The Parrot "Bite Me!!!" Club

[danmcq]

Goralka08 wrote:

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!

 

Using the opposite hand to block her from climbing up should work. You just need to NOT let her climb over it and do not let her grab a sleeve for example to pull herself up. Its hard because the are persistent once they are used to doing something. The biggest thing is you need to be just as persistent in not letting her do it. :-)

 

It's your call on if you want her on your shoulder or not. You just need to decide if you can react and handle the situation when you feel her weight shift.

 

The other thing is, if you know she is all excited because you just got home. Do not let her get on you at all until she is settled down. It's tough, but we have to do that with our Grey. Their just like a child or a dog running around crazy with excitement. Just let her calm down a little.

 

Stopping her from sitting on your shoulder will not make her mean. You can still do all the scratching, cuddling etc. that she lets you do.

[BaxtersMom]

Kimberly, that is one heck of a bite. :ohmy: Ouch!!! My eclectus gave me one similar to that on my bottom lip when I first got him. He didn't break the skin but he left a red v mark in the shape of his beak kinda like the one you are wearing;) . It was like a blood blister almost. So I know the pain you are in. I used lots of lipstick for about a week to cover it up:laugh: Hope it heals soon for you.

[LilosMom]

Firs rule about the bite club is you don’t talk about the bite club.. ok ok bad joke or somebody probably already used it…

 

Kimberly that is some serious bite, hopefully its a lot better by now…

 

Today, I went to "Bird jungle" as well (referred by Journeyman's post) and saw a seemly very eager to play soft fluffy looking cockatoo. He/She gave me the pick me up signal (one foot raised) So of course… offered he/she my hand. He got me by the meat between my thumb and index finger and pull backwards and did a upside down on it, like he was determine to take a chunk with him. I didn’t want to scream (or cry)… good thing hubby saw my facial expression from the other side and came to my rescue.

Asides from that, Lilo still gives me occasion nips here and there, they are not as bad as they used to be, but every once awhile I still need to get some bandage out to stop it from bleeding..So I definitely belong here in the Bite club!

[judygram]

You got "suckered" in Eve, that cockatoo has probably got that act down pat, hard to tell how many people he fools into thinking they are just gonna have him step up onto their hand and BAM he has you by the flesh determined to keep a little souvenir, gotta watch out for them.:ohmy: :pinch:

[Goralka08]

Erika-

 

That picture was from right after I was bitten. The second day it looked much worse because it was very bruised and a swollen bubble. I CANNOT believe how good it looks already. I've been using really good chapstick to keep it moist and it's really helping it heal nicely. My dad says you can barely notice it now!

[gbdb_kcb]

Hi dan,

 

Well I am sitting here with tears rolling down my face because my little Booty Goo wants nothing to do with me and all she does is bite me now. I walk over to her cage where usually she would just step up and now she looks at me, then looks at my hand and then bite... She stopped doing that for a good while, but then after having our house guest and Booty loves her. It seems I am the bitten one. The house guest is gone (only by a day) but Booty really doesnt want anything to do with me. How can I change this? Dan do you think she will ever like me again. I am just so sad...

[danmcq]

gbdb_kcb wrote:

Hi dan,

 

Well I am sitting here with tears rolling down my face because my little Booty Goo wants nothing to do with me and all she does is bite me now. <snip> Dan do you think she will ever like me again. I am just so sad...

 

Oh, I feel for you my dear!

 

I can certainly understand how you feel right now. I do believe Booty will come back around. Right now is such a short time since all the activity and Booty finding a "Best Friend" to interact with and enjoy.

 

She will come back around just due to the need of wanting someone to interact with and enjoy...Thats you. You are the one thats always been there day and night and you are the one that will still be there many years from now.

 

Be encouraged, yet hurting inside. Be cheerful, yet sad inside. Put on your best face, voice and attitude on for her and she will respond in a little while. :-)

 

She is just getting over the loss of a new found friend from outside the family flock.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/01/29 15:30

[Acappella]

I'm sure she'll come around, for all the reasons Dan listed above. Spend lots of time by the cage talking, even reading, to her. Offer to share parts of your meals. Don't try to make her step-up right now, just let her decide to come to you. I wouldn't even try to touch her right now. They're such flock animals, with a strong need for community, she'll come around. Animals can sense when there is a kind, loving, consistent presence around them. It may take awhile, but what's a few days or even weeks in the life of a pet that will be with you for years. It'll be ok.

