Looking For Suggestions

[bird-brain]

Hi, I am new here (you can read Cabo's story on my intro post). I have searched the forums and didn't find anything wite like this. Long story short, Cabo was not well socialized and was tough to handle at first. He will now step up on arms, shoulders, heads etc. He will take treats from your hands both in and out of the cage (if his music is on???) BUT, he will not step up or allow a hand near him for that matter unless it is offering food.

He is bonding well with the family. He calls to us if he's alone for too long. We have a nightly bedtime ritual where he comes to a certain perch, makes his little cooey sounds, dips his head at me as if to ask for preening, I feed him a cople of pumpkin seeds (his favorite) and he clicks and coos and rubs the cage bars but WILL NOT let me touch him.

I can not for the life of me figure out why my fingers are so threatening minus a seed (even held in the same position, he will check for the food and beat it if it's not there.) He does not run to the other sie of the cage during our treating ritual. In fact he will come from the other side of where ever to take a treat. I don't want to proceed improperly and make the hand fear worse so anything anyone has to offer is appreciated.

[Birkah]

Sounds like Cabo is really starting to trust you! Sorry that I don't have much advice - Cipher hasn't ever had a fear of hands, but I'm sure the more experienced lovie owners will have some great tips and tricks.

[bird-brain]

Thanks for the encouragement Birkah. :) I know that some parrots jst never do like hands and sometimes it's a personality thing with a certain bird etc. I just sort of feel that in the pet store bin he was prodded by children and others in the wrong way and that maybe this has caused his hand shyness.

If he never gets any further I wont be unhappy. He's a great little guy. Completely rotten and is demonstrating how well he can throw tantrums when he doesn't get his way. I am certain that I have had nothing to do with spoiling him....must have been the hubby:whistle:

[Birkah]

Well, they do say that lovies are perpetual 2-year olds, so that may account for the little tantrums!

[Pips mom]

I've had Pip now for 2 1/2 years and he still doesn't like hands much! I could kind of tell it was a personality thing though from the start as he didn't appear to be scared of them......he's just smart....hands can grab and he knows it! Pip will perch on hands now and will even let hands get close....but it it looks at all as if they hands are coming at him, he'll run! Some birds just never like hands.....some just need time to get used to them. Lovies are smart though....they know what we use hands for! I think with Pip he has this thing about not feeling held down.....we do hold him sometimes and he doesn't seem to mind much....but he hates being held down or even being confined to his cage. I think it's a freedom thing for him.....he wants to be free to do what he wants and not be held back by hands, cages or whatever else! When I hold Pip with my hands, he'll sometimes sit there for a little bit like he doesn't mind at all.....but it only lasts about a half a minute! then he's squirming to go!

[michael]

Hi, I am new here (you can read Cabo's story on my intro post). I have searched the forums and didn't find anything wite like this. Long story short, Cabo was not well socialized and was tough to handle at first. He will now step up on arms, shoulders, heads etc. He will take treats from your hands both in and out of the cage (if his music is on???) BUT, he will not step up or allow a hand near him for that matter unless it is offering food. ............. I don't want to proceed improperly and make the hand fear worse so anything anyone has to offer is appreciated.

Hi...and welcome to Lovebirdsplus! .... Any idea how old Cabo is? ... Gender? ... All in all, with Cabo only having been in your home for three weeks, I would say he's shown great progress. Although Fischers are thought to be a bit more reserved, it could be that all he needs is more time adjusting to his new home. ... Have you tried stick training? .... Even though some lovies may never except hands, this might help eliminate the fear of them. ..... As for the dinnertime music? ... Hard to explain, but it could be that he's gotten used to it in the petshop. Perhaps it offers comfort and familiarity.

Not making any suggestion here, but has he already been clipped?.....You know, I wouldn't worry about proceding improperly. As long as this process is safe, and allows Cabo to be himself, there should be little if any worries. Besides, both you and Cabo have plenty of time to adjust your preferences..............:)

[bird-brain]

Hi, thanks for all the feed back so far. I should have mentioned that yes Cabo is clipped and I plan on keeping him clipped. I always found that clipping the tiels made them nicer birds ;).

I also realize that I should have been more specific about gender and age. I do not have a DNA cert that he is definitely male. The pet store indicated male per the breeder and as he was a lone birdie I decided that gender traits might become obvious later. If I ever decide to add a bird I will have him/her tested. As far as age goes, the store estimated his hatch date as around the 2nd week of September as this breeder usually brings birds to them at 3 weeks of age and they were brought in the end of September. That would place him about 3 1/2 to 4 mos at the time of purchase making him roughly 5 mos now.

In truth, I was unhappy about the whole situation which is one reason he came home with me. Apparently there are breeders in the area selling unweaned birds to this pet store. The staff squirts food down their throats rather unceremoniously and calls them hand raised. I witnessed them "hand feeding" baby tiels and wonder if some of the hand issues didn't come from the feeding methods.

What you guys really have here is an over-protective mommy who wants to make sure this lil baby is happy.

[michael]

......In truth, I was unhappy about the whole situation which is one reason he came home with me. Apparently there are breeders in the area selling unweaned birds to this pet store. The staff squirts food down their throats rather unceremoniously and calls them hand raised. I witnessed them "hand feeding" baby tiels and wonder if some of the hand issues didn't come from the feeding methods.

