biting...

[Gribouille]

When Pichu came home he was so tame, we could pick him from the side of a cage and hold around him, cuddle and he was comfortable on a finger.
He's been here for 5 days now and I was back to work today. I missed him and was looking forward to spend the evening with him, but it didn't go at all like I expected. Today everything sucked!! When he came out of his cage, he didn't want anything to do with us, he was only interested in preening and biting boxes in the kitchen.
Didn't want to step up, be with us, sit on a finger, and especially, didn't want to go back into his cage...
He has given me clear signals that he wanted to be left alone, but I had to get him back. I don't want him to associate biting with being left alone out of the cage, so I ignored the biting, didn't press him, but came back shortly after and asked him to step up again. After many bites, I managed to get him to step up with a treat, but he flew away as soon as we approached the cage. In the end he finally went in and didn't even want the treat.
At that point I felt like crying, thinking that he was so tame when we got him, I'd ruined the whole thing and would do better to take him back.

I guess I've been too fast, since he was tame I expected him to remain that way, and I feel we have had some nice moments already, doing things together and that he was trusting me. Obviously I should have started from the start like with an untamed bird, having him step up inside the cage, eat from my hand and such before I let him out? Or maybe the kitchen is the problem, I should take him in the bathroom for training? I did it once and it worked fine, but since then he has been scared of going from the kitchen to another room, he flew back so I haven't forced him. I could take him there while inside his cage, maybe he'd feel safer...

Any good advice?

 

[Lady Jane]

As they say the honeymoon is over and he is getting older. Sometimes is a phase they go through and will grow out of. Just be sure and not reward the behavior by saying things like no or stop!

 

[Gribouille]

As they say the honeymoon is over and he is getting older. Sometimes is a phase they go through and will grow out of. Just be sure and not reward the behavior by saying things like no or stop!

honeymoon is a way to descibe it, it actually reminded me of baby blue, I felt exactly the same when I came home with my first newborn and felt I would never manage...
I've probably rewarded biting several times.. I raise my finger in front of him and say "gentle beak", from the gentle beak technique: Gentle Beak technique - Talk Parrotlets Forums. It actually stops him although we haven't really worked on it yet.

Just now I took the whole cage to the bathroom and since there is so little in there, he was mostly on my head, shoulder or finger.. Gave him some millet inside and outside the cage, he was a bit excited because he had just been eating some dry fig and his beak was sticky so he tried to scratch it off but I went very slow and feel we had a much better moment than earlier today.
He didn't want to go back in his cage though, so I had to trick him by covering the window (partly), he flew on my head and actually let me gently cover him with my hand and stroke his head, then I could pick him up and continue some cuddling on my chest before I took him back in the cage. He tried to hook his beak on the bar over the door but it went well in the end, so I think I'll have a couple of sessions like that each evening until he is feeling safe again...

But we will have to work on getting him back in his cage because I can't trick him every time and he'll probably learn a way around it anyway!

 

[fashionfobie]

Sometimes when parrotlets are stressed they are more accepting of cuddling or comforts. If my Neptune is scared he flies to my shoulder and hides in my hair. Since Pichu was so hand tame and comfortable from day 1 he may have needed some extra emotional support. It could be that he is comfortable in the new home already and is not afraid to share his sassy antics. There is nothing wrong with a sassy pants parrotlet. They use their beak as a form on communication. At the same time it has only been 5 days, so it is hard to judge. He could have simply had a bad day, being alone for the first time.

Have patience and give him space when he needs it. He is an independent adult animal. He will know when he wants his own time. If you respect his boundaries you will have a sound friendship based on trust

If you know there will be times he is home alone start developing healthy cage based play time. Lots of shredding toys and swings

 

[Gribouille]

Sometimes when parrotlets are stressed they are more accepting of cuddling or comforts. If my Neptune is scared he flies to my shoulder and hides in my hair. Since Pichu was so hand tame and comfortable from day 1 he may have needed some extra emotional support. It could be that he is comfortable in the new home already and is not afraid to share his sassy antics. There is nothing wrong with a sassy pants parrotlet. They use their beak as a form on communication. At the same time it has only been 5 days, so it is hard to judge. He could have simply had a bad day, being alone for the first time.

Have patience and give him space when he needs it. He is an independent adult animal. He will know when he wants his own time. If you respect his boundaries you will have a sound friendship based on trust

If you know there will be times he is home alone start developing healthy cage based play time. Lots of shredding toys and swings

Thanks for your encouraging words
My kids are home for one more week but sleeping late and spending much time in their rooms, so he is not completely alone but much more than last week obvisouly. It is a good transistion though, since he'll be on his own next week.
I can see that he flies to me when he is scared but he is not comfortable yet, I can feel the tension of his body most of the time, unless he is preening or sleepy. I think he might have been used to much time outside of his cage (I think his owners were students...?) and he is frustrated to have to stay in longer than he likes, he makes it clear that he doesn't want to go back in. He has plenty of toys but doesn't use them, although he chewed on some paper ones tonight. Just made him a swing and found a bell, supposedly his favorite toy, so he'll get them first thing in the morning

 

[Gribouille]

Much much better today I took him for a little hour in the bathroom when I came home, after that he had some free time in the kitchen before dinner, and we were another hour in the bathroom before bed time.
There isn't anything interesting for him in the bathroom so he was mostly on my head or finger, we talked, sang, he got millet and head scratches, let me pet him a little more at the end.
He did bite only once in the kitchen when he thought I wanted him to step up to go back in his cage but he ended up going back on his own for a snack. Feeling we are on the right track!

