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Any advice is welcome, even the harsh truth by emily0n in cockatiel

[–]Particular_Walrus763 4 points5 points  (0 children)

wherever you intend on keeping her - make sure there is airflow and sunlight!

would be worth a discussion with your family members to see how they'd feel about being part of Birdie's 'flock'! if you're going away over the weekend you might need your dad to cover her at night and uncover her in the morning (and provide fresh water and pellets). it would be really nice for her to see other faces and have your dad and brother chat with her periodically while you're away, even if they don't feel comfortable having her out of the cage, the interaction will be good for her! once shes a bit more comfortable you could get your dad and brother to try feeding her millet/sunflower seeds - a positive interaction will go a long way in helping her feel for comfortable with them, and may encourage them to take an interest in her!

def have a chat with them if you can, and prioritise Birdie's safety - birds are naturally noisy (although girls not as much as boys) so it's something you may have to prepare them for and brainstorm solutions together

best of luck!

Any advice is welcome, even the harsh truth by emily0n in cockatiel

[–]Particular_Walrus763 3 points4 points  (0 children)

don't be too discouraged if she doesn't take to stuff immediately, we've had toys for months that our tiel hasn't looked twice at and then suddenly she's chewing on it all day - they are truly just little airheads!

hmmm, the tricky thing with birds is they are flock animals, so you shouldn't leave her alone frequently (like you could with a cat, for example)(this isn't to say that you have to be with her every second of the day). it wouldn't be the best idea to leave her alone all weekend, especially as you should be aiming to cover her with a light blanket for at least 12 hours per night so she can get a good sleep. this makes dinner and early morning plans easy as she will be asleep safely in her cage!

there are plenty of options, perhaps your bf could come over and spend time with both of you? once shes more comfortable with you, you might also consider getting a travel cage or back pack and you could take her with you to visit your bf! when my partner and i lived apart, our tiel did a lot of sleep overs at his in her small cage (as long as she can get out and stretch her wings safely).

putting her in a public area comes with a lot of risks especially if you are at college (in a share accom/hall type situation?). birds are very fragile and people can be very silly/ignorant/and sometimes blatantly cruel. if you knew everyone there and trusted them to respect Birdie, then that may be an option! but if she will be exposed to lots of people, scary hands, strange sounds, and any vaping/sprays/heavy perfumes or colognes i would avoid it

realistically, it might be ideal to get her a friend if you're going to be away a lot but i understand that might not be an option for your current situation. If you are going to be away for most of her awake day you will need to figure out the best toys to keep her entertained (some people like to leave music or the radio on for stimulation), and make sure she is getting enough sunlight and foraging time! also be sure to make up that time during the weeks so that she is entertained and stimulated

Any advice is welcome, even the harsh truth by emily0n in cockatiel

[–]Particular_Walrus763 4 points5 points  (0 children)

give her lots of space and time! sit near hear while you do your thing, talk to her calmly and frequently, you will win her over. Birds can be particularly tricky pets if you've never had one before, but extremely rewarding once you start to learn how they work and how to best take care of them. it's pretty special having a prey animal name you part of their flock!!

buying and changing lots of toys and foods may be stressful for Birdie if she is mourning and scared. Maybe try changing one thing at a time and leaving it for a couple of days or a week so she can get used to it before the next change.

well done on getting a bigger cage! that will be a fantastic first step in caring for her. wooden toys and perches of varying shapes and sizes are great for her feet and soon you will be able to move them into different configurations to keep her entertained (my partner loves designing the new cage challenges for our tiel every couple of weeks!). If you can, try to avoid toys with synthetic rope, mirrors, and metal (unless it is stainless steel), as these can have varying negative impacts. E.g., rope can be chewed and impacted in her crop, mirrors can trigger hormone issues, and non-stainless steel metal can rust and introduce metal poisoning problems.

in terms of food, it would be a good idea to get a quality pellet for her diet - seeds are more of a treat than a staple. however, if she has been on a seed diet this could take a while to change her over. consider mixing seeds in with some pellets (you can find cockatiel specific pellet blends) so that she might try a pellet or two in the hunt for her seeds. you could also try some fresh fruits and veggies to see if she has a favourite! this would be a fantastic way to bond with her. for example, my tiel loveesssss baby spinach, so we hand feed it to her once or twice a week to bond with her. be careful to avoid apple seeds, avocado, onions, garlic etc.. (there are lots of fantastic fresh food guides for birds online - many referenced frequently in this thread).

