LaurenB
New member
- Oct 28, 2014
- 191
- 0
- Parrots
- Green Cheek Conure - Tiki //
Sun Conure - Nacho //
Indian Ringnecks - Kermit and Beaker
Hello everyone!
I would like to take the time to re-introduce myself. I have not been active on the forum for a very long time, but I would like to become active again.
My name is Lauren and I currently have a female 7 year old GCC, Tiki, and an 8 year old male Sun named Nacho.
I sought advice from this forum when my GCC Tiki started becoming aggressive. Over the course of about 8 months, her aggression became so intense that it became impossible for me to handle her... even changing her food and water bowls became a struggle, as soon as her cage door would open a crack, she would burst out of it and fly right at my face to begin biting. I first started seeking advice from members on the forum, which everyone offered excellent advice. However, the aggression soon reached the point where I knew it was beyond the scope of an internet forum and I had to turn to my veterinarian. Based on Tiki's specific behaviors (I think I will create a separate, more in depth post in hopes that I may be able to help someone else), my avian vet determined the aggression was hormone-related. Her suggestion was to try a series of Lupron injections. She assured me that these are harmless, and they would either work, or they wouldn't. I was at the point where my only other option was to rehome Tiki, so we tried it.
About a week after the first shot, she had calmed down enough that she wasn't at my throat the minute she got out of the cage. I had to handle her with gloves, and I was still getting bitten routinely, blood being drawn through the gloves, but she was no longer determined to rip my face off. After the second and subsequently her third shot, we were to the point where I could comfortably handle her, with gloves, rarely would I get bitten.
Over the course of the past 4 or 5 months, Tiki has blossomed into the sweetheart I knew she could be. It has taken so much time and patience (and blood and tears!) but I now handle Tiki with NO gloves, and RARELY - maybe once every two weeks, I'll get bitten. I have become so in tune with her body language, 90% of the time I know what she is thinking/wants. I can tell what type of mood she is in within seconds of her coming out of the cage and whether or not there is a chance I will get bitten. She has once again become the sweet, inquisitive, lovable fluff ball I knew was buried deep inside her somewhere.
I originally left the forum for several reasons. 1) I felt like a complete failure. I tried every suggestion, but nothing would work. 2) While everyone here had the very best of intentions in trying to offer their advice, I couldn't help but feel bad about myself... that I wasn't doing it right, or not trying hard enough, or not giving it enough time. There are many "experts" here, who inadvertently made me feel like I wasn't good enough. I realize a lot of these feelings I put on myself and had nothing to do with the people trying to help here.
So now I'm back, with a whole lot of feisty Green Cheek Conure experience that I can hopefully share with others to learn and grow in raising our feather babies.
Nacho... I don't have much to say about him other than he is the love of mine and my husband's lives. Without him showing me every day that birds have the capability of being sweet, gentle, lovable companions, I may have given up on Tiki. I have scars on my hands wrists and arms from Tiki bites, but Nacho has never given me anything more than a warning pinch. He is genuinely an angel. I've managed to teach him several tricks. His hobbies include spending all day inside my shirt chewing up my bras (the more expensive, the more fun) and being kissed all over.
Tiki and Nacho officially have their own room in our house. I will have to upload photos later.
Finally, a little bit of exciting news, and hopefully some advice...
I am adopting an Indian Ringneck! He is coming from a home (not a shelter). I am very excited as this is the type of bird I've wanted since before Nacho came along. I've done my research on the species and know it will be quite different from conures. He is currently tame, but when we went to visit him, he was very much attached to his "mama" and would not come to me or my husband (unless we offered a treat - he would step up, grab it, and fly back to his play stand).
My plan is to keep him in a separate spare bedroom (away from Nacho and Tiki's room). I will of course be taking him to my vet within the first week and keeping him quarantined for 8 weeks - same routine I followed when I brought Nacho home.
I can tell he (unnamed) is very attached to his mama, and I'm sad that his little world is about to get turned upside down. I plan to keep him in his current cage, no changes to perches or toys for awhile. I'll work slowly with him, since I know he's not going to be the outgoing people friendly fun bird that my conures are right off the bat. Does anyone have any extra advice regarding getting him adjusted to his new home?
