The Parrot "Bite Me!!!" Club

[KevinD]

I read through this pinned topic, like all 63 pages lol.

 

I can sum up the whole thing for you.

 

At some point your going to get bit, it just happens.

 

Even domesticated Grey's are wild at heart.

 

 

If the grey does not like what your doing, and he is in a bad mood, you will get bit.

 

Its not personal, its just nature

[neoow]

Alfie gave me a good chomp the other day because I dared to suggest it was bed time. He was having so much fun he didn't want to go to bed. I'd already let him stay up late but that wasn't good enough. So when I ask him to step onto my hand, he did... but he also grabbed and squeezed to let me know he wasn't happy about it. He doesn't draw blood- but he does like to let me know when I'm spoiling his fun.

[birdhouse]

That's really a gift! Kura never does either. But Phenix literally always draws blood. It's just a matter of how much.

 

The other day we all went out on an adventure. Phenix was in rare form & up for anything. He even "stopped me" when I was transferring him to the travel cage. He asked for a snuggle. Quality face time where he rubs his cheek to mine (something he learned from watching Kura). It's pretty rare & I will drop everything, every time. He & I spent at least 5 minutes cuddling. One of those moments for sure.

 

Then we all had a lovely afternoon 'telling each other silly stories' until it cooled off & everyone was ready to come in for supper. Still chattering we all unloaded in our usual order. Phenix last.* He gave me another little kiss on the way in the door & then as I latched it & he reached back around & let me have it before he casually headed of to the food trough. -sigh-

 

 

 

 

* because even a Grey doesn't want to be the first back in the cage.

[Congo]

I am a new member and unfortunately am able to join this "club". My event happened exactly like the third post on page 1.

I had just brought home my adopted CAG and his first day went great. The second day is when he decided to enter me into this exclusive club.

I offered him my hand to step up and, as he did, he sucker punched me with a CHOMP! Neosporin and band-aids...

[danmcq]

Welcome to the club!

[shanlung]

 

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[AGPC] Re:Understanding the mind of your grey

Greys are intelligent and I really cannot see their biting in terms of mindless
viciousness from them at all.

Only humans are capable and demonstrate unprovoked viciousness and cruelty. Are
we right in extending that uniquely human trait to the animals in general and
greys in particular?

Greys resort to biting when they are frightened and afraid or if they felt they
cannot communicate anymore of their wishes and preferences.

I remembered the days when I was a tiny boy and a lot more cute than what you
have seen of me in my photos.

My sisters, and their friends, love to pet my cheek when I did not like it. At
that time, if I had known of greys and parrots, I would have turned around and
chomp them on the fingers.

To me, it was so easy to see if birdie is receptive to me or not.
And very often, if birdie is not receptive then (to head rubs or to train
together), just a few minutes later, the birdie will be ready and receptive.

Perhaps its because I do my best to see their moods AT ALL TIMES.
And because I want to see, I do see it.

Smart and intelligent as greys may be, shouldn't the onus be on us the humans
who are supposed to be even smarter?

Are we to blame the parrot because they 'cannot read us' (I think they read us
a lot better!) or should we blame ourselves for not reading them, and in many
cases, deliberately not reading them in the first place.

I think 'Alphas' pay a heavier price for assuming the role of alphas
than those who decide greys are equal and should be treated with the courtesy
and dignity due to fellow sentients.

And if 'Alphas' insist on what they think is God given role as 'Alphas', they
continue to pay the price until they learn.

To each the role they want to play, and the rewards and price they get for
playing those roles.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Far too often, because people do not see or do not wish to see the reason for
the biting, they rather conveniently say the parrot bite them without reasons at
all.

Or they say its the Terrible 2 or 3. That hormonal changes came.
That might be the case. But even at that, the nuances of the emotions can be so
easily seen in them.

Blaming hormonal changes is another cop-out.

Even without hormonal changes, a parrot might get out of the wrong side of the
bed on that day.

I do not do to them what I done the day before because I can do that the day
before or even on the hour just before. That the birdie liked it then do not
mean the birdie like the same thing now.

The birdie showed so much of what they liked that it is so much easier to make
yourself more receptive to their moods there and then and act to them according
to their moods there and then.

That is just simple courtesy and respect to fellow intelligent sentient.

 

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aa


Quote from: danmcq

'I agree 100 percent with you, that they do not bite out of just meaness or viciousness. They did it because we did not respect thier space or body language at the time.'

In this thread at another forum somewhere, there is this lady who love to say she graduated from a bird psychology course in almost everyone of her mail. Whatever that meant. Maybe that she became an expert because she got a printed certificate.