[Sallas]

A couple months ago, my fiancee and I went to a local parrot rescue (we buy our food from them and always check to see if there is that perfect member to fill my open cage and become a member of our flock).

 

Well there was a citron cockatoo that my fiancee fell in love with, he was dancing for her and cuddling with her. She wanted me to check "Scooter" out, so I went by his cage and there is a large sign that says "Prefers Women". Well I am the type of person that animals are just drawn to, I can usually tell what they want. I pointed the sign out to my fiancee and was a little leary of him, but she seemed to love him so I figured if I get bit, I get bit.

 

I srated offering my hand and stopped at a safe distance to read his body language, and his body language was good, so I continued. He stepped up very nicely. he was dancing and all sorts of stuff for me. All of the people at the rescue were in total shock that not only did I not get bit, but he loved me.

 

The director of the rescue took us upstairs to an aread where they have a couple couches, some bird toys and stands. It is a little area where you can play with and get to know the bird. Scooter was dancing back and forth on my arm and it looked like on one of his dance moves he got really close to my fiancee's cheek. Well she said owe, and it did not look like he had bitten her, but she moved her hand and there was A LOT of blood. (I really do not think the bird even meant to bite her, I think this bird really liked the both of us and was just excited to be out and playing with us). Well, after she was cleaned up, we filled out an application for the bird and it takes them a little while to review the app.

 

I had sat my fiancee down a couple days later so the initial shock was wore off, and asked her to honestly answer me if after that bite, if she would be able to forgive the bird and not be scared of it. She did not think she would be able to, so I had to call the rescue and tell them that we decided against scooter (I still really think he was just excited).

 

But now after two months, we can tell she is going to have a decent scar from the experience.

 

I really wanted a CAG to fill the last spot in my house, but he was such a friendly guy, my only worry would have been if he would have gotten along with my TAGs. I am not sure a cockatoo would do well in a house with that many other birds. Cockatoos like to be the center of attention.

[danmcq]

Wow, so sorry to hear of the bite your fiance took from the Cockatoo.

 

I think your right. If you get another birdy, it should be another Grey CAG. Thats what you really seem to wnt in the first place. Too's are really needful in terms fo attention.

[Sallas]

I think I found the image that you can put on the T-Shirt as the mascot for your club (I am not a member YET)

 

[chimaysmommy]

I think my younger brother became a member of this club and didn't even know it! We had a TAG named Shady when I was in high school, and he was terrified of her when she first came home. About a month after she arrived, my mom was trying to sit down with my bro to get him acquainted with her gradually. He finally worked up the courage to hold her, and at first it looked like it was going well. He was talking to her softly and just letting her perch. She didn't beak his fingers or anything, just casually sauntered her way up his arm to his shoulder. We all thought it was a touching moment, until she took full hold of his earlobe and bit down. He was too afraid to scream so his face just kind of scrunched and he didn't show pain until after she was safely removed from his shoulder. No scars, it healed up nicely and he wound up getting both of his ears pierced anyway about five years later. Ha!

[TinyTimneh]

Gee, I've been a member of this club now for years and never even joined lol!

 

Here's my bite report card so to speak:

 

TAG: 10 times over 4-5 years, all on my hands

Horse: once, I was very young

Fish: twice

Cat: three times

Dog: can't even remember--- multiple

Guinea pig: once

Hamster: maybe twice

Cockatiel: at least twenty times, mostly on the hands, couple on my face, she has a lot of mood swings

Squirrel: once

Lineolated parakeet: about twenty times mostly on the hands

Budgies: lol, I've lost count

Lovebird: maybe twice

Hahn's macaw: once.. oww

Parrotlet: five times

 

And I think that's the end of it. So whaddya say guys? Do I qualify for the bite me club ?

[she]

Yes you qualify. I have been bitten by a horse once .I remember it vividly.