 

[PacificPaulie]

How many weeks old is your P'let?

Paulie is about 20wks old now but he seems to be going through a "bitey" period as well which is proving to be a little difficult to work with. I expected some cage aggression but there seems to be an easy work around in this respect (just let him out of the cage before cleaning/rearranging). However, he's also now becoming bitey over his play stand which is weird because up to this point I didn't think he cared about his play stand.

I'm not bringing this up to detract from your challenges. Rather, I'm hoping to bring an element of universality to what you're experiencing: If our feathered babies are close in age and experiencing similar phases then maybe you could feel encouraged that it's not anything specifically you're doing.

I hope this is encouraging. You clearly have a heart for Pichu's wellbeing...

 

[JoJo&Loki]

I have budgies, not a parrotlet but it sounds like he is mad you’ve returned to work and he’s not the center of your world all day. Which sucks, because well, you have to work. You said this started when you returned to work right? And today it went better when you came home and immediately spent some quality alone time with him? Sounds like when you get home he needs you to continue to show him he was missed and is still #1. Cuz aren’t they all? Lol Maybe this will only be while he’s still adjusting, but could be forever with a bird

A couple weeks ago I had a week off work and used that time to move my birds into the same cage-basically I was with them their entire day all week long. When I went back to work, I got major tude from them both. There was 1 day Loki didn’t even come out of the cage at all. And he loves playing with us usually.

It could also be that he’s feeling more at home and his sassy pants are now on as stated above-makes sense too. Unfortunately there’s no way to know for sure, but I hope things calm down soon!


Btw.. I can relate with the kids. Mine are about the same age so I asked that they spend time with the birds when I returned to work. I came home at lunch one day to check on everyone and both kids were still sleeping

 

[Gribouille]

Oh yeah, I don't expect the kids to get up early to spend time with the birds, and they'll be gone next week anyway. They cut the birds' day by having brunch and creating some animation for a few minutes before they retreat to their beloved screens

Pichu is a cutest when we are in the bathroom... There is nothing to do and nowhere to be but me in there, so his attention's on me and it is OK to sit on my finger and get cuddly. however, as soon as we are back in the kitchen he turns into explorer mode and will bite if I ask him to step up and he doesn't understand why (probably thinking I want to put him back in his cage each time!!). If he sees that I will help him to near an interesting thing or get out of a tricky place, he accepts my finger but that's it. I'm really looking forward the end of the quarantine so he'll have more time to get used to our routines and activities, I think it will help him feel safer about our intentions..

 

[JoJo&Loki]

I think it will too
How many days into quarantine are you? It really seems sooo long doesn’t it?!?

 

[Gribouille]

I think it will too
How many days into quarantine are you? It really seems sooo long doesn’t it?!?

He came home on Wednesday last week. So about 10. But we have the check at the vet on the 24th, if he is fine I'll ask the vet if I can let him out of quarantine. I don't care so much about introducing him to the budgies, my experience with Twitter has prepared me for them not being happy with each other, but I really would like to be able to do things with him in our main room...
Today he was out on the balcony most of the day and I couldn't let him out since we had doors and windows open, so we didn't have time for our usual the bathroom hour. I let him out in the kitchen after dinner and we had a very nice time there, he jumped on my finger by himself, without biting, we looked at things in cupboards, had some foraging and he did his things while I did the dishes. In the end we had a long scratches session and he seemed tired so I carried him to his cage door, he went in by himself. I hope this means he is settling in with our routines and is more comfortable. I also learn his signs and don't press him to do things anymore so all in all, we are doing quite fine I think!

 

[Fergus Mom]

So wonderful to read about his progress and his day to day activities here! I think the same - he might have turned into Mr. Sassy Pants just to make sure you know he's still "the one and only"!
I can't wait to see how it goes when you transition him to the main room after the quarantine ends. I can relate - Quarantine time seems sooooo very long! (Reminds me of the movie line in 'The Green Mile'!)

 

[Gribouille]

"I'm gonna get a seed or two but I won't go inside the cage just yet"...

-Sassy Pants' citation of the day-

 

[fashionfobie]

@Gribouille I might place a cover on those for the future. Super cute photo! Definitely a sassy potato pants!

I would just worry that if he dropped himself in he would not be able to pull himself out. Could be dangerous.

 

[Gribouille]

@Gribouille I might place a cover on those for the future. Super cute photo! Definitely a sassy potato pants!

I would just worry that if he dropped himself in he would not be able to pull himself out. Could be dangerous.

That's a good point, but he is just long enough that his feet still hang outside, and we never leave him alone outside his cage. Twitter did the same and dropped inside but he managed to get out by himself every time. They have MUCH better belly muscles than I'll ever have..

Those came without a cover so I'd have to make one ... Or maybe I'll just put a golf ball inside ...

 

[PacificPaulie]

They have MUCH better belly muscles than I'll ever have..

I agree... Much better than I'll ever have.

Those came without a cover... maybe I'll just put a golf ball inside ...

That's a great idea!

 

[fashionfobie]

A golf ball or tennis ball is a great idea ! I agree they are super strong jungle warriors... but they do make mistakes too! He could lose his footing.