I amazed myself tonight on how stupid I was!

I've been meaning to get Winston more variety in perches and today I went and got a long grapevine perch and a sandy perch and a different swing. He's been a champ about accepting new toys and cage rearrangements thus far and I didn't really THINK about what I was doing. Tonight I got overzealous and excited with all the new stuff - I rearranged and added the new perches (leaving about half of his old perches and cage the same). I did this while the birds were out and playing but he wasn't paying much attention, he was busy flying.

I should have known to leave these new perches laying out where he could see them before shoving them right in his cage, especially the grapevine perch, it's big and very different than any he's had before. I feel soooo bad, he was scared to go in his cage. I let him stay out as long as he wanted and he checked it out from the outside and after nearly 20 minutes he did go in. He's eating right now but still very wary of that mean old grapevine perch.

I'll let the budgies stay up awhile yet and see how he is with it. If it's still bothering him I'll take it out - I did have Jerry demonstrate and go in his cage and try everything out but all Jerry wanted to do was ring his bells and then I had a hard time removing Jerry from Winston's toys lol. I just feel soooo bad that I scared my little dude.

Sarah, we have bird here that freak out when the furniture in one of the rooms is moved. Some birds more than others seem to notice every little change in their surroundings.

it's amazing how sensitive birds can be to environment changes! my cockatiel has to warm up at least a few days (usually a week or more) to anything new i put into his cage. so i totally feel where you are coming from!

Don't be too hard on yourself.....Winston will forgive you! And he will love the new perches!

They are very sensitive though! The other night after I had a shower, I came down the stairs with a towel around my head....it was fairly dark. Cookie screeched a good one! If she talked yet she would have said: ''WHO IS THAT MONSTER AND WHAT IS IT DOING IN MY SPACE?!" I guess I did look a bit scary!

Big new things really scare Sugar. He won't go near them. Spice on the other hand is curious.

Well he ate his bedtime snack ok and is chatting away with Jerry and looking content although I'm fairly certain he hasn't ventured ONTO the new perches yet. He does seem curious and not outright terrified.

It takes a good week for Libby to get use to anything new.
I have to start by putting it near his cage for two or three days before I can put it in.

He sat on the grapevine perch today, as I was making his breakfast I was peeking around the corner where he couldn't see me. I saw him beaking it curiously and then he stepped on it and sat on it for a few seconds. It's progress, and he slept just fine too. Whew, he doesn't hate me.

Sarah, I did the same thing with Ollie 2 days ago. I got in my shipment from Fosters and Smith and was so excited about everything that I wanted to put it all in her cage at once. She got a foot and a half long latex perch with wild colors, a big SS treat cage, and 3 more rather big and obnoxious toys. She's always easily accepted new things, so I just figured this wouldn't bother her. She was fine with the toys, but the perch I put right near the opening of the cage and I couldn't get her to go in for the longest time. I put an almond in her bowl and she got brave. Once she was in her cage she was fine.

I'm glad he's accepting the perch this morning!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who did something like this, Camille!