Giant step backwards!

[carrier]

So things between Fenway and I have been progressing steadily. She lets me pick her up to take her out of her cage, and if we're not in the room that the cage is in, she will sit on my shoulder and let me walk around with her there.(If we are in the room where her cage is she immediately flies back to it and perches on top.)

I hand feed her veggies to try and improve our bond, yet she likes to go after my fingers alot instead of the food. I'm not sure if this is aggression or she is playing/testing my limits. She knows "No Bite" and usually stops, although she hasn't a few times recently.

ANYHOW, to the story...

yesterday she was out of her cage and I had her in my bedroom and she was on my shoulder. Suddenly, she started climbing up my head! I have heard that some lovies like to perch atop thier people's heads, so I thought nothing of it. The problem we had was this...as she climbed up top, her little feet and nails got caught in my ponytail! She started sceaming and I tried to calmly help remove her from my head, but all she did was bite the **** out of my hand while I tried to loosen her. I tried and tried and she was flapping her wings and screaming and after about 4 minutes she was loose and I returned her to her cage.

I feel awful. She was clearly terrified and although I remained calm and my voice was soft and not alarmist, my fear is that she will not let me handle her again. I kept a close eye on her for an hour or so to make sure she didn't injure herself during her panic, and all seems fine. But will she still trust me or are we back to square one? Do Lovies remember things like this?

What should I do? :confused:

[BarbieH]

Hi Carrie;

I think Fenway may remember that the ponytail was evil. You may want to not have your hair in a ponytail next time you bring her out. It was a scary thing, trapped her by the toes and she couldn't fly away.

Your hands rescued her. Biting them was an instinctive thing because she was so scared, but the hands still rescued her.

Back to square one? Nah. Fenway might be a little more cautious for a few days, but if you take her out while your hair is down, and in a different room from where the ponytail incident occurred, I think she will soon be back to her old self. :) Maybe she will be a little skittish at first, but the trust you've already built up with her will go a long way towards her being comfortable again.

[Janie]

I agree with Barb.....you are not back to square one! Fenway might show a little bit of fear for a day or two but you did do what you had to do to help her and I think she'll forgive you very soon. :)

[carrier]

Thank goodness! She was looking at me so strangely after it happened, and I really want her to trust me. I offered some Millet but she didn't want it! That was what really got me worried. She NEVER passes up Millet.

I will be very careful about how I wear my hair around her from now on. I felt so awful about it. Poor baby! I love her so much.

[michael]

If you ever have to give them medicine or anything topical, regardless how much bonding you've got they,re not real pleased about being handled for awhile, especially when you have no choice. Saving her from that bad bad ponytail likely won't have an everlasting effect. Unless she really didn't want to let go to which she'll probably be back for more! Personally, I believe their very forgiving, and once they know their not going to be rubbed out by ponytails and such, they'll slowly return so as not to miss out on attention. Keep in mind if they hurt themselve's though, it will always be your fault just for being there when it happened. Besides, making up has never been so easy. With Fenway, it does not sound like a step backwards, but a step in the right direction. ...........Michael and Goofy

[ittyandrita]

i have had to administer medicine to a couple of my birds - a lovebird and a senegal. the lovebird is not handtame, but we had been making progress in regards to her eating from my hand or letting me clean her cage etc, while she is in there without her running away and hiding. she was a little wary of me after that when it happened, but got back to normal a couple days after the medicine regime was over. she became more upset at the site of the little syringes than of my hands, because they were the ones that got stuck in her mouth with nasty tasting medicine. my senegal is my little baby, very tame- he steps up, loves sitting on my shoulder and preening me, but rarely lets me touch him except for the occasional head scritches (he does stick out his beak for kisses though which is the cutest thing ever, sigh..) anyways, i had to pull a blood feather out once after he broke it trying to escape oral antibiotics. he was shaken up, but wasn't afraid of me so much as he is afraid of towels and the place (bathroom) that it happened. so i would definately leave your hair down for a while, because i would be willing to bet that left more of a mark in her mind then your hand did.

[butterfly1061]

Yep, medicine doses are the worst. Molly wouldn't come near my hands for a few days after the last 'bout of meds. It really hurts your feelings when the most bonded relationship falls off track because of medicine. But don't worry too much, Fenway will come around again, it just takes time. :)

[shylevon]

It has been my experience that when birds go through a scary event, as yours did, it is sometimes best to continue to hold them till they calm down. That way they begin to see you as the savior, not the link to the scary event.

You probably did no real harm by returning her to the cage immediately, but next time something like this happens, try to talk her through it. She may be biting your hand down to the bone, but after the fright is over, you will be fast friends again.