New bird, could use some advice

Hi. So I impulsively bought a young peach face at a flea market. The guy had her in a mouse cage, next to all sorts of rodents and poultry. Out in the full sun, 90 degrees out. I didn't even think about it.

I never had a bird like this before, and I am constantly amazed at her personality and the funny/cute things she does. She plays with all her toys and talks to her mirror. She's adorable!

Anyway, I have not really been able to tame her. She does differentiate between me and other family members, but she will not come to me and she does bite. I have 5 cats so I can't really imagine letting her out of the cage. Also, the house is empty most days because everyone is at work.

So to sum up, I enjoy having her but am a bit worried about whether she will have a happy life. I could get her a mate, or a same-sex friend. Or things can stay the way they are. Any thoughts?

First off, welcome to the forums!! You've found the right place for advice.

Your situation is not an uncommon one, there are members here who don't have tame birds, some rescues and some that never were tamed at all, but there are ways to gain their trust and handle them. It does take time, patience, understanding of the parrot brain and unconditional love.

Here's a great link to gaining your parrot's trust, just read through and you'll learn some tips.

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

It's important you understand that giving a bird a happy life and loving it unconditionally is more important (to many, at least) than being able to handle them. So if you need a bird that you can handle, you may find yourself frustrated and disappointed when she doesn't climb all over you. So, just because you haven't tamed her, doesn't mean she isn't happy. You have to accept her the way she is, even if she may not end up liking you petting her or cuddling. But she may learn to step up, fly to you and who knows, maybe just maybe she'll learn to love you. It will take time, but if you are patient, never get upset with her and work slowly with her and respect her boundaries, she may surprise you with affection.

I work also but keep my bids happy by letting them out of the cage every day, week days at least 2 hours and weekends at least 4 hours.

Welcome to the forum, I'm glad you stepped in for this sweet little birdie. If you are a first time parront there is lots to learn here! Great people to who are really passionate about parrots! You need to offer fresh veggies daily, she might not take to them right away but don't give up! On the toxic list never give Avacado or onions! Try to give her healthy seeds mix that doesn't have sunflower seeds, use sunflower seeds only for training or a few for treats.. most agree it's good to get them eating pellets as well, there us info here and elsewhere on switching them over you have to be careful with that as you don't want her to starve.. there are a lot of household cleaners , chemicals, Teflon, air freshener ect that are deadly to birds. Take time to read through the forum on these topics. You need a large cage probably larger than you think. Welcome!

Even if you are not a first time parront there is plenty to be learned here!

I learn here every day!

BTW Welcome, come on in!

WOW! You're a hero!

I will offer the "usual" basics that I like to post for a new bird owner.

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Here's some reading on bonding for you.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community
http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html


Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns. I don't know where you are, but here are some links. I only have USA info...
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.

What's the diet? That's critical for health. Too many are kept on seeds or other poor-nutrition things. They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Here's what I use.
Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.

Since you're new parront, I'll just drop a note about avoiding teflon pans, which are lethal to birds if even slightly overheated.

I'm glad you're here. Lots to learn and share and enjoy!

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Thank you for rescuing this darling. I am so glad you did, and just as glad that you are sharing!