Help! Parrotlet Problem

[ashleyj]

Hello,

I have a 7 month old male parrotlet who I have been having a problem with recently. I have been his owner for most of his life and we were getting along great! He was very easy to handle, personable, and a joy to take everywhere with me. But lately he seems to be in a mating mood and has become aggressive. Interestingly enough, the object of his affection are my feet (your guess is as good as mine). He seems to think my toes are babies and wants to feed them and be near them all the time. If i try to pick him up while he's doing so, he will charge and bite. I've tried wearing socks, slippers, hard shoes...everything to keep the toes out of sight but nothing works. He still wants to be next to my feet ALL the time and is becoming more and more protective of his "babies." He won't even sit on my shoulder any more and I have to handle him with a towel because he's so nippy. When i get him out he heads right for the floor --which I wish he wouldn't do since he's so small and can get underfoot.
Does anybody have any suggestions on how to break him of this...or at least break him of the biting? Any idea how long this hormonal surge will last (please tell me its just a seasonal thing!)? He was such a good little guy and I miss being able to have fun with him. Any input is much appreciated!

 

[Peta]

Hi and welcome to the board,

Have you tried sitting with your feet up, that would at least get him off the floor, which I can see isn't a great place for a little guy to be, maybe then he would be easier to distract. I think I would definately try to keep your toes covered when he is out. I don't have parrotlets so I'm not sure how determined they can be, but have heard they are a very big parrot in a little body, the only one I know (a friend of mine has one) certainly acts like a BIG parrot. lol.

Does he have a favourite toy (apart from your toes) Is he easy to distract? If he is I think I would tell him NO when he goes to the toes and distract him with a toy or treat. Hopefully this is only a seasonal thing, but you don't really want all this again next season!!

I do hope something works for you. Please let us know how you get on. Look forward to hearing how he is doing.

Again WELCOME.

 

[ashleyj]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Parrotlets are definately a big bird in a little body! I'm hoping that this is the peak of his determination/ aggression, because he's like a little tasmanian devil right now!
Putting my feet up will usually get him off the floor because he follows them where ever they go, but lately I've been trying to keep him away from the feet period. I'm hoping that maybe if I can keep them out of sight, they will go out of mind....but so far I haven't had much luck because he's incredibly determined to be with them.
He did have a favorite toy--a small tower of bells he used to sleep under every night. Interestingly, he has ceased to sleep under his bells ever since this major aggression came on. He seems to enjoy his toys while in his cage, but once he's out and can access the feet nothing else exists in the world. I have also tried stealing his attention with treats, but last night he knocked the millet right out of my hand as he scrambled to go see his beloved.
I have an email in to the lady I got him from and hope she can suggest some more tactics or at least tell me a rough time frame for this hormone swing. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Peta]

He certainly seems determined. lol It must be love, knocking the millet away My little ones will give anything up for that. lol. Good luck let us know how it goes.

Oh and if you have some pics of your little guy we would love to see them. We love pics.:07:

 

[ashleyj]

This was taken shortly after I got him

 

[Peta]

What a lovely little guy he is. He looks right at home perched up there. He is adorable.

 

[ashleyj]

Well, just when I thought we were making progress he had another very nippy day. Somehow during this aggressive phase he's developed a fear of hands coming from above and generally seems to dislike being pet and rubbed with my fingers. It's like he's just so amped up on testosterone that he finds me to be a bother. He was never like that before--I could scoop him up from any angle with no argument at all and he wasn't even skiddish about sudden movements. He loved to have his face rubbed and now I get an open beak and a grumpy noise if I even try. Anyone have suggestions as to how I can stop the charging/ biting or remind him that he actually LIKES being touched? I've tried wearing gloves and just picking him up to show him no fear, I've tried giving him time outs with a towel over his cage immediately after a bite, I've tried holding him in a towel and giving firm No's, I've tried rewarding his brief moments of good behavior with special treats. I've tried holding him near my foot in a towel with his head out so he can see, and touching the floor, the foot, adn him so he'll understand the hands won't hurt anything. While in the towel he seems to take this well, but as soon as I release him he attacks. None of this is working really and I'm getting very stressed out. It used to be that I couldn't wait to come home, let him hop on my shoulder, and spend the rest of the day playing. Now I continue to work with him in hopes that he'll get back in teh swing of things but most of the time is spent scolding him for chomping my finger and wondering when I'll get bit next. I wish mating season would end already...I miss my baby boy.
Also, he used to fly to my shoulder when i called his name, but right now all he'll do is fly to the floor to be by my foot. Do you think this will pass once the mating urge is over and he'll start coming to me again?

 

[Peta]

I think, if it were my bird, I would take him to an Avian Vet, just for a check up. It could be nothing, but it would be far better to find out from someone who is qualified. At the end of the day he could very well tell you it is hormonal and it will pass. He will also be able to offer some very good advise on how you could help him over this phase in his life. It seems you have tried everything else that I would have tried. I wish you all the best and sorry I couldn't help. Please let us know how you both get on.

It must be very confusing for him, as he is so young and this is the first time he has known this.

I wish you all the very best. Look forward to hearing how things are going for the both of you.

 

[DeadIrishD]

I think theres something that you can put in a pigeons diet to make them less hormonial (is that a word?) but I am unsure if this can be used with birds of all kinds?

not to sure... :-/