Not sure where to start

[sobkowich]

Hey all;
I have, what I guess is a pretty common problem, but since I'm so new to owning a bird of any sort, I'm rather befuddled as to where to begin.

Suzie, is a 6 month old peach face, who, as far as I can tell, either is scared to death of me, or hates me. When she first arrived, after about 5 days, she would fly to me when out of her cage if I was holding a treat for her. I actually got her to fly from me to my gf and back again. Then, seemingly over night, it's like she's scared to death of me again, and now, refused to let me get anywhere near her.

I feel horrible keeping her in her cage all the time, so I let her out occasionally, but since she won't come near me, it's almost impossible to get her back into her cage afterward. If I approach her with a perch, she will step up onto it, but never let me put her into her cage again.

So, what I'm looking for is some assistance on a few, what I am sure are pretty basic questions.

If she's acting if she's scared of me, show I even be letting her out of her cage?
I don't want to have to put a towel on her (not that I could even get on on her) to get her into the cage again, but is that my only option.
Should I get her wings clipped, or work with her as she is, and let her have the run of the room she's in.

I try to not leave her alone when she's in the cage, but since I'm trying to work with her, its' not safe for her to be flying around the living-room, therefore she's loose in our second bedroom / study.

I guess I'm just not sure where to go from here, and would greatly appreciate any insight anyone could offer.

thanks, and I look forward to some helpful feedback.
Scott.

[kimsbirds]

Well, I don't honestly think she's mad at you...perhaps a bit scared of her new surroundings? Does her cage offer her a secure feeling? Ours are in a corner of the house, giving the birds 2 sides of solid shelter. We don't put them near a window as outside birds, cats, dogs etc can be frightening.
It takes lovies time to settle into a level of trust and comfort. Initially, she flew to you for security as you were more familiar to her than the house...now she's feeling more secure in her cage (with food/water/shelter) and is hesitant to be around you. Patience really does come into play here and I need to let you know that a bond won't happen anytime soon.
A small wing clip might be in order, but don't let the trimmer remove too many flights. She still needs to 'get around', just not gaining height.
Training her to step onto a wooden dowel can be a good start. Tie or twist a sprig of millet to the other end and see how she responds for a few weeks.
Sit by her cage as much as you can, talking, chirping and whistling at her. Gentle exposure to your presence will reaffirm that you are the 'good guy' and hopefully she's going to feel less stressed within the next little while.

Good Luck!

[Pips mom]

Ohhhh, those first days with your lovebird.....trying to figure out how this is gonna work out getting them back into the cage! I went through a tough time too with Rudy. When we first got him and I let him out, we'd let him out in a smaller room, but getting him back in was quite the chore and we'd end up chasing him around until the poor little guy was all out of breath. I did end up getting him clipped to help with this, and it didn't take long for me and Rudy to work something out between us when it comes to going back in his cage! He's such a good bird.....he'll go back in his cage for me with a little encouragement. It's different with every bird, and with Pip, there was never any way he was going back in his cage! He wants out every minute that he can, where Rudy feels that his cage is his "safe place" and likes to have time in there to himself where no one will bother him. We always had to get Pip back into his cage, but Pip was alot tamer and we never had to chase him around too much, and when the days came that we did have to, that was our sign that it was time for a wing clip!!!
Your new lovie and you have to get to know each other.....you have to become friends, and your lovebird will quickly learn what to expect from you. They are very aware and alert to every little move that you make, and will watch you closely. You need to take the time to talk to her, just sit with her sometimes and eating a meal closeby is good....the flock eats together, and eating with her shows her that you are part of her flock. I always like to immitate my bird's sounds back to them......this shows them that you are trying to commicate with them. If you take the interest in her, she will become interested in you. Even my scared little Rudy will seek me out and come over to me now, but only me.....no one else, because no one else has showed him that they want to be his friend. He's ok with wanting to be with other birds, but humans are big and scarey, so you really have to take some time and just relax, and not worry too much about getting her to like you....it will happen in time. In the mean time, those first times trying to get her back in, yeah, it's a little frustrating, but you'll work it out. Get her clipped, but like Kim said, make sure the clip is not too much where she can't fly. It's better to try to learn how to do it yourself so you can make sure that she's never clipped too severely. I'd leave her in the cage a little more and let her get used to you, and take her out when you have time to deal with problems getting her back in, then as she becomes more comfortable, let her out a little more and a little more. Usually when they're that scared, they will eventually go back to their cage because it's their safe place. Rudy would land on his cage, then we worked on getting him back in and he seemed to understand pretty easily when I wanted him to go back in and he's good like that. It takes time! good luck!

[sobkowich]

thanks for the feedback, you make sense about her flying to me at first for security, and now she's getting braver.

As far her surroundings, her cage is on a stand against a wall, but the stand is on wheels, so I can move it beside my desk, about 3 feet away, and she can be right next to me while I work, since I work out of my house. I often keep a sheet draped over the cage on three sides so that the only place she can see out is out into the room, or at my desk.

what should I look for to be sure that she likes her cage? I have 3 of 4 perch's for her, a couple swings, a ladder, plus her food and water bowls. I'm also considering putting a piece of cloth in, tied to the cage, for a hammock type place to hang out, but I'm worried that it might get too dirty, from droppings and food and alike.

