Sj25
Strolling the yard
- Joined
- 1/21/17
- Messages
- 95
Hi all,
I really don't know what to do anymore. Caique Freddie is about 4 years and I've had him since he was young. After about a year he suddenly started snipping off the feathers between his legs. I quickly went to a bird vet and he said it was stress because I went on a holiday for 1 week. I left him - and my cockatiel- with my parents (and he was getting all the out-of-cage-attention-and-love every night.) Freddie got some relaxation meds from that vet.
After a few days he was still on it so I went a different bird vet. He took some blood. All was ok, except he has polyoma. So no bird friends allowed, except for the cockatiel I already had.
Now 3 years later he still snips off his feathers 2 (maybe 3??) times a year, for about a week. Now he's at it again. He is out of his cage a lot now because I am forced to work from home, so that can't be it. He eats pellets and I give him fruit and veggies. I have stopped giving him tiny pieces of bread and all because I thought maybe that could be it, but no...Usually its only about a week, but now he goes on and on and on. It kills me to sit in the room with him, seeing him destroy his feathers and not beging allowed to react. It stresses me out SO much. I've put him in other rooms so maybe he'd understand that destroying feathers leads to being away from me, but that doesn't help either. Apart from the plucking he seems like a happy bird.
I don't know what to do anymore. I get him new wood and cardbord toys every week. I try to hide his almonds (but it takes him a few minutes to get it). Should I just accept that he's going to be bald forever? Is he not happy at my place? What am I doing wrong... Should I rehome him so he can be somewhere that he's happy and does not snip off the feathers?
I really don't know what to do anymore. Caique Freddie is about 4 years and I've had him since he was young. After about a year he suddenly started snipping off the feathers between his legs. I quickly went to a bird vet and he said it was stress because I went on a holiday for 1 week. I left him - and my cockatiel- with my parents (and he was getting all the out-of-cage-attention-and-love every night.) Freddie got some relaxation meds from that vet.
After a few days he was still on it so I went a different bird vet. He took some blood. All was ok, except he has polyoma. So no bird friends allowed, except for the cockatiel I already had.
Now 3 years later he still snips off his feathers 2 (maybe 3??) times a year, for about a week. Now he's at it again. He is out of his cage a lot now because I am forced to work from home, so that can't be it. He eats pellets and I give him fruit and veggies. I have stopped giving him tiny pieces of bread and all because I thought maybe that could be it, but no...Usually its only about a week, but now he goes on and on and on. It kills me to sit in the room with him, seeing him destroy his feathers and not beging allowed to react. It stresses me out SO much. I've put him in other rooms so maybe he'd understand that destroying feathers leads to being away from me, but that doesn't help either. Apart from the plucking he seems like a happy bird.
I don't know what to do anymore. I get him new wood and cardbord toys every week. I try to hide his almonds (but it takes him a few minutes to get it). Should I just accept that he's going to be bald forever? Is he not happy at my place? What am I doing wrong... Should I rehome him so he can be somewhere that he's happy and does not snip off the feathers?