Stupid People Tricks

There are times I feel like a complete moron with regards to Kazi.

He hates my husband, I know this. We've been working on it and things were progressing really well.

Last night I noticed the lab chewing on something on the floor. I was leaned back in my recliner, laptop in my lap, bird on my boob snoozing. I *thought* the lab had gotten ahold of some of my wool fiber I use for spinning and I was afraid of impaction so I was yelling at the dog trying to make him stand up so I could see what he was chewing on. My husband, who is always helpful, gets up to see what it is he has. To do so he has to stand right in front of my chair and bend over.

That was too much for Kazi. I got a bite on the side of my face and he bit me half a dozen times, HARD, on my right hand in the same spot over and over.

It hurt so much. I ended up yelling at my husband while the bird was biting me because DH was still trying to get the lab to move so we could see what he was hiding from us.

Turns out it wasn't fiber. It was a small cardboard box Kazi had been given as a foraging toy. Had I known I would've just let him have at it!

So yeah, how dumb of me was that? All of it! I apologized to my husband immediately and told him it wasn't his fault, it was mine for not paying attention and using a little foresight. My husband and I never raise our voices at one another, we never have, we prefer to discuss rather than yell so I know I hurt his feelings. Honestly, I felt like an ass. But I put Kazi to bed (it was his bedtime anyway) and explained to hubby that Kazi was molting and irritable from being itchy and prickly from the pin feathers. Between that and his having had an adventure that day in public, I think Dh bending over us was just too much for him.

I did manage to not yell at the bird once, which was impressive considering he was attempting to chew me up into hamburger (or at least it felt like it!).

Wow, sorry to hear of being bitten so many times. Unfortunately it seems a common story when birds love one person in the family and don't like the spouse. I guess though your hubby will know not to do that in the future.

Yeah, I think he learned, finally, what I've been trying to explain to him. Kazi, when threatened, isn't going to bite the threat, he's going to bite me. I think he finally saw that what I said was absolutely true last night. DH has been bitten once and it wasn't as bad as it could've been.

To be honest, it's not Kazi that needs the training, it's DH! I wonder if I could employ some dog/bird training methods on him...

Lol, good luck with that! I think my ex held it against me that one of my conures hated him. He acted like I told her to.

Having always had birds, and spending so much time with them, I have realized that the average person does not have any idea how birds act and react. I know because I watch their behaviors, and subtilties. Other people are not watching, or even aware of this. I have had to "train" my wife, relatives, and friends on bird behavior. But, still they are unaware. I keep a constant vigil with my birds when anyone else is around, and watch for touchy situations. Many cannot be helped.

This is so true, Bill. Most people I know don't even get what seems obvious to me. If a bird is running at you with it's feathers sticking up and beak out and swearing at you, it doesn't want you touching it's cage and toys! And yet they will stand there, about to get nailed and say, "Hi, birdie!" I also have almost everyone stick their fingers in the cages. You would think these were all 3 years olds, but I'm sorry to say, no they are all adults! The kids listen when I tell them not to touch the cage or they will get bitten.

One time I came out of the bathroom to find one of my friends holding her very swollen lip. Here she had tried to get a kiss from Rowdy. I said, oh, yeah, that probably wasn't a good idea. And she said, I've seen you do it, so I thought I could, too. I had to say, well, oops, sometimes birds don't behave the same way for people other than their owner. She just said, yep, I just learned that!

I've chastised both my mother & sister-in-law for talking to Beaker, my Pionus.

He is a one-person bird. I've tried having people feed him treats, taken him to strange areas where he isn't so protective, all sorts of things.

But he is what he is. He hates everyone who isn't me & resists attempts to get him to be nice to most people.

And they try so hard to make friends with him & it just gets him so wound up & ready to attack that I end up yelling, "Leave the bird alone! He just isn't that into you!"

And I make them feel bad, but not as bad as I feel when I have to give the bird a time out because they couldn't see what they were doing to him.

I take Con with me when I go to my store when I'm not working and I've turned around several time to find strangers trying to pick her up from my shoulder! If she's on my shoulder, no one else can touch her and she only lets me hand her to other people. I'm generally a nice person but when strangers are trying to pick up my bird without my permission it makes me so mad that I snap at them. She's practically my kid!

lizardsmells said:

Yeah, I think he learned, finally, what I've been trying to explain to him. Kazi, when threatened, isn't going to bite the threat, he's going to bite me. I think he finally saw that what I said was absolutely true last night. DH has been bitten once and it wasn't as bad as it could've been.

To be honest, it's not Kazi that needs the training, it's DH! I wonder if I could employ some dog/bird training methods on him...

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In Kazi's opinion, you just need to do as you're told... FLY away.. It's quite a natural bird behaviour... and however intelligent they are, they still don't know we can't fly!

Helitorian said:

I take Con with me when I go to my store when I'm not working and I've turned around several time to find strangers trying to pick her up from my shoulder! If she's on my shoulder, no one else can touch her and she only lets me hand her to other people. I'm generally a nice person but when strangers are trying to pick up my bird without my permission it makes me so mad that I snap at them. She's practically my kid!

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I can certainly understand that! Some birds are so valuable, you wouldn't even dare walk down the street with them...

lol sorry to read this lizard, but these situations do fade, nut use to bite me, and hard, if my son stood to close to us!
and my son being in his teenage yrs would think this was great fun!!!

and as for guests in the house, i say to them all, i don't care how cute nut is looking at you, DON'T PUT YOUR FINGER IN HER CAGE, and guess what, you always have that, but i'm an animal person they love me, 0www!!!
and depending on how annoyed she is, will depend on bite, as she has this way of crunching down an grinding her beak, lighting fast, but in turn it bruises, cuts an tears the skin

then they tell me, nuts got a problem!! when she is out of her cage she is fine with ppl as long as they are not to forward

Beemer is all about me she will let the hubby give her a chicken leg she will take it out of his hand and she will let him give her eggs other than that she will bite me if he gets close to me hubby knows to steer clear of me when Beemer is on me