The shirt chewer!

[Pips mom]

By now, just about all of my shirts have little holes in the shouder areas....I go to work and look over and I see all these little tiny holes! Pip will not just sit on my shoulder....it's like he has to be doing something every minute, so I hear these little crunches and I try to stop him, but it's usually too late or he just keeps on trying! I have brand new shirts that have his little bite holes in them already! When he first started doing this some time ago, he taught Ivy and she was chewing my shirts too! Luckily the fascination with it has worn off and she doesn't do it anymore. Usually when Pip is on me, it's because I have Ivy and if that's the case, then he's very determined to stay there.....I try to shoo him off when he starts chewing my clothes, but he's right back in a second doing it again! Some of the tiny holes are starting to grow in the wash, so I'll have to try to sew them up. My lil monster! :roll:

[FuzzyAga]

I wear special clothes when I'm home with my two, which all have holes in them--all from Juanita. If I go out, I change, and when I come home, I change. Bird clothes, non-bird clothes. Delivery people give me odd looks.

I'm buttoned up at the neck and at the wrist so she doesn't go into hiding; she's nicer when she doesn't. Before I learned how necessary it was to keep her out, she used to bite my collarbone and the skin over the ribs as she burrowed her way under my clothes. As cavity nesters, she must have instinctively tried to enlarge her cavity at the expense of my body parts! :omg: "Hey, these ribs are in my way, well, I'll take care of this!"

[michael]

Goof and Beebs sporatically chew my clothes. Goof does shirt sleeves, button trimming (removal), and belt loops on my pants, and B.B is content to chew shoelaces, shirt tails, human flesh, or basically whatever Goof hasn't already laid his beak on. ..... Except the cell phone. For some reason, both seem to enjoy taking out a little frustration on its leather cover. Figuring cell phone covers may not be entirely safe (who knows what dye's or chemicals are in them), I decided to strap in its place a piece of natural leather. Problem was, not only did they know the difference further avoiding it all together, but I found it very difficult to place or receive calls on a strip of leather. .... Let them get under my clothes? ...... No way! ...... I have enough "ticks" already!..........:omg:

While my clothing may not be the best chewing alternative, I really don't do a whole lot to discourage it. Because both Beebs and Goof have plucking issues, i'd much rather they direct their attention (as well as get mine) by chewing on my clothing, rather than themselves. Anything else I can get them to chew thats safe just makes it all the better...........:)

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

how funny!

sunnybird will occasionally chew on the embroidery on some of my shirts, and she seem to love snaps and buttons, but she's never damaged any of my clothes.

hina never gets to get close enough!

[thebubbleking]

Mine perfer flesh over clothes lol

[Enko_chan]

My lovies will chew shirts constantly whenever flesh is unavailable...

but my parrotlet has become the worst for chewing flesh. The lovies just like to preen, Benny, though I know he doesn't mean it to bite or hurt me, will pick at the spot he likes until I am bleeding.

CRAPWDAS= speak of the devil, he just bit a hole under my collar bone. Freyja is so gentle when she preens skin, she's very sensitive to our pain, but Benny has no idea he's hurting me. When it comes to certain things, he's so much more keenly aware and understands better than the lovies, and its just the opposite with others.

My bloody-beaked little P'let is now crashing about his cage mumbling UH OH! Mummy, Love you, Benny Benny Benny LITTLE PERSON!! UH OH! EEEE! EEEE! click-click-click-click-click...

All my clothes have little holes in them.

[FuzzyAga]

I'm not laughing at you, Enko-chan, but Benny's antics just tickled my funny-bones. "UH-OH...Little Person...EEE" :rofl:

That hole in your collarbone must hurt. A little antibiotic cream will do ya.

I take lovie bites in stride, now, although I still get queasy whenever I catch Petey sitting quietly on my forearm, picking at one spot (usually a scab, which he gently removes) and because he's been picking at one spot so quietly, it is now wet and red, which he laps up! He's got a taste for blood. :omg: But he doesn't bite--he merely takes advantage of Juanita's handiwork.

He's a sweety, with a quirk.

[Mydoona]

my lovie will chew at my buttons or at my zippers (which can't be good for his beak).

[Enko_chan]

Pips Mom-

I wear a "necklace" covered with things the birds like to pick at/ a shirt that has bird things sewn into it all over now- and that saves my nicer clothing! Yesterday the lovies broke the necklace off and spilled the beads and things onto the floor and their victory dance was SO cute!



Fuzzy-

Benny does the same thing. I hadn't realized it at first yesterday, but Benny bit off a mole. I actually have a pretty big spot and my shirt was soaked with blood. I cleaned it and I'm sure it will heal just fine... but the poor fellow seems very concerned. He has absolutely no idea why my feathers haven't grown in yet, he's been preening my "spots" any freckles, hangnails, moles, and ingrown hair- and NO FEATHERS! What is wrong with his mate???? He also enjoys licking my blood up- which I thought creepy at first, but I started to think he was trying to fix his boo-boo. The jury is still out on that- not that I'm glad to hear your lovie does the same thing, but at least my little guy isn't the only one...

I'd told my grandmother that Benny is a little person, and he must have liked the phrase- that, 'Mummy' and "UH OH" he just picked up on a whim one weekend, all the others either I or his breeder worked on with him. He says it the most when he's being scolded! I think its his way of asserting his autonomy. He's a character.

Freyja is very gentle when she preens, and only very occasionally will cause pain or injury. I think Odinn would be gentle too, but when he was going through his molt, his beak got a little ragged on the end, and though it isn't really sharp or overgrown, its difficult for him to preen me painlessly- I'd do something about it if it bothered Freyja or him, but it doesn't. Just means I KNOW when its Odinn preening me!

[BarbieH]

Gracie was the worst for this. She taught me the importance of bird shirts. I wound up choosing colors that she would prefer, like greens, blues, and purples. They matched her and she felt safer. :)

Anything that I want to keep nicely, does not get worn when the birds are out!

[LovelySydney]

I'm so happy I don't have a preener!!!! The only thing Oliver does on my shoulder is bury himself under my hair which has become increasingly more painful - I swear hes trying to make a nest or dig a hole in my head!!!