Playing Or Displaced Anger?

Hi all. Buddy is a Mexican Redhead, also a red crowned amazon. He and I have a strong bond and I really don't have attitude problems with him but yes he can swing into a mood. As for Husband, Buddy welcomes him home, and Husband interacts with him but if it's around Buddy's cage, Buddy gets aggressive. I will bring Buddy out and away from the cage to work with them both, right now they tolerate each other.

We've noticed something new with Buddy. I bought him a kabob and it's been hanging in his cage since we got it, wouldn't touch it. Husband started playing with it and Buddy charged the kabob. Husband can stand on that side of the cage and Buddy will grab, shake, strip and take chunks out of the kabob. Well this morning I got up, just me and the pets. I had given Buddy breakfast and sat down. He starts going to town on the kabob (we call it his birdy heavy bag now), no one by the cage. He was also growling. Did this for about 10 mins and moved to do some shredding on his edible perch. Then he rested. When husband got up Buddy greets him with hellos and songs then moves to the kabob and starts ripping into it and growling. Husband is nowhere by the cage. Is that playful behavior or he now associates the kabob with husband? I've been working with Buddy to play with bells and whiffle like balls, no interest even if I'm playing either it. But when birds play and shred is it typical for them to growl?

The first one sounds like it may have been a territorial intrusion thing. Like biting the branch you are standing on, to show everyone how hard you can bite if you have to...

The second one sounds like it's just play... in biting the thing the first time, he suddenly discovered the new toy. He's over the hump with this one. Now it's playtime.

Growl, hang upside down by one toe, attack three things at once...

My CAG does this as well. Only he makes the toys talk when he does it. "Owww! Stop it! That hurts!" (But only if he thinks you're not watching. Just like a little kid.)

How old is Buddy? i can't remember. (old age thing)

henpecked said:

How old is Buddy? i can't remember. (old age thing)

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Yeah, I've heard getting old is hell, Georgia recently had a tax free "school supplies" day so picked up a case of spiral notebooks on the cheap.....would be happy to send you one HP, so you can start keeping notes ! ! !

Mark, that is hilarious! He talks for his toys, love it. Good to know that growling and all that energy is good. I was so happy when he started working the kabob. He goes to town on it at least once a day now. That's good. I've been playing with bells but he hasn't showed interest yet. That was a suggestion from Henpecked and I'm still doing this. Of course he loves food, so much so that he came out of his cage Sunday when I was eating a breakfast taco. He helped himself so I let him have a bit of corn tortilla.

Buddy is 24 years old. I know with his past owner he spent a lot of time in his cage after she had a stroke and was bed ridden with paralysis. He stayed close to her but she lost her speech so he was company to her but they couldn't talk and sing like they use to. She loved Buddy, everyone says she was crazy about him. I think that has a lot to do with his minimal talking and play. So much time passed where that interaction wasn't there. He is slowly getting bolder.

Taw5106 said:

Mark, that is hilarious! He talks for his toys, love it. Good to know that growling and all that energy is good. I was so happy when he started working the kabob. He goes to town on it at least once a day now. That's good.

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Technically, Tusk beats the hell out of his toys, and makes them beg for mercy!

And he'll hang upside down and beat up three toys at once... "Ganging up on me, eh?! Do you feel lucky punk...?!"

LOL! I start laughing at Buddy when he stands on his edible perch and is ripping into it like a mad man. His little green body is bouncing as the perch bounces, his skinny feet are clamped on the perch and the amount of effort he's putting into it.