Obnoxious!

[kendrafitz]

Rosie has started doing the most obnoxious thing, on a regular basis.

She knows Jef will leave when she screams. She has decided to use that knowledge to make sure she has me to herself. Whenever Jef and I talk, she SCREAMS. Not just once, she keeps it up until he is gone. This has been going on for about a month. It is making me nuts. We can all be in the same room with no issues. However, if a conversation starts so does the screaming. I have left the room once Jef leaves, told her she is being mean and hurting Mommy (which she is, my ears and head pound) and I have recently resorted to putting her to bed early. Then going upstairs myself and hiding in the quiet of my room. She is killing me.

Any suggestions besides leaving or stern looks? Neither is working and I am becoming super frustrated. Sigh...

[PlaxMacaws]

That's terrible, Kendra. What happens if you cover her after she starts screaming? I can appreciate your situation - you've heard what I have to put up with here! :th_shakehead:

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Screaming back sometimes works. They are quite surprised that you can make as much noise as them. Perhaps Jeff should do it otherwise he might think you are in collusion to get rid of him.

[spiritbird]

Well looks like she needs some entertainment. How about a male Macaw?

[PlaxMacaws]

Screaming back sometimes works. They are quite surprised that you can make as much noise as them. Perhaps Jeff should do it otherwise he might think you are in collusion to get rid of him.Jean-Pierre: Have you ever tried to outscream the vocal blasts from a large Macaw? I've tried it quite a few times. Let me tell you, it's purely an exercise in futility. When my guys are blasting in rapid succession, I have no chance of even hearing myself, much less of them hearing my attempts to yell back at them :th_eek:. And when they do happen to hear me a bit in between their explosions, they respond as if they're thinking: "hey, he's joining in on our scream fest... VERY COOL!" :th_shakehead:

[jtbirds]

screaming back will never work, ever.. I sometimes will put my guys in there travel carrier and cover them for a time out if it gets very excessive. Now I haven't had to do this sort of time out for awhile. Sadly this can work a negative and make them not want carriers, but at the end I always reward them for going in and coming out and being so good on their "imaginary ride" aka time out they usually go in be quiet get out and be quiet.

[Lady]

Oh Kendra,
We surely know what you are going thru. We also had this problem. What we did was cover the part of the cage where she couldn't see us and continued to have our conversations but we also spoke very softly at first. Lady would get quiet I suppose to hear us. My husband is the one who can tell her to quiet down in a very stern voice and face, she always listens because he will do it very aggressively and walk quickly toward her as he is telling her to quiet down. It took about a week or less, then we started moving the cover away little by little till she could have full view once again and we could talk.

Hope it helps, but keep trying. She needs to understand she doesn't control the household!

[kendrafitz]

Thanks everyone.

This generally happens when she is on her tree. I have gotten to the point that I put her in her cage, but it is not easy. I then close all the blinds, turn the lights off and go upstairs. By the time I get to that point everyone has already run upstairs to get away from her. I have never covered her and she seems to quiet down once I go up.

Sadly I have gotten to the point of screaming to see if it would help. But it doesn't, she just keeps on going, but looking me dead in the eye. I have also tried whispering, no, that is too loud. Still doesn't work.

Dianne - NO!! No more macaws please. ;)

Alice - I have found that we have been speaking very softly. It does help a bit. She still screams, but not as quickly.

Maybe I will just have to keep putting her in her cage when she starts?

[kendrafitz]

So here's a question...is it possible this is hormonal? She is just turning 3, which I thought was too young. I keep reading about hormonal behavior and much sounds like what my little diva is doing. Is it possible this young??

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Justin and Tony
No, I have no experience of Macaws so will bow to your superior knowledge. Just one question though, when you did scream back, did it make you feel better?
Like a primal scream release of tension sort of thing.

