PeachesPie
New member
- Jan 26, 2022
- 8
- 5
- Parrots
- Green Cheek Conure
We got Peaches last year in May and she's 1 year and 2 months old now. When we got her, she bonded really well with my husband. He would get her in the morning, give her fresh water, check her food and make her breakfast. Peaches would hang out on her day cage for a while looking out the window and chirping. They would play and snuggle in the morning too. He used to be home all the time, but recently he's been away from home for 3-4 weeks for work. We have three kids at home, but I've become her primary.
The last time he returned, she got aggressive and was biting him constantly for the first few days. I spent extra time with her and I'd go to my husband while holding her and keeping my distance. We would talk to each other and he would talk to Peaches. If I wasn't around, she was locked in her cage. Peaches is only locked in her day cage while cooking, eating foods she can't have, and when we leave the house. She loves to hang around and interact with me and whatever I'm doing. The last few days of his days at home, she was nice to him and he was able to hold her like normal.
My husband came home this morning and Peaches went right into attack mode. she never got any painful bites in. She nipped a couple of times. I kept grabbing her before she could latch on. He was offering her new pecans he brought just for her. Pecans are like her candy! She refused them and continued trying to attack. The only way I could calm her down was to wrap her gently in a cloth. Peaches doesn't mind this and she trusts me. I handed her over to my husband so he could talk to her while she was controlled and unable to attack. She squirmed out of the cloth, which is normal. Instead of leaving her out of her cage all day like normal, Peaches spent the day inside her cage. When my husband went up for a nap, my kids let her out and she's been glued to my shoulder since. My shoulder is one of her favourite places to be. I'm always doing something interesting and she likes exploring what I'm doing. I was worried that letting her out after so long in her cage would cause her to be angry with me. So far she's been content.
Peaches has been getting a little nippy with me the last few days. If she's on my shoulder and I'm working on something and not paying attention to her she nips my ear. I always tell her no biting while gently nudging her away from my ear. A repeat bite and she's put on her cage where again I tell her no biting if she wants to be with me. As soon as I turn my back she's on my shoulder again and we repeat the process until she stops nibbling my ear or she goes to my oldest and they go upstairs to play. Peaches likes exploring on her bed and checking out the stuffed animals. My oldest is really gentle with her so it's a better solution than locking her in her cage. Plus it gives her different stimulation than just hanging out with me.
I want to focus on positive reinforcement and not punishment. I don't want her being locked in her cage to feel like a punishment, but it's for everyone's safety when she's aggressively attacking my husband. We know he has to take it slow with her after last time. He did offer her a pecan this morning by putting it in her food dish in her cage. she grabbed it and angrily tossed it to the floor of her cage. The one I put in her food dish she took and chewed on it angrily.
Any advice on what else we could do to help her and any explanations of her behaviour would be very helpful. At first, we were thinking maybe she didn't remember him but apparently, they have very good memories and she remembers the lady she bonded with at the pet store we adopted her from. Peaches is the first bird we've had in our home and we are all learning together.
Thanks for reading!
The last time he returned, she got aggressive and was biting him constantly for the first few days. I spent extra time with her and I'd go to my husband while holding her and keeping my distance. We would talk to each other and he would talk to Peaches. If I wasn't around, she was locked in her cage. Peaches is only locked in her day cage while cooking, eating foods she can't have, and when we leave the house. She loves to hang around and interact with me and whatever I'm doing. The last few days of his days at home, she was nice to him and he was able to hold her like normal.
My husband came home this morning and Peaches went right into attack mode. she never got any painful bites in. She nipped a couple of times. I kept grabbing her before she could latch on. He was offering her new pecans he brought just for her. Pecans are like her candy! She refused them and continued trying to attack. The only way I could calm her down was to wrap her gently in a cloth. Peaches doesn't mind this and she trusts me. I handed her over to my husband so he could talk to her while she was controlled and unable to attack. She squirmed out of the cloth, which is normal. Instead of leaving her out of her cage all day like normal, Peaches spent the day inside her cage. When my husband went up for a nap, my kids let her out and she's been glued to my shoulder since. My shoulder is one of her favourite places to be. I'm always doing something interesting and she likes exploring what I'm doing. I was worried that letting her out after so long in her cage would cause her to be angry with me. So far she's been content.
Peaches has been getting a little nippy with me the last few days. If she's on my shoulder and I'm working on something and not paying attention to her she nips my ear. I always tell her no biting while gently nudging her away from my ear. A repeat bite and she's put on her cage where again I tell her no biting if she wants to be with me. As soon as I turn my back she's on my shoulder again and we repeat the process until she stops nibbling my ear or she goes to my oldest and they go upstairs to play. Peaches likes exploring on her bed and checking out the stuffed animals. My oldest is really gentle with her so it's a better solution than locking her in her cage. Plus it gives her different stimulation than just hanging out with me.
I want to focus on positive reinforcement and not punishment. I don't want her being locked in her cage to feel like a punishment, but it's for everyone's safety when she's aggressively attacking my husband. We know he has to take it slow with her after last time. He did offer her a pecan this morning by putting it in her food dish in her cage. she grabbed it and angrily tossed it to the floor of her cage. The one I put in her food dish she took and chewed on it angrily.
Any advice on what else we could do to help her and any explanations of her behaviour would be very helpful. At first, we were thinking maybe she didn't remember him but apparently, they have very good memories and she remembers the lady she bonded with at the pet store we adopted her from. Peaches is the first bird we've had in our home and we are all learning together.
Thanks for reading!