I have to agree with John on this. The situation is more complicated because of the presence of the boyfriend. When the bf is around, I think Douglas will be angry at you. I would definitely be hands off with the bf around.
I would spend time with Douglas alone without the bf around. I would give him treats, talk to him, read to him through the cage. If you trust him, take him for walks around the house (sans Bf). Let him explore rooms he never spends much time in (my caique loves seeing new things and loves going for walks around the house). Even doing things like exploring the inside of the oven, a cabinet, a drawer, the bathroom, seems to interest him. If you can safely take him outdoors with a harness or travel cage, he might like that too. You want him to associate you with things he likes.
I think the situation is compounded by the fact that he is being left more in the cage. When I did this to my caique during his aggressive phase, he only got angrier. Can you set up another cage for him so he can be out with you two, but can't get to you to hurt you? Maybe a separate cage that he can hang out on top of, eat on top of, play in and on top of, but cant crawl down from? I have an avian adventures chiquita cage with the skirt on for my caique to eat dinner on top of in the dining area. He can't crawl down from it because of the skirt. He will try to push his dinner plates off to get me to come get him, so I have to use heavy bowls (I always pick him up anyway), but just so you know the lengths caiques will go to get what they want. I also try to maximize his time out of the cage. If he is angry, I will get him in a shirt (or sometimes he will attack it, so I carry him hanging from it). I take him to the kitchen and let him play on one of the counters or to the bathroom where he is alone to play on the counter while I shower. Zeek also has a night cage near the bedroom. I do everything I can to break up the monotony of the cage.
I'm really sorry about Douglas' behavior. I know how aggressive caiques can be. Their bites can inflict serious damage. The good thing is that they are really smart. I was lucky that I was able to teach Zeek not to be so angry and aggressive. His anger was directed at me. I had to learn to read his behavior. I became more responsive to his demands (he only wanted to be with me-that is all he ever wants). I also started putting him in a drawer or cabinet when he bit. He was not hurt, but it scared him (although sometimes he liked it!). I only put him in for a couple mins. But he seemed to get the idea. Between both of us modifying our behavior, the bites have markedly diminshed. One thing that helped me modify my behavior was to realize that he really is a wild animal. He wants me to replace the family/flock. He is extremely intelligent and needs constant mental stimulation. Because of this, we have a routine where I spend time with him alone at night before he goes to bed. When he is done eating, he sits on my lap while I finish eating. I also wrap him up in a shirt (lightly so he doesn't over heat) and take him for walks around the house outside. He really loves to be snuggled in a shirt or light towel.
I hope things improve with little Douglas.
hello!
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