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My Parrot Doesn't Like to Be Touched

LydiaB

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So I've had Eddie, my Quaker Parrot, since October and he's never really liked to be touched. He is a rescue so it makes some sense. He may have been in a bad home before me, I'm not sure. The rescue didn't have much information on him. I mostly just find it strange that he allows me to put my face up to his and give him kisses on the beak and on his wings/neck area, but if I even get my hand near him if its not to step up, he freaks out. I'm perfectly ok with Eddie not wanting to have this contact since he allows me to give him kisses and he has even joined in on the fun by making kissy noises back. He can be a little aggressive at times, especially to anyone who isn't me, and I'm working with him on those issues. But anyway, has anyone else had an experience like this?
 

TikiMyn

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It is normal for parrots not to like being touched:) Some do like it, Some don’t. I have a rescue lovie who I got at 1 year old, he likes scritches and kisses over his body and snuggles up to me. But petting him with my hand? Nope. I also have an adopted lovie that came home at 8 months old, he does a sort of kisses but is not reallt cuddly. Never cuddles with his toys either. He is sometimes cupped in my hand when he is playing or eating. I had an old cockatiel who was a rescue and he hated hands close to him. After a few years I could touch his wing and give wing kisses though. You can train him to be touched, I am teaching mine to be okay with touch to make harness training easier. I mostly use a clicker or just a treat, when they look at my open hand I click/treat. Then when they walk to my hand, then when they are next to it, then a little closer etc.:)
 

msplantladi

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I always tell people you want a cuddly pet get a dog or cat....I don't mean to be harsh but its the truth. Now that being said I have had a rare few who liked to be cuddled but its rare, just keep working on gaining the trust and a bonding relationship and he will come around, maybe not cuddly but a better bird once the trust is created.
 

MeganC

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My sun doesn’t like to be touched either. She isn’t afraid of hands, steps up fine, it’s just her personality. She has been this way since I got her as a newly weaned baby. No abuse or anything, it’s just how she is. Your bird might never like to be touched and that it perfectly normal, not all birds do.
 

LydiaB

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I always tell people you want a cuddly pet get a dog or cat....I don't mean to be harsh but its the truth. Now that being said I have had a rare few who liked to be cuddled but its rare, just keep working on gaining the trust and a bonding relationship and he will come around, maybe not cuddly but a better bird once the trust is created.
Yeah, I completely understand that, and I'm alright with the fact that Eddie doesn't like to be cuddled. He's got so many good qualities that I guess I don't mind it. I have 5 other animals in my house (its kind of a zoo) so I have animals of all sorts, some that LOVE cuddling lol.
 

Quaker Carl

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When i rescued my Quaker he hated hands or being touched and it took about 3 month to get him perfectly comfy with it. You have to just be so sweet around him but what really worked for me was hand feeding a few times daily. I did this for weeks and weeks and then id let him take food from the palm of my hand. Always try leave things on a positive note when it comes to using your hands with him. If he steps up then try rub the back of his neck for a quick second then put him back in his comfort zone. Next time try it longer. Its just time and patience. It worked for me. Some birds just need to learn being petted is nice because they havent been in the past. My Quaker loves the back of his neck stroked against the grain. Worth a try x
 
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msplantladi

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I can relate to the zoo situation, I get my cuddles from the 3 dogs & 3 cats...I have a Military Macaw that will rough house play and I can pet or scratch her head but no other time..I have learned to accept each one and their boundaries.
 

Mizzely

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My Hahns, Gizmo, was terrified of hands. Hands can be an instrument of great fear and pain for birds because of things that bad people do with them. She was my heart bird and trusted me, let me snuggle with her, let me rub my nose on her head, etc....but hands were a no no even after a couple of years. She would step up onto any part of me except my hands. Someone in her past really made her fearful of hands.
 

cassiesdad

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Actually, most of our birds don't really like hands or being cuddled. Igor will tolerate scritches- on his schedule...Sunshine will actively seek out cuddles and scritches. The other littles...meh. :meh:

Then there's Milton...there's something in his makeup that demands cuddling, I guess...
 

Lady Jane

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Same here. Murphy is a no touch budgie and Mickey adores being touched. Its just the way they are, just like some humans prefer not to be touched.
 

Nancy B

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Hmmmm....I wonder if that's Freddy's issue lately. The past few days I have not been able to get him to step up on me. Only to Joe or my son. They are more the relaxing tv watching handlers. I am more the let's play and see what we can DO. The only thing I can think of is he hasn't felt like doing a lot the past couple of days. I do notice patterns with him. He'll go through a few days of being very playful and lovie lovie, then days where he doesn't want to be touched at all. We just respect what he wants. Then when he finally comes to me I cuddle and kiss the crap out of him lol. And he soaks it up.....hmmmm....but I only do that when he deprives me of cuddles. Now I wonder if it's on purpose! Little stinker!
 

Wasabisaurus

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Wasabi is mostly hands off, and it’s him who decides when I can stroke his head three times when we play. Four is dangerous. He’s had enough with three. He lets me know when he wants to play by poking his beak thru the cage bars and making a certain sound. It’s then when I am allowed to touch his beak a little.
 

Hjarta5

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Wally can be particular about touching, too. At times, she loves snuggling in the crook of my neck, other times she wants to be independent. During molting season, sometimes she'll love a long preening session by me, while other times she definitely doesnt want any help or will nip my fingers when shes had enough. I havent figured out if there are any signs or conditions as to the whys for any particular attitude, but I do notice that Wally will generally accept more cuddle friendly overtures after shes had a good amount of play, i.e. flying around the house, scrambling on her play gym, etc, and ready to settle down.

During the first year that Wally was with us, she was pretty indifferent to me. But now she is more of a velcro bird, wanting to go wherever I am :)
 
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Garet

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It's normal for some birds to not like being touched by hands while preferring kisses.

Think about it this way; parrots don't show affection by patting eachother with their hands (wings), but a lot of species show affection via 'kisses'.
 

Serin

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It is very common for birds to trust your face and not your hands. A face is much slower and less agile, they learn it can't jump into the cage and grab them. My parakeets and Java allow touching with my nose, but not my hands, for example.

Hands can look like snakes, or the heads of some snapping predator. It's instinctive for birds to fear the shape and this is why, unless it's socialized from a baby, it can be so hard to hand-train a bird.
 

nu2birds

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I can stand next to the cage with one of my shoulders touching the top of the cage and they will slowly climb onto my shoulder. But I cannot put my hand or finger next to them........they will NOT step up onto my hand, but they will ride around on my shoulder.
 

Nancy B

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Hmmm...next time I will nuzzle and kiss him only, and not pat him with my hands. See if I see a change. Thanks! My lovebirds were all hand tame, so I never understood this.
 

Nancy B

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He will step up onto my arm, and one day when I was patting him he put one paw on one hand, and the other paw on the other hand! I said ok, I get it, I will stop lol.
 

Garet

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@Nancy B Aww, that's cute. When my birds don't want to be touched, they just bite me. There's nothing wrong with petting your bird if he likes it, you just have to be mindful of your bird and when he's had enough. Every bird is different and likes or dislikes.
 
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