losing patience- please help

[xenagate]

We are first time bird owners (and first post). We got Ozzy for my son for graduation (thats what he wanted). Ozzy was bought from Pet Smart we were told he was 3 months old. Also, I was told before purchase he was hand fed then after buying him they said no he wasnt it was a mistake. He was alone in the cage there ( I dunno how long). We bought him a great big cage and gave him time to adjust. We also have a cat and a small breed dog. We are sure to put them away when Ozzy is out. He is abt 6 months old now and still is sooo mean. He bites hard! He doesnt wanna come out of the cage and screams as i try to grab him out. When he is out he does step up on a perch or finger but then jumps down (he is clipped) and runs sooooo fast! I take him out everyday, have special treats when he does come out but he still does wanna come out! He is moulting now- he looks horrible (Im not sure if it is a boy- just guessing). I dont know what to do. He is that way with my son and husband too. SOmetimes I can pet his belly. But i want him to be sweet and want to stay w me!! What am I doing wrong?? Please help...losing patience here.

[carrier]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

First of all, I would recommend that you stop trying to grab Ozzie out of his cage... It's no wonder he bites!:omg: He doesn't trust you or your family yet and being aggressive like that is not going to make him any time soon.

I understand your frustration, but patience truly is key here. It takes time for any relationship to build trust, and the same goes for lovies. Try just opening the cage door and let him come out if he wants to. Forcing him to do anything is just going to make things worse. IS his cage in a room where he can passively be with the family? Just watching TV or reading where he can see you will help him adjust. Talk as softly as possible to him when you do, and basically try not to do anything that might make him see you as a predator.

Most lovies adore spray millet, and I found that to be a good treat to work with when trying to work with my lovie, Fenway.

There is a wealth of information here and I recommend you read some posts from other members who have been through this before.

Good luck!

[xenagate]

thank you, I have read alot of posts- they are great! I do try to leave his cage door open but he doesnt come out. Plus i get nervous w the other animals I have. I bought him a cozy birdhouse thingy for his cage and he just runs in there when i am near. When he does come out he runs around my table and no one can get him- he is sooo fast! His cage is inour dining room which is attached to our kitchen where we are alot. I do use the millet spray- when he comes out bc he loves it soo. He looks horrible while moulting (his first one). Maybe thts y he is so mad. he wont let me ever pet his head. i just wanna love him and pet him-lol.

[carrier]

One more thing...

Have you taken Ozzie to an avian vet yet? That's very important.

The fact that you say he is 6 months old and is looking really bad makes me wonder...I know you say it's due to a molt but there could be something other than that causing him to look so bad. :roll: If you can post any pictures of him that'd be great...there are extremely knowledgeable people here who could probably give you a better idea by looking at pictures if it is a molt or something possibly more serious.

Regardless, if he hasn't been to one, a visit to the vet for a well-birdie exam is very important.:D

[xenagate]

ill post some when i get home, thank you! I have no takin him to a vet yet. I will.

[citygrlup]

Hi Ozzy's Mom,
I got mine from petsmart as well and here is what I learned:

They are supposed to say that the bird is under 6 months old but they really have NO IDEA, But you can usually tell if its still baby life. Chloe used to try and fly and bounce down the runway (like skipping stones.) And she was smaller then she is now.

Also they are NOT hand tamed what so ever.

You have to be careful that they are not sick. Mine was very ill and I didnt think she was going to live past the hr. I did get her to a vet and with some fighting with them they did give me the money of the bill. (the manager told me to take her to the vet asap in the first place.)
Since then they had a group that got sick and they havent had lovies since.

It took chloe about 4 days to come out of her cage on her own and about 2 days after that to run up and take some millet out of my hand. I could pick her up but only if she got on the floor and gave me a good chase. Almost 4 months later she is FINALLY content on hanging out on my shoulder and preening my hair. I can give her kisses on her head and cuddle with her in my sweatshirt. BUT she is still leery of me and wont actively play with me and turns her back to me if I walk by....such a snot.:lol

I am still working on her eating fresh foods other then the seeds.

I guess its all different for every bird and how they adjust, just thought i would give you a little time line on my petsmart kid.

