Problem with my cockatoo need advice

[nanette7015]

I adopted mr Lola a year ago. He mated with me and I am his special human. I went through bites as I learned and he and I (female) have truly bonded. I have been able to pet preen and even clip his nails and when he wants have him on my arm. He does have a bad habit of chasing feet and trying to bite!

Lola has a large cage and is on our lanai. We leave the door open so he can climb on his cage. He has toys and I save toilet paper rolls for him to chew. He loves pushing around aluminum

We feed him pellets and he has another dish were we give him Vegas and fruit. Lola does not like nuts and loves eggs

Here is the problem. It is June and about a week ago he has started biting me in a sly way. When I pet him he will be fine and then get mad

I have a perch outside the cage by my chair were he comes to me

He is not shedding feathers so it does not look to molting. We keep a low breeze on him and if weather seems hot he is brought inside same during the cool season.

He is eating we'll not plucking feathers and other than some food throwing fits when I have to yell no for something he is doing wrong he talks sings and yells like a traditional cockatoo

Help I do not want to start fearing my Lola and expect errors but his personality has changed this week and I am now having trust issues

Thanks

 

[getwozzy]

Lola is VERY handsome!!

How old is Lola? And are you positive he's a he?

With the chasing/biting feet you should start distracting him with toys *before* he even has the thought of "let's chase feet!". If anyone runs away while he does this or makes a big deal out of it, it's just encouraging him [emoji51] so- watch him, and the moment you see him making his way to the floor, either pick him up and relocate him or roll a ball on the floor (or some other toy). The toy should completely distract him from chasing feet.

IF he does start chasing feet, have a hand/dish towel with you and when he comes towards you show him the towel and you may have to toss it on him. Birds in general don't like towels and it should be a good deterrent for him. (I would use the toy method as much as you can and the towel as a "last resort").

 

[Allee]

Welcome to the forum!! Lola is a gorgeous fellow!

 

[getwozzy]

Also, a few more questions..

You say "we" -how is Lola with the other people in your household? How does he act towards them?

Has anything happened out of the ordinary with him last week or recently? (There could be an event that has triggered his new attitude) He could also either be testing his boundaries with you, or he's become over-bonded to you.... Both can result in Jekyll/Hyde behaviors.

 

[Julianna]

Cockatoos are prone to sudden and hard-to-predict moood changes, so you shoould make sure you can read Lola's body lanuage with accuracy. If you can understand your parrot's mood, it helps a lot in predcting and preventing bites. I highly recommend Barbara Heidenreich's videos on parrot body language, and there are tons of others on youtube which are super helpful. The advice above is also great.

 

[nanette7015]

First thank you all for the great advise and compliments
Lola I was told is a male from the previous owner after he was given a female name.


Lola is 10 years old. He bows to my husband when he feeds him but will not have anything to do with him. He either runs away or will yell

Lola show preference to women however other than a once in awhile pet he normally waits until someone is close enough and will try to bite. Just last night I saved my brother in laws butt!!!

Làst night he didn't act different and leaned into me to snuggle and then put a hole only neck. I have had him bite me when he was on my arm and I made the mistake of ignoring him and he bit me. That one was my fault. For right now I am only petting him and it kills me when he puts his foot up to go on my arm. I feel bad

Thanks Nanette

 

[MonicaMc]

Lara Joseph (Animal Behavior Center) also had a very aggressive cockatoo that if she wasn't able to turn him around, then he would have been euthanized due to his aggression.


With a lot of positive reinforcement training, his behavior has turned around and now even strangers can work with him. Lara has a blog and videos of how she has worked with her birds, as well as Facebook pages. Her writings are always so informative.

 

[nanette7015]

Thanks joined a webinar this month!