Her grey bite her about once a month, and that it was the fault of the grey. That greys are so individual. But of course! Greys are individuals.
I do not treat Riam the way I treat Tinkerbell. But at the very bottom, they all are the same, including getting out of wrong side of bed.

It was so obvious she relished her role as the Alpha and with her psychology course, that she could psycho the birdie to her will. (guess who I wrote indirectly to in letter of 9 Aug). That she carried the birdie everywhere (guess that she clipped the wings so birdie be less uppity)

Also obviously, I am a nobody to her. With none of those fancy certs to hang in my house and none of those fancy affiliations. So again

And if 'Alphas' insist on what they think is God given role as 'Alphas', they
continue to pay the price until they learn.

To each the role they want to play, and the rewards and price they get for
playing those roles.


I also cannot understand whats all those emphasis on birdie pinning their eyes to be watched out for as the magical precursor to biting.
Tinkerbell, and now Riamfada, they kept pinning their eyes (narrowing and then dilating their pupils) almost all the time when I play with them.

I like to think they pin their eyes even when I am not playing and watching them at all.
I never will know. After all, if I am not watching them, can one know if they pin their eyes then?

One might as well say parrot open their jaws before they chomp on you and watch out that opening of the jaws.

One other very special point I like to make.

I always asked them (by voice or by the very actions) and I watched them, as to everything I like them to do, or allow me to do.
My wishes were almost never rejected by them.

I do believe, the very act of asking them, was perceived by them.

And because I did the courtesy of asking them, they allowed me , and played along with me, because I asked them.

Simple opening of the heart, and courtesy and respect to them, gained me a lot more than a dozen beautiful certificates and affiliations.

Your graduation from my course is your better enjoyment with your birdie and having more magic in your relationship. And a lot less chomping from them.

Isn't that better than a beautiful cert and diploma hanging on your wall?

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Such as this guy in a South East Asian forum who took me to task for asking people to think of allowing their birds to even fly at home or even to fly at all. He wrote of parrot taken out to fly in a room with a ceiling fan on and got decapitated. He then wrote of a bird taken out of cage in room with opened windows and flew out of the house. He said that would never have happened if the wings were clipped.

I cringed at the stupidity of not shutting down the ceiling fan or not closing the windows prior to letting your bird fly. 

That same guy advised on how to stop biting from hookbills saying he is an expert as he was bitten many times by his own parrots. 

I got bitten badly once and once only as reported 'Riamfada gave me her first painful bite ' http://shanlung.livejournal.com/96157.html 

That despite my handling of other birds like M2s and BP2s that I was warned would bite. 

With ‘experts’ like that claiming that being bitten many times making them expert, I am happy to remain an idiot or a student. 

 

But do not get me wrong.  I got bitten very painfully and deliberately by Riamfada with intention to deliver real hurting.

I forgave her.  She was so apologetic.

Here the sordid details of that bite.

From    Riam want the neighbourhood walk // Maya's CAG bullies her //Riamfada gave me her first painful bite

We had been taking Riamfada and the kitties out on neighbourhood walks for a long time now as can be see in this journal.

There are times when I felt lazy. The other day was one of those days. When I got back from work, I took Riam from her room into living room. I thought I skip that walk and did some exercises and recalls with her.

Riam was used to early night sleep. When it got dark, and even with lights on in living room, she would fly back to her room and hang on the beaded curtains and waited for me to step her up on stick and brought into her room for her to sleep.

But that day was early, at about 515pm and still bright outside.

After a few recalls, she turned away from me and flew back to her room to hang on the beaded curtains. I thought that to be strange and I walked over to her to take her back to the living room to let her be and went back to watch the TV. A couple minutes later, she flew back to her room and hang on the curtains. Taken her back to living room and for the 3rd time, she flew back to her room.

My wife at her computer corner next to her room remarked that perhaps Riamfada was unhappy she was not taken for neighbourhood walk.

Riam was used to be harnessed in her room and taken directly for walks before coming back to have her harness removed in living room and then exercises there.

So I got that harness in my hand, picked up Riam on stick and walked back to living room. Riam would normally fly from stick to perch the moment I enter living room. But on this time, Riam flew directly to the bar. Her harness would normally be put on when she was on the bar in her room. I opened the head loop and she bowed her head into that head loop for me to complete that harness on her.

And we went out for the neighbourhood walk. The kitties were already waiting at the garden gate for this ritual walk. They would rush from the gate and clawed their way up the nearby palm tree. Then they would kind of follow us.

I had a call from Maya yesterday. I gave her 3 packs of Tinkerbell Mash when she came over to our place last weekend. I wondered since then if her CAG liked that mash.

