I need help...

[Kaleah]

I have had my 4 year old CAG, Kaleah, for nearly two weeks and things are going great...for the most part. Two days after bringing her home she started regurgitating whenever I would be holding her. After finding out what it means, I was so happy that she had decided to bond with me so quickly. But then it escalated.

 

Now I can't play with her, or even have her out of her cage without her whimpering for me and making the motions to regurgitate. I love playing with her, but the fun for me has been overshadowed by her constant need to do this. She doesn't do it in her cage, only when she's out, but I refuse to leave her in her cage all day just because it's getting to me. I take her "advances" for as long as I can and then it's time to distract her with something else. She has a fave toy she only gets when she's out, but today she didn't even want that as much as she wanted me. When I would try to distract her with it, she would hiss and try to bite me, only to climb onto my lap, up my chest, and onto my shoulder so she could "love my ear up" some more.

 

Everything I've tried from ignoring it, to putting her back in her cage, to redirecting her attention, and so on has made no difference yet, she just tries that much harder. I had someone even tell me that it's possible she has regressed since coming to live with me and that I should feed her oatmeal. That seemed to have made things worse.

 

I have had my two cockatiels for eight years, but this is my first Grey. I'm learning things with Kaleah that I never experienced with my other birds. But the regurgitation is the one thing that I'm stumped on how to stop.

 

Any advice at all would be most appreciated.

[judygram]

When you interact with Kaleah don't pet her down the back, under the wings or anywhere near the tail area as those are the areas of sexual arousal, when she starts the panting and drooping of the wings just say "thank you" and walk away.

My grey is 4 years old too and she has displayed some of those same actions, not so much the regurgitating but the panting and drooping wings but it is only when I go to touch her, she will grab my finger and try to bring me closer to her. You don't want to encourage this behavior for it will only frustrate her and make her more aggressive.

Just keep doing what you are doing and I think you are doing right to try to distract her with a toy or something else after you come back from a few minutes of ignoring her, they don't like to be ignored.

[Kaleah]

Thanks for the advice. Last night when she was on my shoulder I pulled my hair down so it covered my ears, just to see what she would do, and she didn't regurgitate or whimper. She sat nicely on my shoulder and played with strands of my hair for nearly an hour! It was so nice being able to spend time with her where we were both relaxed. It is the first distraction that seems to work. I'm going to try it again today and see how it goes.

[judygram]

How are things going with Kaleah now, please update us.

[TeresaAnn]

Kaleah I also haven't had my Diva very long i was also having the same problem. I come on here with it too. I found out just ingoring her when she does this best. Like Judy also told me that just say thank you and walk away. I also stopped letting her sit on my shoulder for having that same problem when she is on my body i allow her to sit on my chest and my arms and hands only. She hasnt done it for a long time now.