[GorgASS]

i'm not a member of the bite me club (yet, and hopefully never lol). someone said they got their earings ripped out by their grey (youch:pinch: ...i feel for you!) so it should be interesting when i finally get mine! as you can (maybe)see from my pic i've got a few piercings (8 in my ears and 8 (gonna be 9 later today) in my face) so cross your fingers everybody they stay where they are and i won't have to join:) lol

[Eckobird]

My mother DEFINATELY belongs to this club! One day she was putting Slater(her grey) back into his cage and he wasn't happy about that but she didn't know that he was mad so she went to give him a kiss and he bit a hole right on the tip of her tongue! :pinch: OUCHHH she has no feeling at the tip of her tongue anymore!:

[danmcq]

Oh man, all these bites definately make you and family members of this club.

 

I like that logo. :-)

[HeatherStrella]

I do believe spring has sprung. I hope this season isn't as bad as last year. Although, so far, the bites are worse...last weekend was bad but yesterday and today have been good. I'm crossing my fingers that it was just a bad weekend. Check out my hand.

 

 

 

The photo of my hand is two bites..and I have a puncture on the meaty part of my palm. The one that looks like a deep scratch is from me pulling my hand away. (it's healed a lot since it happened) I assume she swallowed some skin on that one. :sick: Then my middle finger knuckle is another bite. It had a band-aid on it, that's why it looks wet and fresh. All from this weekend...two bites on saturday...one on sunday.

[John_Woodside]

I dunno if I can join the club, I've been bitten a lot, but from the pet store birds only, the people at animal jungle suggested I get used to handling birds before I get a grey.

 

A major mitchell's tried to rip my ear off and both of the greenwing macaws put bruises on my arm, one each. I guess I didnt take the hint well enough.

[danmcq]

John, Macaws are no joke, as you know.

 

I personally have a friend that received a vice like bite on the wrist area from a Scarlet Macaw that left his entire hand numb for over a week.

 

A Grey however with its sharper beak, pierces to the bone like butter in the blinnk of an eye. :pinch:

[SchroedersJen]

I met a man at a bird owners club that was missing an earlobe. His blue and gold had kindly removed it for him. Then he showen me a thum that didn't work very well because his grey had bitten through the bone and muscle....I suggested that he keep goldfish in his next life. I sure am glad Schroeder is a timneh and has a small beak!

[judygram]

Hyacinths are very big birds but amazingly they are very gentle, hence they are referred to as "gentle giants". One of the members of our bird club has two of these creatures and she says both of them are as sweet as can be. She usually brings them to the bird fair every year but I keep my distance for they do have some powerful looking beaks, capable of much damage.

[Ophee]

Well just received my first real bite... Am I one of the elite now? :woohoo:

 

I was sitting on the back porch drinking my coffee with Weasel in my lap getting her head scratches... Our usual morning routine. Out of the blue Weasel grabs my hand with her feet and proceeds to wrap herself around my hand in a very cat-like manner and lays into the back of my hand rather vigorously - OUCH! I then spill my coffee (freshly poured I might add) right on my groin... I think most men here can easily imagine the string of words that followed. I then told Weasel "No!" to no avail so I firmly took hold of Weasels head and gently pulled telling her "No" once more. This only made her bite me again this time completely hooking her bill under my skin and pulling. Well I'd had quite enough so I shook her off my hand, picked her up told her "No bite!" and put her in her cage. She of course immediately begins cooing and keening begging to be let out. Needless to say, she's still in her cage as I type this!

 

Hopefully this is just temporary and related to it being spring. She's never been a nippy bird, she will gently grab a finger to let me know when she doesn't like something but in the past 2 days she has become a little bit nippy and today was the first time she's actually bitten me.

[Azzie]

Seems Cleo has this ability to remove just the layers of skin from my fingers. She grabs on, does a sideways slicing movement with her bottom jaw, and voila, a piece of skin ready for grafting ><

I now have the bottle of iodine on standby.

[Partner316]

Well, at one point when I allowed Partner on my shoulder while he was still at the pet store, something spooked him and he swung around and got my face, luckily it was one of his slower moments where I had enough time to react to avoid getting hurt to bad, but I believe it was my fault. Ever since than he has never done any sort of hard biting, but he does like to nibble on my fingers.

 

This lady that came into the store where I got Partner didn't really know how to handle him, so he went about 3/4 of the way up her arm and she put her finger horizontally in front of his beak... he nip and first, she pulled away. She put her finger there again, he grabbed a huge chunk of loose skin and just completely sliced it.

 

I warned her he may do that, but she didn't listen lol. But she wasn't mad at him, she was a good sport about it.