Thanks for the input.

[michael]

..........what should I look for to be sure that she likes her cage? I have 3 of 4 perch's for her, a couple swings, a ladder, plus her food and water bowls. I'm also considering putting a piece of cloth in, tied to the cage, for a hammock type place to hang out, but I'm worried that it might get too dirty, from droppings and food and alike............

Hi! .. And welcome to our community! ... Sounds like Sookie's got a pretty good start on cage clutter. .. Although you can certainly add a couple toys, I would wait a week or so and allow her to settle in. .. New things, especially when placed inside her new home, can for some be a little frightening. ... A piece of cloth as a hammock? .. Sounds like a "cozy" or "happy hut". I would recommend a store bought version for now, as it might a bit safer. (or check our "Lovebird care" forum under "Housing and toys") someone should have a design on a homemade version. .. A cozy place to hang out or sleep in would probably make a great immediate starter addition. .. As for it becoming decorated with droppings....:x.....Probably easier just to get used to cleaning it off. ..Some members keep two cozies, then switch them out for cleaning. .. Keep in mind, colours and cozy designs can affect how lovebirds view them, so I would start out with one just to see if she accepts it.

Can I ask where you got your new lovebird? ... How did you determine gender?.............:)

[sobkowich]

Actually, we were given our bird as a gift. It wasn't a surprise, we were asked if we'd want one, and my gf and I talked about it, then before I knew it, we had a huge cage and food, and a few toys, then a few days later, she was here.

I'm guessing it's a girl because my research says that they females tend to bite more and can have more of an attitude.

Truth is, I don't really know if it's a boy or a girl, but my gf has named her Suzie, so I guess that's what it is for now.

I'm thinking I"m going to have to take her in to get her wings clipped. There's a pet store that specializes in birds in town here, and they said they'd do it for less than $10. Let her hate the clipper for a while, and I guess me too, but then she'd start to need me more, and hopefully that will help with the trust thing. I'm thinking, right now she's got the attitude of;
"I don't need you, and I don't want to be near you so... <fly away>"

[sobkowich]

now that I think it over, it's causing way too much stress to try and take her somewhere. Just trying to get her into the carry crate is causing both me and her WAYYY to much anxiety. So, if someone's going to clip her wings, either it will be me, or someone will have to make a house call. Either way, she's not leaving her cage without a fight today.

[michael]

Yeah, flight freedom can become somewhat of a problem. .. Especially in cases of emergencies where you must immediately secure your bird . ... Honestly, I hate to suggest clipping unless it were absolutely necessary. .. Unfortunately, because the risk of escape, or the unsuspected harm of curiosity alone takes plenty of pre-environmental planning, sometimes you do what you gotta do. .. On the other hand, provided the opportunity of time still exists, once your parrot realizes there's more to your presence than just their new found freedom, escorting them back to their cage may soon become less of an obstacle. ... Got any millet lying around?

Please, if you must clip, make sure its a "mild clip". .. Eliminating flight all together, can do a lot more harm than good.

[linda040899]

I agree with Michael regarding the feather clip and I also agree that she needs to be left with the ability for some flight. If she's on your shoulder and leaves, you want her to be able to glide to the floor or other landing surface rather than fall and land with a thud. Usually clipping 4-6 flight feathers on each wing will accomplish this quite nicely.

My own honest opinion is that, once you have built a trust relationship with her, she's going to want to be around you more and the problems you are experiencing now will be less of an issue. Lovebirds are very social and many just love hanging out on shoulders around those they love. Bottom line is that you know you mean her no harm but she has to learn that through actual experience. Experience takes time but you're going to find a day will come when she will fly to you just to be with you and enjoy your company. Also keep in mind that lovebirds are very curious so she will also have a lot of interest in checking out the places around her cage. There's lots of things to get into and that's great fun!!! Each day is a new one and there's lots of things to see.

I've said this many times and I will continue to repeat myself. All live creatures will respond to love, kindness and patience.

[sobkowich]

I'm going to have to clip her wings myself I think, so I'm getting de-sensitized to seeing a towel. Just by having it in her cage, I think she'll get used to it eventually, then not be as freaked out when I have to use it to hold her. I am only planning on clipping a few flight feathers, 6 at the absolute most, probably around 4.
My plan is that she will be able to fly, but not gain any height, but still be in control. Then, hopefully, she will realize that I am not going to hurt her, and once her flight feathers grow back, I don't think I will clip them again.

I don't think I have to worry about other animals being a pain, the dog just sits around as the bird lands on her back, and in once case, dropped a little 'care-package' on her snout. I wanted to get a picture, but the dog was too fast in getting it off with her paw, then licking it up. Scary part, is the dog acted like it was good and wanted some more. Beagles, what can you say, they'll eat anything.

[linda040899]

Depending on how strong a flier she is, I would start with 4 and give her a test flight.

Please don't take offense at what I'm about to say, as this is not a lesson you want to learn the hard way. Dogs are predators; birds are prey. Be very, very, very careful whenever your bird is around your dog. If the dog seems to ignore the bird, it may not always be that way and one quick snap could mean the end of your bird. I have a Cairn Terrier who, for all intents and purposes, ignores my birds. However, all are in their cages if I'm not home. She's a very sweet natured dog but I don't trust her as far as I can throw her when it comes to my birds.