Difficult new caique

[MillyBird13]

So about 3 days ago I got a hand fed, 4-5 month old, male caique, when I met him at the pet store it was love at first sight, he was such a sweet heart who would scramble to cage door to be held. Anyway he went from a sweet, outgoing little thing to not wanting to leave his cage at all, and when he does come out he comes out on his own and sits on top of the cage. The minute I attempt to get him to step up, a command he was very good at when I met him, he shies away. He will even let me pet him, but i hate to see him shy away from me when I attempt to get him to step up. I am aware that he is still getting used to my house but he was so sweet to me at the pet store and I am surprised that his behavior changed so drastically, please give me advice on how to win over this once cuddly little guy

 

[jugoya]

How long have you had him?

 

[MillyBird13]

3 days but he was so sweet at the pet store

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Try to think from his perspective. He was just removed from a place that he knew very well, into a home with a bunch of strangers he just met. It's often very scary for birds, and they rarely act the same. Sometimes the sweetest birds are aggressive and defensive for the first week(s) in their new homes.

Give him a few weeks to settle in and his character to come back out

 

[MonicaMc]

Well, lets see..... you took him out of an environment that he was comfortable in and put him in a new and scary environment where everything is different. He's still probably freaked out by the changes!

It sounds like he needs more time to settle in. Try offering him treats and food by hand. Playing some music. Anything he enjoys doing!

 

[Jowelbg]

So about 3 days ago I got a hand fed, 4-5 month old, male caique, when I met him at the pet store it was love at first sight, he was such a sweet heart who would scramble to cage door to be held. Anyway he went from a sweet, outgoing little thing to not wanting to leave his cage at all, and when he does come out he comes out on his own and sits on top of the cage. The minute I attempt to get him to step up, a command he was very good at when I met him, he shies away. He will even let me pet him, but i hate to see him shy away from me when I attempt to get him to step up. I am aware that he is still getting used to my house but he was so sweet to me at the pet store and I am surprised that his behavior changed so drastically, please give me advice on how to win over this once cuddly little guy

We went through the same thing. It was bizarre to me, because we read so much about this very phenomenon. Even armed with that knowledge, the first week scared us a bit. Both our guys were cold and distant. I think the other posters have it right, and this is just typical readjustment. It'll take some time.

Have you had your first vet visit?

 

[Julianna]

Definitely just give him a bit more time. Some birds take weeks to settle into a new environment, so I wouldn't be worrying at 3 days. Offer treats and take things slowly. Try to coax him onto your hand using a treat and just let him be around you without interacting with him. Then you'll become familiar to him and eventually he should come out of his shell and have no problem stepping up. Just give him some time and you'll have your sweet little boy back soon enough. Good luck!

 

[dskidd]

As everyone else has mentioned, I wholeheartedly agree that it's all about patience. Eliza was so smart, and friendly when I'd go to visit her...and completely different when I got her home. I had already done some research, and talked to different people...but I must admit I was having some serious doubts. It was a completely different bird than the one I had originally met and fell in love with.

I'm almost ashamed to say this now, but I really was almost ready to throw in the towel, and concede that--while I love birds--maybe actually having something other than, say, a budgie just wasn't for me.

Then one night I was watching TV and she was out. She started crawling up my leg, and I immediately tensed up, knowing I'd be once again rushing for the band-aids if she decided to really go after my hands or arms. Instead, she sorta curled up in my palm, and scrunched her head over.

I'd like to say my first thought was "Oh, how adorable," but in fact, I was so stunned I didn't know what to think. I tentatively started scratching her neck, and she made little purring sounds. We sat there for a couple of hours.

I finally put her to bed. I figured it would be back to aloofness and/or aggressiveness the next day. Instead, it was as though she couldn't wait to be with me.

That started the bond, which has only grown stronger over the past thirteen months.

Apologies for the long reply. I couldn't put into words how much I love that little bird (and Henry too!), and it was all due to patience and trying not to force anything. (I'm not taking all the credit, mind you--Eliza was the one who made the leap!) True, I came close to giving up. I cannot imagine what this house would be like if I had.

So please hang in there, and keep us posted! I feel 100% it will all work out...and that we will one day be seeing a post from you that begins "Hey, remember when..."
Derek

PS Yikes, this is going to get even longer. But the contrast between Eliza's experience and Henry's is sort of interesting. With Henry, the owner of the shop had me come over to her house a couple of times to spend some time with him. Now the owner had a family, plus three dogs, at least one cat, and several birds. So, as you might imagine, Henry's young life was one filled with a lot of chaos! When I got him home, he was almost too clingy--he was probably wondering when a bunch of dogs would come running around the corner! He couldn't handle being in such a comparatively quiet house. It's been fun to see his confidence develop over the past several months; he's quite the self-assured young man now!

 

[Grinder]

Caiques can be a little bit more strong headed than other breeds as well. The best thing you can do for your Caique is to show him he can trust you by NOT intruding into his 'secure' area. There's nothing wrong with seeing if he will step up, but read his body language. If he immediately starts moving away, then you stop as well. Sit by his cage and read a book or just talk to him. If he was friendly with you in the store, then he should gradually do the same once he understands the new dynamics and you've earned his trust.

Hang in there for a little longer - it will be completely worth it!

 

[legal_eagle]

I once brought home a hand-fed baby budgie who sat, without moving or making a sound, in her food dish for the first two days. Finally on day three she let out a chirp and then slowly returned to being active. Pretty standard behavior.