Very serious bite on first visit- lost cause?

[Merrinala]

I fell in love with a cockatoo at a rescue today and was petting her through the cage. She was rubbing up against the cage and really seemed to like me and enjoy the attention. She seemed extremely docile and affectionate.. I didn't pick up on any aggressive body language. She was nibbling on my fingers and in retrospect, how stupid was I to be putting my fingers in biteable range of a bird I don't know... anyway, she clamped down on my finger so hard she ripped my fingernail clean off and punctured all the way through my finger. (I probably could use stitches). I did what I know *not* to do and screamed, but to be fair ripping off fingernails is *literal* torture. She got super excited and danced around after like she was really proud of herself. So my question is: should I take this as a sign that this is not the bird for me, or is it likely that she would not bite me like that under different circumstances (ie bonded, not sticking my dumb fingers in her mouth)? The rescue people said she's normally very sweet...

 

[Shezbug]

Ouch! Bet that hurts!!

Can you spend more time with this bird before you decide either way?

I don’t want to come off as rude so please don’t take it that way… trusting a bird you just met to nibble on your fingers was kinda inviting drama so the bird can’t be blamed for this incident- I’m surprised the rescue people didn’t stop that type of interaction.

Just so you feel better… I stupidly tried to feed a breeder bird that I had only just met a yummy little pine nut through his cage bars- he was so curious and sweet and so perfectly aimed to grab my finger tip, I don’t have full feeling in it anymore and the owner was mortified that I just stood calmly waiting for my finger to be released and then laughed at my silliness while blood poured everywhere.
We often forget to plan ahead when having a nice moment with animals.

I’d spend more time with the bird before making a decision if it was me.

 

[Elysian]

Do you have other birds?

You might already know more than me..
I've never had a 'too but from what I've read this doesn't sound like an uncommon situation? As I understand it 'toos really like affection and pets and cuddles but they also get so excited by it that the switch can flip to bites "without warning".
Their body language isn't always as clear as other birds.

My senegal craves affection like that but also turns it around into hard, clamping bites without discernible warning.
I did not get bitten until after he was home with me, so I never got to ponder it like you are.. I definitely don't regret adopting him. He is super fun to live with. But it's challenging trying to avoid his love for the sake of my own safety.
Very hard to say what kind of choice I might have made if he'd bitten that hard during our rescue visit.

I guess it depends on whether you are okay with the possibility that you might have to be really careful for a really really long time.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Toos are strange, no doubt about it, but you did a not too smart thing. Strange bird - never give them the opportunity - ever. You'll just have to decide for yourself whether you really, really want this bird or not.

My Hank took a chunk out of my hand the day I bought him and after about three years we were best buddies and remained so until the day he died.

 

[Merrinala]

Ouch! Bet that hurts!!

Can you spend more time with this bird before you decide either way?

I don’t want to come off as rude so please don’t take it that way… trusting a bird you just met to nibble on your fingers was kinda inviting drama so the bird can’t be blamed for this incident- I’m surprised the rescue people didn’t stop that type of interaction.

Just so you feel better… I stupidly tried to feed a breeder bird that I had only just met a yummy little pine nut through his cage bars- he was so curious and sweet and so perfectly aimed to grab my finger tip, I don’t have full feeling in it anymore and the owner was mortified that I just stood calmly waiting for my finger to be released and then laughed at my silliness while blood poured everywhere.
We often forget to plan ahead when having a nice moment with animals.

I’d spend more time with the bird before making a decision if it was me.

Very good advice, thank you!

 

[Merrinala]

Toos are strange, no doubt about it, but you did a not too smart thing. Strange bird - never give them the opportunity - ever. You'll just have to decide for yourself whether you really, really want this bird or not.

My Hank took a chunk out of my hand the day I bought him and after about three years we were best buddies and remained so until the day he died.

Thank you, I appreciate the input!

 

[Merrinala]

Do you have other birds?

You might already know more than me..
I've never had a 'too but from what I've read this doesn't sound like an uncommon situation? As I understand it 'toos really like affection and pets and cuddles but they also get so excited by it that the switch can flip to bites "without warning".
Their body language isn't always as clear as other birds.

My senegal craves affection like that but also turns it around into hard, clamping bites without discernible warning.
I did not get bitten until after he was home with me, so I never got to ponder it like you are.. I definitely don't regret adopting him. He is super fun to live with. But it's challenging trying to avoid his love for the sake of my own safety.
Very hard to say what kind of choice I might have made if he'd bitten that hard during our rescue visit.

