conure acting strange since we moved

[sean.pie]

Hi everyone
I've had my green cheek conure, peanut, for a few months now. She's bonded very well with my fiancé and I. She is very loving and sweet, but ever since we moved into our new place she is very clingy. She wants to be held constantly, and when ever I am home if I'm not holding her or she isn't in a place she can follow me around she squawks very loudly. She has always wanted love and attention but never like this. She is roughly 6-10 months old and molting for the first time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Kyoto]

In my experience, being with me is the best thing in the world to my conure, and since I like to be with her too I don't mind. Try working with her and teach her to sit on a portable play stand near you rather than always on you. It'll take some persistence and practice, but eventually she'll settle for just being near you. I got my baby a window perch and when I need a few minutes to type an email etc I just put her up there with a treat and she'll stay for a while. This didn't happen overnight mind you, it's a lot of placing her and her flying back, constantly, rewarding her for staying etc. to achieve a bit more independence.

It also helps to offer her toys while out of the cage. My conure LOVES un-used 1 ounce paper ketchup cups as she can tear them apart and carry them around.

Good luck with your sweet little bird.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I totally second what Kyoto said.

Skittles likes nothing more than being with me. He has little 'play-places' throughout the apartment (and in every room) as well as his full size playstand in the LR in addition to the cage.

Keeping your conure entertained is so important to maintaining proper care. A bored conure WILL screech to get attention and that's something you don't want to cater too as it will just encourage more screeching.

But we also have lives to live as well. What I suggest is that you ensure your conure has things to keep occupied but also try to include her in daily living tasks that are suitable.

For example, Skittles has 'rest areas' near where I may remain for a period of time. He knows where to go and what he can do.

 

[sean.pie]

Hey guys thanks so much, peanut does have one rest area that we have been moving around, but I'll defiantly have to look I to getting a few more. Do you have any links to your personal favorites?

 

[Kyoto]

You can kind of see her window perch, with a toy secured above it from the blinds, a swing hanging as well as a boing. She likes the window so it's a good spot.

I also have a table top stand where I can put a food dish with treats, and a larger stand that I usually put on top of her cage.

 

[sean.pie]

Any ideas why she does this with me and not my fiancé? My fiance and leave her in the cage or leave the room without her no problem when I'm not home. I would think it's because she's bonded more with me, but she gets to spend more time with her. I work a crazy amount of hours, so peanut and I only get 2-3 hours in the evening before I go to bed.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Truthfully, in my experience, birds 'choose' one person. While allowing all members of the household (as well as regular guests) to get comfortable with your parrot and vice versa, the parrot is still more likely to pick just one.

I would think that having your fiance spend more time with her than you do will hopefully prevent her from becoming possessive of you.

I wasn't even in the market for a conure when I got Skittles. I was actually about to purchase a new computer. But an incident at the pet store one day changed that. Skittles had other plans for my savings.

Basically, when I went up to see him, he dashed down to the bottom of the display aviary in the pet store and proceeded to 'hop' up and down in excitement. Another customer came around to see what he was doing, so I stepped away so she could see him too. He just ignored her and flew back up to his perch and started preening his nails. The lady then made a 'snide' remark ("why is it always the pretty ones that have no personality"). After that lady left, I went back to see him again and he started doing the same thing he did before, only this time he also was rolling over in addition to hopping. I spent a weekend 'thinking' about buying him and making arrangements to see if I could care for him and the entire time all I could think about was how much I wanted him.

I love telling that story cause even after having him for four years, it still amazes me how he came to be in my life. And at the perfect time. I was suffering from severe loneliness and a bad depression. It didn't take him long to cure my suffering.

When I brought him home, he bonded to me instantly. That being said, that is not always the case. It really depends on the person and especially the parrot. Some take longer to bond then others and may bond in different ways.

Skittles, unfortunately, is not very socialized - but not for lack of trying. I live alone and 'rarely' have company and only a few friends. All my family live long distance, so it's me, him and my cockatiel Peaches the majority of the time. So, he is very possessive of me. But not to a point where I can't deal with it. I just can't let him out around other people if they come over. He'll attack them BADLY.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

As for ideas, Skittles picks certain places to land and for different reasons. So I try to accommodate him by creating 'mini-playgrounds' where he likes to 'hang out'. But really, you have to know what your parrot likes. What kinds of toys and what parts of the house.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

@kyoto

Kyoto is adorable! Skittles loves rope toys as well. He has a big one hanging from the ceiling and it's one of his most favorite places to 'hangout'.