He is two years old and I have had him for two months, he will hop on my finger but he does not like to be touched. I heard how active and playful they are but he always just sits in the same place in his cage. I take him out every day and he spends time with me or sitting on his toy but he only moves to go eat. He will sit and chirp once in a while but it is so soft you almost have to be right next to him to hear it. I know he can make more noise because he has been vocal 3 or 4 times. Is he normal? I know he hasn't had a lot of attention since the family I took him from didn't even name him.
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Is my Parrotlet normal?
- Thread starter Kjelstad
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First I would get him checked by an avian vet to make sure nothing is going on. Parrotlet's are active birds- at least mine is.
Parrotlet's also are not real big on touching but with time and TLC they can allow some touching on their terms.
Good luck with him.
Parrotlet's also are not real big on touching but with time and TLC they can allow some touching on their terms.
Good luck with him.
If he hasn't been used to interaction and attention, he's possibly feeling a bit insecure, especially with a big change like coming to a new home. Offering him little treats and talking often to him might help. If you can, leave a radio with soft music playing for when he is alone so he still has "company." As for activity, Mira wasn't too keen on toys when I first got her, so I tried many different kinds to see what it is she preferred. Now that I know what it is she likes, I have a variety of those all around her cage. Anything soft and shreddable, made of soft fuzzy cloth, or preenable go over well with her. 
I should also note that parrotlets require a fairly large cage for their size. If he is in one that is too small, he's not likely to move around and play all that much. Mira had a decent sized cage the first year I had her, but when I upgraded to a flight cage she really came alive with activity. It also meant room for more toys, which she certainly has come to appreciate!
I should also note that parrotlets require a fairly large cage for their size. If he is in one that is too small, he's not likely to move around and play all that much. Mira had a decent sized cage the first year I had her, but when I upgraded to a flight cage she really came alive with activity. It also meant room for more toys, which she certainly has come to appreciate!
Yes I agree I'd have him checked by a vet. My parrotlet is a very busy body. Runs all over her cage and chirps alot. 
I know when my phone is ringing even if I can't hear it she lets me know. She also does accept head scratches too but that's about it. And that took time. She came from a home where she was tormented by some kids.
She really just likes to hang out on my shoulders and head when she's out on me. But even then she rarely just sits there she's usually preening my ear or hair. When I get her out she'll accept head scratches for a very short time then she wants to head up my arm.
She doesn't destroy her toys all that quick either but she does love to chew on finger traps. I also have one of those wooden treat buckets and she likes to shred the paper on the "candies" in it.
I did have another P'let and ended up loosing him and he wasn't as active as Gwen and I caught his sickness too late. A lesson learned a very hard way.
I know when my phone is ringing even if I can't hear it she lets me know. She also does accept head scratches too but that's about it. And that took time. She came from a home where she was tormented by some kids. She really just likes to hang out on my shoulders and head when she's out on me. But even then she rarely just sits there she's usually preening my ear or hair. When I get her out she'll accept head scratches for a very short time then she wants to head up my arm.
She doesn't destroy her toys all that quick either but she does love to chew on finger traps. I also have one of those wooden treat buckets and she likes to shred the paper on the "candies" in it.
I did have another P'let and ended up loosing him and he wasn't as active as Gwen and I caught his sickness too late. A lesson learned a very hard way.
Yes Gwen was the same way. She came to us in a small cage and wasn't that active until we got her a flight cage. That is when the activity really began.
I agree with the larger cage. Harper was the exact same way when I got her except she was afraid to step up out of her cage and wouldn't come out of her cage on her own. Once she was in my bird room however, she was flying all over, playing with toys, etc. Is your P'let a boy or a girl? Have you considered getting it a friend? Harper is so much Happier with other birds around than she was by herself. Just be sure, if it's a female, to not get another female parrotlet! They will fight.
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Just be careful of getting a friend if you don't know his history with other birds. Some parrotlets enjoy the company of other birds, but others still are very territorial and will try to fight even birds that are much bigger than they are.
I rather wish Mira would interact with my budgies, but it would result in blood, unfortunately.
I rather wish Mira would interact with my budgies, but it would result in blood, unfortunately.