Looking forward to hearing from you all again!
I would like to take the time to re-introduce myself. I have not been active on the forum for a very long time, but I would like to become active again.
My name is Lauren and I currently have a female 7 year old GCC, Tiki, and an 8 year old male Sun named Nacho.
I sought advice from this forum when my GCC Tiki started becoming aggressive. Over the course of about 8 months, her aggression became so intense that it became impossible for me to handle her... even changing her food and water bowls became a struggle, as soon as her cage door would open a crack, she would burst out of it and fly right at my face to begin biting. I first started seeking advice from members on the forum, which everyone offered excellent advice. However, the aggression soon reached the point where I knew it was beyond the scope of an internet forum and I had to turn to my veterinarian. Based on Tiki's specific behaviors (I think I will create a separate, more in depth post in hopes that I may be able to help someone else), my avian vet determined the aggression was hormone-related. Her suggestion was to try a series of Lupron injections. She assured me that these are harmless, and they would either work, or they wouldn't. I was at the point where my only other option was to rehome Tiki, so we tried it.
About a week after the first shot, she had calmed down enough that she wasn't at my throat the minute she got out of the cage. I had to handle her with gloves, and I was still getting bitten routinely, blood being drawn through the gloves, but she was no longer determined to rip my face off. After the second and subsequently her third shot, we were to the point where I could comfortably handle her, with gloves, rarely would I get bitten.
Over the course of the past 4 or 5 months, Tiki has blossomed into the sweetheart I knew she could be. It has taken so much time and patience (and blood and tears!) but I now handle Tiki with NO gloves, and RARELY - maybe once every two weeks, I'll get bitten. I have become so in tune with her body language, 90% of the time I know what she is thinking/wants. I can tell what type of mood she is in within seconds of her coming out of the cage and whether or not there is a chance I will get bitten. She has once again become the sweet, inquisitive, lovable fluff ball I knew was buried deep inside her somewhere.
I originally left the forum for several reasons. 1) I felt like a complete failure. I tried every suggestion, but nothing would work. 2) While everyone here had the very best of intentions in trying to offer their advice, I couldn't help but feel bad about myself... that I wasn't doing it right, or not trying hard enough, or not giving it enough time. There are many "experts" here, who inadvertently made me feel like I wasn't good enough. I realize a lot of these feelings I put on myself and had nothing to do with the people trying to help here.
So now I'm back, with a whole lot of feisty Green Cheek Conure experience that I can hopefully share with others to learn and grow in raising our feather babies.
Nacho... I don't have much to say about him other than he is the love of mine and my husband's lives. Without him showing me every day that birds have the capability of being sweet, gentle, lovable companions, I may have given up on Tiki. I have scars on my hands wrists and arms from Tiki bites, but Nacho has never given me anything more than a warning pinch. He is genuinely an angel. I've managed to teach him several tricks. His hobbies include spending all day inside my shirt chewing up my bras (the more expensive, the more fun) and being kissed all over.
Tiki and Nacho officially have their own room in our house. I will have to upload photos later.
Finally, a little bit of exciting news, and hopefully some advice...
I am adopting an Indian Ringneck! He is coming from a home (not a shelter). I am very excited as this is the type of bird I've wanted since before Nacho came along. I've done my research on the species and know it will be quite different from conures. He is currently tame, but when we went to visit him, he was very much attached to his "mama" and would not come to me or my husband (unless we offered a treat - he would step up, grab it, and fly back to his play stand).
My plan is to keep him in a separate spare bedroom (away from Nacho and Tiki's room). I will of course be taking him to my vet within the first week and keeping him quarantined for 8 weeks - same routine I followed when I brought Nacho home.
I can tell he (unnamed) is very attached to his mama, and I'm sad that his little world is about to get turned upside down. I plan to keep him in his current cage, no changes to perches or toys for awhile. I'll work slowly with him, since I know he's not going to be the outgoing people friendly fun bird that my conures are right off the bat. Does anyone have any extra advice regarding getting him adjusted to his new home?
Looking forward to hearing from you all again!
. Good to see you again. That is such wonderful news about Tiki 
