Siobhan
New member
Rocky has an uncanny ability to bite hard enough to hurt, really hurt, without breaking the skin or even leaving a bruise, if he chooses, yet still making his point very, very clear. What a stinker.
Last night he was walking around on the floor charging at Hubby, who was playing Towel with him. This is a game where Rocky waddles at his daddy, who keeps a towel handy just for this reason, and then Hubby uses the towel like a bullfighter's cape and sometimes drops it over Rocky's head, and he pets Rocky and Rocky chews holes in the towel. Most of the time, this is just a fun game. Sometimes Rocky gets a bit testy, but usually not. When Rocky gets bored, he waddles back to his cage. They were playing Towel and I was out of the room and when I came back in the room, Rocky waddled to me and wanted to be picked up. I picked him up, and Hubby stood up to go to the kitchen, and for some reason this upset Rocky. His crest went up, he bounced up and down and CHOMP on my wrist, hard enough to make pain shoot all the way into my shoulder.
Now, Rocky often gives me pressure bites, always calculated to get my attention and send a message without hurting me. Most often, the reason is he needs to poop or wants a drink or snack and he wants me to take him back to his cage. But if he's startled or upset by something, he bites harder. He has chomped his daddy hard enough to do real damage, which is why Hubby plays towel with him but won't pick him up.
I find it kind of amazing that Rocky has had many opportunities to do the same to me, yet never does. As much as that bite hurt last night, and I put him in his cage for about 10 minutes to give him time to settle down before trying to handle him again, he still stopped short of breaking the skin. And while my hand is stiff and sore, I don't have a bruise. How does he DO that??? The Quakers, the tiels and even my budgie don't care if they break the skin when THEY'RE annoyed about something. Clyde (Quaker) will insist I give him head rubs and then bite me for obeying and he breaks the skin about half the time doing that.
Last night he was walking around on the floor charging at Hubby, who was playing Towel with him. This is a game where Rocky waddles at his daddy, who keeps a towel handy just for this reason, and then Hubby uses the towel like a bullfighter's cape and sometimes drops it over Rocky's head, and he pets Rocky and Rocky chews holes in the towel. Most of the time, this is just a fun game. Sometimes Rocky gets a bit testy, but usually not. When Rocky gets bored, he waddles back to his cage. They were playing Towel and I was out of the room and when I came back in the room, Rocky waddled to me and wanted to be picked up. I picked him up, and Hubby stood up to go to the kitchen, and for some reason this upset Rocky. His crest went up, he bounced up and down and CHOMP on my wrist, hard enough to make pain shoot all the way into my shoulder.
Now, Rocky often gives me pressure bites, always calculated to get my attention and send a message without hurting me. Most often, the reason is he needs to poop or wants a drink or snack and he wants me to take him back to his cage. But if he's startled or upset by something, he bites harder. He has chomped his daddy hard enough to do real damage, which is why Hubby plays towel with him but won't pick him up.
I find it kind of amazing that Rocky has had many opportunities to do the same to me, yet never does. As much as that bite hurt last night, and I put him in his cage for about 10 minutes to give him time to settle down before trying to handle him again, he still stopped short of breaking the skin. And while my hand is stiff and sore, I don't have a bruise. How does he DO that??? The Quakers, the tiels and even my budgie don't care if they break the skin when THEY'RE annoyed about something. Clyde (Quaker) will insist I give him head rubs and then bite me for obeying and he breaks the skin about half the time doing that.
unfortunately he did break the skin,and one time blood just POURED from my finger!
