Noise Resolution

[Kumiko]

As you may all may know, we believe Kiwi has taken into plucking a little bit on his chest. His chest is questionable.

Over the past few days, I have been monitoring his surroundings. I sat down on the couch and monitered the living room.

Here is what I came with....

Too Noisy!
Family too loud
Noise like sonic-boom
Crap! Its loud!
Tv on until 1 or 2 in morning. (On Christmas break so I know how long my parents keep the tv on.... even though they are asleep on the couch---mind you, Kiwi always get covered at 9pm)All these things have to do with distractions and noise. I think this is something we can adjust and make better. Kiwi is not a mean evil thing... it is just his chest.

I put him in my room today. He was so upset.:( He seems to like the living room better as everyone is there. Should I put him back? It just seems too noisy for me, but my cockatiel is in the living room for all of his life. He hasnt taken up any behavioral issues or plucking at all. He is a birdie prodegy (sp?)... this is why I question if I should put him back.

But here is the most important thing. My room has frogs and hedgie.... which both are nocturnal. Rikki's wheel is quite loud... and the frogs bark constantly at night, but when I first got Kiwi, he seemed to not mind when he was a baby. I just hope Kiwi's sleep doesnt get too bad and he adjusts quickly.

Any suggestions??

[Kathy]

How about a sleeping cage just for at night? Nemo has one because it's impossible to keep my living room dark and noise-free after his bedtime. If you have a spare bedroom, you could put the sleeping cage in there.

[LyndaM]

Yes, we use a sleeping cage as well. I especially like this idea because typically birds don't play where they roost in the wild.

[Kumiko]

Well, Kiwi's stay last night in my room is looking to be very good. He was a lot more nicer... right now, he is enjoying birdie bread and classical music. He is singing to it too. :) He seems more rested. I don't think the hedgie seems to be a problem.

Also, my room has running water as well because of the frogs. Very relaxing. He isnt screaming like always when he was in the living room.

I can't really consider a sleep cage because I don't have the room... I mean, I don't have a spare room that isnt occupied by unbird wanting people and little noisy animals.

I will be making some more adjustments besides noise and distraction. I already got his major present coming soon! Might be this weekend that it comes though the mail!! :) It's a surprise... I am not telling what it is until I get it. My color is in stock now... so anyday now.

[birdiemom]

Paulie goes to our spare bedroom at night and gets 13 hrs of undisturbed sleep. It really has made a HUGE difference in his mood. Do what you can to make sure Kiwi gets this too.

[Sally]

I like a quiet home, Chipper sure does too. Noise bothers most Parrotlets. They can be high strung and need a lot of quiet time, but still want to be with us. Just try to keep things quiet. TV doesn't have to be loud. Noise is bad for people too, especially all the time. People and animals need to go to bed at a good time and have a quiet atmosphere for good health.

Keeping your bedroom as quiet as possible is best. Parrotlets can pluck and become unhappy and ill with stress. It is just not what they have to deal with in the wild. We just have to do all it takes to keep them well.

Chipper sleeps in my bedroom at night. She goes to bed by 8pm. We have a ritual before bed. I sing to her and we cuddle. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/nightnight450.jpg

[Py & Cosmo]

Py also lets me know when he has had enough at night and needs his sleep - I cover him between 7-8PM and don't uncover him until about 7 the next morning - when I hear him quietly ringing his little bell.
If he doesn't get 12 hours of sleep he is a MONSTER...nippy and screechy and totally upset...I learned that long ago.
Sleep is GOOD for them - keeps their little personalities well balanced.
Liz

[Kumiko]

Would those little parakeet cages that cost only about $10 work for a sleep cage... if so, I can talk to my sister or place him in the bathroom right next to my room.

EDIT: or better yet.. keep the sleep cage in my room and put Kiwi back in the living room.

[Vexar]

With my first p'let, Jaws. We noticed the same problems. He'd pluck too much. We didn't have much room for sleep either.

We ended up getting a little fifteen dollar cage, and putting it in the closet with food, water, a toy and some swing perches. At night, we would put him in there and covered up.

He stopped plucking after about two weeks of this. Keeping him on a regular sleeping schedule. We would keep the closet cracked for him, and in the morning we would let the sun in and wake him up.

He stopped plucking.

Now he started again after a 1000 mile drive from north carolina to new orleans. He is stressed out a bit still after two weeks, plus weather change. Right now, it's getting him used to the time change and all, a new sleep schedule. He now has another birdie friend to help him stop plucking.

