ALW_88
09-08-2011, 01:45 PM
So two weeks ago today my fiancee and I got a beautiful peach faced lovebird. We decided on it as we wanting a life long companion who would want to play/be affectionate that wasn't a dog. I had a love bird about 13 years ago who was amazing. We'd play and yeah he was awesome but my moms cat got him :(.
Anyways we picked Robbie (hand fed birdie) because he was the first one to step up on the pet store guy. He stayed on my shoulder, played with my hair and the hood on my sweater while we picked out a cage and food and stuff.
When we got him home, he stayed in one spot in the cage for most of the night, but I was told that's normal when you first bring them home and should leave them alone.
The next day, my fiancee and I had to pack up and go to her mothers place 2 hours away (this was last minute). We decided to bring Robbie with us. We got a smaller cage to keep him in for the car ride. In the car he was chirping at my fiancee who held the cage and was climbing around, then even began to show off by hanging upside down and doing front and back flips from his perch. As far as we could tell he was having fun.
We stayed at my fiancee's mom for 2 nights and Robbie was eating, drinking and playing. When we'd stick our hand in the cage, he'd step up no problem. He'd ride on shoulders and gave sweet kisses.
Now... since we've been home his behavior has change significantly. He plays with his bell, he eats food and water no problem but runs away from our fingers. He wont step up at all. He will cling to the bars with all his might. Obviously we don't want to hurt him but yanking him out so we trick him by unhooking his perch, so he comes out on that. Once he's out of his cage he'll sit on our shoulder, gives kisses but any chance he gets he will fly (a very long distance even though the pet store's resident vet clipped him) back to his cage.
He will come out on his own though... if I leave the cage door open he will come out and climb on the outside of it. Sometimes he'll fly as far as he can out and then run as fast as he can back to his cage before anyone has time to pick him up to play.
But despite not wanting to step-up/be held, it seems like he's trying to constantly get my attention. When I'm playing the piano (which is like 5 feet away from his cage, he'll come to the corner and look interested in what I'm doing. If I'm sitting at the computer he will chirp LOUDLY and ring his bell until I come to the cage and talk to him which is fairly often... but still refuses to be held. I know it's important to give him the attention, so I do and I never get mad or anything. I speak softly, say his name and yeah...
I know it's only been two weeks and I need to be patient, but I'm not sure why there was the sudden change and what I can do to get him to trust me or want to play with me or interact with me (besides trying to get my attention).
Any explanations or advice or even reassurance is appreciated. I really want to make sure he's happy and bonds with at least one of us.
Anyways we picked Robbie (hand fed birdie) because he was the first one to step up on the pet store guy. He stayed on my shoulder, played with my hair and the hood on my sweater while we picked out a cage and food and stuff.
When we got him home, he stayed in one spot in the cage for most of the night, but I was told that's normal when you first bring them home and should leave them alone.
The next day, my fiancee and I had to pack up and go to her mothers place 2 hours away (this was last minute). We decided to bring Robbie with us. We got a smaller cage to keep him in for the car ride. In the car he was chirping at my fiancee who held the cage and was climbing around, then even began to show off by hanging upside down and doing front and back flips from his perch. As far as we could tell he was having fun.
We stayed at my fiancee's mom for 2 nights and Robbie was eating, drinking and playing. When we'd stick our hand in the cage, he'd step up no problem. He'd ride on shoulders and gave sweet kisses.
Now... since we've been home his behavior has change significantly. He plays with his bell, he eats food and water no problem but runs away from our fingers. He wont step up at all. He will cling to the bars with all his might. Obviously we don't want to hurt him but yanking him out so we trick him by unhooking his perch, so he comes out on that. Once he's out of his cage he'll sit on our shoulder, gives kisses but any chance he gets he will fly (a very long distance even though the pet store's resident vet clipped him) back to his cage.
He will come out on his own though... if I leave the cage door open he will come out and climb on the outside of it. Sometimes he'll fly as far as he can out and then run as fast as he can back to his cage before anyone has time to pick him up to play.
But despite not wanting to step-up/be held, it seems like he's trying to constantly get my attention. When I'm playing the piano (which is like 5 feet away from his cage, he'll come to the corner and look interested in what I'm doing. If I'm sitting at the computer he will chirp LOUDLY and ring his bell until I come to the cage and talk to him which is fairly often... but still refuses to be held. I know it's important to give him the attention, so I do and I never get mad or anything. I speak softly, say his name and yeah...
I know it's only been two weeks and I need to be patient, but I'm not sure why there was the sudden change and what I can do to get him to trust me or want to play with me or interact with me (besides trying to get my attention).
Any explanations or advice or even reassurance is appreciated. I really want to make sure he's happy and bonds with at least one of us.