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Post by zim on Jul 21, 2016 16:21:56 GMT -5
I'm starting a new part time job, which will be a big adjustment for yoshi since he's used to me being home with him almost all the time. The good part is the job is overnight, and I can put him to bed right before I leave. The bad part is I'll be going to bed right after I get him up in the morning. This will probably only leave a few hours of time per day when we are both awake.
I've been doing training this week on day shift, and he's not been happy with me at all when I home. I'm wondering if anyone else has went through an adjustment like this and had any advice. I just want to make the adjustment as easy and stress free as possible for him.
Thanks!
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Post by Caseysmom on Jul 21, 2016 22:39:16 GMT -5
Congrats on your new job. Will he be far enough away from your bedroom that you could put a radio on when you get him up? Sorry I am not much help, Casey doesn't seem to mind when we go out. I airways say bye bye be right back, she calls bye bye back to me. Hopefully he will be content to have breakfast with you and then hang out waiting for you to play later in the day
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jul 21, 2016 23:05:05 GMT -5
They do adjust - I am out of the house for at least 11 hours, 5 days a week. I put the radio on for Shah but he does have the company of the cockatiels who he likes to supervise and yell at. I am sure Yoshi will get used to the change.
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Post by beccilouise on Jul 22, 2016 5:11:23 GMT -5
Hi ZIm, congratulations for the new job! Don't worry, when I first brought Maya home, I was on holiday for two weeks from school, so the first morning I got up early and left for the day, she was a bit perplexed. Leave the radio on so he's got a little bit of company, make sure he's got plenty of toys, he will adjust. Maya knows the routine now and is really good. The only time she gets uppity is if I decide to have a midday nap and she needs to go back into her cage! Otherwise, she understands that when I say "be good, I love you Maya, bye bye!" it's her quiet time. I also always put some nutriberries in her foraging bucket just before I leave, so she's got something to focus on when I leave. Don't worry, Zim, Yoshi will get used to it  |
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Post by biteybird on Jul 22, 2016 5:37:50 GMT -5
I can vouch for their 'adjusting' ability. I'm a teacher, so when school holidays happen I'm home for 2 weeks between each school term. After a day or two Bonnie seems to know what's going on, whether it's me being home for holidays or being back at work. I have no doubt he'll be fine.
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Post by zim on Jul 22, 2016 9:17:24 GMT -5
Thanks guys, very glad to hear they are able to adjust well.
I'm gonna have to invest in a radio for him to listen to while I sleep. His cage is in the main room with my bed (I live in a two room home), but after I take my hearing aids out to sleep I can sleep through a tornado, so it won't bother me.
Last day on days today. I found a 10 hour classical music playlist on YouTube and got it streaming to my Chromecast before I left so he has something to listen to today. Hopefully he won't be as grumpy this evening as he has been when I get home!
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Post by Holly on Jul 24, 2016 4:46:13 GMT -5
I am also a teacher and brought Normy home with me during our holidays so he was used to me being home ALOT. When the term started again though and I had to leave, he was very cranky at me and I felt so guilty!!
He now knows the routine, 5 days of work and then 2 days of constant cuddles and generally being spoilt rotten.
When I'm out I leave the tv on for him - he likes watching the cooking channel (nothing too scary happens on there) and I make sure he has plenty or foraging toys and bells to rattle. He also likes to have a seed block at a treat if I know I'm going to be out for a LONG day.
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Post by zim on Jul 25, 2016 16:56:13 GMT -5
First night of overnights done. Poor Yoshi didn't understand why I got him up at 8 in the morning, when he's used to getting up around 10. He hung out in his happy hut for a good 5 minutes before finally wandering out, he's usually climbing out of it as soon as I say "good morning" and start to remove his cage cover.
He didn't like that I went to sleep immediately after, and left him in his cage. He's used to never being in his cage unless it's bed time, or just for 1-2 hours if I have to go out for groceries or to run errands. I woke up a few times and heard him squawking.
After I woke up and got him back out of his cage, he seemed fine. He's now sitting on top of his cage happily saying "You're a pretty bird. Pretty pretty pretty pretty....".
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Post by duckysmom on Jul 25, 2016 19:46:10 GMT -5
Sounds like he pouted a bit but not too bad. I hope that's a good sign and he adjusts quickly.
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Post by zim on Jul 28, 2016 6:36:35 GMT -5
Seems like he's catching on to routine. Last night before I put him to bed he said "I'll be back. Night night baby. I'll be back."
This really surprised me, he combined two different events together. I've been leaving shortly after putting him to bed, but I haven't been telling him I'm leaving, so he just knows from hearing the door close then silence for 9 hours. I hope he doesn't start associating him going to bed with me leaving, however, as I'm afraid he might stop wanting to go to bed!
What a smart little guy.
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Post by aaron on Aug 1, 2016 9:21:22 GMT -5
Glad to hear Yoshi is adjusting! Cupcake has gone through many different incarnations of schedule, and even now it fluctuates a lot. She can never really be sure who will be home, or when... there is a general routine to things, but it's common for a day to deviate at least moderately. One thing we do is we always give her treats when she goes in the cage willingly as we are leaving. She associates the cage with treats so she almost never objects. She really only objects when she feels she is missing out on something, which is pretty uncommon. She gets up at different times, goes to bed at different times, has some days where she's out all day, and others where she is in the cage for 12+ hours, and some where we are coming and going, leaving her in a cage for an hour or two at a time... She's a happy bird, seems to appreciate the time she does get, and is generally not grumpy about it. They are very adaptable.
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Post by aaron on Aug 2, 2016 13:14:51 GMT -5
And in re-reading this, I wanted to add that I think it really helps that we make a point of being extremely enthusiastic about the time that we do get with Cupcake. We make sure she knows how happy we are to spend time with her... we greet her repeatedly and sincerely, we look her in the eyes and smile-- consistent (but not excessive), appropriately-timed affectionate gestures. I'm not saying we give her constant rubs or physical contact, although there's a reasonable amount of that too... and I say "appropriately-timed" because we are always cognizant to not inadvertently reinforce undesirable behavior by blanketing her with praise at the wrong time (or too much)... Things are rarely simple with these little ones..  At any rate, I'm certain that this helps a lot with her ability to handle the often wildly fluctuating nature of our schedule. She knows she's loved and wanted, and she knows where she fits in our flock. Goes a long way. |
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Post by siobhan on Aug 2, 2016 16:33:04 GMT -5
My poor flock is used to an ever-changing schedule where Mom might be gone all day AND all evening, or pop in briefly in between before having to go back. Some days they get tons of time, and some days hardly any at all. They don't like it, but they're used to it. I promise, he'll figure out the routine. Rocky's crest goes up when he sees me pick up my purse, because he knows that means I'm leaving and not just going outside for the mail or something. The other birds have learned to entertain themselves until I come into their room and they figure they'll see me when they see me.
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At any rate, I'm certain that this helps a lot with her ability to handle the often wildly fluctuating nature of our schedule. She knows she's loved and wanted, and she knows where she fits in our flock. Goes a long way.