I totally agree with Carrie about not grabbing him out of the cage.

The wellness visit to the vet is a really good idea. Its a really good starting point to have in cause he does get sick and has to return..you can see the difference in weight and anything else that was found. The vet could also tell you about the molting/plucking.

I hope you give it more time! They just seem to keep growing on you!

what kind of lovebird is Ozzy? got pictures?


We got Ozzy for my son for graduation....i want him to be sweet and want to stay w me!! HAHAH whos birdy? :rofl:

[Eliza]

The fact that you say he is 6 months old and is looking really bad makes me wonder...I know you say it's due to a molt but there could be something other than that causing him to look so bad. :roll: If you can post any pictures of him that'd be great...there are extremely knowledgeable people here who could probably give you a better idea by looking at pictures if it is a molt or something possibly more serious.


I'm glad that you mentioned that. I honestly would not know if Beetle were molting if not for the feathers he leaves in the bottom of his cage :lol He looks just the same when he molts, with maybe the odd pinfeather or two. I'd be concerned if Ozzy is looking bedraggled... Taking him to an avian vet is a wonderful idea. One of the members here has posted an article with links to finding an avian vet in your area: http://www.shdybrk.com/Articles/AvianVet.shtml

As far as taming him, patience is key. I know it can be frustrating, agonizing... heck, downright depressing when a bird doesn't seem to settle in as quickly as we humans would like. There are moments when I want to throw in the towel with Beetle and he's been with me for nearly 2 years now :roll: I can't stress enough how important it is to be patient.

One of my favorite articles about taming a small parrot (or large, actually) can be found on www.budgietalk.com. Look to the left of the home page and select "Taming Your Budgie." It's a kind method that can be applied to a lovebird, whether hand-raised or parent-raised. It's worth a read, anyway.

Best of luck w/ sweet Ozzy. We're all anxious to see photos!

[Janie]

Hi and welcome! I'm sorry to hear that you're having a hard time getting Ozzy to bond but that is not at all unusual and 3 months (that's how long you've had him, right?) is not really a long time considering he is a wild bird. Even a hand fed bird that is sold to a store like Petsmart will revert quickly back to being wild if not interacted with often every day.

I agree that Petsmart would tell you anything w/o having any earthly idea how old this bird really is. A former neighbor of mine got a bird from another chain, PetLand, and they were told he was 2 to 3 months old. Eventually they did decide to re-home "Karl" and fortunately my breeder took him and after her daughter tamed him, they placed him in a good home. But, Karl did have a band and my breeder was able to tell from the band that Karl was more than 4 years old at the time he was purchased. Wild as a March Hare, but a totally different little lovie after a couple of months with the breeders daughter.

Taming a wild lovie can take a whole lot of time but it can be done. Maybe never to the degree that you might want or expect but at least enough for a happy relationship between your family and Ozzy. Some lovies don't like to be held and cuddled and others crave it. It always depends on the individual bird.

The wing clip is a good thing and the best way to begin. I would definitely try the small bathroom approach next but only a couple of times a day and then only for about 15 to 20 minutes each time. If you'll read through the Behavior and Taming section, you'll find great tips and advice there and one of the favorites is the "small bathroom" area as a good place to get started. If you can just get him to the "step-up" level, using your arm, a finger or a dowel, that would be a good start.

I agree that an avian vet is a must. Very few dog/cat vets have bird knowledge and when you really need a vet, it's good to have one ahead of time.

Good luck and hopefully you will find help and support here. I know I sure did! :D I was 100% clueless when I adopted my first lovie, Oliver, 4 years ago. I have added two more now and still rely on this forum and the knowledgeable folks here every single day. :)

[xenagate]

Thank you all for your help, I love this community! I do love my Ozzy and want to do whats best for him. I buy him treats and me and my daughter even made him toys but he seems uninterested. I have had him a little ovr 3 mo now and have worked w him everyday! He is a little better but he gets angry fast!He likes to scrape his beak whenever i go near him- like he is sharpening it to get me! It scared me-lol! he does step up which is good but thats only after I finally get him out of his cage. I will send pics when I get home from work (this is me working-haha). I do want to take him to a vet- can they tell the age by the band? I hope he isnt much older than I was told. I should of never went to Pet Smart for him, but now I am invested in him. I love him even if he dont love me- YET!