Maya had this complain. Her CAG liked the mash so much that he refused all his earlier food. He would overturn the sunflower seeds and stuff. And she was down to her last pack of the three packs I gave her.

I assured her it was not a problem. So that evening walk was to her villa and she came back with me to my place. To see the various dry beans and stuff so she knew what to buy. She had no Internet and my wife gave her a printout of Tink mash. I explained how I use the blender to mash the big beans prior to final cooking with sweet potatoes and carrots and red/green beans and the rice & cereals. I gave her another 3 packs as well to last her till her own cooking of the mash.

After the walk, Riam would do exercises with me. Then she would hang from my shirt for headrubs while I watched TV.

I was playing chess on Internet and she would fly to me, hang on me, perch on basket nearby, or on chair next to me.

I was vaguely conscious that my wife was next to me feeding seeds to Riam. Riam then went on seat of chair and moved under the table away from my wife. I reached under the table to give Riam a headrub.

To my shock, Riam grab my finger between her beak and gave a crunching bite that reached to my soul. "OOWWW", I shouted in pain.

Riam released me immediately and softly cooed to me in baby talk and came out under the table on that chair seat. 

I never imagined Riam could ever hurt me.

My wife was laughing nearby and said that bite was meant for her. She was giving seeds to Riam and tried to give Riam beak rub that Riam refused. Thats why Riam went under the table on that chair. When my finger reached in, Riam must have thought it was my wife.

I think Riam was shocked and dismayed she bite me instead of my wife and gave me all the apologetic noises as well as very very gentle nibbles after that.

I thought Riam was nice to my wife in that the bite , painful as it was, did not break the skin. That must have been a 'warning' nip, but accidently to the wrong party.

Of course, I forgave Riamfada. It was quite understandable.

I live with my wife.

I know.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2018 by shanlung

[JennS]

No bites to speak of from my grey...yet. I just got her home Sunday. She holds my finger or butt's it with her top mandible so far. Dusty, my CGC on the other hand...I have scars with stories of their own! But she still cuddles up with me and rolls around in my sweater (when its not summer).

[Greytness]

Yep! Conures can be nippy little guys at that! My pineapple GCC is the worst.

[Timbersmom]

[KevinD]

Thanks for reposting this, I'm sorry it got lost on the restore

[Timbersmom]

No problem at all. I'm just thankful you take the time to keep the site alive!

[Don B]

I'm one of the lucky ones; Toby hadn't bitten me hard in so long, I couldn't remember the last time he gave me a really hard nip. But yesterday, he was comfortably riding along on my shoulder, when I came to a stop, and he just fell off...... I guess he was distracted by something, because he usually has no problem hanging onto the sweatshirt material; saving himself, by biting hard into my forearm, and hanging there until he could find his way to get his feet on my wrist. No stitches, but nice puncture wounds. I'll be wearing a bandage for a few days now, and have to monitor it closely for any signs of infection. 

[Greytness]

There's nothing quite like the solid purposeful bite from a grey.

[KevinD]

I cant believe, after spending 7 grand to save his life, I told him, if he bites me ONE more time,  I would put him in a pot and eat him. He is a marksman, bites in the same place everytime on my right hand, so much so the scars are HUGE in the EXACT same spot. Got to give him that, he is precise.

Of course I never would, he is a moma's boy. But damn it its pissing me off.

I think the point of this post is they gravitate to one person in the family.

One time reccently, I fell asleep on the couch, and he flew off the cage and landed on my head, tapped me on the head and said Sukei loves daddy.

So if your having biting issues, just wait them out.

Maybe he didnt think it was fair to bite a sleeping person.

These greys always amaze me.

[Timbersmom]

They constantly amaze me too. I'd give a lot to know their thoughts. One of the things that makes them so endearing is how they can bite one day then be such sweethearts the next.

I envy the people here who say their birds "bite but don't draw blood." When Timber bites, he always draws blood. Guess he's an all or nothing type. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's pretty bad.

I won't lie, I've been upset enough a few times to consider parrot skewers for an appetizer in my darkest thoughts while I'm trying to stop the bleeding. I think it hurts my feelings as much as my body. At the end of the day though, I'm more attached to that little grey dander-shedder than I could have possibly imagined. That's the life of a parrot owner!

[KevinD]

Oh, the problem is no one actually says what they feel. Dont feel guilty for being upset about getttin bit. Or What you want to do at the time of the bite. In the end these greys are out of there enviroment for what ever reason. Sukei was actually in Africa, stolen from everything he knows and stuck in a box, with his fellow birds dying on top of him in a crate.

