Too tame?

[jls79]

I feel like I kind of have the opposite problem to many here in that I can't keep my bird from wanting to be on me all the time. The problem is that when I'm home he wants to be out all the time and gets kind of frantic and is trying as hard as he can with his beak to break out...When he gets out he just wants to sit on me and play or sleep. If I keep letting him out when he is frantic to get out I feel like Im just reinforcing his behavior but at the same time it's hard to sit there and watch him look so stressed to get out. It's only when he sees me home or can here me talking that he's like that...j

[linda040899]

About all I can say is remember than you are his "companion," as he's spent tons of time with you as he grew up. In lieu of a feathered companion, it's your company he craves, as lovebirds are extremely social! I have one older OF Green Peachie male who has 4 other feathered buddies but his preference is still me. He was hand fed from day 1 and his preference in companionship has never shifted away from me. The instant he seems me, it's "Hey, mom! I want OUT and I want it NOW!!!" He's about 2 yrs old and has gotten a bit more independent buy his preference is still me. My best suggestion is, perhaps, create a small play area for him right next to where you will be and see if that distracts him. He's still very young so I would expect his wanting to be with you will continue at this same level for at least several months to come. Also remember that there are a lot of lovie slaves that wish they had the problem you have. :)

[jls79]

Heh, yeah from reading in this section of the forum I really cannot relate to ppl who have trouble getting the attention of their lovie:P My guy will demand that I open my hand for him to sit in and if I dont he opens it with his head and then sits there and puts his head forward waiting for me to rub his head. If I dont or if I stop he opens his eyes, looks at me and squawks. If I dont respond with the physical attention he wants I'm on the receiving end of a tirade of what I can only presume to be 4-letter verbal cues...:happy: Since he has started flying I've noticed that if I'm not in the room and his door is open that he will fly around looking for me and squawking until I respond and then he locates me. I've also noticed that anythign else other than him that I hold in my hand is deemed as mis-directed attention and that device, be it my phone, tv remote, camera, cup of coffee etc cops verbal abuse along with hissing, spitting and pointy beak strikes that draw blood when fingers get in the way.;)

[linda040899]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
I think you and Dave (z28taxman) need to get together and compare "survival" notes!! Birds communicate via contact calls, which is what you hear when he's looking for you. If I'm out of sight and one of my parrots calls, I call back, just so they know I'm within earshot, even if they can't see me.

All your attention/devotion are supposed to belong to him and you can see what happens when that doesn't happen, at least from his vantage point! Guess the term "lovie slave" has taken on new meaning......... :whistle:

[Z28Taxman]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
I think you and Dave (z28taxman) need to get together and compare "survival" notes!! Birds communicate via contact calls, which is what you hear when he's looking for you. If I'm out of sight and one of my parrots calls, I call back, just so they know I'm within earshot, even if they can't see me.

All your attention/devotion are supposed to belong to him and you can see what happens when that doesn't happen, at least from his vantage point! Guess the term "lovie slave" has taken on new meaning......... :whistle:

Yep. Sounds like she's got Ditto's twin.

[jls79]

haha, true true. i didnt want to read too much into it, but he does not seem to like me cuddling with anyone else ive noticed too...

[linda040899]

Sounds like you're receiving the message loud and clear! You are owned by 50 grams of feathers who does NOT want to share and even bribery may not change that idea. That's OK. My problem is very similar, except mine, being a bit older, is OK being social with anyone/everyone who is within wingshot! His cage is in the same room as my computer and a few other cages of lovebirds and, while he loves being with me, he also has to visit everyone else in the room! Real social butterfly! :rotfl

[Z28Taxman]

Sounds like you're receiving the message loud and clear! You are owned by 50 grams of feathers who does NOT want to share and even bribery may not change that idea. That's OK. My problem is very similar, except mine, being a bit older, is OK being social with anyone/everyone who is within wingshot! His cage is in the same room as my computer and a few other cages of lovebirds and, while he loves being with me, he also has to visit everyone else in the room! Real social butterfly! :rotfl

Ditto loves everybody and will visit anyone who's nearby. Just don't touch me or you're gonna get hurt.:evil:

[linda040899]

Difference could be that Verde (my OF Green Peachie) still has 4 other feathered companions so he's not quite so possessive. Not sure on that. However, one thing you have to say is that parrots have minds of their own and we obedient slaves simply have to fall in line!

[Z28Taxman]

Fortunately, Ditto is usually content to play in his cage for long periods. As long as he can see me he's happy, if he can't see me he'll call and if I call back he's happy, until it's time to get his dinner then he has to be out to supervise.

Then after I eat dinner he knows it's tv time and will unhook one side of his pellet bowl to make room for the dance he will do until I let him out. And if I decide to sit here at the computer he'll be ok with it for a few minutes, then he flies to the couch and screams at me until I join him. If I don't go in there he'll fly between the couch and the top of my monitor, give me the evil eye :evil:and fly back to the couch until I do. :lol

[Enko_chan]

What is his play area like- inside and/or outside of his cage? My parrotlet was like this with me even though he had a palace. He refused even to learn to play with toys until his mate came to live with us. (I am not recommending you get a mate, our situation was different and different species.) He wanted to be on my person at all times.

Being a lovebird, though, he sounds like Pablo, the lovebird I had as a little girl and a teenager. Pablo had a mate, Henrietta, and she was the meanest lovebird I've ever known. Perhaps that's why Pablo preferred me. Over the years he did learn to like other people in the family and learned to play independently as I became a more independent person. He was always a velcro bird though, that required a lot of my attention.

Hehe, my velcro bird now is a quaker parrot, Kokoro who yells "wake UP! wake UP! wake UP!" if I'm alseep and he wants attention, asks me where I'm going and demands I "come RIGHT BACK, ok? RIGHT BACK!" tells me "I want to come out RIGHT NOW!" in fact, he's doing the latter at this very moment and squawking discordantly because I am ignoring him. :omg:

You're not alone! What I can tell you is to do your best to encourage independent play. Make sure your beloved velcro friend has things to play with. If you leave the room, let them know where you're going but keep it balanced, don't encourage excessive flock calls. You have to learn not to give in to cage rattling and cute look. Temper tantrums will ensue. Learn to live with it. You are the flock leader. You are training your bird, not the other way around, right? (Right Kokoro?) :lol

[jls79]

Yes it's very hard not to give into the cage bashing and pleas for cudding :nyah: His cage is right beside me on the lounge but no matter what he just wants out when I'm around. he is totally facinated by my ears and nose so I really have to watch those extremities. I copped a hard bite right up in the nose this morning which meant a fair amount of blood and watery eyes...i guess even little kids at some point discover they need to explore their nose:nyah:

[linda040899]

...i guess even little kids at some point discover they need to explore their nose:nyah:
The hardest thing for me to teach Dao (male Military Macaw) when he was very young was that his tongue up my nose was completely unacceptable!!!! He would try to put his tongue in my mouth and when I wouldn't let him, the next closest opening was my nose.......:omg:

[Z28Taxman]

The hardest thing for me to teach Dao (male Military Macaw) when he was very young was that his tongue up my nose was completely unacceptable!!!! He would try to put his tongue in my mouth and when I wouldn't let him, the nest closest opening was my nose.......:omg:

Ditto tries to put he whole beak in there! :omg:

[Arabianhorselover]

Aren't they something? Until I got my lovebird, I never dreamed a bird could love humans so much. I had Budgies and a Cockatiel in the past, but they had not be hand-fed, and were never all that tame.

Sunny want to be with us all the time. He does not understand why he should ever have to be in a cage. He considers himself a person, and basically ignores other birds. He is so sweet to us. He considers my youngest son to be his mate, but he loves all of us. We do feel guilty not letting him out, but he does get out a lot. He doesn't play with toys much anymore, so I do worry about that.

I have been afraid that if I ever got another lovebird, Sunny wouldn't love us anymore, but I don't know if that's true, since he is such a "people bird". He's four years old.

[Arabianhorselover]

Sunny also loves to lick noses.

[linda040899]

I have been afraid that if I ever got another lovebird, Sunny wouldn't love us anymore, but I don't know if that's true, since he is such a "people bird". He's four years old.
Once they are this tame, bringing in a companion usually doesn't change things. Dao, Military Macaw, has a female companion but they don't get along because he considers me to be the mate! I've had both of them since 1991 and the presence of a female macaw has not changed Dao's preference even one iota. I also have an extremely tame lovie named Rio. He has 4 cagemates and would stay with me 24/7, given the chance........

[Arabianhorselover]

That is good to know, since I would love to have another Lovebird sometime. No room for more now, though.



Once they are this tame, bringing in a companion usually doesn't change things. Dao, Military Macaw, has a female companion but they don't get along because he considers me to be the mate! I've had both of them since 1991 and the presence of a female macaw has not changed Dao's preference even one iota. I also have an extremely tame lovie named Rio. He has 4 cagemates and would stay with me 24/7, given the chance........

[bird-brain]

I needed the laugh that this thread has given me. The pictures in my head of bird's up y'alls noses is priceless!!!!

Cabo (lovebird) was NEVER the same bird once he had Kenya (lovebird) He was fine when it was he and Skye (conure) but as soon as he had a same species (both fischer's) buddy, we became second to him.

Skye on the other hand, has always preferred me over even her own clutch mates. Skye is really a "he" but that whole "she" is a hard habit to break and I think I am in the same boat with Linda as I am considered a "mate". Thankfully howeer, Skye does not try to crawl up or pick my nose. :rofl::rofl::rofl::D

[Arabianhorselover]

So I guess it really depends on the individual bird.