[Janie]

I will send pics when I get home from work (this is me working-haha).

That line just cracked me up! :rofl: :rotfl :rofl: :rotfl

PetSmart isn't always the best choice but we do have members here with some great lovies that came from PetSmart and other chain stores. If I had not accidently happened on my first lovie (adopted from a girl who was going off to college) and then found this forum, I never would have known there are other ways to locate birds....like from a good reputable breeder. But as you said, you have him and you love him and he is lucky that you are willing to take the time and patience he'll need on the road to becoming a family member.

A vet should be able to tell you the year that Ozzy was hatched from looking at the band. Once a peachface lovie looses the black coloring from its beak, between 3 to 4 months old, it's hard to pin-point an age but it would be good to find out that he was hatched in 2007.

If you have a cage small enough to carry into a bathroom, try that. Dim the lights, cover the "john" and any large mirrors and sit yourself and the cage on the floor. Talk to him, bribe him (with a little millet spray) and work on getting him to come to you on his own. It won't happy over-night and maybe not for a few months but if you'll do this on a daily basis at least twice a day, I think it will help. Fingers crossed for you and your little bugger! :D He really is lucky that you care enough about him, wild as he is right now, to not give up. Please don't....help is here! :)

[xenagate]

Im not sure how to add pictures correctly but I did add this one successfully that is my avatar of Ozzy takes today. I opened his cage when I got home. I put in a perch stick followed him to the mirror and he did finally come out for awhile and sing. I fed him the millet spray and put him back in after our photo session. BTW- I dont ever remember his beak being black- does that mean he wasnt a baby when i got him??

[xenagate]

hey, how does he look? Too many feathers gone? Is this moulting??

[ittyandrita]

It looks like he's missing a few too many feathers, especially since there is a large patch of white showing.

[xenagate]

oh no- wht does that mean? Istarted another thread for this info in the correct heading- i think.

[Islandbirdies]

That dosen't look like normal moulting to me, way too many feathers missing. I'd take him to the vet if he were my lovebird. Good luck to you and Ozzy.

[xenagate]

now im scared

[ittyandrita]

It could be due to illness or it could be a behavioral. Your vet will be able to help you figure it out. What do his feathers look like, that are on the bottom of his cage?

[xenagate]

umm, i dunno , what do u mean? torn apart? No they are not. They are just normal looking

[michael]

Welcome Xenagate, and welcome to Ozzy. I couldn't agree more with everyone's advice here. Its interesting to note some things you've mentioned already. Petting his belly, excepting food other than whats in his food bowls, and stepping up at least part of the time, quite honestly, is a very good start. Along with the commitment you've shown already I get the feeling things will improve with time. You may want to determine your lovies true gender, if not by the band, then by DNA testing. Cost for DNA testing is about 20 dollars. And can be well worth the investment. Females at times have more pronounced territorial habits and can be testy at times especially as time goes by. Preparation in the event you may have a female can be well worth the extra effort. That aside, they can be just as lovable as the males. Best wishes for you, Ozzie, and your family...........Michael and Goofy lovebird

[Janie]

That is only one photo and I'm not sure if I see missing feathers, i.e. bald patches, or not. I do think an avian vet check is always the best way to go when you have any questions regarding health issues and missing feathers would fall into that category. Again, I'm not sure what I might or might not be seeing in that one photo.

Yes, if you did not see any black on his beak when you got him it is very likely he was more than 3.5 months old.

[xenagate]

thank you all for your help. Pet smart is a bunch of liars. He never had black on his beak! They said he was a baby! They stinnk! Anyhow.. I tried the "small bathroom" idea and it worked ok. Ill try again and again.

