Also- just looked back at replies from cockatoo owners and basically everyone said, don't cuddle and no boxes. It should also be noted that a Goffins and Umbrellas are quite different...Even then,given the situation described in the referenced threads, I am not sure who said that cockatoo cuddles were a good idea (I couldn't find any)..
Yes, some people have said that in Snapdragon's situation, they could be okay, BUT if your bird is showing signs of aggression, you have no business engaging in cuddles (it is likely mate defending behavior, as your bird sees your wife and dog as a threat to her relationship with you)...I am just saying...In some (very limited) situations, there is no harm, but if a bird is showing chase behavior/territorial issues, there is most definitively a problem with cuddling that bird...It is situational, but a cockatoo who is biting/chasing cannot be cuddled, and it is cuddles that often lead to this sort of behavior in adult birds.
Cockatoos are not a monolithic species, I doubt Goffins are behavioral outliers. Aviculture is rife with sweeping generalizations, yet our fids are individualistic and fall across the bell curve of temperament.
Thus far three participants and the OP disclose benign situational cuddling/close contact absent existential harm. We don't have a blanket consensus to offer rigid council for "C."
Yes Scott, in this post that was the general consensus, but I was concerned by Patty's statement above:
"From reading and advice from others here, we don't think our hugging is the problems.She's jealous of Patty and our Sheltie. " In one of the numerous posts that originally addressed this very concern, cuddles were discouraged my nearly all commenting on the situation. The posts discussed problematic exhibitions of aggressive behaviors associated closely with hormones.
The general rule is to pet on the head and neck only (but especially if you are having behavioral problems). If a bird is chasing people and exhibiting extreme levels of jealousy and that bird is being snuggled regularly, that is a major indicator that one should stop snuggling said bird. Not saying this always will be a trigger, but when behaviors are present, that means you need to look at all of the factors that could be contributing, rather than assuming snuggles are harmless. The majority of cockatoo literature out there generally says cuddles are often more harmful than not. I know that has not been everyone's experience, but it is a rule of thumb which shouldn't be ignored when problematic behaviors are occurring in conjunction. Birds don't typically get hyper-jealous unless something hormonal is going on... at least not to the point of biting/chasing etc. So that isn't "just jealousy" and cuddles could be part of the problem in Patty's (427hiss) case---the quote below came from one of the past posts I was referencing and that is why I was concerned/commented on the quote within this specific thread.
I do pet, stroke and hug alot. I don't know what to call this reaction, but some times while I'm hugging her, she will kind quiver and blow air out I think, her nose like quickly, "poof,..poof....poof". Is it a sexual reaction ?
We have three dogs, a Terrier, bBrussel Griffon, the Sheltie and three cats. Shelby only goes after our Sheltie and sometimes, my wife, but not bad.
This is not harmless and it (along with the concerning behaviors described in previous posts) will escalate if stroking/cuddles continue.
