I made a mistake

Vaishali

New member
Dec 29, 2019
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Mauritius
Parrots
An indian ring neck
Heyo😊i recently join the forum my name is vaishali.
I have an indian ringneck (cookie) . Its been one month since i got cookie everything was fine she spend most of her time with me .. would also sleep in my room, i was the one who would feed and look after cookie when my dad goes to work, cookie would stay on my shoulder watching around or sleep on my chest.when i work in the morning cookie would ve on my table and would step on my laptop i made the mistake to scream at cookie(not loudly tho my tone was not aggressive) and when i was working out i did not knew cookie was under my neck so i pushed him slightly .And this week i noticed cookie is acting a little bit distant.Normally when i speak or whistle she would respond to me but now she does and look at me silently and would low growl when i tried to approach its cage. Yet when my dad speaks or whistle she respond to him . To calm things down i gave cookie some space because i thought that maybe he was tired of being with me everyday. I think that the bond shifted to my dad.. and it hurt to see him being like that toward me ..i am also afraid to be rejected by cookie i don't want to loose that bonding.😭😢
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
How old is your bird? Often birds push away from their "mothers" or "fathers" at puberty and seek out someone new---it doesn't mean there is no hope, but it can be normal. It is very important to teach independence too though--- you should only do what you can sustain for a lifetime in terms of shoulder-sitting etc, or they can become overly-dependent on an unrealistic level of attention.
 
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Vaishali

New member
Dec 29, 2019
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Mauritius
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An indian ring neck
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Thanks for replying , actually my dad rescued it .. i cannot exactly tell you the age i got him on 1st december..cookie is still a baby so i do not force my presence on him .sometimes it alright when i approach her he step up on my hand but sometimes he would growl when i tried to pet him . There are times when he would growl at the sigjt of my hand i would give him some time and when i come back he would step up naturally. Should i leave him (give him some time ) or try to approach him slowly?.
 

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
I wouldn't push things but do your best to associate yourself with whatever it is that he really loves---if he is skittish, don't try to force contact and give him some space, but do make yourself a calm presence in the room (not necessarily near the cage, but in a chair like 6 feet away doing something where can can watch you and get familiar with your presence without feeling threatened). You can put treats in his bowls if that doesn't freak him out too much--- don't force him to take them directly from you if he hesitates at all, as that means he is nervous about doing so, and you don't want to make him nervous when bonding.

If he growled, definitely don't try to pet him. That was him saying "back off dude!". Respect that and give it time, I am sure it will get better.
Also, if he has a t-perch or tree-perch or something that he actually enjoys standing on, then you might see if he is nicer when on it, as these birds are often cage-territorial in certain instances.
 
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Scott

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Aug 21, 2010
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

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Welcome to the forums, Vaishali. Generally, if you have a strong bond with a parrot, occasional stern behavior ought not destroy the closeness. There could be several coincidental reasons for the change of mood. Puberty, (depending on exact age) and the desire to become closer to your father. I'd give Cookie a bit of space and reward with a treat when she allows approach. Big decision for your family: If father has no desire to be the dominant person, have him reduce his time with her to allow Cookie the chance to become closer with you.

I have no experience with IRNs, and I understand they have different personalities from many other parrots. Hopefully members with IRNs can give more targeted advice! Good luck, please keep us updated with progress.
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Also-- (if it helps) my bird (cockatoo) is obsessed with my dad (although she doesn't live with him and never has aside from visits).

Once she fell in love with him (randomly), she would be semi- aggressive with others if he was even nearby because she wanted to ALWAYS be with him and if she heard him and couldn't get to him, she blamed whoever she viewed as the obstacle keeping her from him.

This went on for a few visits and now she is pretty much over it---not the obsession, but the aggression with others when he is nearby. I don't know if that could be part of the issue, but my problem seemed to get better with continued socialization and exposure--thanks to the patience of my other family members who were bitten during this weird period of time...Heck, it could even relate to the time of the year (as hormones often kick up during specific seasons, or maybe he is cranky for another reason, like molting etc )
 
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Vaishali

New member
Dec 29, 2019
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Mauritius
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An indian ring neck
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Thank you everyone for your advices 😊much appreciated. I will try to take thing slowly with cookie, won't rush him into bonding and will keep updating 😌.
 

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