The Parrot "Bite Me!!!" Club

[haggis]

A few years back i was about to go to bed,I turned the lights off and went up to the cage to say goodnight to Jack and Loui,Jack got a hold of my lip:pinch:and wouldnt let go lol,once he let go i turned the light back on and i had blood streaming down my lip:sick:

He had bit rite thru my top lip:ohmy:

Lesson learnt leave the light on before saying goodnite lol as Jack is a tempermental little sod

[Notsu]

Oh, my! Yes, that would make me leave the lights on also! Hopefully it healed up with no problems! OUCH!!{Feel-bad-00020080}

[haggis]

Lol yes thanks still got the scar tho;)

[nims]

many a time.....................:pinch:

[RyannsGreys]

Hmmm... What does anyone think of that birdtricks.com train you bird to stop biting video?? I have heard tons but have never seen it!

[danmcq]

OUCH Haggis, your a member for certain!!

 

RuannsGreys - Birdtricks is all about making money. In my opinion, they are a waste of money and give faulty advice in many cases.

[Gaevren]

Well I haven't been bitten by a grey but my new cockatiel took a couple good sized chunks out of my finger and thumb! I got him on Saturday and he hadn't really settled in yet but I had an appt. at the vet's on Monday to make sure he is a healthy birdy- so out he had to come! He was really not very happy with me lol. I knew he was going to bite but boy it did hurt nontheless. Then of course the vet showed me how to use a hand towel to take him out of his carrier, gently, and put him back into his cage. I did that when we got home and it worked like a charm.

 

I was worried that I'd set him back a good bit in the whole non-stress, settling in bit, but he seems to have recovered from the trauma pretty well hehe. He's just a few months old so still a baby as well.

 

I can just imagine how painful a larger parrot bite would be!

[LindaMary]

Years ago, I had a budgie, Sketch, who would spend 6-7 hours home alone while I was at college during the day. When I got home and let him out to fly, he would often immediately land on my chest, andwhen I looked down to him, he'd grab my lower lip in his beak - hard! The first time, he almost went through it - so I totally sypmathize, haggis! :blink: :blush: :blink: Believe me, I learned fast not to look down! He never EVER bit me otherwise, soI know it was just him expressing his opinion about being left alone for so long.

[Tycos_mom]

I always thought with budgies and Cockateils you had to take the bites to let them know that biteing isn't going to work I just got a new Cockateil for my Birthday a couple weeks ago. I got about 4 good blood draws from him during the first training session he was parent raised and had not been handled at all in 6or 7 months he's 10 months old so I just took the bite and kept talking sweet and singing and whisting to him and within about 10 to 15 minutes he was sitting on my hand and learning step ups. I just had him to the point where I could give him scritches and cuddle him and he fly off his cage one morning and put up the landing gear but was coming in to fast and broke his toe. Then I was afraid I would hurt him so I had to wait until his toe healed he is better now but he still has a bit of a limp. I don't know if we are going to have to start from scratch again or not. my fingers have just healed up from the first time ouch.

[Journeyman]

When I was in "bird jungle", a bird shop here in NJ that has all kinds of parrots flying free, I came upon a Severed Macaw. The sign said, "take me home and I'll love you forever." Well, not being shy myself with birds, I offered my finger in good faith. The parrot bit the hell out of it! :evil: Having been biten before (but not so hard), I calmly said, "nice bird, ahhhh..." luckily I only suffered a monior injury. The girl on duty came up to me while my finger was in it's beak and said "Yeah, he's not our most friendly bird." :dry: I guess that's why the sign outside the door says "Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult." That's when I found Astro, a Sordid Conure (also known as a Yellow- sided Conure). When I got home and told this story to Cosmo, he laughed.

[LindaMary]

Yep, those severe macaw beaks can leave a pretty deep impression on a person, can't they?:huh: :blink::pinch:

I've had quite a few of those from Tanner during our settling-in phase over the last few months - at one point my daughter was saying "Tanner, if Mom wants any more piercings, she'll pay for them!" (I don't actually have that many...) Thank heaven he is doing much less of this now!

[PrettyPax]

I'm getting used to the occasional bite or nip from my bird - I'm just glad she's not one of those great big Macaws! She can be kind of a brat when it's time to put her back in her cage at night - sometimes I chase her from one side of the room to the other, and ultimately when I do catch her she's not pleased.

Also in the mornings if I'm pressed for time, all I can do is grab her since she won't step up willingly if she knows she's about to be put back in the cage. She's an astute little creature. I do have to remind myself not to show my frustration because then she becomes way more difficult. I love her so much, but she can be very trying on my patience.

[danmcq]

OUCH!!

 

Well, your all definately members of this club, as most parrot owners become sooner or later. :-)

[Journeyman]

Thank God Cosmo never got a hold on me! He can decimate a wooded block in a couple of days. CAGs have one nasty bite. He only tries to bite me if I go to give him a neck scratch or to handle him just before I leave the apartment. If he had his way (and mine) we'd be together all day. He's my buddy!

[shannonzee]

I would LOVE to join thins club!I even have the battle scars to prove it!

My least favorite trick is Belle's classic: She puts her head down, begging for a pet, and when I finally give in, she bites! Ahhh, well, what can we do? We love these little beasts

[danmcq]

OUCH!! Yep, that trick gets us all several more times than we care to admit. :-)

 

Welcome to the club!!

