Kiwi update

[brianlinkles]

Thank you for the inquiry on Kiwi. I accidently clicked on the wrong button and couldn't see who sent it. However it was kind of you to ask! Kiwi is an absolute work in progress! She is a different bird when my daughter is around her, much more animated, talkative, excited. Me-nothing. I do get her to talk or call to me a bit when I am home but NOTHING like she does when my daughter is around. So I thought, OK she has found her person & it isn't me Well, wrong! My mother and father came over for dinner last night, my mom wanted to meet Kiwi, my mother you have to understand likes to look at birds however is very scared of actually touching or holding one. Well... my mom comes walking up to Kiwi's cage (she was on top) and Kiwi laid eyes on my mother and it was LOVE! Usually when you walk towards Kiwi she will back up however this time she started walking toward my mother actually trying to crawl over the ladder on the playtop! I couldn't believe it! She then started getting so vocal, calling out for my mom. We had to roll her cage over to the table where we were eating. Well after dinner my mother goes over to talk to Kiwi and Kiwi starts doing the regurgitating movement and walking over towards my mother. She did this over and over! Good thing I have been reading everything on this forum, it freaked my kids out but I started laughing telling them that she loved my mother! (this is what it means, correct?) So my bird has now picked my mother who is afraid of birds to be her favorite! Go figure, I am stressing, hand feeding, sitting by the cage, dancing to music I am picking out for her etc. She really could care less about me but my mother & my daughter are her fav's! Do you think she will ever really like me? I mean at this point I feel like she is merely just tolerating me. I know it hasn't been that long since we have gotten her however I keep reading that a bird will either like you or not like you. I am worried that no matter how hard I try she will never really bond with me. If you have any tips that I haven't tried I would love to hear them! All suggestions are appreciated! I have talked, handfed, sang, read books, sat by her cage, played music etc.

 

[merlinsmom13]

I'm glad she is doing well. It sounds like your daughter & mom remind her of someone she loves. Just keep up w/what you are doing, she will come around. Merlin loves me as his person, but when he's mad @ me for something he makes a point of loving on my husband. Birds are weird, you have had to do some hard things w/her (taking to the vet, etc.) She may just be a little angry. Amazons do seem to remember slights, she will forgive you after you have suffered for awhile. lol

Thanks for the update.

 

[kerry]

Just as people, birds pick who they want to to be their favorites!!
It is nothing that you can force or change.
As you may or may not have read, lots of parrots have 1 sex of people that they prefer more than the other. Was your bird from a rescue? She may have had some positive or negative experiences with someone of a certain sex & that causes her to have certain mental associations with people. Aren't parrots very interesting?

 

[ScottinVentura]

I agree that your mom must remind her of someone in her past. I used to do dog rescue (I had to learn that birds and dogs are very different, but that's another story) and we got an older dog that had been found wandering in the streets of Santa Monica. She was quiet - almost comatose - all the time, wouldn't play, wouldn't bark, wouldn't even notice that anyone was in the room with her most of the time. Then one day I had to take her to the vet for a checkup and while I was waiting in the lobby a little old lady came in. Roxy turned into a whole new dog - she got so excited she vibrated, and she scrambled to get over to her. She wanted that little old lady. I eventually placed her with someone who lived in a retirement community near Palm Springs, and Roxy loved it.

I'm not saying you should give your bird to your mom, just saying that she's got her visual cues for the kind of person she wants to bond to - it sounds like it's older women. She might switch her allegiance to you, or she might bond with one of your daughters. Either way, when she decides who she wants, she'll relax and come out of her funk.

 

[brianlinkles]

It figures that Kiwi would pick the one person that would never let her live in their house. It breaks my heart that I actually got to see her "come out of her shell" she was so engaged and happy looking while my mom was there! I would love to see her like that all the time! I think I am going to get her a playstand today so she can get out where we are in the evening. Even thought her cage is very close she can't see what is actually going on in the family room. I think if she could be out with us (she does call for us a bit when we are watching tv) however I think she is so, so bonded with her cage that maybe she may realize that on a perch she will still be safe however she can still be part of the family! Do you think that's ok or rushing her?

 

[henpecked]

Hey ,glad to hear Kiwi is making friends.Yes i would move her cage to a part of the house where she feels like a part of the action. Many amazons are food motivated and near the dining room table might help her adjust quicker,or the play stand near the table at dinner time.Just watch her diet ,they love fatty food.My Jake has for many ,many years had a piece of my buttered toast in the AM,and when i quit using butter she would drop the toast and wait for the good stuff,didn't happen,this went on for months ,now she's fine with unbuttered but it took a while. Don't stress over who the favorite is ,after awhile she'll make friends and the favorite will still be her fav but there's room for every one.It's just the way her new flock is and she'll adjust.Because the kids will be at school and hubby at work you too will have plenty of time to develop a relationship,you may not be her fav but you'll be her buddy with food and pets.Believe me ,when home alone she'd rather have anybody than nobody.Give it time ,things will come around ,before you know it you'll think what was i worried about.Being in a new flock she is on sensory overload with all the attention that she's not used to,before you know it she'll be telling you "come mere" LOL. When i approach my birds,before i reach the cage i let them know i'm coming to pick them up by saying something like "come here,want to go" this gives them a chance to realize my intentions and not just walk up ,stick out my hand and say "step up".Also gives them a chance to think about it and not react by refusing when suddenly confronted with "step up",will also give you a chance to read their body language and tell if they are willing.If not willing don't even offer.You'll find in the future that if given a choice most times they'll elect to go with you if given time to think about it.

 

[suebee]

lol they can change who they like most, nut likes my man the most when she is in chew mode, my son when she feels she's gotta chase some1 or play with, an me for afternoon nap and baths

its taken a while to get to this stage, but so worth it, as it means my toes are safer, my clothes are not punchered, and i get to do the fun things with the nut
but i do get the worse bites from her, grrr

 

[KBEquine]

.My Jake has for many ,many years had a piece of my buttered toast in the AM,and when i quit using butter she would drop the toast and wait for the good stuff,didn't happen,this went on for months ,now she's fine with unbuttered but it took a while.

Mine want buttered toast with a little dippy egg on it. When I'm not having toast but want to give them a treat, I'll toast the whole grain bread they like & open a jar of baby food (that I bought for them) & spread some on the toast. They like that, too.

 

[Molcan2]

This happened to me when I first brought Romeo home. She took to my boyfriend right away (who is not a bird person) and would back off when I would come around. I think it was because he was more stand offish. So I adopted the same technique, I basically stopped trying to form a relationship and sort of ignored the fact that we even had a bird. Ever since then she has been glued to me. Its sort of like playing hard to get, it makes the bird want to get to know you. I think if you try to hard that the bird will naturally back off, and visa verse if you back off then the bird will naturally come to you.