African grey congo insubordination.

[moraleslapi]

Hello,


I bought an African grey two years ago. I got her since she was a baby so I had to hand fed her and all that stuff. She used to step on my hand and I could feel that she trusted me back then.


I was accepted on an MBA program in Spain so I had to leave for a year, during that time my family took care of my pet by feeding her and buying her toys. However, they did not took her out of her cage because for some reason they are afraid of her.


I returned around 3 months ago. The first thing I did after getting home was go say hi to my bird but she didn't seem happy to see me, she tried to bite me. A couple of days after that we moved from my mother's house to our own apartment.


If I open her cage, she goes to the back and stays there. If I put my hand inside the cage for her to step on, she lunges at me several times, grabs my hand with her beak but doesn't put pressure on it. Only after several times she actually bites.
If I open the door and let her come out on her own she might stay grabbed from the outside part of the cage and won't let me handle her, but if she jumps down to the floor and starts exploring, she doesn't seem to mind. So this aggressive behavior only happens inside or near the cage. I don't know if it has anything to do with the new toy and perch I got her. (By the way she doesn't use them. She prefers to stand on one of the hanging bowls of water/food instead of the perch and she ignores completely the toy, even when it has grapes inside) When I placed them in she began flying around the cage. I had to wait until she came out to put them in when she was roaming around the house. Maybe she thinks that I'm invading her home when I put my hand inside the cage.

I have also noticed that she still doesn't eat with her foot. Her favorite fruits are grapes and mango, but only eats them when I offer them from my hand or when they are placed on the bowl inside her cage, she doesn't grab them with her foot.


I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, or if I could do something to improve her trust, I know that she might feel I'm an stranger after my sudden absence and we need to rebuild our trust and that that is something that happens slowly. Maybe someone can give me a tip? Or some hope? I am really worried that our relationship doesn't go back to what it was.

[Wolf]

First of all I would remove the toy and see if that helps her while in the cage. You might need to remove the new perch as well to allow her to act normal and then introduce these items to her slowly. The toy, you will probably have to let her watch you play with it a few times first.
I would also start all over with bonding with her just the same as when you first got her. Don't try to force her to step up and let her come out of the cage by herself. Once she has come out offer a treat and ask her to step up, but don't insist if she doesn't. You are going to need to go slow and rebuild your bond with her.

[Pajarita]

Actually, do not act as how you acted when you first got her. The situation is completely different, she was a baby then and she is now sexually mature and doesn't trust you any longer. You abandoned her and she hasn't forgiven you for it. She has, most likely, also become depressed and resentful (not only because you abandoned her but also because nobody in your family stepped up to the plate and took your place -she has been very lonely for a very long time). You do need to start from scratch but from a different perspective than when she first came to you. You need to win her over and show her you are now committed 100% and that will take time, love and lots of patience. Don't insist on anything and don't do things she doesn't like (putting new things in her cage, putting your hand in it, etc), just open her cage and spend time with her talking, singing, offering a little treat every now and then and praise praise praise praise and then praise some more.