WideO
Member
- Aug 26, 2013
- 84
- 0
I understand that it's very hard to give any advice, but maybe you can help me to see if I understand his behaviour correctly.
Oscar - DNA test male - is 2.5 years old, and my wife was always his favorite. When he was out of his cage, he would always try to be around her, and he pretty much ignored me. He never was aggressive towards me, but he did let me know when I got too close to them. When he was alone with me, he was happy to play with me.
Inside of his cage, he was equally asking/accepting cuddles. He is pretty good natured (for a Senegal I suppose), very talkative, and loves to order our two labradors around.
Since last October however, my wife is often away for her work and/or working very late, so that I became his main attraction outside of his cage. I was also the one waking him up/feeding him/cleaning his cage etc. The more she was absent, the more he started to show her he was not happy. It started with small nibbles. She didn't understand the behaviour, but I explained to her she was pretty much his darling, and felt neglected.
Over the last half year, he has really switched sides. He now prefers me around, and even tried to hump my hand last week. He regurgitates for me (I try to avoid it), and even just talking to him makes him start to grind/make friendly noises/sound like a happy kitten.
I knew they switched alliance if they felt it necessary, but what I didn't expect was the aggression he started to show towards her. He still flies to her first, but then starts to stare at her, followed very quickly by biting. And really not just warning: he keeps his beak locked, and leaves a triangular mark that starts to bleed only after a few minutes. He is really going for the proverbial jugular. What he does mainly is fly towards her, land on her arm, and within a fraction of a second plants his beak firmly in her arm.
I tried to find other possible reasons for this behaviour change, and wondered if he was ill or had other problems. But when he's around me, he never bites like that, is happy to play/talk and cuddle. If it was a health problem, he would show the same behaviour towards me, wouldn't he?
Yesterday was the fifth time he bit her, and obviously, she has been treating him very nervously, which doesn't help I'm sure. She now refuses to be present when I let him out of his cage, which is sad for both her and Oscar. I know this sounds silly, but after this happens he seems to feel bad about it, is jumpy and very unresponsive, as if he doesn't understand his own violence.
Is there anything she can do to make up to him without being chewed to pieces? He is still friendly to her when he's inside his cage, he loves to hear her sing (and makes something that resembles dance moves when she has music on), but he turns in to a Hitchcock extra as soon as he is let out, and it breaks my heart.
Oscar - DNA test male - is 2.5 years old, and my wife was always his favorite. When he was out of his cage, he would always try to be around her, and he pretty much ignored me. He never was aggressive towards me, but he did let me know when I got too close to them. When he was alone with me, he was happy to play with me.
Inside of his cage, he was equally asking/accepting cuddles. He is pretty good natured (for a Senegal I suppose), very talkative, and loves to order our two labradors around.
Since last October however, my wife is often away for her work and/or working very late, so that I became his main attraction outside of his cage. I was also the one waking him up/feeding him/cleaning his cage etc. The more she was absent, the more he started to show her he was not happy. It started with small nibbles. She didn't understand the behaviour, but I explained to her she was pretty much his darling, and felt neglected.
Over the last half year, he has really switched sides. He now prefers me around, and even tried to hump my hand last week. He regurgitates for me (I try to avoid it), and even just talking to him makes him start to grind/make friendly noises/sound like a happy kitten.
I knew they switched alliance if they felt it necessary, but what I didn't expect was the aggression he started to show towards her. He still flies to her first, but then starts to stare at her, followed very quickly by biting. And really not just warning: he keeps his beak locked, and leaves a triangular mark that starts to bleed only after a few minutes. He is really going for the proverbial jugular. What he does mainly is fly towards her, land on her arm, and within a fraction of a second plants his beak firmly in her arm.
I tried to find other possible reasons for this behaviour change, and wondered if he was ill or had other problems. But when he's around me, he never bites like that, is happy to play/talk and cuddle. If it was a health problem, he would show the same behaviour towards me, wouldn't he?
Yesterday was the fifth time he bit her, and obviously, she has been treating him very nervously, which doesn't help I'm sure. She now refuses to be present when I let him out of his cage, which is sad for both her and Oscar. I know this sounds silly, but after this happens he seems to feel bad about it, is jumpy and very unresponsive, as if he doesn't understand his own violence.
Is there anything she can do to make up to him without being chewed to pieces? He is still friendly to her when he's inside his cage, he loves to hear her sing (and makes something that resembles dance moves when she has music on), but he turns in to a Hitchcock extra as soon as he is let out, and it breaks my heart.