Glove Terror

[JaydeParrot]

Feel so bad for my Sennies, since I got them they've been terrified of gloves, (figured it out when I took my gloves off and they still tried to attack the empty gloves). Took Cain outside again today, someone I knew asked if they could stroke her, I said sure, picked her off my shoulder and let her perch on my hand. The guy took his hands from behind his back and tried to touch her, she went mental, she was screaming, flapping and trying to get away.

I quickly put my hands around her and held her close as I whispered to her that she was ok and safe. She continued to scream a bit, I quickly asked the guy to take off his gloves, he did so and threw them to the floor. Immediately Cain calmed down, she perched on my hand again, let the guy stroke her head and then jumped onto his hand, climbed up his arm and perched on his shoulder.

Both my birds are terrified of gloves so I just make sure I don't wear any around them, I felt awful seeing how poor Cain reacted, the screaming it was like she thought she was going to be killed. It disgusts me because I know they weren't treated brilliantly before I got them, one person who knew the original owner reckoned the owner's boyfriend (he always handled the birds) sometimes killed birds out of anger or because he didn't want them anymore/ they were no longer useful to him. It makes me sick thinking about what my birds must have seen or experianced to react in such an extreme way to gloves.

This is why I like to show and let my birds interact with people in society, there's a saying from the Truman Show that says 'We accept the reality we're presented with', if people see more parrots outside, sitting on people's shoulders and interacting with humans, maybe they'll learn that parrot aren't expendable ornaments, they're life forms with complex emotions and feelings and deserve just as much interaction and freedom as a cat or a dog (sometime even more so).

[Wolf]

While you are doing things differently than I would, and I do believe that a certain amount of socialization with strangers may be beneficial, I am glad that they are out of where they were at. I am not sure, but what you may be pushing a little too much on the socialization with strangers, just be aware that if you are that it will come back on you and cause you some problems later on.
I do not nor would I count on people changing their attitude towards parrots very much if at all anytime in the foreseeable future, but I have erred before. They accept dogs and cats as common place but they do not seem to me to have any true respect for them either, just look at how many are up for adoption and come from abusive situations. I, too, wish it were otherwise but so far it just ain't.
While that which led up to the event in your story are despicable, in my opinion, you still have an interesting story and I thank you for sharing it with the rest of us.

[Pajarita]

People who don't know enough about birds, would use gloves to handle the ones that bite and that's most likely the reason why your parrot is so afraid of them.

Now, please don't take this the wrong way, I am only saying this because I care very deeply for all birds but you are taking a HUGE risk doing what you are doing. For one thing, it's VERY stressful for a parrot to be handled by a stranger. This is good for dogs but not with parrots. With undomesticated animals, it's not a matter of 'what they get used to', it's a matter of how they evolved and no amount of training or exposure will change this. Just because we don't 'see' signs of stress, it doesn't mean the bird is not going through it. For another, you do not know what the stranger touched before he touched your bird. A friend of mine lost 8 birds to an e.coli infection about two months ago despite everything her vet did to save them. It's a known fact that lots and lots of people do not wash their hands after they go to the bathroom and carry e.coli on their hands, the stranger touches the bird, passes the bacteria to the bird's feathers which the bird will later preen and thus ingest it. Last and not least, I knew somebody who was sitting on the steps going up to the porch of her house with her cockatoo on her lap, a guy approached her interested in her bird and asked to touch it, which she allowed but the guy grabbed the bird right out of her lap and took off running. She never saw her bird again.

Personally, I always look at things considering the worst case scenario and make my decisions based on that because even if it's something that happens to one bird in a million, I don't want MY bird to be that one.

[Tman007]

I would have to agree with Pajarita, If have to realize that they are wild animals. When I had my snakes I would not let anyone else hold them I would hold them. And that will go for my birds too. I will let them pet them but I will do the holding. This way I can see how the react to the person and be able to see if the are going to be upset.

[GreenWing]

Don't feel so bad -- gloves are terrifying to parrots in general. My sennie was afraid of them as well and she would freak out over polished nails, too.

I think it's great you're socializing your bird but don't be afraid to be assertive to others when out with your birds. People will be naturally curious but many people don't know %$#^ about parrots. For real.