[kendrafitz]

Jean-Pierre - I have found that it feels better for the 1/2 second before the screaming resumes. The screaming is then much louder and more joyous than it was before I screamed. 😨

[jtbirds]

I have bird here that have been beaten, bones broken, screamed at and hit. I simply do not scream at my birds to answer your question:). I think 3 is too young but each bird is different honestly. My dads green winged didn't hit it until he was around 7.

[kendrafitz]

Thanks Justin, that is what I thought. If I can figure why it is happening, I figure I can stop it. It may just be she wants me to herself, no hormones.

OMG, that poor baby. I cannot even imagine someone hurting any living being like that. Just horrible.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Yes screamed at is totally different to screaming along with. Join in the fun on the jungle telegraph. Needs understanding neighbours though.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

So, screaming in reply is not a good idea, what else? Working on the theory that they have the mental ability of a small child, Margaret often sits Casper on her finger and says "look at me, what do you think you were doing wrong?"
This of course has no response so she then gets Casper doing something he likes to do (distraction from being naughty) - like "flying" whilst hanging on to her finger as she swoops her arm about.

[plax]

Yes screamed at is totally different to screaming along with.Yes, my vocals were experimental and met the definition of "screaming along with" as just another flock member. I'm sure they were laughing at me to themselves - if they even realized I was emitting sound at all, that is :th_shakehead:. Ultimately, the idea proved quite ineffective.

[plax]

I have bird here that have been beaten, bones broken, screamed at and hit.That's so unthinkable! :'(. Heartlessly cruel people make me sick :(


I simply do not scream at my birds to answer your question:).The best plan by far!

[jtbirds]

Fiesta my catalina macaw has a previously broken hip that sticks out and requires a platform in her cage. It is so sad what we think is alright to do to these living breathing, creatures with a lot of emotion:(.

[plax]

Fiesta my catalina macaw has a previously broken hip that sticks out and requires a platform in her cage. It is so sad what we think is alright to do to these living breathing, creatures with a lot of emotion:(.Absolutely agreed! :'(

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Poor Fiesta
I really can't understand how people can be so cruel. So good that she is safe now.

[Mare]

Just catching up. Birds are the most flippin' bizarros of all time! I love them like no other animal, their beauty, intelligence, spirit and personality but..they are much more hard to decipher than a dog, cat or horse. Sassy, who loves Tim, will bite/attack him if he speaks on the phone while holding her. She will shoo other people out of the same room that they are in..and I mean aggressively! If all Sassy ever did was scream, while she was with Tim, I would gladly wear earplugs while around them. Does Rosie get aggressive, Kendra? That would be extra-scary from a big bird like that! :th_eek:

It rolls my stomach to think of someone beating a bird :(. That person needs to be put out of the birds misery..if you know what I mean... Justin, thank you, for accepting these poor souls and trying to rehabilitate them by finding them new lives.

[jtbirds]

No problem mare I don't need any credit these animals give me enough:). That is all that I can ask for is that these guys are happier then ever before.

[kendrafitz]

Oh wow! Poor you and poor Tim. No, she doesn't get aggressive, thank goodness. Just screaming.

She will pinch me though to let me know when she is unhappy. I also have the same thing as Tim, the phone causes rage. So I just put it on speaker if she is on me. For whatever reason that is acceptable. Maybe that will work for Tim?

[wingman]

She is such a beautiful bird! maybe she is wanting attention????

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Yep, they think we should devote all of our time to them. Its very hard to type with a parrot nibbling at your fingers because he wants a neck scritch. Or talk on the phone with him trying to join in whilst trying to chew through the wire and remove my spectacles. The chip and pin card machine also annoys him because I have to think very hard about getting the numbers in the right order - and it beeps every time I press a key - and it suddenly starts spewing out paper. He is very keen to protect me from it by killing it.

[kendrafitz]

Charlie - absolutely! All my attention, all the time. None of my attention should be given to anyone else, ESPECIALLY Jef. ;)

Jean-Pierre - I love the chewing through the phone cord. I have one corded phone on my desk. She goes after it now anytime she sees it. It is a very dangerous phone and must be destroyed! :)