Quigley

[seagoatdeb]

So glad your relaationship is getting better all the time. My daughters conure was going for her idle hand too...maybe its a conure thing. Anyway what she did, and it worked, was to offer him a wood slab to chew on everytime he went for her hand.

[mikella]

Just had a scary thing happen - Quigleys foot was wrapped in a loop of material on my shirt and he was inside my shirt (he shreds all clothing he comes in contact with).... It was a bit of a miracle that I got it unwrapped. He was biting me but not badly, he knew he had to let me do what I was doing. He seems fine now... Would I notice him acting odd/favouring his foot? He's back to his antics, flops into the neck opening of my shirt and scrambles down to my waistband of my pants and digs and nips for a few seconds until I have to get him out because I can't stand it. I changed my shirt to a new one for him to destroy so he won't get caught again.

[Wolf]

Cloth type materials of all kinds are always a source of concern when it comes to birds, especially since they all seem to love shredding it so much. A perfectly good jacket or shirt can be reduced from brand new to a holey parrot toy in a matter of minutes, Oops, there goes another $20.00 down the parrot tubes, oh well, nice parrot shirt, at least I know he liked it as much as I did.
Funny thing is that in addition to those mysterious parrot sized holes that appear so often, mine have this strange thing happening that I never noticed before I had parrots, mine appear to be trying to grow new cloth in strange places, nothing major, just the occasional new thread that I was certain was not growing there when I put it on. Time to break out the trusty knife and trim that pesky thread or two off before they have a chance to grow longer and attack my bird. Oh well, what to do?
Glad you were able to save Quigley from the cloth in time, it sounds like he was trying to be nice at least while you tried to free him.

[Pajarita]

I have an entire shelf of 'bird clothes' (pants, Tshirts and sweat tops) and these are the ones I put on when I get up in the morning - and, sometimes, I don't even change them during the day so I end up looking like 'a homeless all the time' according to my husband So, yes, we all know exactly what you are talking about, Mikella.

As to his foot, if it wasn't discolored or swollen, you caught it in time and there is no need to even keep an eye on it. If it was swollen and red (I won't even go into purple), just look for his favoring it but it's still nothing to worry about as it should go back to normal in a matter of a couple of hours.

[seagoatdeb]

I have bird clothes too, you never know when Gaugan will decide to randomly take a bite out of my clothes. Of course, someone will alwasys randomly show up at my door when I am in bird clothes with a nice big patch of fresh bird poop showing. sheesh

You will usually see a symptom right away if your parrot is hurt, he will make crying noises or be favoring a body part or be unusually quiet. The Worst one I had is Gaugan got startled by something falling in the dining room and flew towards the window and landed on the cords for the blinds, she flapped and by the time I got to her she was all wound up in those cords. it took me 10 minutes to figure out how to unwrap her, good thing she was patient, and then a few scary hours where I looked for signs she hurt something. I am sure I got at least one more grey hair that day.

[mikella]

Oh yes, bird clothes It's all I can wear in the house. I never let him near my 'normal/nice' clothes. He makes QUICK work... One of these days when I figure out how to get pictures small enough file size to post, I'll share pics of his handiwork. I think you'll be amazed haha Pajarita, you're not alone, I look homeless at home too. At least it's comfortable!

Quigley's foot was fine - big relief. I worry so much though that one of these times when he crashes he will be hurt........ Very nerve-wracking.

He has been extra testy the last couple days.

But - more progress.... He will now fly from the couch and from his t-stand (until now, he would only fly from the floor). He still only flies as a last resort and with crazy encouragement from me. He is a bit stunned after he flies, nervous and stick-still for a minute. I hope that someday he will 'enjoy' flying because he will feel a bit of freedom to go where he wants. He has always been 100% dependent on humans to move him place to place, how awful...

I keep trying with the shoulder... He gets so annoyed. He chirps his angry chirps and lunges at my face... He hasn't yet bit me there. When he is scared, however, he runs up to my shoulder... I'm thinking that maybe this is a good sign (?) Even if he doesn't much like it yet, he feels secure there.

As I've always said this last 9 months, when he will happily hang out on my shoulder, we will have it made. No constant nips and bites, too! He's just such a bossy bugger. But so lovable (somehow)

[seagoatdeb]

My daughters conure is adorable too but he is the nippiest of all her birds. He has decided he will bond to her husband, but that is for the best she has two birds bonded to her still. In My house I have two birds bonded to me. My meyers wasnt wanting on a shoulder untill one day he just decided he would run up my shoulder and preen me. since then he is fine being on my shoulder. Sometimes you just have to wait untill they decide its time.

[mikella]

Yes definitely, Deb - He will decide when it is time. But I'll keep testing in the meantime haha He goes up there for a treat, when he's scared, and when he doesn't want to do something (be put down, go in the living room which is the room I usually get him to fly from, etc.)... He is VERY much a "only on my terms" kind of bird, that's for sure... He gets angry when you try to control his behaviour in any way (shield your face, block him from a certain part of your body, etc.). I started letting him charge up to my face (he does this when I'm laying down or leaned back in a chair) and initially it was aggression, and now he runs and jams his head under my chin... He's nippy, but the aggression from that is basically gone because I started letting him do what he wanted to do.

I have learned SO so much from him/because of him.

[Chantilly]

Hi Mikella, I dont have that much to say, but I wanted you to know that I think you are wonderful, and what you are doing is wonderful.
I havnt ever had an unwanted bird, but what you are doing and what you have done for Quigly is very inspirational and even though he is a pain and probably irritating, you are getting through it and you's are slowly getting closer to eachover. I would love a second bird, and I am considering it, but it would kill my Cinnamon, I think she would get too jealous having to share me and my family. But if I do decide to get a second bird, you have pulled me towards adopting.
Thankyou
~Chantilly

[Chantilly]

Oh also, Tilly(cinnamon gcc) does the cobra thing when she is excited too.