obsessed Ecelectus

Hi everyone,, ive had my Ecelectus since he was 4 months old,, he is awesome and i love him dearly,, the only problem i have is he seems too be obsessed with me,, he is constantly wanting too be on me,, he also regurgitates on me. I love having him around but sometimes i need a break from him,lol Does anyone else have the same problem??

My uncle had this problem with his hen Scarlet. He would put her back in her cage for a few minutes whenever she would regurgitate on him and turn his back on her to let her know that this wasn't something he enjoyed. Regurgitation is a sign your bird loves you though so I don't know if this is the right course of action. As far as being with you all the time you have to set boundaries for him maybe make an area of the house a strictly you zone where he isn't allowed, or if he is just to in your face put him in his cage for a little while with a favorite toy or a favorite snack so its not a punishment just a time out so to speak. Hope that is helpful...

Heather

How old is he currently? What is his name? If you have posted this information in another thread I'm sorry for missing it. Also do you pet his back or anything that could be seen as a sexual advance to your bird? As this could be part of the regrurgitation problem as well.

lol,,, yes i pat him down his back and he makes a purring noise.. he is 2 years old,,, His name is Uli,,,and luckily i can close the lounge room door so he can play but i can be in another room and i do put him back in his cage for " timeout" lol its the only peace i get from him. He does drive me nuts but he is so affectionate too me,, i think i just put up with it as i love him dearly.

I know we all love to give our babies pets on the back but since your baby is coming into sexual maturity I would stop doing so because it can be stimulating so to speak and make him want to mate with you. I don't know if its a good compromise or not but maybe one stroke and a cuddle but no repeated petting. I'm not an expert by any means but just going off what others have told me and what I've read.

Petting an eclectus inappropriately at this age is not a good idea as it can & does cause major behaviour problems in the future. He can become a plucker or be very aggressive towards his owner because his sexual needs are not being met.

I have seen some very sad cases & it isn't a pretty sight & to think that it could have all been avioded if the owner had of been educated on all the do's & don't of raising an Eclectus parrot.

oh ok thanks for the advice.

Heather is right, setting boundaries is the best approach and also understanding the sexual maturity age and how they go about choosing partners. Unfortunately for you, you are not a parrot, and like all animals, they are meant to reproduce. If they can't, they may actually turn on the "mate".

Same as when lionesses deprive a male lion to mating rights, its bad, but its nature. If we have a better understanding of how they function in natural state, we would be able to try avoid a lot of problems. No matter how we try, sometimes it doesn't work, and you must be prepared to face the consequences, as he may love you too much and become aggressive or obsessive.

In my case, I had a beautiful ringneck, and at the age of 4 he was half featherless, as he was obsessive over me. Once those follicles die off, you are sitting with a featherless birdie for life. Mine sadly passed away at the age of 13. So making a very carefull and informed move is the way to go. Remember, he is already inlove with him, so shock treatment is not the way to go. Take it slow, cut short every now and then cuddle times, do different things with him, and try not enticing him, pet him differently so he doesn't get stimulated, nor irritated. Try a few things and wee what works for you two. Its a process, but will be rewarding to the both of you in the long run.