My name is Pixel and I'm a sex addict

[diljaa]

If only there were support groups for the likes of Pixel.

Pixel is between 1 and 2 years old and his hormones have been going haywire this summer. I'm the only one I know who's excited about winter coming.
I've tried a few things to try to calm him down but so far nothing's worked.

We took a trip to the vet on Monday and she gave us a few good tips. Pixel even put on a show for her in his carrier. She said to change his food, no more seeds and put him on Harrison's (tried and failed before). Change everything, perches, location, toys, even cage. Make him work for his food, put the food bowl on the outside of the cage, make foraging things for him (they're very hard to come by for such small beaks). 8 hours of daylight. Constant interruptions. Clicker training. She even suggested getting another lovie to tell him NO! in a way I can't.
She said he looked good and his poop looked okay and that Pixel is thin but not skinny.

But she seemed to think that I was the center of his attention and that he is trying to mate with me but I don't think that's the case at all here. Sure, he humps my feet. But it's not my feet he's interested in, it's my socks. And not even my socks, anybody's socks, just socks laying about on the floor or on the sofa.

This is really starting to make me sad because of course I don't want him to hump all the time and not being able to have him out because he constantly humps my feet, it's no fun for me. But more importantly I think it's no fun for him either. I was watching him this morning and he was regurgitating and he had his eyes closed and looked really sad like he was waiting for this to pass. He looked so miserable. Today I had him out and was trying to keep him occupied, he had taken a long nice bath in the sink and was drying off with me while I was on the computer. When almost dry he started to look for way to get to my feet and when I blocked his way he started to click his beak and put his foot down and started wiggling on my forearm. He has never done that on my arm before and it didn't look like a voluntary thing. I feel so bad for him! My eyes are starting to water up just thinking about how he was acting this morning.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[bbslovie]

I'm the only one I know who's excited about winter coming. Sure, he humps my feet. But it's not my feet he's interested in, it's my socks. And not even my socks, anybody's socks, just socks laying about on the floor or on the sofa.

Too funny about the socks! No socks for Pixel! :rofl: Anyway, trust me I've got a nesty hen and I too am looking forward to less daylight and colder weather... :whistle:

Barb ;)

[LauraO]

It's never easy having a bird obsessed with humping things. Hopefully, Pixel will calm down a bit.

I also wanted to mention to have seed available to Pixel while you are converting to pellets. Birds do not eat stuff they don't like even when starving and birds can become ill with instant food changes.

Pixel is TOO Cute by the way!!!!!!

:):)

[diljaa]

Yeah, I know about the having seeds around. I've tried all the things Harrison's recommend on their website except for the model thing (having another bird eating them in front of him) but the thing is that he knows what they are and he doesn't like them. I've eaten so many pellets myself in an attempt to get him to eat them. He comes running over as soon as he sees me eating but as soon as he sees what's in the bowl he looses interest.

[diljaa]

Too funny about the socks! No socks for Pixel! :rofl: Anyway, trust me I've got a nesty hen and I too am looking forward to less daylight and colder weather... :whistle:

Barb ;)

Yeah, socks and swings are big fetishes around here!


Pixel is TOO Cute by the way!!!!!!

I know! He's the cutest guy I know! :wink:

[bbslovie]

Hi, have you tried giving Pixel birdie bread? There are birdie bread recipes here under lovebird care/birdie cooking and recipes. You can hide a variety of things in there that most birdies can't resist eating Pixel sure is a handsome birdy! ;)


Barb :)

[diljaa]

Hi, have you tried giving Pixel birdie bread? There are birdie bread recipes here under lovebird care/birdie cooking and recipes. You can hide a variety of things in there that most birdies can't resist eating Pixel sure is a handsome birdy! ;)


Barb :)

Yeah I've made him bread (my bf was more than a little jealous :wink:) and he liked it. Then I made another batch with a different brand of pellets and so far he's not touching it. Will have to make him some more of the Harrison's birdie bread

[linda040899]

In the wild, there are no pellets so why not try offering him fresh food if he won't eat the pellets? While he probably won't be very open to eating fruit (although he might if he sees you eating it), most lovies really like vegetables once they have tried them and realize they are food.

