Kiwibird
Well-known member
- Jul 12, 2012
- 9,539
- 111
- Parrots
- 1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
We rent a basement apartment, and the landlords have been having a lot of people over. Anyways, this afternoon Kiwi hunched down and started making his scared noises. At first I thought it was a deer or something, but couldn't for the life of me see what on earth he was so frightened of. There was nothing outside. After about 10 minutes of it, I decided to take him outside on my hand and show him there was absolutely nothing around to be afraid of. Well, it turns out it was just some of their guests sitting on the upper deck (how he saw them is BEYOND me, we can't see the upper deck through our window).
As a result, the most amazing thing happened I went to give him a kiss(on the beak, which is a 'reward' for him) to let him know he was safe and a brave boy, and he just leaned into my chest and accepted the first time EVER cuddle. I just never wanted to let my sweet little Kiwi go. He let me hug and pet on him for only a couple seconds, but it was probably one of the most rewarding moments with him. In the 6+ years since we got him, and despite everything I've tried in building trust, the bird has never let me touch his body unless I'm forcibly restraining him (for grooming) or extending his wing to clip it (neither of which are 'happy' moments for either of us). It may have been a fluke, but it reminded me for as much as he likes to lunge and bluff being nasty at times, when push comes to shove and he's genuinely scared, he trusts ME. Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I feel honored to have Kiwi's trust as someone who will protect and love him I hope my boy makes a habit out of this (the cuddles, not the being scared)!
As a result, the most amazing thing happened I went to give him a kiss(on the beak, which is a 'reward' for him) to let him know he was safe and a brave boy, and he just leaned into my chest and accepted the first time EVER cuddle. I just never wanted to let my sweet little Kiwi go. He let me hug and pet on him for only a couple seconds, but it was probably one of the most rewarding moments with him. In the 6+ years since we got him, and despite everything I've tried in building trust, the bird has never let me touch his body unless I'm forcibly restraining him (for grooming) or extending his wing to clip it (neither of which are 'happy' moments for either of us). It may have been a fluke, but it reminded me for as much as he likes to lunge and bluff being nasty at times, when push comes to shove and he's genuinely scared, he trusts ME. Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I feel honored to have Kiwi's trust as someone who will protect and love him I hope my boy makes a habit out of this (the cuddles, not the being scared)!
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