Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 6/2/2006

Question
I have a parakeet from a previous owner.  I live in a basement apt. and the I had the cage in front of the window in my living room.  In trying to tame him (Jack) I could never get Jack's attention because he was always looking out the window and calling to the other outside birds.  I recently moved him away from the window but the lighting is poor and I leave a lamp on all day for him but now he seems depressed.  He has never played with the toys in his cage & just eats and sits on one perch.  I just want to make him happy and to interact with him.  I want to let him fly around the house but I need to tame him first. I would appreciate any help you could offer.
Thank you,
Cathy

Answer
Hi, Cathy.  Thanks for posting.

You have several things going on here I'll need to explain.

Your keet is likely a bit depressed for a couple reasons:  (1) by the window, he thought he was actually outside with the other birds, since parrots have no conception of window glass; (2) the move itself can be stressful for a bird; (3) he's used to/needs more light!  Do you work outside the home and are away for hours?  You might want to consider 2 cages...he could stay by the window during the day and then move him to another cage when you are home.  Also, give him some time to adjust to the move.  I recommend you purchase a plant light bulb or a different type of light (maybe a shop light) where you can use a bulb made specifically for reptiles, fish, or birds.  This will provide the type of lighting your keet requires.  Regular light bulbs for lamps lack required light a parrot needs (just like we need direct sunlight, so do birds/other animals to properly metabolize vitamins/minerals in our bodies).

You say you want your keet to be able to fly around your home, but you want a tame keet.  During the process of taming him, you can't allow him to fly freely.  He will fly away from you every time you try to work with him.  Therefore, during this training/retraining/taming process, you need to keep both of his wing flight feathers clipped.  Clipped flight feathers help keep a tame bird tame because the bird has to rely on you for mobility and can't get away from you when he wants (most of the time).  Once he's tamed down, you can let his feathers grow out so he can fly freely, yet come to you when you want.  You might want to reconsider letting him fly freely...this can be a safety hazard for your keet.  Do you let him come out of the cage at all, sometimes??  Is his cage large enough?  What type of diet is he on?

You might want to try different types of toys.  Maybe he doesn't like what he has available or is bored with them.  Keets love swings, things to climb on and in and through.  Some like little balls they can roll around, etc.  I have a keet who used to pick up a corner of a paper towel, roll himself up in it, then let it go, and do it all over again!  He had the greatest time!

If you can provide more details (answer questions above), I might be able to help out more.  Also, my website has lots of general information on parrots if you want to visit:  http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Chrys