I agree with the foraging suggestion. Birds have to find their food in the wild so that would keep him occupied. Changing/re-arranging cages is the way to deter a nesty hen so it may work, at least for a little while, with Pixel.

Sounds like all the socks in your household are going to be making themselves very scarce when Pixel is out and about!!

[diljaa]

In the wild, there are no pellets so why not try offering him fresh food if he won't eat the pellets? While he probably won't be very open to eating fruit (although he might if he sees you eating it), most lovies really like vegetables once they have tried them and realize they are food.

I agree with the foraging suggestion. Birds have to find their food in the wild so that would keep him occupied. Changing/re-arranging cages is the way to deter a nesty hen so it may work, at least for a little while, with Pixel.

Sounds like all the socks in your household are going to be making themselves very scarce when Pixel is out and about!!

He's not a fan of the fresh foods. He just nibbles on them if I'm eating them.

I rearranged everything in his cage when we got back from the vet and had bought a new rope perch and two foraging toys on my way home and I moved the cage right next to the balcony door which was open and he just went in there and it took him less than 5 minutes to start humping in this new setting.

She suggested a hormone shot if he didn't slow down come winter but she said the risk outweighed the pros.

I'm going barefoot all the time now which would be okay if my toes weren't so cold all the time :wink:

[FuzzyAga]

You know, I've had my Juanita for four years now, and I bought her a mate about a year ago, but even with a mate, Juanita will do the swishy on my head. She mates with Petey, but she'll click and do the swishy on me, too. It did bother me at first, but now, I don't even notice that she's on my head. I'm just thankful that she's only 50 grams. :)

It may gross some people but I'm not bothered by her bodily excretions. Oh, I clean it up immediately, or as I go along, but when she feeds my thumb, I just wipe up the goop. When she poops on my lampshade, old or fresh, I wipe/wash it off--sometimes when I feel like it.

Other forum members have had complaints about their males doing the swishy and I think most of the people accommodate their lovies, or teach them to use a humpy toy. I think some of the lovies eased up as the lovies aged. Some of the lovies were given injections of Depo-prevara (sp?) and it seemed to work, but it can get expensive.

I think what happens is that people learned to work with their individual lovies. At least, it helps that you can vent on this forum. :)

[Pips mom]

Pip is quite the little humper at times too, but apparently from the stories I've heard here, he's not a sex addict! He's not too bad about it, except for maybe in the spring time and he seems to enjoy his humping! It's like a natural birdie thing and doesn't create any problem here.....in fact I sometimes like when he goes to his humpy toy for a while....it keeps him busy for a little while and outa trouble!
Please remember that for a small bird like a lovie that pellets can be too much nutrition and should only be 40% of their diet. Also I think hyper birds like lovies really need to have seed in their diet. Pip loves his veggies! corn is his favorite, peas and brocolli are also a big hit. Keep trying with the fresh foods, and maybe try some rice or pasta. Beak appetite is a big hit here also. Pip was never a big fan of pellets either. At least now I do see him eat them from time to time and this took two years for me to see the first signs of him eating pellets! I keep my veggies frozen and thaw them each morning. I get organic and buy a frozen bag of mixed veggies to start out and then add whatever veggies I want to it. Get together a mix of veggies in a container in the freezer and then thaw some out and offer them to him a couple of times a week......this way even if he doesn't eat them, it isn't like you're spending tons of money for nothing. I'm betting if you keep on offering them, that he'll start liking them.....just offer them at a time when you're eating and either eat some yourself in front of him or pretend to. It really does make a difference when they see you or another bird eating it.

[Jally]

My Peanut loves to forage, so I get dollar store baskets, fill them up with goodies and he can play for awhile in one of those. His favorite thing is when I take a lunch bag or a coffee filter, fill them up with paper, millet, nutriberries, walnuts, foot toys, etc and hang them up in his cage or play net. They are usually torn apart within minutes. And, he has discovered corn husks. He absolutely loves to chew on corn husks.

As adviced by my vet, I've taken away all of Peanut's humpy toys. He still tries to do it to my hands on occasion, but I do not let him. I am not his birdie mate, and can not fulfill that part of his life for him so I don't want to confuse him in that way. When he's with me, I try to keep him busy. It's a lot of work, but a busy bird is a happy bird.