Females are definitely more aggressive than males. But if he (just saw that you said "he") is shy and doesn't really like people very much, he might be happier with another parrotlet. Generally males get along much better with other birds than females. Females are pure trouble.
I'll take him to the vet and go look at different toys tonight. His cage is 30x20 but he spends most of the day on his toy. I should look into making it a bit more exciting.
I have a 12 year old lovebird that lives above him but he really doesn't seem to want anything to do with him. Spike, the lovebird, spent his entire life following a female around but she passed last year and he now tries to follow Thor around when he gets out.
Thanks
I have a 12 year old lovebird that lives above him but he really doesn't seem to want anything to do with him. Spike, the lovebird, spent his entire life following a female around but she passed last year and he now tries to follow Thor around when he gets out.
Thanks
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I'd say he needs some shredding toys for sure.
He has another toy hanging behind the cover in the cage and they have little doodads that are meant to be destroyed but that play place is looking pretty boring. He seems to just sit and stare a lot, maybe he is still taking it all in. He did come out of the smallest cage I have ever seen.
finger traps and wooden treat buckets. No idea what those are but we will find them
Finger traps are those things that if you put your fingers in them you can't pull them back out.
Here's a link so you can see what they are.
Bamboo Chew Tubes, 10 pcs
Here's a link so you can see the bucket toy Gwen has.
Bird toys: foraging toys: Foot toys for birds at Drs. Foster & Smith
I'm sure one of our vendors sells it as well.
Here's a link so you can see what they are.
Bamboo Chew Tubes, 10 pcs
Here's a link so you can see the bucket toy Gwen has.
Bird toys: foraging toys: Foot toys for birds at Drs. Foster & Smith
I'm sure one of our vendors sells it as well.
Something I read somewhere -- and it did make sense to me -- is that parrots feel more secure if they have a lot of things hanging around in their cage. They know they can duck behind something to hide if they need to and so on. Having a wide variety of toys is also good for mental stimulation of the bird, since they are fairly intelligent and having little for them to do in their cage is like locking a three year old child in a small bedroom with one wooden block and a single storybook. They get bored, they get depressed, and so on. It is one reason many birds will start plucking or otherwise mutilating.
The hiding behind something seems to work for Mira. She's not a scardey bird, but I have noticed when she wants a nap she'll tuck herself up against or behind a toy. Or in the case of one of her fuzzy fleece toys, tuck herself up IN it.
It makes me want to get her a snuggle hut, but I'd worry too much about bringing on nesting behaviour and egg laying.
The hiding behind something seems to work for Mira. She's not a scardey bird, but I have noticed when she wants a nap she'll tuck herself up against or behind a toy. Or in the case of one of her fuzzy fleece toys, tuck herself up IN it.
It makes me want to get her a snuggle hut, but I'd worry too much about bringing on nesting behaviour and egg laying.
Here is my p'let and budgie's cage. They have a lot of toys. Also, I'd set more perches closer to the top of the cage as birds prefer to be up high most of the time.
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Mira's setup -- sorry for it being so dim, the lighting wasn't too cooperative. As well as the toys hanging around, she has a little "toybox" on the ground of cage that I sprinkle millet in and then cover over with little foot toys. She likes throwing the toys around while foraging for the seed.
I should note she does still have room to fly back and forth between the perches, and is otherwise out and flying around the house. If you look closely you might see a tailfeather or two on top of the cage.
I should note she does still have room to fly back and forth between the perches, and is otherwise out and flying around the house. If you look closely you might see a tailfeather or two on top of the cage.
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That's funny. Harper almost never goes to the bottom of her cage, but Beau will go down to forage for dropped food.
YOu know Allison, because of Maya's missing toes, I put her food and water on the bottom...so she goes down there all the time to eat....I guess it was a good way to get her to use all her cage. lol
But Kiwi would always go down there too to play with wicker balls, and babble balls.....
But Kiwi would always go down there too to play with wicker balls, and babble balls.....
Here's Gwen's cage. She has 13 toys. Not including her boing and slinky.
She'll be getting some new ones from Santa too I'm sure. Maybe some more rope perches too because looking at your guys cages the bottom of hers looks really bare.
She'll be getting some new ones from Santa too I'm sure. Maybe some more rope perches too because looking at your guys cages the bottom of hers looks really bare.
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