scorpiosue
New member
- Aug 8, 2018
- 7
- 0
Hi all. Sorry in advance for the long post, but I'm trying to do some soul-searching.
Last year, I lost my timneh African grey and I've been missing him so very much 😢. Although I loved him very much, and he was very bonded to me, he was a cranky, feisty guy. I worked with him a lot, including meeting with behavior specialists, and I was able to read him very well and rarely got bit. Still, he was very quick to over react to things and was unpredictable - for instance pretending he wanted to step up or pretending to want head scratches and then giving you a chomp instead. He would attack my hand if a toy, or really just about any object he was interested in/ scared of, was nearby. I felt like I always had to be on my guard with him to watch out for things that might startle him and be careful not to accidentally touch him other than scratching him on the head after asking permission (and even that could be risky😅). And when I say "accidentally touch him", I mean literally accidentally brushing up against him or a fingertip accidentally touching him when he was perching on my hand would result in a hard chomp. I never pushed physical contact with him or petted him inappropriately, and he was socialized and handled a lot when young so I'm at a loss as to why he was like that. 🤔
I would love another African grey, but I'm worried about having another bird I have to be so careful with. It was very stressful to always be on my guard. Do you think the majority of African greys are so touchy and volatile?
Some people I've talked with say it's because he was a male. They say the females are much more easy-going. Is this true?? What about Congo vs timneh African greys? I actually thought the timnehs were supposed to be more easy-going?? I know generalizations are dangerous and no guarantee, but I just would like some opinions. I have heard that male parrots in general are more aggressive, but I don't know how accurate that is.
I would consider a rescue bird so I would know its temperament, but there are no rescues anywhere near me, and the ones I've talked with like to deal with people locally so they can do home visits, etc, and a rescue scares me, too, after my tough guy 😨
I do know someone who will be having babies available soon, but I need to know if owning another Grey - perhaps a female- would be a good situation for me and the bird. I'm so gun shy with biting now, though, I'm hesitant to go for it. I accept that birds bite, but I feel like it can normally be predicted/prevented - that was not his case. I used to be a veterinary technician, so I've been bit enough to know it's not the end of the world, but still...
I take pet ownership very seriously, so it's a lifetime commitment for me however it works out. At this point in my life though, I just can't deal with the stress of such a hair trigger companion, so I need to be smart.
So, do you think it's hopeless? Are my chances of having another aggressive bird too high to risk it? Would I be safer with a female? Thank you for any and all advice. You guys are the experts. I've had other birds in my life, but only the one grey, so I don't know if they are all like that in general, but I sure do miss my grey gremlin. I see pictures and videos of people holding theirs and cuddling with them, and while I certainly don't need to cuddle with a bird, I would like to be able to interact without fear of physical harm, and I'd like a bird that can be handled in an emergency or for a flight harness, etc. Without stitches!
Please, help me decide... 😭
Last year, I lost my timneh African grey and I've been missing him so very much 😢. Although I loved him very much, and he was very bonded to me, he was a cranky, feisty guy. I worked with him a lot, including meeting with behavior specialists, and I was able to read him very well and rarely got bit. Still, he was very quick to over react to things and was unpredictable - for instance pretending he wanted to step up or pretending to want head scratches and then giving you a chomp instead. He would attack my hand if a toy, or really just about any object he was interested in/ scared of, was nearby. I felt like I always had to be on my guard with him to watch out for things that might startle him and be careful not to accidentally touch him other than scratching him on the head after asking permission (and even that could be risky😅). And when I say "accidentally touch him", I mean literally accidentally brushing up against him or a fingertip accidentally touching him when he was perching on my hand would result in a hard chomp. I never pushed physical contact with him or petted him inappropriately, and he was socialized and handled a lot when young so I'm at a loss as to why he was like that. 🤔
I would love another African grey, but I'm worried about having another bird I have to be so careful with. It was very stressful to always be on my guard. Do you think the majority of African greys are so touchy and volatile?
Some people I've talked with say it's because he was a male. They say the females are much more easy-going. Is this true?? What about Congo vs timneh African greys? I actually thought the timnehs were supposed to be more easy-going?? I know generalizations are dangerous and no guarantee, but I just would like some opinions. I have heard that male parrots in general are more aggressive, but I don't know how accurate that is.
I would consider a rescue bird so I would know its temperament, but there are no rescues anywhere near me, and the ones I've talked with like to deal with people locally so they can do home visits, etc, and a rescue scares me, too, after my tough guy 😨
I do know someone who will be having babies available soon, but I need to know if owning another Grey - perhaps a female- would be a good situation for me and the bird. I'm so gun shy with biting now, though, I'm hesitant to go for it. I accept that birds bite, but I feel like it can normally be predicted/prevented - that was not his case. I used to be a veterinary technician, so I've been bit enough to know it's not the end of the world, but still...
I take pet ownership very seriously, so it's a lifetime commitment for me however it works out. At this point in my life though, I just can't deal with the stress of such a hair trigger companion, so I need to be smart.
So, do you think it's hopeless? Are my chances of having another aggressive bird too high to risk it? Would I be safer with a female? Thank you for any and all advice. You guys are the experts. I've had other birds in my life, but only the one grey, so I don't know if they are all like that in general, but I sure do miss my grey gremlin. I see pictures and videos of people holding theirs and cuddling with them, and while I certainly don't need to cuddle with a bird, I would like to be able to interact without fear of physical harm, and I'd like a bird that can be handled in an emergency or for a flight harness, etc. Without stitches!
Please, help me decide... 😭