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Burt’s 5th gotcha day.

Pixiebeak

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Wishing Burt many more happy years!
 

Sarahmoluccan

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Happy Gotcha day Burt!!! :starshower1:

I'm so sorry his hormones seems to have gotten the better of him. I agree its nothing you're doing. I hope he'll come around with time :bighug:
 

Toy

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Happy Gotcha Day Burt. Be nice to Mommy ;).
 

Shezbug

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Happy Gotcha Day Burt. Be nice to Mommy ;).
I think at this stage he thinks the word nice just means don't bite too hard lmao. I am really hoping the nice sweet cheeky Burt returns soon, he is wearing me down.
 

FiatLux

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Happy Gotcha day Burt! You lucked out with your choice of owner —from what I can tell, she’s as good as they get so maybe give her a break?
 

expressmailtome

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Congratulations!

As for his attitude, I dealt with that from Michael for about 8 or 9 years. They run together! He was so sweet in personality in the beginning. He would happily go to anyone and loved to be held. That all changed around the time he became 4 or 5. Then, all of a sudden, this past year, his is much closer to his original self. He lets me handle him and again loves to have his nape and feet rubbed. He is a little less willing to go to people that he is unfamiliar with than when he was younger, but he is getting better about it. There is always hope, and to be completely honest, as stressful as some years were, it was well worth it to me to just accept that I would have a hands-off relationship with him and ride it out waiting for the day that it would pass. I will have had Michael for 14 years next month (boy does time fly!), and no, they were not all great times, but in my opinion, the good does outweigh the bad. Only you can say what you can handle, but just going by reading your posts the last five years or so, you absolutely seem like someone who can handle pretty much anything, and who will one day have Burt back to his original self!
 

macawpower58

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I'm with Matthew in that Chaos also was a super sweetheart until he wasn't. I dealt with it for quite some time too, and like Matthew had to learn to deal with a hands off relationship. I've had Chaos for 23 years, and I am realizing this new hands off bird suits me just fine. We sit beside each other, talk all the time, I realize I have to respect his boundaries. I also believe you'll survive and thrive in the long run. You've got this. Burt may return to the bird he was before, or the two of you may settle into another type of relationship, but you'll both be just fine.
 

Shezbug

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Thank you @Macawnutz @expressmailtome and @macawpower58 it’s reassuring hearing that your guys all settled enough to be manageable again, I know you’ve all told me before but hearing it again helps boost my energy and hopes- he’s tiring me out mentally.
I really worry that he’s unhappy and then I convince myself I’m doing something wrong which is dumb cos it seems nothing I do is right anymore according to Burt even though I’m not the one who’s been biting others or getting moody lol.
I’m ok with the hands off thing (actually used to it now) even though I really miss rubbing his chin and neck feathers, feeling his cheeks and just generally hanging out with him doing things.
I’m no longer holding my breath waiting for him to stop throwing himself at me and coming to me just to bite me- I am currently trying to shake up and alter the old routine enough to break the horrible cycle we’ve got into and find a new workable routine for us to coexist happily till Burt stops being a grumpy impulsive butthead.
 

expressmailtome

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Thank you @Macawnutz @expressmailtome and @macawpower58 it’s reassuring hearing that your guys all settled enough to be manageable again, I know you’ve all told me before but hearing it again helps boost my energy and hopes- he’s tiring me out mentally.
I really worry that he’s unhappy and then I convince myself I’m doing something wrong which is dumb cos it seems nothing I do is right anymore according to Burt even though I’m not the one who’s been biting others or getting moody lol.
I’m ok with the hands off thing (actually used to it now) even though I really miss rubbing his chin and neck feathers, feeling his cheeks and just generally hanging out with him doing things.
I’m no longer holding my breath waiting for him to stop throwing himself at me and coming to me just to bite me- I am currently trying to shake up and alter the old routine enough to break the horrible cycle we’ve got into and find a new workable routine for us to coexist happily till Burt stops being a grumpy impulsive butthead.
I have no right to say this, but please try not to feel that you did something wrong. It is just a natural phase that they go through. As for the throwing himself at you, there were days that I would have to keep Michael in his cage just for everyone's safety. I feel that that was harder on me than him to be honest. I just kept reminding myself that he has a good size cage (3'x4') filled with destructible and foraging toys, good food, clean water, etc. He always received attention even if it was not the way that I wanted it to occur.
 

zoo mom

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Happy hatch day. Burt the butthead.
 

Icey

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Happy Gotcha Day Burt. :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:
 

Tyrion

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Happy gotcha day :cool:
 

Wardy

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Happy Gotcha day Shez and Burt
 

Kiwi's Dad

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:happyfking"
 

tka

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Missed this earlier, but happy gotcha day to Burt! I'm sorry he's being such a bum to you - I teally hope he calms down as he matures.
 

Greylady1966

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I missed this, but Happy Gotcha Day Burt!!
 

Xoetix

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Aw yay!! Happy gotcha day Burt!! (Better late than never :lol:)
 

Shezbug

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Thanks Meghan.
 
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