General

Greetings from South Africa! My name is Kristel, I have just joined, because I desperately need advise and help with my African Grey. I bought him when he was 7 months old, I have now had him for almost two years. I think he has gone into sexual maturity, or is getting there, because..... my once best friend has turned into a screaming, fighting bird! He loved me to death, then one night I came home, he looked at me with a very peculiar look, and I could see the mistrust. When I tried to get him to step onto my arm, he screamed and flew off his cage! He hurt himself. The mistrust seem to worsen, he seems so frightened, he calls for me, but will not allow me near his cage without him screaming and trying to get away from me. He was a great talker, in the month this behaviour has been going on, he has stopped talking as well. Every time he tries to get away from me, my husband etc (funny thing is he does not do this with my 12 year old daughter!), I am scared he will hurt himself, so I have stopped handling him, except when I HAVE to put him back in his cage. He will still get onto my shoulder, but if I move my hand, he screams at me and tries to fly off. I talk to him constantly, his cage is in my room, I take him to different places in the house on his perch, I have been so patient trying to restore our bond, but nothing seems to work. HELP!!