I guess it depends on whether you are okay with the possibility that you might have to be really careful for a really really long time.

I had 2 elderly toos who have both passed away but they never bit me so I think I was overly confident

 

[Elysian]

I don’t have full feeling in it anymore and the owner was mortified that I just stood calmly waiting for my finger to be released and then laughed at my silliness while blood poured everywhere.

Yikes!
I think my ability to take a bite has been slipping.
I had a young bare-eye with a dull beak clamp down on my finger and keep increasing pressure till the skin split, and I took that one without a peep.. while getting the bird safely from the floor back to his cage.
Stuck my gushing hand in my pocket and said a polite good bye to the store owner.. he never even knew..

Also had my one and only bite from Opie while I was right next to the rescue owner, and they didn't have a clue I'd been bitten until I reluctantly asked for a tissue to wipe the blood off their floor.

Took the first 3 I got from Oggie without reacting..

But dang, the last two have been definitely had me crying out "Oggie why?!? Oggie let go, let go, pleeeaaase let go!"

I don't know how to re-set my tolerance!

 

[Merrinala]

It's not the bite that's so bad... it's that they clamp down and grind... and don't let go!

 

[macawpower58]

Cockatoos are the queens of DRAMA. And watching a human dancing after a bite is so much fun.
I'm also guessing this Too knows very what it was doing. They are smart.
They're also masters of manipulation. Those sweet soul searching eyes hide the little devils inside.
Most Too owners know what each feather quiver means, but the learning was not easy.
Sweetest most loving little devils around.
Don't give up, just get smarter.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

Oww! Sorry you got bit! That sounds extremely painful. And that's all I know about this.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Keno, Goffin's, bit me hard the first time I met her. Even though I walked out of the shop bleeding and without her I went back the next day and purchased her.

 

[Merrinala]

Keno, Goffin's, bit me hard the first time I met her. Even though I walked out of the shop bleeding and without her I went back the next day and purchased her.

And since you brought her home? How is she?

 

[iamwhoiam]

And since you brought her home? How is she?

I got her in 1988 and she's still here. She generally does not try to bite me.
In fact I don't think I've been bitten by her since our first meeting.

 

[Merrinala]

I got her in 1988 and she's still here. She generally does not try to bite me.
In fact I don't think I've been bitten by her since our first meeting.

This gives me hope! Thank you

 

[sunnysmom]

I had 2 elderly toos who have both passed away but they never bit me so I think I was overly confident

You were very fortunate and rare that your cockatoos never bit you. I bet every cockatoo owner here has been bit more than once. (And I am sorry you got bit. It sounds very painful. ) I do pet my cockatoo through the bars but I wouldn't do so with a too I didn't know. They can be weird about strange hands in their cage. So I wouldn't let the bite rule the too out. The good thing about cockatoos is once you know them, they are easy to read. Every bite but one that I got was my fault with my too- wasn't paying attention, let him get too excited, etc. I would try to spend some out of the cage time with her. It sounds like she does like you.

 

[sunnysmom]

I got her in 1988 and she's still here. She generally does not try to bite me.
In fact I don't think I've been bitten by her since our first meeting.

Lol. And I just wrote about me thinking every cockatoo owner has been bit at some point. Good for you and sweet Keno.: )

I guess I should clarify that Elvis has never bit me out of aggression. He just gets really excited.

 

[zoo mom]

Strange 'too. Strange person. In a rescue so probably a lot of other birds and noises equals over excitement. Spend some more time before making a decision.

 

[Dartman]

Every bird I've had has bit me except for Dobby and he latched onto my thumb nail one day when I knew he was wound up and should have left him alone. I did turn my thumb around just in case and that saved me. Very are that they never bite but some birds are just gentle souls that wont bite till every other option is exhausted.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Lol. And I just wrote about me thinking every cockatoo owner has been bit at some point. Good for you and sweet Keno.: )

I guess I should clarify that Elvis has never bit me out of aggression. He just gets really excited.

It's not that she hasn't tried but I always try to stay very aware of her body language. Just like Elvis if she gets overly excited
she might try to grab on hard (also not aggression). If I play with her by ringing her bells she will also try to grab my fingers.
She isn't nice towards the other birds, though, and has bitten a few in the past, and she did that through their cage bars
when she let herself out of her cage.

Cody, BE2, has bitten me hard but it's only happened when she is seizuring. She is not aware that she is doing that. The first time
she seizured I was holding her and I got bitten up quite badly but I wouldn't let go of her until the seizure stopped.