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Lovebird Cooper Events
- Thread starter Lady Jane
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The mischievous freshness you experience with her now but x5 as she hits her diabolical stride in adulthood.
SamandWilley
Walking the driveway
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- DeAnna
I have been kind of in a stalemate with Luna lately. She still bites, but has finally gotten a little better about letting me know what she wants with her bite. She will bite and push me away when she doesn't want my hand close to her! Today, with the aid of some millet, she actually let me get my hand close to my body before she squeaked and flew away! I sometimes wish I hadn't gotten both of them, because it is harder with two, but I couldn't give one of them back now! Keep trying with Cooper!!
They're smart, and they're having fun with us. Finding ways to get our attention on them.
Cooper passed up a chance to bite and instead went for the millet. That is major progress, actually. Stealing things you have your attention on and getting you to chase her is a way she can interact with you and have your complete attention on her without biting you. This is good. She wants to interact more and she wants your attention on her. She just is still too hand shy to allow you to touch her. Start playing games with her, what my uncle used to call remote games; which meant games with the feral barn cats where I didn't get to touch them directly. Lovebird version would be to get or find, you could use dominoes if you have them, markers, the more colorful, the better; and then set them up on the table you say is near where you sit. Start playing with the markers, moving them around and talking or humming to yourself. Act like you are really concentrating on them. You could also have a few small millet treats on the table, but all behind the markers to lure her to the table. When she lands on the table and moves near a marker, push it slightly closer to her. If she "takes her turn" in the game and touches it or shoves it over. Either move it closer or return it to sitting up on the table. Talk to her during the game. It is a great way to tame semi-wild barn cats, let's see if it can tame a frightened lovie. If she doesn't approach the markers at first, let them sit out on the table to show they are not harmful and if you can remember to do it, "fiddle" with one or two now and then while you sit there. Sit them close to you and invite her to steal one.
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Ankou
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Sometimes too you might even need to give up on the idea of holding food for them and just place it nearby. She's smart, she'll still know it's from you if this happens.
But I don't think you are at that point, it sounds like she's making progress and good choices. I just want you to know food guarding might end up being part of who she is.
Peanut went through a very long stretch, think years, where I was not allowed to touch her food. She was tame and cuddly this entire time, just touching her food was not okay and she would bite. Sometimes I could feed her from an open palm but actually holding food between fingers would trigger a territorial response.
Probably 4 of the last 5 times she's bitten me the last couple of years (Peanut doesn't bite often anymore, mostly just little nips) were because I was trying to feed her nutriberries from my palm.
It's only been the last couple of years I was able to get her to the point she will eat peacefully from my palm again. First low value food she wasn't as protective of, like pellets, then most other things as she started to trust it was okay more and I wasn't "stealing" her food.
Feeding her nutriberries in my palm is still terrifying so I just don't.
You could just see her getting angrier and angrier as she ate but don't dare move or try and dump her off or then she'd really bite! I just had to hope she finished her snack before she reached her breaking point!
But I don't think you are at that point, it sounds like she's making progress and good choices. I just want you to know food guarding might end up being part of who she is.
Peanut went through a very long stretch, think years, where I was not allowed to touch her food. She was tame and cuddly this entire time, just touching her food was not okay and she would bite. Sometimes I could feed her from an open palm but actually holding food between fingers would trigger a territorial response.
Probably 4 of the last 5 times she's bitten me the last couple of years (Peanut doesn't bite often anymore, mostly just little nips) were because I was trying to feed her nutriberries from my palm.
It's only been the last couple of years I was able to get her to the point she will eat peacefully from my palm again. First low value food she wasn't as protective of, like pellets, then most other things as she started to trust it was okay more and I wasn't "stealing" her food.
Feeding her nutriberries in my palm is still terrifying so I just don't.
You could just see her getting angrier and angrier as she ate but don't dare move or try and dump her off or then she'd really bite! I just had to hope she finished her snack before she reached her breaking point!
I will have to look around and gather some items that are safe for her to play with on table. I pretty much already am doing this game but don't concentrate on playing with them myself. Thanks again Lovie people.
sunnysmom
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I would play this game with my foster lovie where he sat on the door of his cage and I had a bowl filled with little toys sitting inside his cage. I would hand him a toy and he would throw it into the bowl. His aim was pretty amazing.
