Hi everyone,
My boyfriend and I just bought our first conure (a 6 month old pineapple green cheek) last week, and she's been acting particularly aggressive. The pet store workers kept talking about how sweet she was, and she definitely seemed like it on the first day. Since the second day, however, she's been frequently biting hard, and sometimes screaming and biting simultaneously. Of course, I'm sure coming to a new home can be stressful.
She has several pin feathers around her neck, so I've been wondering if she could be molting, which might account for her bad temper. However, we haven't noticed many lost feathers in her cage.
Additionally, we already have a cockatiel. The new conure is kept in a separate room in order to quarantine her, but unfortunately the two birds can hear each other, so they are aware of the other's presence. This has led to our cockatiel acting moody and a little withdrawn.
The pet store (PetCo) gave us 14 days to return her if it didn't work out, and my boyfriend is leaning toward doing that. I'd like to try to make things better, but I'm not sure how much can improve in only a week.
Does anyone have any suggestions for making the conure feel more at-home? Or to stop the biting? We've been firmly telling her "No," which only works sometimes. She seems very healthy and the store workers assured us she wasn't sick, so we've also been thinking about introducing her to our cockatiel, to see if that helps her feel more comfortable.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
My boyfriend and I just bought our first conure (a 6 month old pineapple green cheek) last week, and she's been acting particularly aggressive. The pet store workers kept talking about how sweet she was, and she definitely seemed like it on the first day. Since the second day, however, she's been frequently biting hard, and sometimes screaming and biting simultaneously. Of course, I'm sure coming to a new home can be stressful.
She has several pin feathers around her neck, so I've been wondering if she could be molting, which might account for her bad temper. However, we haven't noticed many lost feathers in her cage.
Additionally, we already have a cockatiel. The new conure is kept in a separate room in order to quarantine her, but unfortunately the two birds can hear each other, so they are aware of the other's presence. This has led to our cockatiel acting moody and a little withdrawn.
The pet store (PetCo) gave us 14 days to return her if it didn't work out, and my boyfriend is leaning toward doing that. I'd like to try to make things better, but I'm not sure how much can improve in only a week.
Does anyone have any suggestions for making the conure feel more at-home? Or to stop the biting? We've been firmly telling her "No," which only works sometimes. She seems very healthy and the store workers assured us she wasn't sick, so we've also been thinking about introducing her to our cockatiel, to see if that helps her feel more comfortable.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!