cage newby

[liz]

I want to put my one cent in. I agree with the above but I have two cuddle bugs. I do realize that each bird has it's own personality. What they have been through before you got them is embedded in their minds and must be corrected with love.
When I got Myrtle, she was such a mess, I decided that if she did not want to interact with me I would just be satisfied to make her life better and let her be happy. It took almost 4 years for her to trust me enough to let me scratch her head.
I really love them. They make me laugh. The hold conversations with me. Sometimes Myrtle resorts to baby blabber when she runs out of words. I did not know my life was so boring until they made me happy.
I know you will win him over. Give him a shower a day and a baby carrot after.

[Pajarita]

I guess it depends on what your personal definition of what a cuddlebug is, Liz, but if you had ever had a cockatoo, you would notice the difference immediately. Amazons would perch on your shoulder, preen your hair and cheeks, ask for scratches, etc but they don't usually like their bodies to be touched, they hate having their movements restricted in any way (no grabbing, no hugging, etc) and they are just as happy perching next to you as they are on you but an affectionate too is like a baby, he clings to you (to the point that, sometimes, I have to actually take my top off because I can't make him let go of me), puts his face right next to yours (and I am talking his beak less than an inch from your mouth and keeping it there for an uncomfortable long time -they are big and they get heavy after an hour of this), hids his entire head under your arm or inside the neck of your shirt and stays like this for minutes at a time, kisses you ten million times, loves to be hugged, turned upside down, touched all over its body, scream bloody murder when they are alone, etc.

Now, personally, I've had four cockatoos and, although two of them had been abused and one severely neglected, I've never gotten bit by them. The umbrellas (Angel and Coco) were not aggressive at all but they had each other and did not really need me for affection, poor Zachary is so very timid it breaks your heart and Freddie is a sweet-tempered clown and always a delight (he goes after other people's feet but not mine) but he is a one bird demolition crew when it comes to chewing!

I like both amazons and cockatoos and couldn't really say that I prefer one over the other, they are different but equally lovable. But amazons are easier if the conditions are right.

[debdans]

So true on the Cockatoos The one I keep care of for owner at there home was 100% child wanted you to hold him for hours if you would put his head under your chin, and hold your finger in his beak pulling on finger lightly if you stopped petting, Like Liz said you hade to peal off shirt to get him off you to get back in cage. I am so glad Dan went with me and found out his eyes swelled shut and asthma.After a hour are so. If I had purchased a Cockatoo and has=d to place it tit would kill me. The Eclectus I had for a short time was not mean but could care less if you got him out of his cage. Just set in corner depressed not talking. New owner with female says even though not bonded he is happy and all over the cage and play stand making noises and some words.
If he had stopped missing a girl bird he was separated from when I got him I will never know. I may have panicked and traded him off to soon. I now better now and will give Mr. Kiwi months. I have stopped trying to get him on a stick to take him around house , tired of him shredding my arm above the glove.and fingers if no glove The stick was a waste he just climbed it to attack my fingers so added glove he moved to top and got me above glove.
Even to feed him I have to be faster are I get bit. 1 food dish no problem but the one ud=sed for treats is his are else.When I get his new playtop cage I will have some time to get cage clean why he is on top. And feed doors even better. There is a metal bowl on bottom I was using for treats. He has clamed it sits next to it holding with beak are pushing it with his foot.If I even get near it he comes after me. The other dishes he gets ruffled and walks or crawls up that way upset. But not in a rage ready to attack. I have hope in next few weeks time and attention will make him willing to come. He will all ready grab a peanut or carrot stick and leave my hand in 1 piece. I do not need a parrot wanting held full time. But one willing to go to another room with me not biting the whole way would be a blessing. So I am being slow now praying for just that when he settles in. Debra

[Wolf]

Once you know the right things to do and implement them then all you can do is have patience while the bird figures things out. If they have been abused, they may have to take time to heal mentally and emotionally before they are able to trust you, and there is simply no way of knowing how long that will take. I have been posting all about Mimi, my Yellow Naped Amazon from shortly after I got her. She was extremely traumatized by her previous humans and I was not even sure if she could heal enough from the mental and emotional abuse, to be rehabilitated enough to even have a chance for a normal life. Sometimes reports on her progress are included in updates on other birds that live with me and sometimes under her own threads, I think that they may prove useful to you in understanding your bird. They are all located in the parrot tales section of this forum, here is the first posting primarily about Mimi viewtopic.php?f=25&t=12442 There are a few more after this one up to the present.