So just now we played a game I will call the Water Game! I put some warm water in a much smaller dish than usual. Cooper has only jumped in the water 2 times and does not preen afterwards for some reason. I had several small colored plastic beads I put in the water and one other small toy she likes. I had a cut straw in my hand which I got wet and put drops on her feathers with the straw. Then I began touching her with the straw as if it was a human touch. She was having so much fun splashing the water with her beak she did not notice what was happening. Then I just used the straw to touch her and not worry about the water. Eventually she was pretty wet and seemed to have a loss of interest in this game that went on for about 15 minutes or so.
What was accomplished: Time together playing, touching her with another object that she did not mind, getting her wet and playing in the water and with the beads. This was what I call quality time with your bird. At least Cooper bird.
What was accomplished: Time together playing, touching her with another object that she did not mind, getting her wet and playing in the water and with the beads. This was what I call quality time with your bird. At least Cooper bird.
sunnysmom
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That's great to hear! Cooper sounds like a really fun birdy
This is awesome abs sounds like great fun!So just now we played a game I will call the Water Game! I put some warm water in a much smaller dish than usual. Cooper has only jumped in the water 2 times and does not preen afterwards for some reason. I had several small colored plastic beads I put in the water and one other small toy she likes. I had a cut straw in my hand which I got wet and put drops on her feathers with the straw. Then I began touching her with the straw as if it was a human touch. She was having so much fun splashing the water with her beak she did not notice what was happening. Then I just used the straw to touch her and not worry about the water. Eventually she was pretty wet and seemed to have a loss of interest in this game that went on for about 15 minutes or so.
What was accomplished: Time together playing, touching her with another object that she did not mind, getting her wet and playing in the water and with the beads. This was what I call quality time with your bird. At least Cooper bird.
SamandWilley
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Great playtime!!! 
That is way farther than I have gotten! We are just starting the - Lovie throws something on the floor and looks longingly at it. Human gets up and puts it back. Lovie runs over, plays and then - you know that game! They do love to play on the table nearest me, so that is awesome!
The other day we had a great time throwing toys at the dogs. They were trying to nap, and Ivan and Luna were having a blast launching toys at them. I helped a bit, by reloading when they ran out of ammo. Eventually the dogs left and the birds took a nap. Great times
That is way farther than I have gotten! We are just starting the - Lovie throws something on the floor and looks longingly at it. Human gets up and puts it back. Lovie runs over, plays and then - you know that game! They do love to play on the table nearest me, so that is awesome!
The other day we had a great time throwing toys at the dogs. They were trying to nap, and Ivan and Luna were having a blast launching toys at them. I helped a bit, by reloading when they ran out of ammo. Eventually the dogs left and the birds took a nap. Great times
metalstitcher
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That is so sweet @Lady Jane sounds like you are making progress. I wish you had pictures
Rolanda
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Awww, see she's coming around. It actually sound like fun anyway... even for non hand biting lovies.
It's so nice to hear that things are changing for you and Cooper, Lady Jane
It's so nice to hear that things are changing for you and Cooper, Lady Jane
The water game sounds wonderful, Dianne. Anything you can get her to interact with you will eventually lead to her allowing you to touch her, maybe even cuddling some day.. Cooper is going to be a hard sell, though, I think. She sounds just like my Katie all those years ago. Wow, the years do roll away, don't they, Dianne! With Katie, the only time I ever got to cuddle her was the day she was so sick, she didn't care if she died; but Dr Stern saved her and she returned to her normal irascible self. Conversely, her brother and mate, Didd, was cuddly. Keep with the water game and the taming game and everything and see what works and what doesn't.
Oh, that game where the bird throws the toy on the floor and the human picks it up and, etc? Here at my house we call it "Fetch" and the human does the fetching. Just how much smarter are parrots than dogs to have trained us to fetch?
Oh, that game where the bird throws the toy on the floor and the human picks it up and, etc? Here at my house we call it "Fetch" and the human does the fetching. Just how much smarter are parrots than dogs to have trained us to fetch?
Today was mostly a flying day. Got a bite on the arm when she landed. She was not interested in any games today. I think it was because I was busy with meetings and cleaning. Thanks all for continuing to read and respond to happenings with us.
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