OUCH... that hurt Kiki

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Many know, I don't believe in letting my birds be taller than me. When they are, I tend to argue more with them. NOT actually bit. I get taller than birds when needed, especially when Kiki is molting. The other day, Kiki was sitting on the refrigerator ( her latest hangout). I was cooking several dinners for the week, so I was in the kitchen for around two hours. Kiki was on the top of refrig, checking out the basket I have filled with toys. I decided to play some opera, which Kiki likes. We played it for two hours. She was in heaven... singing back. Sean came downstairs... begged us to stop singing as we were giving him a headache! LOL! After being on top of refrig, I felt she needed to go back to her cage for toileting reasons. She got sooooo pissed at me, bit my hand and drew blood. OUCH! Kiki hasn't drawn blood for a decade! I was soooo annoyed! I told Sean to get his bird! He laughed at me. ( She's MY bird, when she is naughty!) He told me... "Why did you pick her up?" You have to take the basket down, pick her up when you are taller than her!" What were you thinking! Ummmm... I guess I wasn't! Nancy

[Jayd]

I'm sorry, I thought Kiki was a Amazon? My mistake.....

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I already told you PEACE! Yes Kiki is an Amazon. Sorry I posted under GREY. Nancy

[Luvparrots]

My parrots are always taller than me, of course, if I am sitting down, and they are sitting with me they are not. I am not sure what being taller has to do with anything as my parrots are all flighted and normally taller or higher up than me.

[danmcq]

Nancy - I knew it was just a matter of time before you received a bite.

 

Here's my thoughts on a parrot being higher than you:

 

1. It does not make them dominant, it makes them basically unreachable.

2. They have the advantage because you must stretch most the time with your hand up there, which they can then easily bite.

3. They can just move back further and avoid you.

4. They can just fly to another high spot.

 

Those of us with flighted birds know that if our parrot does not want to go in to their cage or step up for us, one of two things will happen. We will either get bitten or they will fly to a place they know we cannot get them down from.

 

Thus, those of us with flighted birds must come up with ways, times and places we know we can get a step up to either take them with us, place them in a carrier or back in their cage.

 

Nancy has been right about this issue of height. It's just not them dominating us, it is just they can avoid us.

Edited January 9, 2013 by danmcq

[Acappella]

Sean came downstairs... begged us to stop singing as we were giving him a headache! LOL!

 

That's when I'm glad I live alone. No one to complain about Dorian and I singing but the cat!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

danmcq never thought of it that way! I think my feelings were more hurt since its been ten years since I was bit. I'll have to think about that, since I know when Kiki molts she is a woman on steroids! She will run across all the cages, but stop short of biting me if I am taller than her. She would have bit the crap out of me if I was shorter. Nancy

[katana600]

It was a huge surprise when Gilbert bit me the worst right in the middle of his bedtime almond routine. I still don't think I am over it and wonder if ten years will change that. But if you have read Kiki's signals for ten years without suffering a bite, I would say that is a pretty high success rate. I didn't look at the dates of your posts, but was wondering if Sophie is getting more range and Kiki is picking up on that and wanted to guard her refrigerator perch that she recently discovered and didn't want anyone else to join her up there. I do agree with Dan that my own birds go high when they are trying to avoid anything that I am doing that they anticipate they will not like. For a little while Java would go to the top of our highest windows in the living room and just cling to the window frames. Then she was a screeching little harpie when I consistently got a telescoping duster and chased her from her great height. She would do a flyover and try to pull my hair in her snit. Once she realized that going higher wasn't going to stop the inevitable, she hasn't gone up there any more.

[JeffNOK]

Sorry you got bitten Nancy. The feelings do get hurt more than the actual physical pain. Hopefully you will go at least another ten years before Kiki bites you again. I had gone about three months without a bite when Gracie got me several weeks ago. We had "talk" about that and now one of Gracie's favorite phrases is "No Bite"--and she hasn't (knock wood).

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Awww Gracie understands biting. I think when they say " no bite", they get it. I did truly have to squeeze my wound to get it to bleed. LOL! I pointed it out to Kiki, she knew my feelings were hurt. She knew I was offended. While discussing this with her, I watched her eyes. Her pupils were dialating and constricting, but not in a defensive mode. She knew I was upset. I told her I loved her, gave her a kiss. We were good. Nancy