[Pajarita]

What you can do, Debra, is teach him to 'stay' on a perch so you can clean/feed/water. I had a male GCC that had been abused (never did find out exactly what the story was because he was brought to me by the previous owner's sister and her comment was that he was very mean because he had been abused and that her sister should never have children or animals) and he hated all humans. To make matters worse (to me, not to him, of course), he fell madly in love with Pichu, a female that had been neglected but had been with me for a while so she was now fine with people and loved to be with me which made him intensely jealous and possessive of their home (cage) so he would not let me put my hand in there for nothing! What I did was teach him to go to a perch on the back of the cage and stay there while I quickly changed the bowls (it was a flight cage and had no bowl doors so you had no choice but to put your hand in there). I first taught him to target (touch the stick with his beak to which he would get a reward -sunflower seed). Then I taught him 'Stay back' by putting the tip of the stick on the perch I wanted him to use and when he went there and touched the stick, I would reward. Eventually, I did not need the stick or the reward, he would go there and wait on his own when I told him to 'stay back'. See if you can get him to go to the top of his cage (it might be easier on him if you put some kind of a perch up there -it doesn't have to be a real perch, any branch or stick that you can make stay up there without moving is fine) and stay there long enough for you to do his cage.

Also, forget about moving him from one room to the next, just let him stay in one room until he no longer bites. But you can also try the T stick (Wolf described it as a cross but it's not, it's a T and the bird is supposed to perch on the top of the T while you hold it from the bottom). Put just one glove on and use this hand to carry the stick while you carry a soft toy (could be a little stuffed animal or whatever, just make sure it's big enough) and, when you see him moving up or down the stick trying to reach your hand, put the toy in front of his beak. He will bite the toy instead of you and this will give you a minute or so to move him. This method does not only allow you a bit of time, it also teaches him to redirect his anger to something else besides you.

[Wolf]

Well, I apologise for any misunderstandings, and will try to remember the distinction but as far as I know a T is a cross shape.

[debdans]

When I hear about Mimi I want to cry for her but especially for the ones she saw die from abuse. Not for her now so much as she has you and a good life.
I have a minor road with Kiwi he is not any were as bad as mimi. I thank his like you said is hormones. He never screams unless I am late with his noon veg's and seed(my morning do not go to bed till 4-5 AM) He has pellets 24/7 amd vegs 2 times a day. But I limit him to 1/2 cup of seed and only at noon then. And he waits on that.
I swere they tell time he is on bottom of cage or low perch.Rest of day higher.Vegi dish I can touch and return if I watch and know that he is in not in attack mode.The metal bowl for treats and the veg plate I have to use glove and jump back fast if necessary.
He comes out of cage now and to top if I am in same room that is new behavior. But if I come close he rums back in and hides at top perch behind cotton toy abd a sideways perch.I added 2 full leinght perchased and 4 other shorter ones part Manu mineral Cholla Cactus and nail sand perch and If I sit down does come down to watch what I am doing.I did my online homework before ordering perchas when I found standard with cage is not prefect. He is chewing on one Manu perch.
Wolf I believe I will have a far easer time with Kiwi then you did with Mimi the fact that she can tell you all her life means she is smarter then many toddlers and with her life span will be a Einstein of the bird world.
Parajita I will do what you said and try to encourage him to saty High and if not use a beanie babies in other hand for him to attack why I am caring for him. Using a T perch when I order from Amazon today will take 2 business days. I am also ordering toy parts to make big nice toys cheaper ones are dull and not much to them, And ex-Lg are some as high as $50. If I manage to make rhinestone jewelery till arthritis slowed that down to friends and family only, I figure I can copy some and make good ones cheap. It helps I know he loves Bells and will ring one for minutes at a time and shake the rope to make all 4 ring
What you said about your GCC and Pichu is so true of dogs also. I have gotten a few abused Chihuahuas in 30 years and they only came around because some one else was getting petted and held.Jealousy is a powerful thing.Deb

[Wolf]

Today, Mimi comes out of her cage for varying lengths of time and will now climb over to get on her tree once in a while. Her vocal tones are beginning to sound happy most of the time, or at least not full of pain and has lost that horrible desperate quality and her eyes are beginning to show the light that should have always been. Call it life, hope, joy or whatever it was gone but is back now. I brought her story to your attention so that you would know what your efforts mean to and for this bird, Mr. Kiwi. So that you would know that with patience and the right environment and actions from you that he will get better. I wanted you to not have to just hope for this to happen, I wanted you to know that you and Mr. Kiwi can do this.

[debdans]

Amazon S14.00 shipping free if Prime. also at Windy City Parrot but more money
Polly's Finger Saver Bird Training Perch
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003PL ... PDKIKX0DER
At that price I will take a chance

[Wolf]

Love the coconut hand guard on it, that's great. Thank you for the picture of it.