transfer of affection

[Jacob]

My dear wife's really upset.

 

We got our parrot, Jacob, in 2006 (he's now 2 and a half) and he liked her best showing real affection with hugs and kisses and allowing her to handle him. He used to do the regurgitation thing whenever he was with her and make daft baby parrot noises. I was the one who was mistrusted and while he would fly to me and sit for a while, I was bitten regularly and couldn't pick him up for a hug at all.

 

We haven't changed anything we do or the manner in which we behave but recently all changed and I am now favourite and getting all the affection - and I mean all. I can now handle him and he is really demonstrative when I'm around.

 

When Jacob is in his cage, he calls to my wife and lets her stroke him and kiss him most times but he does try and bite every now and again, which doesn't really happen to me now. When he is out it is worse, as Jacob now bites her if he lands on her and flies straight at her and lands on her head where he pecks hard before flying off laughing. He sits about afterwards saying 'No biting!' before doing it all again and it is worse if I leave the room. Sometimes, he is his old self and wants her to hug and stroke him, which she does but has to watch the abrupt change from big hugs to hard biting, which does happen very quickly.

 

It's like he has completely transferred his affection. My wife has now backed off and is really reluctant to have him land on her or try to get him to step up, which they always enjoyed before.

 

Naturally, this is causing unhappiness for both of us. I would welcome any advice on how to overcome this or is this just how it's going to be from now on?

 

J

[Talon]

This is very normal with cags at around 2 1/2 years of age. They will change their preference. I don't know if this lasts. As far as the research I have read, some birds it will last, others go back to the other person after a year or so.