Pips mom
03-07-2013, 02:17 PM
As I type right now, a little ball of feathers is all curled up on my arm taking his afternoon snooze! I can no longer sit at the computer without him on my arm! He prefers the right arm also.....if he lands on the left one, he'll scoot over to the right one! They are just so funny! Pip now flies around looking for me all the time when I am out of sight and I have to shut the bathroom door or he'll fly in there too and land on my head while I'm drying my hair......even the hair dryer doesn't scare him! Sometimes when I go to leave the room, I try to get him off me and he won't go! He seems to always want to be on me now, where as in the past he was always very independent. Yesterday, for the first time, he came to me when I called him! I also have him very well trained to go in his cage. He goes in on his own on cue! I find that he also likes to spend time in his cage now once he's out, he'll go back in there from time to time, and when he was younger he would never do that! He's still nippy at times with me and with Ivy........she yells at him now too though when he does it! On rare occasions Ivy gets annoyed with Pip and his constant pestering, and most times Pip just runs away and leaves her alone, but sometimes he stands right up to her and yells! These two are too much sometimes and I really think that some of Pip's bold lovie behavior has rubbed off on Ivy!
For those who are newer here, I've had Pip now for 5 1/2 yrs. I got him being re-homed, he's parent raised and not what I would call tame when I got him. He was never really afraid of people though and would land on our heads from day one, but to this day still does not like hands! No petting or anything, or even handling, unless I catch him, in which case he'll usually just sit there like, ok....let's get this over with! Even after I hold him, he stays right on me, so he obviously doesn't hold it against me! If he knows he's in a spot where he can't easily run away, he'll just give up and let me pick him up, but the rest of the time he'll take off! Even though he doesn't like being touched, he's still tame and it doesn't lessen the bond between us. When he's sitting on my arm, there are rules! If I try to touch him while he's sleeping, he'll turn right around and bite me! sometimes I tease him in the winter if I have a nice heavy sleeve that he can't hurt me through! Pip will also land on my arm looking for attention. If he doesn't get it and I am not paying attention to him, he'll keep biting me until I do! As soon as I give him the attention and talk to him, the biting stops! Such a stinker! but he knows how to communicate his message to me very well! What also amazes me about Pip is his ability to get along well with most other birds, although he never did along well with Rudy who's a lovebird, he's done well all other birds he's been around, including my sister's two quakers who come each year in April for a week while I bird-sit for them.
I see over and over on this forum the people who come here with a new lovie who's not tame, and seem to expect that to happen in a hurry. It won't always happen that way and it takes years to really form that bond where you totally trust each other and learn and know each other. It takes time.......even now, five years later, I see the changes in Pip, and I would never have thought for a minute he'd turn into a velcro bird who always wants to be on me! These things happen naturally and in time, with patience and love, so always remember......all good things in time. I know we as humans all want a good buddy asap, and we like to hold and touch, but birds aren't human so give them their space and time and you'll get rewarded for that!
My lil monster is still sitting on arm!
For those who are newer here, I've had Pip now for 5 1/2 yrs. I got him being re-homed, he's parent raised and not what I would call tame when I got him. He was never really afraid of people though and would land on our heads from day one, but to this day still does not like hands! No petting or anything, or even handling, unless I catch him, in which case he'll usually just sit there like, ok....let's get this over with! Even after I hold him, he stays right on me, so he obviously doesn't hold it against me! If he knows he's in a spot where he can't easily run away, he'll just give up and let me pick him up, but the rest of the time he'll take off! Even though he doesn't like being touched, he's still tame and it doesn't lessen the bond between us. When he's sitting on my arm, there are rules! If I try to touch him while he's sleeping, he'll turn right around and bite me! sometimes I tease him in the winter if I have a nice heavy sleeve that he can't hurt me through! Pip will also land on my arm looking for attention. If he doesn't get it and I am not paying attention to him, he'll keep biting me until I do! As soon as I give him the attention and talk to him, the biting stops! Such a stinker! but he knows how to communicate his message to me very well! What also amazes me about Pip is his ability to get along well with most other birds, although he never did along well with Rudy who's a lovebird, he's done well all other birds he's been around, including my sister's two quakers who come each year in April for a week while I bird-sit for them.
I see over and over on this forum the people who come here with a new lovie who's not tame, and seem to expect that to happen in a hurry. It won't always happen that way and it takes years to really form that bond where you totally trust each other and learn and know each other. It takes time.......even now, five years later, I see the changes in Pip, and I would never have thought for a minute he'd turn into a velcro bird who always wants to be on me! These things happen naturally and in time, with patience and love, so always remember......all good things in time. I know we as humans all want a good buddy asap, and we like to hold and touch, but birds aren't human so give them their space and time and you'll get rewarded for that!
My lil monster is still sitting on arm!