 

I just tried to save his life, and I did, bribed two kuwaiti officials, got taggged by fish and wild life as an evil person, yet here he is alive. 

 

I would not change a thing.

 

I did what I did because it was the right thing to do. Against the law maybe, but Sukei is alive and makes many people happy, and I think generally he is happy too, in fact when mom is home, and plays with him, he is REALLY happy.

 

He would be dead if I didnt do what I did, so what is right and what is wrong, Justice or reality.

 

Personally, I wish everyone would leave thes birds alone and let them live in the wild, the way God meant it to be, but I digress. Its not going to happen.

 

I saved a life, God will judge me if I need judging.

In the mean time, we do the best we can.

[KevinD]

BTW, Sukie is sitting behind me and said "Hello"

[neoow]

Alfie is one of those birds who rarely, if ever, draws blood. The only time he has ever drawn blood is when he got my mum in the ear and on the nose when he was a baby.

I'm thankful for that, because even with no blood he can hurt and leave a mark when he wants to! 

The only time I've been bitten recently is when he was playing on his shelf trying to push his big wooden crate off the shelf (on to my head) so I sat on the sofa with a hand on the box to keep it on the shelf. Alfie figured out that I was the reason why his box wasn't moving, climbed on to the box, shuffled round the edge then leant down and bit me on the finger. It didn't hurt as it wasn't a proper bite- just a 'hey, get off my box'. But it caught me by surprise as I wasn't paying attention! 😁

 

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by neoow

[KevinD]

Alert the media, updated news ! Sukei still bites the crap out of me unless Im real careful. Big news right? LOL He is a momma's grey.

His vocabulary since I last posted is HUGE ! He laughs, burps, sneezes and says bless you when you sneeze, everytime. Its funny.

[Talon]

Oh my!  He sounds like so much fun!  One of my greys when I put her in her cage to bed,, she perches on my finders, then puts one foot on her perch & squeezes as much as she can with her other foot to my finger and holds it..I try and stay quiet as I don't want to make a game of it...BUT  eventually the pain is too much... until she hears me say over & over " LET GO, YOUR HURTING ME" , then she releases me & climbs up to her nightime perch spot.  Grrrr.   they can make you crazy, but we still love them!

[Timbersmom]

I haven't been bitten in several months. Extreme caution and speedy reflexes are the main reason. Also, I'm Timber's "person" unlike Kevin. My husband, on the other hand, is fair game. Timber's game is to see if he can catch him unaware and make contact. In Timber's defense, he hasn't hung and and ground his beak on Gary's flesh for awhile, just gives him a warning pinch.

Well it is a game Talon, just not one you came up with. Little stinkers.

[Nitzey]

Wow.  So many stories.  Here is my latest.  This morning I got Caesar up at his usual time, and gave him his morning treat, walnut pieces.  Then, before I started his breakfast, I began to unload the dishwasher and he flew on my arm and bit me terribly in three places.  What for?  How do I recognize when these events will occur?  Better yet, how to avoid them?  Sometimes he is aggressive in the kitchen.  He loves to attack the sponge I keep by the sink and dish towels; he will destroy the towels given a chance.  My wife thinks I should give him my full attention for a while.  Perhaps that would work.  

[Talon]

I'm so sorry that happened. You just never know what triggers them at times. I have 3 parrots, but one of my greys will get aggressive at times in the kitchen. She will attack an item, a dish, a plate, a pan, a box of plastic wrap, throw dishes & silverware on the floor over & over, boxes of crackers, cereal or pasta. Many times she is fine, but I have to always be on my guard. I am her 4th home & her forever home. so I don't know here history, ( I have had her for 16 1/2 years)  I just stay on guard, I think sometimes the sounds of the dishes, or pasta shaking in a box etc. trigger her. I am super cautious when she is around. If possible, can you keep her out of the kitchen? If not, perhaps perches, toys, things for her to di, distract her may help. MY house looks lie a ginat bird cage with all the stuff I have hanging everywhere. I have also found an empty open paper bag & open empty box keeps her very busy while I am in the kitchen.

 

Best of luck & keep us posted!

[Nitzey]

This morning we prepared his breakfast (corn, peas, carrots) ahead of time.  So, after his walnut treat, he had his breakfast.  Seemed to work.  Yes, Caesar will be entertained by a paper bag for a couple of hours.  Paper bags seem to bring out his aggressive nature though; he will attack it when he first sees it.  

[Timbersmom]

Timber loves to attack a paper bag also. I don't think it makes him more aggressive in general though, I see it as more of a way to play and get rid of some frustration at the same time. Better the bag than my body parts at any rate.

Edited September 27 by Timbersmom