[Kumiko]

Thanks Vexar. That might be why. I will fix this.

[Vexar]

No problem, just something useful to do if you are tight on space. Poor little birds are sensitive to sound.

[Sally]

That is the great part about reading, being on forums, etc. We can all learn and fix things! There is so much to know about all pets and it is fun to learn and help them be happy.

[Kumiko]

I say, HECK YAH!

lol!!:D

[LyndaM]

The sleep cage doesn't have to be large since it's only for sleeping. Let us know how it goes!

[olea]

Would those little parakeet cages that cost only about $10 work for a sleep cage... if so, I can talk to my sister or place him in the bathroom right next to my room.

EDIT: or better yet.. keep the sleep cage in my room and put Kiwi back in the living room.

We have the exact issue at my home, my family is pretty nocturnal especially since my father has to work graveyard shifts. The blanket we cover his cage with relieved some of his stress, but right now, for example, there is really loud TV downstairs for no good reason. So I've been doing what Vexar has described to help Jack. He has a little mobile house cage, something big enough for a finch, and it just sits in my closet whenever we need it. He's adjusted to the noise level - even when people karaoke... - and i think he gets by in his normal cage, but he's also adjusted to having to sleep in the closet if we deem it important enough on certain nights. Since it's the holidays we've been having late night visitors, and some children like to take him out when it's past his bedtime, so we just hide him.

[Vexar]

I'm glad my advice can help. Hopefully they'll take to the cage and being moved around without a problem. Jaws did when I put the toy in and a nice little swing.

[Pado]

I like the sleeping cage idea also - let us know how it works for Kiwi !


As Sally mentioned birds like quiet especially while sleeping - but not too quiet during the day - they don't like lots of noise like a constantly barking dog or screaming kids etc - but too quiet of an environment isn't good as quiet in the wild to a bird means danger is approaching as the birds and other animals get quiet. So some noise is good like a TV or Radio on low or another bird chattering :)

[Kumiko]

Actaully, I brought up the subject to my sister... before I could say anything, she said, "Put him in my room!" So, my sister has no animals in her room except her cat... which, he cat is harmless... a perfect place to put little Kiwi at when it turns about 7 or 8pm.

[Vexar]

There is a scary thought. I couldn't trust my birdies to any of my family. I'm scared they'd accidentally not know what the bird is doing and end up thinking they are dying lmao.

[olea]

Haha, half of my family seems to be on the bad side of Jack. I go to college out of the city, so I don't see what they're doing to him while I'm gone. Jack is like a guard dog, he'll go off like a car alarm if someone he doesn't like is nearby. Maybe they're just the people that don't spend much time with him.

[Kumiko]

Yah, Kiwi is the same way. I am not really worried if the cat tries to get him.. or my sister. My mother wants to help now, so I actually have a very nice room by mine with a cat... and then a very nice Master Bedroom across the house and no animals in it, but... just a dad. :rolleyes:

... can a sleep cage be any size of cage? I actually have a spare cage in the attic.... :D it is 18x18x30.

[Vexar]

That's more than plenty for a nice sleep cage. All they need is something to feel comfortable on. Their favorite swing or perch will do just fine.

When I had a 16 hour drive to move down here, I kept jaws in a 12x12x20 cage. Just put his favorite swing in there, and some food, water, and millet.

[Kumiko]

UPDATE: Kiwi is now sleeping in my sister's room in her closet. She didnt want the bird in her closet because she thought that is was cruel, but I insisted because I didnt want to turn her room in a zoo as mine turned out. lol

But now, Kiwi is getting 10-12hr.s a sleep each day. He seems more rested, head not always down, and a little hyper than what I have never expected a little p'let to be. He is really jumping all over his cage as well. I love it because i nthe cage he can be hyper all he wants without bugging me. lol

Thanks for all who helped!:)

[musicjan]

Bitsy has a sleep cage also - our house isn't noisy, but he was still cranky (biting!) and not getting adequate rest. Even a closet with a small cage might work -- his sleep cage is much smaller than the cage he stays in during the day. I might mention that at first he wasn't too thrilled about going to the other cage. Now we just say the same phrase every night (" Bitsy, do you want to go nite-nite with Fluffy?") and he goes into the cage very willingly. He is in his sleep cage for 12-14 hours a night.

[musicjan]

Kiwi,sorry I didn't see the post that he was sleeping in your sister's closet. I hope it's still working!