[JaydeParrot]

That's terrible the one about the guy grabbing the cockatoo and running away, still, would have thought the cockatoo could have taken a finger off in fright.

As I said, I knew the guy handling her, known him for a few years so I'm ok with her stepping up to him. To be honest, I'm not that fond of strangers coming over to interact with her, I let people see her and occassionally stroke her head, but after a few too many 'bone-headed' interactions with strangers. I no longer let her close enough for her to step up or climb onto people's shoulders.

Even Cain seems to know I don't want her to do that anymore, people have tried to get her to step up before now, she's refused and I just tell them that she poops alot and bites without warning. Usually puts them off, .

I tend to volunteer at a small group, I take her there most days, it's great, the first day everyone was like LOOK! The second day everyone sort of shrugged and carried on with their work.

Admittedly, as much as you try not to, there is a sort of novelty when you first take your parrot out, where you feel like it's just like walking your dog out and it'll react fine with strangers (I used to take my dog out with me alot but she's too old to go far).

Since writing my first post on this subject, I no longer want to take my bird to crowded places and try to make sure she gets little attention from strangers. This isn't just for the bird's sake, I got so irritated about people not stroking her correctly (generally too hard and/or not going away) I was ready to bite them myself... Guess I'd in a cage too then, oh the irony!

Where ever I go, I always take Cain's carry case so I can put her in if she's too tired or I don't want people bothering us, (I always tie a rope from the carry case to my wrist (If someone takes her, I'm coming too, lol).

[Harpmaker]

Having a place where Cain can go to get away from strange hands seems like a great idea.Do you put her in the travel cage with a harness on, or take it off through the open door? I can't figure out which version would work better, but maybe Corsair is more likely to get tangled in the leash than Cain.

[JaydeParrot]

Having a place where Cain can go to get away from strange hands seems like a great idea.Do you put her in the travel cage with a harness on, or take it off through the open door? I can't figure out which version would work better, but maybe Corsair is more likely to get tangled in the leash than Cain.

All birds get a little tangled in their leash, they have to learn how to walk properly with the harness on, if they turn too often, they tangle themselves. After almost a year of harness training, Cain still chews her harnesss and has actually destroyed one to the point of it no longer being useable. For that reason I'd never leave the harness on while they're in the carrier, you'll probably open the cage door to find frayed pieces of harness and one very pleased looking parrot! .

Personally I go to a disabled toilet, (close the toilet seat just in case!), hold your bird in one hand while using the other to take off the harness and then put the bird into the carrier. I always hold my bird in one hand because I don't want her perching on anything in a public bathroom.

My carrier has two doors on (one at the top, one at the side), I've tied one door (the top, to prevent the handle from pulling the top open) permantently shut with zip ties and have also zipped tied the carrier halves together (the carrier can taken apart without zip ties), just make sure the door you haven't secured with zip ties has a good lock on it so your bird isn't suddenly freed by accident.

Essentially my bird carrier looks exactly like Michael's one for Turman except I made it easier for myself to construct by attaching both ends of a flexi rope perch to the top of the carrier (Cain sits on the u bend of it) and buying a snap shut plastic food bowl to attach to the side door of the cage. I always put orange pieces in the bowl as it provides Cain with both food and a drink at the same time. I also put in treats or things that she likes (millet pieces, sunflower seeds, dried banana slices) to try to make her as happy and content as possible while she's in her carrier.

As I said, always tie a devil's togue knot to the cage and then tie it around your hand, I always worry someone could try to snatch the cage or I could put it down for a moment and in a lapse of concentration forget to pick it up again . -As I always say about driving my bicycle on the road, how many mistakes does it take to have an accident? One.

Anyways, hope that helped. Also, try to make sure you give your bird at least an hour to eat from it's cage food bowl before taking it out, often a bird acting bitey or grumpy on the harness is just thirsty/hungry, in such circumstances, juicy fruits like oranges work wonders, they're both food and a drink for your bird, .

[Harpmaker]

Good to know. Thanks JaydeParrot!

[Sean]

I heard a lot of people say don't use gloves when handling a bird but why? My bird steps up on my glove without any hesitation.