Virgil8320
New member
It appears the hormonal season has hit us here as Virgil has been showing some signs of hormones. He has been spending alot of time at the bottom of his cage,trying to mate with my fitbit more often, and slightly shaking and panting when I pet his head.
This is my first spring with him and was pretty well read on how they get when they are hormonal but this is my first live experience with it.
With all these signs I was even more careful to not trigger any type of response. We have him on a 12-13 hr sleep schedule in a dark quiet room,no mushy foods,no boxes or blankets.
Even though I was aware and prepared I was not ready for the lunging and biting of me when I came home from work earlier this week and opened his cage. As I approached his cage I always check his body language to make sure he isnt crabby. As I opened his door his body language completely changed in less then two seconds and he lunged and got a hold of my finger. I got him off quickly and quietly and out him back in his cage and let him be for a bit while I cleaned up the bite.I let him out later in the evening but I sat in the other room maintaining eye contact but not physical interaction and he was fine. As I covered his cage he tried lunging and biting again which he has never done.
The next few days after reading in some cockatoo groups that their birds are acting up lately too I figured it was hormones and just was extra careful around him and he has been fine.
This morning he was extra chatty and happy while I changed his food and water so I thought I should let him out to spend some time with me. As I opened the door he lunged and got me good. I blame myself as I should have known and let my guard down.
So after a bite or an aggressive experience do you place them back in their cage and just give them time and space? Guessing he is cage aggressive due to the hormones considering all the other signs.
If I let him hang out in his cage for a while after I get home or he wakes up he will come out and be totally fine.
There have been no major changes in our house,his cage or my appearances.
We did go through about a two month time period where he was scared of me because of a previous accident with fly tape I discussed in another thread but for the last month or two he has been totally back to normal.
This sounds like hormone season but I guess I just need reassurance (face palm)
This is my first spring with him and was pretty well read on how they get when they are hormonal but this is my first live experience with it.
With all these signs I was even more careful to not trigger any type of response. We have him on a 12-13 hr sleep schedule in a dark quiet room,no mushy foods,no boxes or blankets.
Even though I was aware and prepared I was not ready for the lunging and biting of me when I came home from work earlier this week and opened his cage. As I approached his cage I always check his body language to make sure he isnt crabby. As I opened his door his body language completely changed in less then two seconds and he lunged and got a hold of my finger. I got him off quickly and quietly and out him back in his cage and let him be for a bit while I cleaned up the bite.I let him out later in the evening but I sat in the other room maintaining eye contact but not physical interaction and he was fine. As I covered his cage he tried lunging and biting again which he has never done.
The next few days after reading in some cockatoo groups that their birds are acting up lately too I figured it was hormones and just was extra careful around him and he has been fine.
This morning he was extra chatty and happy while I changed his food and water so I thought I should let him out to spend some time with me. As I opened the door he lunged and got me good. I blame myself as I should have known and let my guard down.
So after a bite or an aggressive experience do you place them back in their cage and just give them time and space? Guessing he is cage aggressive due to the hormones considering all the other signs.
If I let him hang out in his cage for a while after I get home or he wakes up he will come out and be totally fine.
There have been no major changes in our house,his cage or my appearances.
We did go through about a two month time period where he was scared of me because of a previous accident with fly tape I discussed in another thread but for the last month or two he has been totally back to normal.
This sounds like hormone season but I guess I just need reassurance (face palm)