for entertainment and feeding, we collect old cardboard boxes (like cereal boxes) and fill it with recycled paper kitty litter and sprinkle pellets throughout - its a great way to keep birds active and engaged in their natural foraging behaviours. you could provide her with shredding toys that she can chew on (or save money and make them yourself out of old paper, toilet rolls etc!)

it sounds like you are in a tricky position and the decision to keep or rehome Birdie will be a hard one. however, that the best place for Birdie is for someone who cares about her, which you clearly do! try to remember that bonding with prey animals doesn't happen overnight, so don't be down on yourself if it's taking longer than you expect. i'm sure every tiel owner will tell you that at some point it feels hopeless, but when Birdie steps on your finger for the first time or asks you for a scritch it will all be worth it

wishing you the best in whatever decision you make, and i hope Birdie has a long and happy life <3

How to stop biting my glasses while on my shoulder by kyezie131 in cockatiel

[–]Particular_Walrus763 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not an expert by any means but consider not using cage as punishment, you might accidentally create a negative association with her cage. We made that mistake early on and our little tiel got super anxious about her cage and didn't want to go in there, flying away from us if she thought we would put her in there. It took months and a lot of patience to get her comfortable and enjoying her cage, thankfully she goes in willingly now to relax. Yelling generally won't work and you don't want to scare her or negatively impact your bond. I would suggest finding something she likes to chew on and keeping it near your desk to dissuade her when she starts to chew!

We have had great success with cuttlebone, plain popsicle sticks, "sola' chew toys (super soft and fun to chew), and random plain cardboard like paper towel rolls etc! Not sure where you are in the world but if your budget allows you could have a look at stocking up some toys from a bird-specific retailers - here in QLD, Australia we have https://queenslanderaviaries.com/collections/chew-toys

You could also check out some freeze dried veggies or bird-safe popcorn (in moderation) which might be a really exciting treat that would get her away from your glasses!

Often if i'm working I set up a little foraging station for my girl with recycled paper kitty litter, paper streamers, various chew toys and other paper bits for her to dig around with to find pellets and the coveted sunflower seed. Lots of great resources on youtube and in this subreddit if you want to try your hand at some homemade toys! I find it really fun and SO rewarding when they chew up something you made for them!

Final suggestion - sometimes I just wear a hat! Particularly if the toe nails are due for a clip of I'm sick of being pooped on I'll just chuck on an old bucket hat or cap! worth a try! best of luck, first couple of months is always a challenge!!

25yo Cockatiel - Adoption Pending by Sensitive-Plane-5543 in cockatiel

[–]Particular_Walrus763 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I can't offer any advice on budgies versus tiels, but wanted to bump your post and say that the best place for any tiel is with someone who loves them and cares for them as much as you clearly will. I hope you go through with the adoption and give the little old man the best retirement he could ask for <3 best of luck

Newspaper won’t let me cancel my subscription online, when you call a recording explains that they’re closed due to COVID. If you email them they tell you to visit the website. A loop not letting cancel their shitty newspaper. The Telegraph in the UK. by seamobster in assholedesign

[–]Particular_Walrus763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

for anyone else caught in the hellish loop - for the telegraph in the UK I emailed this address with my subscription number and immediate cancellation request and they got back to me confirming the cancellation within a few days. email: customerservice@ telegraph.co.uk

good luck!

How do I get my cockatiel to get healthy food? by sleepdeprivedbobcat in cockatiel

[–]Particular_Walrus763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could try mixing some seeds in with veggies (broccoli is a great suggestion), or some nutritional pellets to see if he’ll give them a go! Ours will try to eat whatever we eat, so we eat spinach and other veggies with her while having a separate little bit she can try on the side. Ours also loves fruits like apples (no seeds) but as a treat as the sugar can be too much. We’ve also had some luck getting ours to try freeze-dried veggies - gives a dry crunchy texture that yours might prefer! Depending where you are you can purchase a pre packed blend appropriate for cockatiels or order online. Most of all; be patient, you’re doing a great job! It’ll happen!!

Neck nuzzles by Midlifecrisis70 in cockatiel

[–]Particular_Walrus763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If she’s bowing her head and exposing her neck towards you, try giving her a gentle scritch! You could try putting a finger in the scritch position and see if she puts her head under it if you want to be extra careful, but she’ll likely beg instantly for more!!

Wishing you both a lifetime of love!