[michael]

Ozzy does look a little ragged, not terrible, but a little ragged. Have you found an avian vet in your area? Whether there's any problem or not, a first checkup is always a good Idea. Any good vet would notice Ozzies molting and be able to determine if there's any concern. One thing about age is some poeple have a difference of opinion in describing age characteristics. Thats not saying Petsmart is forthcoming with all their sales pitches, but my personal thoughts about lovebirds is their a baby up to almost two years. After that their rebellious teenagers who share only one opinion, theirs! I know thats pushing it a little and was thinking about cutting back to a year on the baby definition, but its just my preference. Ozzy to me, is still a baby. And its possible the person who gave you his baby description felt so too. Because of their business status though, you may want to ask them for their own definition of "baby" lovebird, so that a reasonable age threshold can be maintained during their sales pitch next time. Actually an exact D.O.B. would be better so we could decide on our own whether its a baby or not. Its surprizing the difference one persons feedback to a store manager can make sometimes, especially with a bit of diplomacy........Best wishes with "baby" Ozzie and keep us posted on his molting....Take care.................Michael and Goofy lovebird

[linda040899]

thank you all for your help. Pet smart is a bunch of liars. He never had black on his beak! They said he was a baby! They stinnk! Anyhow.. I tried the "small bathroom" idea and it worked ok. Ill try again and again.
I'm glad to hear that you're making even a little bit of progress! Purchasing a parent fed bird is not the end of the world! Several members of our board can tell you that! All live creatures will respond to love, kindness, and, above all, patience!

How long have you had Ozzy? It's hard to see a whole lot in the photo you have in your profile but I can tell you this. He's probably between 6-8 months old, and I'm basing that on what I see of his facial mask. Baby lovebirds lose the black splotch on their beaks by the time they are 3.5 months old. By age 4 months, the beak is completely horn colored (current coloring). At the same time, the adult feathering is coming in (age 4 months), so you will see darker feathers mixed in with the soft, rose colored baby ones. If the facial mask is all dark reddish peach, the lovebird is 6 months old. After that, the age can't be determined.

Pet shops have this awful habit of telling you what you want to hear. If you are looking for a baby lovebird, a 2 yr old can fill the bill, especially if you don't know any better. If you are looking for a male, the one you like is "definitely a male"! Their bottom line is making a profit from sales as quickly as possible. Birds that remain with them longterm make less money for them so they like it to be as turn key as possible. The birds pay the ultimate price for this practice, as many new bird owners know very little about the companion they just purchased. That's why these forums were founded! We're very glad to have you with us! :)

[Keltoth]

I have to be honest; when I first saw the avatar picture of Ozzy, the first thing that crossed my mind was beak and feather disease (PBFD). Both the dullness of his feathers and the pattern loss on his chest is consistent with pictures I have seen of other young lovebirds with this disease. There is a rather well-known lovebird named Sweetpea who was diagnosed with this condition; her picture can be seen here. (http://www.geocities.com/calliefeather/sweetpea1.jpg) Sweetpea is known for actually beating PBFD (http://www.geocities.com/~calliefeather/sweetpea.html), which usually has an extremely high mortality rate for birds.

Now, I am NOT saying that Ozzy has PBFD. I am saying, however, that if Ozzy was my bird, I would want to get him to the vet ASAP so they can test him to either confirm it or rule it out. Like I said, even if he is a young bird, his feather colors should be much more vibrant and colorful than they are in his avatar picture, and I would be very interested in seeing some much larger pictures of him, in order to see if his coloring really is as washed out as it appears in the avatar photo.

Please, take him to a vet and keep us informed of his status.

- Eric

[Janie]

Eric, thank you for those links.....I'd never seen them and did not know what PBFD looked like.

Xenagate, I think it's unanimous that Ozzy needs to see an avian vet. It's the only way to rule out something or to find out if he needs medical treatment.

Yep, most pet shops will say anything and sometimes not because they are lying intentionally but simply because the sales people are clueless about birds. I've actually been in to two Petco's in Atlanta wwhere the managers had excellent bird knowledge. I played "dumb" and asked all sorts of questions to see what advice and information they might give me and it was all good! But, that is, IMHO, the rare exception.

My oldest lovie is a parent raised pet store bird and he is the sweetest bird in the world. I adopted him 4 years ago from a teenage girl who was his first owner and she said he'd always been fairly friendly and she had no idea why. She was 10 when she got him and can't remember much about how he learned to step up or why he didn't bite, etc.