Need help with Molly

[elvira]

Need some help please. I have a goffins cockatoo, her name is Molly.She was given to us. She is about 4 years old. I don"t know for sure if she s a she or he but they called her a her. We took her to the vet and she is a healthy bird. We had her since october first,But are problem with are molly is that she is terrified of us, are hands mostly, she runs from us or climbs the cage walls or lets herself fall to the bottom of the cage. She really spazes out. Plus she well not take food from our hands.But yet if we have people over SHE WILL GO TO THEM.LET THEM PET HER. TAKE FOOD FROM THEM. What is up with that? Is she playing us. Should we just go on and get her out of cage by making her step up. Or should we give her more time. I do want her to love us back. Oh and she does not play with any toys. But she eats healthy foods.I do not know what to do We do love her but will she ever love us. Hope you can give us some answers.
Thank You.

[Lori L]

That is VERY strange, she is somehow associating something bad with you guys...that's my first thought. I have a goffins as well and she can't wait to be all over me.

Here's what I do when I have a scared bird. I leave their cage door open and just talk to them. I don't try and make them step up if they are not ready (even though I'm dying to hold them). I let them come out and to me at their own pace. Some times it takes a while and alot of patience.

How long have you had Molly? Has anything happened with you that she might associate as being harmful, like while you were holding her did a kitchen pan drop or a loud noise happen, did someone scream or blast the radio. Birds don't forget and if something happened while she was with you that bothered her then she needs to feel safe and secure again and this might take a while. I would keep her cage open as much as possible and try and have a very calm and serene atmosphere.

I'm sure others who are far more expert on this will chime in on this post.

[elvira]

Hello , we had Molly for only 1 week. She was in her cage when my grandson ran to her with his arm stretched and a toy in his hand he was making a sound like a car and it scared Molly so much. she fell of her perch and screamed Molly has been scared of us ever since. But we did not do that to her. WE were not even close to her, it all happened so fast. We had Molly since october 1st.I get so frustaded I just want to be able to get near her.Thank you for your help.

[KimBear]

If Molly's first few experiences in your home involved a scary incident with your grandson, it makes sense that she's not settling down comfortably with you. Fear is one of those emotions that can overpower just about everything else, so Molly may just be so nervous about her new situation that she can't focus on anything other than her own fear.

This is one of those things that is often solved on its own just from the passage of time, but what you do and don't do in the meantime can make a difference. I recommend backing off and not pushing her because anything you do that scares her is likely to reinforce the idea she has in her mind that you're to be feared. I would definately keep small children away from her, too.

You can begin to earn her trust by just sitting near her when she's in her cage. Talk to her, but don't make too much eye contact if you sense that she's afraid. Watch her body language and when you see that she's getting more relaxed and confident, you can step things up a bit with more eye contact, opening the cage, etc.

It can take some birds months to decide that you're not going to kill them, so be patient. Try to work with Molly in small intervals several times throughout the day, and end each session by putting a small treat in her cup. I'd suggest that you offer it with your fingers, but maybe she's not at that point, and your hand coming too close to her may freak her out, so just put it in her cup. She'll see it.