HELP Please!!

[crittergyrl]

I've had my Grey for a few months now. He seems to be adjusting well, he's picked up words, phrases, and whistles from me, and seems very happy.... except for one thing... he seems to want to be touched. But whenever I go to touch him, he bites me. I can't pick him up... not from the cage, the floor, not anywhere. I don't know what to do! He has bitten hard before, and I'm honestly afraid of that, but I don't want him to be unhappy in any way. What do I do???? :(:(

[judygram]

How do you know he wants you to touch him, what is he doing that makes you think that?

I see from your entry post that your grey is 5 years of age, that means he is about at sexual maturity and you should avoid touching certain areas to keep from sexually arousing him. My grey is 4 years old and I can tell she is showing signs of arousal but I don't encourage such behavior as it will only frustrate her and can lead to them biting you when they don't get the results they want.

[Elvenking]

If you are genuinely afraid when approaching your grey, they will pick that up in a hot second. And it builds fear in them. So know that you also have to absolutely calm and comfortable as well before approaching. The other side of the coin is that depnding on the age...it may take a lot longer for trust to build. Even if you have total confidence, it may take a grey longer to trust. How old is your lil friend?

 

EDIT: Ahh I see...5 years. Well yes...if you ahve only been around each other a few months...I would allow a bit more time for adjustment. I would just continue to be kind and talk to your grey. Offer trats and just allow tons of time where comfort for the bird is not an issue. They start to trust their environment more and then they begin to open up. I personally have never dealt with an older grey and always had the intention of getting one as a baby. But I have heard and understood why they can take a bit more time to adjust to change as they get older.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Elvenking

[Spinner]

Hi Cryttergyrl,

It takes a long time for trust to grow with greys, especially an older bird. I recall reading that Gandalf was taking treats from you. Is he still doing that? Any other signs of interest? Did he ever step up regularly?

 

Do you know any of Gandalf's history? There's likely some baggage and old bad habits to get past.

 

I see you're in Indiana. What area are you in?

 

I know....lots of questions.

[Azzie]

Is it truly a bite, or a warning nip, or a playful pinch? The difference lies in the drawing of blood and firmness of the grip.

[crittergyrl]

I've had him bite me one time that broke the skin, but I don't think that was his fault. I was handing him a treat as I left the house, and I had fingernail polish on, which I never wear because of work, and I handed him the treat kind of sideways, so I think he thought my fingernail polish was what he was supposed to grab. I didn't yell at him or get mad at him, but I've heard him go "Ow!" a few times since, lol.

As for his history... I don't have much on it. As far as I can tell, he never had an 'up' command and was never even allowed to step up... he was just picked up. He has issues with new perches of any size. He freaks out and will completely avoid that part of his cage. After a couple days, I just took it down. I don't want him to feel unsafe.

I have a friend that has scratched his head while he was sitting on his swing. And he gives me the same feather fluffing, head down treatment, but he bites when I try. I know he wants attention because I've been around my mom's Macaw, and have seen the same behavior. I'm just afraid of getting hurt.

I'm more than willing to give him all the time he needs to adjust. I haven't shut his cage door in weeks now, unless his safety demanded it for a few minutes. He has tons of toys to play with and I rotate them and replace them when he seems to get bored. If he doesn't like a toy, I simply take it back down. We've made a game of cleaning out his cage. I use a damp towel to wipe it down, and this agitates him, so I hold it up to him and he bites it and tugs as we both say "arrrhh". He loves to make that sound.

I love this lil guy, and I want to make sure that he's happy, and he seems to be a tad lonely. He hangs on the edge of his cage at night and watches us go to bed as I say "Goodnight, Gandalf". His wings are away from his body, and he bobs his head and flaps just a tiny bit like he wants to go too. He even flew down to my bedroom one night, but I can't pick him up to take him down there to sleep on his perch. I just want to do what's right for him.