Buddy Is Turning Into A Stinker!!!

Every morning Buddy comes out, sits on my shoulder. He preens himself, then me, then himself, then me tries to steal my coffee, food anything. The past couple of days he's started getting aggressive like this morning he tried to bite my cheek, I said no loud and he stood up real talk and jumped like I hurt his feelings. He settled then started trying to go in the collar of my shirt to get my chain. Another no, another hurt moment. Then Husband walked by and that turkey growled and grabbed my hair really rough and pulled my head towards him. I said hay! Then got up and put him in his cage. I think the last one was directed towards Husband but he used my head. He wasn't happy about going back in his cage. Does this sound hormonal?

Nah, doesn't sound hormonal to me, more like 'misguided' aggression. Amazons are notorious for it. Many want your undivided attention and then throw a little hissy fit if they feel they're not #1.

My Sam is mighty jealous of the telephone. When he's out and the phone rings, I must watch out, as he's 'tried to' take his displeasure out on me. :11:

Zilla wants my undivided attention at ALL times. She has never hurt me, but she does everything in her power to keep all my attention focused on her and only her as much as possible.

Thanks! I let Buddy come out of his cage and back on my shoulder this afternoon. We were getting ready to visit with family and while I was getting things ready in the kitchen, I was taking dip, I let him stay on my shoulder. No worries, no stove required. I did give him bits of pepper, carrot, and broccoli and I'd make a sound and he'd repeat it. That brought Husband in the kitchen to see what we were doing and as I was telling Husband Buddy grabbed my hair, pulled and growled. I told him No and to stop that, he backed off but was good for the most part. Putting in back on his cage so we could leave, I gave him some of those veggie goodies and he was happy. I told Husband what you both shared and after the second episode this afternoon we both agreed it's got to be "its all about me" Buddy, lol.

Does Buddy spend much time during the day in his cage? If not, it may be time to implement a few hours each day where he's left 'alone' (try not to go in the room his cage is in) for independent play, napping whatever he wants to do with himself, but something he does by himself. It is a learned behavior for parrots to entertain themselves. I typically leave Kiwi to his own devices for several hours each afternoon where I don't interact with him even though I'm home and could be. It keeps him independent and makes "flock time" and enjoyable activity rather than an entitlement issue.

In the last month he has started coming out of his cage first thing in the morning. He steps up and gets on my shoulder, he goes in the kitchen with me to make coffee and feed the dogs. We then move in the livingroom, where his cage is, and I'll sit in my chair, drink coffee, watch the news and start looking at email for work. We talk and make sounds, repeating each other, head scritches, he preens and that would go on for about 15 - 30 mins and he was ready to go in his cage and have breakfast. The last two weeks he's stayed out longer, this past Thursday, 3 hours and he wanted to come back out. Most of the time he will be in his cage, cage door open, he'll come out and go to his play top, go back in his cage to eat, drink and nap. He still doesn't play much on his own. If he's with me and I play with something then he shows interest and will play with the toy as I'm playing with it. I love that he wants to come out and spend time with me, but he seems to get frustrated if I put him back in his cage before he's ready. Yesterday this was the case and I had to close his cage door because he be bopped back out heading for me. This is a big shift in his previous subdued behavior.

Oh and he spends 18 hours a day in the same room as me. I move to my office to work and his old cage is set up there because he shrieks and screams looking for me. If he's in the room and can see me, he's quiet. If I'm on a call using a headset, he's quiet, if I have a call on speaker, he tries to speak to the voices he hears and yes he's talked to people, and my team knows Buddy.

PLEASE don't take this offensively, as you have done so well with Buddy, but to me, this sounds like an over bonding and attention-seeking possibly behavioral screaming issue in the making. Buddy cannot spend ALL his time with you having your undivided attention (which is what he wants and is starting to expect). Being 'alone' and entertaining themselves is unnatural for parrots and is a learned behavior. It may hurt to hear him calling for you, but Buddy needs alone time every day and will eventually 'cry himself out' and figure out something else to do. It doesn't really matter if he's playing or napping or staring off into space, he needs to become comfortable with the concept of time with himself and time with his flock. Is it possible to set up a play stand or roll his cage into another room for "independent play" time every day, since you have to have your home office in the same room as him? Load him up with foraging, toys maybe even a bird dvd playing... Provide him with lots of fun things to do and self rewarding activities, but no contact with you for a few hours each day. It's kind of like sending kids of to school. They may not LIKE going, but it's the right thing to do for their well being. And it won't make him 'hate' you, it will make him appreciate his time with you more. He'll be eager to see you and play with you! The forum has lots of posts on independent play too if you search it for ideas on how to implement it and make it really fun!

No offense taken. After reading your response I really started thinking through our day together and he's with me most of the day. Tomorrow I will put him in his cage in the livingroom while I'm in my office. He's got toys, some he will forage through. Maybe this will encourage him to play with his receipt paper roll. I love this toy but he hasn't shown interest unless I am.

Is there a time frame I should start with, like an hour of alone time, etc?

JerseyWendy said:

Nah, doesn't sound hormonal to me, more like 'misguided' aggression. Amazons are notorious for it. Many want your undivided attention and then throw a little hissy fit if they feel they're not #1.

My Sam is mighty jealous of the telephone. When he's out and the phone rings, I must watch out, as he's 'tried to' take his displeasure out on me. :11:

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I agree. That sounds exactly like what this is.

Hormonal zon behaviors tend to be territorial in nature. Not this stuff.

Good advice ,you might be giving him a "BIG Head" I would also try having him hang out on your knee [and not by your face]. If you cant get him off his cage use a perch step up to your knee.

I agree with Kiwibird. You can also leave the tv or radio on for him when he's having his "alone time." Although we have 3 birds in the same room, while we are gone all day at work we leave the TV on for them. They seem to be able to ignore it when they feel like it, but sometimes they really like to engage with it. We usually pick bright, noisy things like cartoons.

This morning I had a doctors appointment early. I didn't uncover Buddy, just got up and left. When I returned i uncovered Buddy, said hello, made sounds, fed him and the pups. I let him out for 30 mins on my shoulder then returned him to his cage. While in my office he is calling, making every sound he knows and sounds we throw at each other. It was HARD not to reply but I didn't. Is that right? I came out of my office at 1:00 pm cst to check on him.

That's pretty much the concept. Just let him be for a few hours a day (even if he's calling). The hollering for you will eventually cease once he learns it yields him no response and that there are fun toys or maybe he'd like a nap. That doesn't mean you need him to be locked up and lonely all day of course, but just enough time alone he learns that alone time shouldn't cause such distress and makes interactions with you something he looks forward to, not expects and gets all uppity about. I would (on a typical day) keep up your morning routine together. Meals are important 'flock' activities, so don't exclude him from breakfast. But he can go up and entertain himself for a few hours after breakfast, then come hang out during the afternoon