Thank you all for your kind replies. You helped. You also put it back in perspective. I will try to work through it with Petey.
A few responses ... when does he generally bite?
- If I put my hand in his cage, or near his cage. This isn't a problem. He doesn't bite if I'm taking him out of his cage.
- When he's is molting - he often wants me to work his pinfeathers, and I do, but if I touch one wrong, he'll bite. I apologize and we continue.
- If he's out and playing with a tissue, toy, whatever, and my fingers get too close. It's his. I respect that and watch my fingers.
- He loves me but hates my husband.
- If he is out playing on me and one of the dogs or cats get too close, he charges over to attack the dog or cat. (They've learned to avoid him.) Not long ago, my hand was near his attack path. When the dog moved away, Petey bit me instead.
- When I put him back in his cage. I've worked around this -- he gets a favorite treat (almond, grape, strawberry) and I put him back when his mouth is full.
- If I try to remove him from me, and he doesn't want to go. He can sometimes be coaxed with treats. Other times ... it's easier to take my shirt off.
This list isn't unreasonable to me. Sometimes he's cuddly. I don't know what set him off the other day, but it could have been a combination of hormones, maybe, and he is molting. I'm anxious about getting bitten again - I'll have to work on that, too. He definitely frightened me and hurt my feelings. Hopefully he'll be nice.
Thank you again,
Leslie