[Char]

Whisper is nearly 14 months old and I have had her since 16 weeks. So far no bites. I know that sooner or later it is bound to happen and I know my feelings are going to be so hurt when it does.

 

If I am doing something or touching her somewhere she doesn't like, she politely takes hold of my finger and moves it.

[Journeyman]

Cosmo is my sweet heart. He's tried to bite me on a few occations, but I knew what he was about to do and why. It's mostly birds that I don't know, and they don't know me. I guess I'm lucky. I picked him because when I asked to hold him, after a couple of greys, he bowed his head and lowered his wings, then played with some stuff that was near by my hand. I asked the breader how he was weaned (which is very important) he told me, and I bought him. His name is Cosmo because the travel carton he was put in said "the cosmic pet traveler".

[Goralka08]

Ouch! I got bite good this afternoon.

Please excuse the "pig nose" shot! It was bleeding so badly at first that when I smiled I had a mouth full of blood. Looked like a hockey player and now my lip is swollen. I just hope I don't have huge scars on my lip considering my face was already stitched from a dog bite in 2nd grade!

 

Kenzie is a good bird, but I'm afraid she is becoming a spoiled brat! :pinch:

 

She is pretty much out of her cage for all day except for a couple hours. Since she is a new pet and I just finished school, I naturally I want to spend all day with her. I've realized that I now need to gradually get her used to staying in her cage for several hours a day because I don't want to have a huge change in her schedule when I get a full-time job! With this economy it will probably take at least 6 months to find anything. Anyways, I'm sure it wouldn't be good for her to go from all day stimulation to being in a cage for 8 hours while I work 5 days a week. I don't want to produce a feather plucking bird.

 

Kenzie is a very sweet bird. She is definitely bonded with me and I'm her favorite. She always tries to get food out of my mouth. If I ask for a kiss she gives me a kiss along with her kissing noise. I call her 1/2 angel 1/2 devil bird. Well, maybe more like 80% angel and 20% devil bird.

 

She gets very angry when we are gone for 2-3 hours grocery shopping or at the mall. When we come home and let her out, she is very nippy and will pinch but not break skin. WELL NOT TODAY! I came home today after only being gone for 2 hours and I let her out and she she lowered her head, and her eyes got real small. She seriously just attacked my lip out of nowhere and I pulled her off of me.

 

The weird thing is...she isn't at all in a pissy mood when I take her out of the cage in the morning after she wakes up.

 

I always let her come out on her own, but now I've learned to just leave her alone for 10-15 minutes (until she settles down) when we return home after a couple hours.

 

Post edited by: Goralka08, at: 2009/01/25 04:41<br><br>Post edited by: Goralka08, at: 2009/01/25 04:43

[judygram]

Gosh Kimberly that is a pretty good bite there on your lip and I can imagine it is pretty sore, yes you are gonna have to watch her more closely when you let her out after being gone for a while.

 

Some greys are different, now Josey does not react that way when I am gone for a while and she has never bitten me YET but I know it could come at any time. You need to be more careful and watch her body language as she is telling you without saying anything to be wary of her.

 

I doubt that will leave any scar if it does it should hardly be noticable.

[Goralka08]

You should see it today! It has turned into a lump of bruises. Looks like a lip injection gone wrong!

[judygram]

A picture would be worth a thousand words Kimberly:S

[she]

ouch, that looks painfull.You will have to watch her. I would not allow her to take food from your mouth, infact keep her away from your face and shoulders.As you found out it hurts.

Charlie would have a go at me if I went to him after he is put back in his cage before I go out.I have learned to leave him alone at that time.Also they ca as Kenzee does become very excited and nippy when you first come home. I leave mine for 10-15 mins till he settled down before letting him out or giving head rubs.

[danmcq]

Oh Man, You are very lucky. I know you don't think so, but that lip area is so soft and easy to bite through.

 

You are a fully honored member of the bite me club with a blue cross for your taking that and writing about it with photo included.

 

Letting your Grey take or even try to take anything out of your mouth is just asking for trouble. If he is excited because your home, the shoulder is a very easy area for him to give you what he thinks are just little love bites, but are painful as hell. A pinch that would just normally make you winch a little will go right through a soft lip.

 

I am very sorry this happened to you. Ive had a nips around the face, neck and ears too when Dayo is excited. It takes a little time, but you'll become very alert to his body sifting that you can feel through your shoulder and have enough time to turn your head in the opposite direction so all he can get is hair on the back of your head.

 

The other solution of course, is to stop allowing him on your shoulder and keep him on your Arm instead. Only you can know what you need to do based on how unpredictable he is.

 

I hope you heal quickly. :-)

[Goralka08]

Thanks Dan! lol I know I'm very lucky that she didn't take a CHUNK out of my lip. Good thing she isn't a Cockatoo or a Macaw because I'd be in serious trouble! :blink:

 

How do you keep a bird from getting on your shoulder? When I put Kenzie on my finger, she then "side steps" like she is dancing the hustle and makes her way to my forearm. I try to keep my arm at a 90* angle, but she will take her beak and grab my shirt to pull herself up to my shoulder. I've tried the hand trick, too, where you keep your arm at 90* and make a "wall" with your hand so they can't get past it, but even that doesn't seem to do the trick.

 

I don't not want to not pick her up because then she'll become mean and yet I don't want her to attack my face. So what do I do? Thanks!