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Parrot wont let me get close

Crystalmat

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Crystal matthews
Hello I'm not aure where to post this on sorry if this is the wrong place, my husband got me a quaker parrot a little over a week ago and any time anyone gets close to him when hea oyt on his cage he flys away and everyone has to run the house trying to catch him( hes very fast) and I cant seem to get him to warm up to me I'm starting to get worried I may never get to hold him and thats all I want to do any suggestions
 

Shezbug

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You will need to earn his trust for him to be comfortable with you touching him and unfortunately even earning trust doesn’t always ensure they’ll want to be held or touched.
Chasing him about when he flies away will only cause him to trust you less so I suggest you quit chasing him or forcibly grabbing/catching him and learn how to be really crazy patient and earn his trust.
It can take a long time sometimes but it is truely worth it once you gain their trust.
 

GoDucks

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Hi, welcome to the site! :)

One week is not long enough for the two of you to bond. I would suggest standing or sitting by his cage and talking to him in a calm quiet voice. To sweeten the pot, drop a goodie in his food dish.
 

Crystalmat

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Ok thank you usually I dont have a problem getting birds to warm up to me but I seem to with him. I wonder if its because he spent 6 months at the pet store I'm not sure its just so hard not to be able to pet him cause he is so darn cute and fluffy looking.
 

Ripshod

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:hello: :welave:
 

sunnysmom

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Welcome! He's adorable. As said, I think you just have to slow things down and try to work at his pace. Being in a pet store for that long might have made him a bit skittish.
 

Cynthia & Percy

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Welcome
 

Kenzie

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I hope you can start making a friendship bond soon! It can take time, however. Ask the store if they're aware of his favorite food/treat. Is he flighted fully or lightly clipped? I assume flighted since he makes you guys chase him.

Try to start getting the most basic of bond within the cage. This means that until he is comfortably stepping up and able to stay on your hand so you can, in the future, not chase him down to cage him, he needs to stay in his cage. You must find his favorite treat for this. Millet, apples, almonds, hey even sunflower seeds if that gets his attention! If he's flighted they aren't the worst treat to give once he is exercising.
- Start by sitting at a comfortable distance. Do your own thing- read a book, browse your phone, watch shows if a TV is nearby, sit with your laptop. He can learn your presence isn't causing any harm. Once he is comfortable with that and not side eyeing you, place treats in his cage at various times- randomly throughout the day. Don't try to give them directly to him. Place in bowl. Do this until you feel you're both ready to move to the next step and this just involves getting a little closer each session at his pace. If he is comfortable? Continue! If he shows signs of anxiety, take a pace back. You will eventually be close and able to talk directly to him (make sure not to stare and avoid eye contact if he seems uncomfortable). This continues until you think you can start luring him to take a treat from your hand. You may meet a stand still at this point where he will take treats from your hands, but won't climb your hand for a while. Takes time. But you're getting there. Once he is comfortably taking treats from your hand and lingering, you can try luring him by holding treat with middle finger/thumb and placing your index as a perch- he must at least touch your finger to grab treat. Pay attention to body language. From there, once you've conquered that, you will have to get him eager to step up and can start slowly taking him out of his cage. Uncomfortable body language? Go back into cage. The pace is his choice. Listen to his feelings through his body language and you will make progress. It could take weeks or months sometimes years but persistence and patience pays off.<- I would recommend this- there are no worries about stressing him out by needing to capture him if you need to leave in a hurry. He can't injure himself by freaking out, he can learn that his cage is his safety spot.
 
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