especially if Bambina is intent in doing harm. Every situation is different and you have to do whatever you can to keep your parrot safe by all means possible.

thats exactly how I have my grey on his perch...his tree perch is his happiness....and then its me...lol...wow 23! Have you had him for 23 years of his life?

[capt_noonie]

I like the idea of the ex pen around the perch. Our now passed Scrappy was a terrier to a T! MIL had a few parokeets outside in a cage. When Scrappy went outside, he didn't want to pee. Just wanted to stare at the birds and bark at them. I'm pretty sure he wanted to eat them, even though he was barely twice their size.

[EarthAngel]

Originally Posted by Bambee

thats exactly how I have my grey on his perch...his tree perch is his happiness....and then its me...lol...wow 23! Have you had him for 23 years of his life?

Yes! I got Gaby at 3 months of age.