Confusing signals...

[LoveMyConlan]

My rescue RLA has me baffled. She's blind and skittish at best, but will step up with a little fuss, on a towel because I don't trust her.

When I enter the room she climbs the walls to greet me and ask for a scratch on the head. If I'm sitting on my bed, which is level with the bottom of her cage she will climb down onto the cage floor and sit against the bars and fall asleep near me. You would think she's craving my attention right? But if I let her out or try asking her to step up, she'll bite. She loves when I bring her out so I can read with her on my lap so she sleeps, bit then will lunge if I move to turn the page.

Any ideas on what I'm missing? It's like she wants my attention but when I give it she's unsure how to act. I've tried treats, talking to her, reading to her... But one moment she's great the next she's lunging at me.

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

If she is blind then she may never stop doing this. A blind bird in the wild is a dead bird. It's her instincts kicking in, doesn't mean she doesn't love you, just she can't see what is going on and if something moves she has to bite it first before it bites her.

 

[SailBoat]

Well than, I am truly confused by this Thread. Back on 11 April, you Posted that you had hit a wall or something like that. I know that because I simply when back, found it, read your Post and each of the comments that other members had provided you. I found each of them heavy with excellent information and solid recommendations.

The lack of Posts, this time around, may suggest that others have done the same. Please take the time to do just that and with luck, you will see that your Amazon is doing a great job of communicating!

So, what is the real problem? Clearly its not the Amazon!

 

[LoveMyConlan]

Well than, I am truly confused by this Thread. Back on 11 April, you Posted that you had hit a wall or something like that. I know that because I simply when back, found it, read your Post and each of the comments that other members had provided you. I found each of them heavy with excellent information and solid recommendations.

The lack of Posts, this time around, may suggest that others have done the same. Please take the time to do just that and with luck, you will see that your Amazon is doing a great job of communicating!

So, what is the real problem? Clearly its not the Amazon!

I've taken the suggestions. I started adding in more voice commands and reinforcing certain words with her favorite Treat, dried unsalted almond pieces. I talk to her as I enter the room, use the word Door when I open and close her door, she understands step up and will lift her foot but not before taking a snap at my towel covered arm. I ask her to step down when she's stepping from my arm onto the bed, and perch when I place her back into her cage. I've added key words so she knows what I'm asking for/doing. And it's great to see her trust in me has improved a bit but I still can't get her past the snapping. Moving slowly, singing and talking, moving the lights, and adding commands has helped her be more aware of what I'm asking for, but it hasn't stopped her from the sudden snaps. I'll ask for a step up and she will bite the towel and then offer her foot to step up. And my arm never moves. It's confusing.

She has some vision, mostly light based so I had to move a light to a point near the cage she can more easily see shadow as well. As for an avian optometrist there aren't many around my area. And the few that are local but a few hours are beyond expensive. Her last owner had her looked at and gave him the diagnosis. My vet believes they are cataracts. Please don't take it as that I feel she's not worth it, but my vet even said I could look into it farther but surgery may be the only other option. As her eyes aren't red/irritating it may not be worth the extra stress of surgery. She gets some supplements in her food each day because she's a picky eater and other than the typical nuts, she's not a fan of veggies or fruit, she chucks it from her bowl.

My issue is I'm a Conure person. I brought Happy here as a request from the woman who took her so she wouldn't spend her life in a basement in a cage. I'm just as green with her as she is with people after years of being a cage decoration. Add on the fact I've had limited experience with blind creatures and we're both running blind. My friend would rather her return to her than be placed in an adoption program. I took her on in hopes that I could get her to the point she was handleable enough to give her that free time and human bonding she didn't have before. I'm just not sure what I could be doing that setting her off, from her asking for my attention to trying to bite.

I'd love nothing more than to have her hang out with me as I'm reading or take advantage of the flight room that I'm designing for the Conures this summer when I switch everyone around for one on one time.

Like I said. I'm lost as to what to do. I tried removing the towel from my arm and was rewarded with a nasty bite while playing the 'step up' game, which she was doing great at. It's the biting but then following me or lifting her foot that has me lost.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh please don't give up on her. And you honestly 'almost' sound as if you're thinking of returning her at this point.

Cataract surgery CAN be done on 'some' birds, but yes, it is quite costly, and Avian vets usually only do this surgery if they can promise the bird will see afterwards.

