britbrat
Checking out the neighborhood
- Joined
- 8/11/22
- Messages
- 1
- Real Name
- Britt
I have been following this forum for five years now, it's actually the forum that helped me when I was just learning about birds and what kind would be best in my home. Four years ago I brought home a six month old GCC that the breeder described as 'wild' because she was unable to interact with her huge group of GCC due to an injury. For the sake of not knowing the gender of my GCC, I will use 'they'. My hubby and I named our GCC Atlas and immediately got to work on bonding.
Atlas chose my husband over myself, but we worked through it, and I have my own unique bond with Atlas. Once Atlas was about a year to 2 years they became super aggressive, very territorial, and became loud all day whether someone was home or not (I had a camera set up to watch Atlas). We had already gone through stick training, flight training, daily little tricks, rewards with treats for being calm and sweet, alone time when being a bit bratty. But all of a sudden Atlas was unmanageable, and I figured the hormonal time had come. The only problem is they never actually got over it. I understand that GCC's have a stubborn streak, but it seems that once I get Atlas used to stick training all over again (have to reintroduce it every six months or so) and try to wean off using a perch for picking them up every time, then a couple weeks later Atlas is aggressively attacking my hand, flying at my face and biting my nose/mouth. Occasionally, Atlas has attacked my hubby, but not as often as myself (I am home the most of the two of us). I've switched things around in their cage, not to mention their cage is set up in their own room away from their stand (in the living room) to try and prevent cage aggression, but it has never worked. Atlas is also very aggressive on their stand.
They are extremely reactive to noises, alarm screaming to any sort of noise such as the tv on, microwave running, keyboard on a computer clicking, music playing, the wind chimes outside dinging, Tupperware snapping- and this is occurring when Atlas is with us/on us/near us, but Atlas is even more reactive to such noises at their cage. That was my first major concern with Atlas, and I had an avian vet run numerous tests to make sure that Atlas was 'all right' and didn't have any needs that weren't being met medically. Atlas had a clean bill of health! Four years on, the reaction to noises still exists. To the point that I can't even be home on the weekends because the screams/alarm mode Atlas goes in is so loud and continuous that it makes staying home extremely unpleasant. I have read everything on this forum since 2018 and screaming typically is associated with loneliness and boredom. Atlas has plenty of toys (which on camera they play with quite frequently throughout the day), 3-4 hours of daily interaction with my hubby and/or myself, fresh veggies along with pellets. Atlas is put to bed every night by 7 p.m. and is woken up (or wakes us up) by 7-7:30 a.m. **edit: Also, we have always made sure to not be reactive to the screaming, there is a parrot sanctuary nearby and the individual who runs it always told us to ignore all screaming, unfortunately it almost seems like that has made Atlas scream louder. They're a flock animal so maybe the ignoring somehow inadvertently taught them to scream louder and longer? This is my only possibly idea on the insane nonstop screaming.
As of May 2022, Atlas is four years old, nearly five. And this has been a constant problem since 2020, with some of it already starting in 2019 shortly after getting them. Every single day this week Atlas has been out at my hand, and gotten me twice really good. This is abnormal for them as the aggression typically is random throughout the week, not consistently every day. Nothing in their schedule has changed, and they refuse to participate in stick training or any training at all really. As soon as I come home for lunch Atlas begins loudly vocalizing and as soon as I try to open their cage I am immediately being attacked/bitten. I've even tried only handling them with a perch, but they refuse to get near the perch, not for a treat, not to come out of the cage.
Does this sound hormonal? Should a GCC be this aggressive and loud nearly all year round? I have one more thing to mention, my hubby was home during covid for a couple months and said that Atlas would only start screaming and become aggressive when I would come home from work... not sure what that would mean. I'm at my wits end and I have no idea what to do with the parrot. Atlas has his good moments where they are cuddly and affectionate, but they are increasingly becoming few and far in between.
Help please!!!
Atlas chose my husband over myself, but we worked through it, and I have my own unique bond with Atlas. Once Atlas was about a year to 2 years they became super aggressive, very territorial, and became loud all day whether someone was home or not (I had a camera set up to watch Atlas). We had already gone through stick training, flight training, daily little tricks, rewards with treats for being calm and sweet, alone time when being a bit bratty. But all of a sudden Atlas was unmanageable, and I figured the hormonal time had come. The only problem is they never actually got over it. I understand that GCC's have a stubborn streak, but it seems that once I get Atlas used to stick training all over again (have to reintroduce it every six months or so) and try to wean off using a perch for picking them up every time, then a couple weeks later Atlas is aggressively attacking my hand, flying at my face and biting my nose/mouth. Occasionally, Atlas has attacked my hubby, but not as often as myself (I am home the most of the two of us). I've switched things around in their cage, not to mention their cage is set up in their own room away from their stand (in the living room) to try and prevent cage aggression, but it has never worked. Atlas is also very aggressive on their stand.
They are extremely reactive to noises, alarm screaming to any sort of noise such as the tv on, microwave running, keyboard on a computer clicking, music playing, the wind chimes outside dinging, Tupperware snapping- and this is occurring when Atlas is with us/on us/near us, but Atlas is even more reactive to such noises at their cage. That was my first major concern with Atlas, and I had an avian vet run numerous tests to make sure that Atlas was 'all right' and didn't have any needs that weren't being met medically. Atlas had a clean bill of health! Four years on, the reaction to noises still exists. To the point that I can't even be home on the weekends because the screams/alarm mode Atlas goes in is so loud and continuous that it makes staying home extremely unpleasant. I have read everything on this forum since 2018 and screaming typically is associated with loneliness and boredom. Atlas has plenty of toys (which on camera they play with quite frequently throughout the day), 3-4 hours of daily interaction with my hubby and/or myself, fresh veggies along with pellets. Atlas is put to bed every night by 7 p.m. and is woken up (or wakes us up) by 7-7:30 a.m. **edit: Also, we have always made sure to not be reactive to the screaming, there is a parrot sanctuary nearby and the individual who runs it always told us to ignore all screaming, unfortunately it almost seems like that has made Atlas scream louder. They're a flock animal so maybe the ignoring somehow inadvertently taught them to scream louder and longer? This is my only possibly idea on the insane nonstop screaming.
As of May 2022, Atlas is four years old, nearly five. And this has been a constant problem since 2020, with some of it already starting in 2019 shortly after getting them. Every single day this week Atlas has been out at my hand, and gotten me twice really good. This is abnormal for them as the aggression typically is random throughout the week, not consistently every day. Nothing in their schedule has changed, and they refuse to participate in stick training or any training at all really. As soon as I come home for lunch Atlas begins loudly vocalizing and as soon as I try to open their cage I am immediately being attacked/bitten. I've even tried only handling them with a perch, but they refuse to get near the perch, not for a treat, not to come out of the cage.
Does this sound hormonal? Should a GCC be this aggressive and loud nearly all year round? I have one more thing to mention, my hubby was home during covid for a couple months and said that Atlas would only start screaming and become aggressive when I would come home from work... not sure what that would mean. I'm at my wits end and I have no idea what to do with the parrot. Atlas has his good moments where they are cuddly and affectionate, but they are increasingly becoming few and far in between.
Help please!!!
Last edited: