Is this normal?

[Bekah]

Hello everyone, nice to be back. I haven't been on in a long time and I will be showing up a lot more often now. You all know my little baby Petey. Well He is now a little over a year old. I remember just getting him last year and he was just a baby. Some of you would know me but new people may not.

anyways about the question.


Petey loves me and hasn't biten me in a logn time and is usually really good around me, but when somebody else walks into the room I can't even let him out. He will go crazy at that person or even me and try to bite them. I know they go towards one person [ me ] but when there are other people in my room he will try and bite them or me. But when people are gone hes back to his normal sweet self only towards me. Am I doing something wrong or is this normal.

I feel really bad cause all my friends and family would like to hold him but he is so mean to everyone. I am the only one who can hold and play with him. As long as there is nobody else around.

[Janie]

Hey Bekah,

What I'd tell you is that I don't think that is abnormal behavior. One of my three is very, very family friendly but the other two are still a little reserve (scared of one of my sons) when others are around. If a stranger comes in or is even in the back yard where they can see the person, they are all very anxious. My younger birds have gotten much better about all family members but it took a good year for them to get to that point. No one spends time with them like I do and therefore, I am part of their flock and the others are not.

Lovies can often be a "one person" pet but if Petey sees the same people over and over, he's likely to become less agitated with them. If he's only around the other person/people occasionally, he might never get used to them.

As far as your family goes and assuming that you are all living in the same house with Petey, tell them to spend time with him everyday, several times a day, just talking to him. My oldest son (24) goes into the bird room every single day and whistles to my lovies and they have warmed up to him and will even fly to his shoulder. That took about a year! As far as being held by others.....only my husband and I are able to do that because they really are afraid for others to make a contact that personal with them. Well, other than their vet and they don't have a choice in that matter. :D

[ittyandrita]

when he attacks you he's just displacing his aggression to the nearest person (you). this is normal for a lot of birds.

[Bekah]

ok. Thank you so much. Petey has warmed up to one of my friends. But she is over almost everyday. But he can still get a little weird. Thank you for the help everybody.

[LauraO]

Bekah: I'm glad you decided to visit and give us an update on Petey. All too often we have members who stop coming, cause life happens, and we wonder how everybirdy is doing:D .

I would say Petey's behavior is not out of the ordinary, especially if he lives in your room and your the one he usually sees everyday. The things that come to my mind about Petey are 1) displaces biting. Birds will often bite their favorite person or bird when they see a person or bird they don't like. Petey may see these other people as a threat to his relationship to you. And, 2) Petey sees your room as his territory. If Petey lives with you in your room, he may see his cage and your room as his territory and is trying to protect that territory when people come in your room.

I suggest you have Petey spend some time near your family on another cage or a play stand or something so he can be around more people. Then have your family talk sweet to Petey and just generally make him feel like he's part of the family, and as time goes by have them feed treats to him. I'd also let Petey visit your friends outside of your room also talking sweet to him and feeding him treats.

Good luck and let us know how it goes:D

[Janie]

The things that come to my mind about Petey are 1) displaces biting. Birds will often bite their favorite person or bird when they see a person or bird they don't like. Petey may see these other people as a threat to his relationship to you.

That is exactly what happened on the rare (thank heavens) occasions that Oliver has bitten me. If he's sleeping or resting under my hair and my son reaches in to get him, he bites ME! But if he's sleeping and I reach in to get him, he's absolutely fine with that.

[Bekah]

Oh wow. Today I had a friend over and Petey [ have not seen him for two days on a small vacation] did not bite me when i put my figer in the cage. He got on my finger and started doing summersaults. This was when two people were in the room. When I took him out to see my friend he got a kinda scared and a little bitey but not as much. I will start taking him out and stuff. But I do need to get his wings clipped. He can fly and that is too dangerous. So once I get that done things will be a lot easier.