Please also consider giving her some raw honey. https://www.beautyofbirds.com/cataractsinbirds.html

And as difficult as it may appear to switch her to a healthier diet, it IS possible to convert her. Amazons can be particularly stubborn, but surely you can outsmart her. I'd lay off the nuts, for sure. They are quite fattening, and it sounds like your girl isn't nearly active enough to work off those high calorie treats.

 

[LoveMyConlan]

I will definitely try the raw honey! She was underweight when she came to my friend so the vet recommended higher fat foods to bulk her up a bit but she's also tiny for an Amazon. She was also on a booster that mixed into her water, an omega 3 supplement and she was given a vitamin D shot the vet recommended after her first visit. Now she's down to a Prime supplement in her food, which is also given to my Conures.

The man that had her before admitted to giving her junk food so she's hooked. She loved French fries and someone, I think from here, mentioned making sweet Patato fries instead... She wasn't fooled lol.

My vet recommended AviCalm for when I first bright her home, she lived with one man for her whole life so we knew this was going to be stressful. She was on it for a month until we weaned her off. I thought about starting her on it again but I feel like I'd be drowning out her natural behavior. I want her comfortable with me because she wants to be, not because of a calming agent.

I'm just unsure who's sending the mixed signals. I keep my eye open for eye pinnig and tail fanning and know to wait until she calms and the tail relaxes to approach her. I keep calm and move slowly and talk to her.

 

[Birdman666]

If she is blind then she may never stop doing this. A blind bird in the wild is a dead bird. It's her instincts kicking in, doesn't mean she doesn't love you, just she can't see what is going on and if something moves she has to bite it first before it bites her.

Sounds about right to me...

Pages turning are probably fear/startle bites. I don't know what that is, but I'm not taking any chances.

Sounds like this is all some sort of stress/fear biting reaction. Red loreds tend to be on the shy side anyway, for a zon.

 

[SailBoat]

I am very happy to hear that you are and have been working with your Amazon.

It is very likely that you may have found my Post 'Hard Hearted.'

I have high expectations of myself when working with the rehomed, rejected Amazons that come to our home to live-out the remaining days of their life. We pray for years and find ourselves, to often, happy when we get months. It is not uncommon for our yearly Avian Vet costs to exceed twelve hundred dollars. Not bragging and we certainly are not rich. But, a life, not stuff needed those dollars.

So, yes I can and do get hard hearted when a BLIND Amazon is making every effect it can with in it's very scary World to connect. When one works from the position that: It Is Never The Fault Of The Parrot! And, Its Always the Fault Of The Human! This greatly simplifies everything down to: What am 'I' doing wrong and what do 'I' need to do to solve this issue. It does not matter whether the parrot is an Amazon or a Tiel, the concept remains the same.

When Starting from the Base: 'My Amazon is Blind.' Instant results is not a reality! Very tiny baby steps are prayed for and 'any' tiny step in the right direction is praised-over! When you start praising these very tiny baby steps and accepting it for what it is - a major step for your Amazon and more importantly the change you made in yourself to get there, you will quickly begin to get this. Its Never The Fault Of The Parrot!

 

[wrench13]

Bless you for taking on this task.

 

[SailBoat]

Bless you! I cannot tell you how heart-tugging-ly good your Threads regarding Salty let us feel! As you know, it is not only you, but the vast number of members here that have strong loving relationships with their Amazons.

Our Yellow-Winged Amazon was going the be our last. He passed far too young (26) from heart failure, just 25 months ago. Something that is becoming far to common from far too common reasons. He passed in my arms and like near all Amazons, his final breath pushed his Amazon Death Scream. It is why I love to hear an Amazon at full volume enjoying life! As my dear wife and I hugged him, we promised that his scream would be the last - they are soul ripping.

Just three weeks later, we were asked if we would, for only a few weeks, take in a DYH Amazon who's owners just didn't want to deal with their parent's (both past) bird! A seriously deeply cut wing clipping had this flighted Amazon re-classed as dropped rock and the most recent fall had opened his rump and broke the vast majority of his tail feathers. As he 'stepped-up' his body shaking and eye's filled with fear it was a reminder of why we do this. Now, just a short two years later, we are 'starting' to see his soul and it is like every other Amazon's - a sight to behold.

To the OP, I am sorry for being 'hard-hearted! But the knowledge of a Blind Amazon, if not understood and Loved, facing a too short of life just dug into far too many memories.