What you guys really have here is an over-protective mommy who wants to make sure this lil baby is happy.

I'm sorry to hear this particular pet store even considers taking them in, let alone unceremoniously handfeeding them for the purpose of producing a false claim. ... While due to my lack of breeding experience I cannot elaborate much on their methods as causing any sort of "hand issues", I can say that many parrots who were never hand fed turned out to be just as tame as those who were. .... Over protective mommy?....Join the crowd!.......>o

Hey...Did anyone ask for pics yet?

[shinbatsu]

Why am I not surprised? It's a pet store. They care about making a quick buck, not the birds.

[bird-brain]

I feel that way about pet stores mostly. All of my animals are either from very reputable small quantity, high quality breeders or are rescues. We were honestly just pricing cages locally because of all the Christmas time sales. We were in the process of considering a bird not looking to buy one and lovebirds were not on the list. As stupid as it sounds he looked like he needed me. :heartbreak:

[CompassionAk]

I'm glad you found him because it sounds like he's in good hands now!I got a lovebird from the Humane Society at the end of summer who was pretty skittish when he arrived and scared of hands.I started off offering him sprigs of millet and after a while I'd sneak in a quick scritch here and there and with patience he has come to trust me.

Now he will let me scratch his head from time to time,there are days he could let me do it for what seems like forever and other days where he'll want a scratch but then for no reason get his fear of hands back and fly away.I don't know what background he had or why he was so afraid of hands, but I do know with patience and love he's learning that not all hands are bad.:)

[bird-brain]

I hope he's lucky. I just want to do it right. I think he (she? if you saw the way this bird ogles my Johnny Depp desktop wallpaper you'd wonder too) is trying really hard to fit into the menagerie that is my home. He's offering food to my youngest cat. Gets on the floor of the cage and joins in in his own way when the dogs wrestle. He's come a long way from the qiet scared little biter I brought home. Just today he started fighting my hand entering his cage. I won't let the behavior continue but in a strange way it was a good sign. I really appreciate all the help and encouragement.

Oooh please don't read that to think he is actually wrestling with the dogs or not in his cage when the cats are on this level of the house.

[CompassionAk]

Need to be really careful with the dog and cat that they don't get their saliva on your bird or because it can be deadly for them.

[bird-brain]

Did I also read that even a small cat scratch can be deadly to birds do to the bacteria they carry? It is unfortunate that Cabo seems to be in love with one of my cats. It is unrequited love I assure you.

He's not allowed contact with the other animals. They really don't pay him any attention but I don't trust them around him. Other than the chance for bacterial problems, the size difference is just to great with the dogs. I have dobermans and german shepherds. I'm too scared they'd squish him. :omg:

[FuzzyAga]

Welcome Cabo! You seem to have an understanding about Cabo's mind and soul. Yes, definitely, he's not a cat or a dog. :)

Ohh! Cabo is cage possessive, is he/her? If Cabo is allowed out of his cage, you might take that opportunity to clean, etc. All the better if he/she's out of sight. :)

You might use a stick to get Cabo out of his/her cage. Do you want to find out if Cabo is a boy or a girl? For $25 you can thru Avian Biotech. I have found that female lovies need to be handled one way, and the male, another way. Also, if you keep your movements slow and relaxed, it doesn't frighten the lovie.

When you handle Cabo, be very gentle, even when Cabo is biting you. I suspect you know this already.:) This is something I have found out over almost five years of being owned by Juanita, a biting female. She has mellowed and her bites are far less painful now, but I still handle her like I'm holding a dandelion puff ball and I don't want to knock any of the little umbrellas off.

Since she still hates hands, I only give her the back of my hand to stand/land on. Practically speaking, this is the less painful method because when lovies first land/step up, they will beak you to steady themselves, and a beak-pinch on the back of the hand hurts less than a beak-pinch on the palm side of the hand, so I have found.

[bird-brain]

He tried on being protective of the cage for a few days but then just quit. He's really a clown and not a very aggressive bird. he's still struggling with wanting our companionship but not fully trusting us. Daytime naps are the saddest things. He wants you very near, touching the cage with your hand is fine just not IN the cage. Otherwise his naps are fitful and not restful at all. He just needs time..He's a delightful baby and very smart. He knows exactly how to make me stop what I am doing and do only what he wants. :)

[CompassionAk]

Did I also read that even a small cat scratch can be deadly to birds do to the bacteria they carry?
That is correct

[Chickobee]

It sounds like you are already making wonderful progress with Cabo.

Our little Cricket was a very tame lovie who would step up onto anyone's hand and loved riding shoulders. She loved all people but was definitely a "hands off" lovie who wouldn't allow any petting or scritches.

We both still miss her... Someone came to look at our babies for sale and their daughter immediately wanted Cricket instead. The pleading got to me and we finally decided she could go. Since then we have thought again and again that we shouldn't have done it because we miss her, but we also know she went to a very good home.

Cabo may never like scritches or petting but you already have him coming to you which means he feels safe. As time goes by you could end up with a velcro birdie!