Re-homed cherry headed conure question

[Jett]

My husband and I took in a cherry headed conure from someone that owned him his entire life (about 6 years, I think). The person who we got him from had to move to England and she couldn't take him. This was last Aug. The bird was heartbroken. He loved her so much - when she was with him, he was completely well behaved and trained. She could roll him over and pet his stomach; he would poop on command; she could trim his nails; etc. He is still not comfortable enough with us for any of that. He will respond to step up command only if he feels like it. He plucks his feathers, no matter how much we try to engage him and make his life pleasant. He doesn't seem happy.

My question is this...his former owner may be back in the US for visit this summer. Should I allow the bird to visit with her, or would it be too hard on him? I feel like he could benefit from the closure if he saw her again, but I may just be putting human emotions on it. What do you think?

[atalantae]

Hi Jett.
I do not believe that I would allow them to get together. If The conure was that bonded to her. I do not think it would be a good idea. IMHO... He would think that she was there to take him home. If he is to get used to you and your other half. I would think that you should read to him, talk to him and sing to him. Get some hand held toys and play with them, letting him see you. It might peak his interest.
I may not be right some one here might think other wise, but as I said it is my humble opinion.

[Machelle]

I agee. I dont think its a good idea at all. I think it would make it harder for him to bond to you and our spouse. It can take a long time to earn a birds trust. Training a bird can help with the problems you are having. When I got my amazon, he wasn't all that fond of me. He tolerated me. He will now follow me around the house becuase I tought him a few tricks. Trick traiing has a tendancy to help make them more behaved birds. It helps the bonding process. I actually started to cicker train him, but I kinda got off track with it. But he does know how to do a high 4, shake, and give kisses. There are some great books out there on trick training. Its just a suggestion. Good luck to you.

[Jett]

Thanks for your comments Atalantae and Machelle. I will probably keep him from seeing her. I think we are making progress, as slow as it is. He seems to really love my 6 yr old niece. She came over today to visit with him and he had a very good time for several hours just riding around on her shoulder. He makes delighted noises the entire time and rubs his head on her cheek. He is tolerating me, but that is ok - we'll get through it.

[Monica]

Some conures tend to bond better with younger people, and I've heard of birds who go nuts having the chance to play with little kids! If your little red head is doing some plucking then it could make things worse if he saw his previous owner before. It sounds though like you are trying and that it will take time to gain his trust, but he is one stunning bird!

(sorry if this is late, I'm behind on posts!)

[The Outlaw]

I also agree. I once boarded a congo here for 3 months. Her owner couldn't decide if he wanted to bring her back to his new home when he got married. His little grey had plucker herself so badly, she bled. Her wings were skeletal. It took me 10 days before she would even acknowledge me and then everything changed. She climbed off of her cage and came looking for me. I snuggled and skritched her and told her how much I loved her. She began to bloom.

By day 28, she had refeathered to the down stage and new coverts were appearing. It was on that date that he decided to come visit. She was so angry with him! She bit him, something she had never really done. After visiting for almost an hour, she finally allowed him to touch her. She then settled down and looked up at him with dreamy eyes. It was so heartbreaking.

The following day, when I uncovered her cage, there was a pile of down under her perch. We were right back to square one. It was then I decided to help him let her go. It was simply cruel to keep her in limbo.

This is my Cleo. I've had her ever since. She's totally feathered and very beautiful. She will stay with me so long as I can physically and financially care for her. Never again will I allow anyone to break her heart.

I would not allow her former access to the conure. I know she was a good parront, but the chalice has been passed. If she cannot keep her forever, then she has already said goodbye. JMHO

[Alyce Johnson]

I agree with what everyone else has said about not letting him see his former owner. I have another question though.

I have also taken in a rehomed cherry head conure.
Where do you live?
Is there any chance you would like a 2nd one or that we could buy yours as a companion for ours?
I would just LOVE to get our little guy a friend.

He's SO lonely!

And my only other birds close in size to him are lilac crown amazons - and he's afraid of them. With good reason, I might add - they're way bigger and more aggressive.

Ours is such a sweet little guy but he's so lonely & he calls all day long whenever there isn't a person in the room. It's really sad.

He loves my soon-to-be ex husband. I'm going to let my husband keep him for that reason. But what he really needs is another companion of the same species. I know that would make him the happiest of all. And I think my husband would give him up, if we were sending him off to have a home with another of his own kind.

Conures live in huge flocks in the wild and are very intensely social birds. I have 3 female GC conures and they are constantly loving on each other - grooming one another, cuddling up etc. So I'm fairly sure these cherry heads would both prefer same species company.

I live in CA - in the San Francisco bay area. Please let me know if you would be interesting in our little guy. (He's had a full vet work up & is healthy except for a beak injury that couldn't be totally fixed up.) Or, if you would be interested in selling yours.

Ours is a very friendly little guy but the amazons scare him, and there's no other birds in the house his size, for him to play with at all.

[birdsnthings]

My inclination is toward allowing the visit. Birds do remember people especially a favorite person. Maybe a visit could reassure the bird that all is okay and that is all he/she needs. We can't say for sure what goes on in their minds but we know they have feelings. The bird could be feeling abandoned by the owner.

As an example of a bird seeing the previous owner:

Tiffie, my Umbrella. You know, the Godson who is now my son? Well, he still has visits with his previous owner on the weekends. Guess you can say we are co-parenting but Tiffie enjoys those visits. I can tell he adores her and she adores him but when he comes back to me he is quite mellow. Does it take away from me being his owner? Not at all. He understands that he lives with me and still sees the love of his life (actually, he walks all over her but that's beside the point and I discipline the bird). He has the best of both worlds. Attention and all the toys he could want, showers and some walks during the week. With Deborah he cuddles and doesn't play with toys. What he eats for her he doesn't eat for me. What he eats here he doesn't eat there. Okay, so he has us both wrapped around his talon.
All I am saying is that it may be a positive visit for the bird in a better way. Just a thought and after all we do have their best interest at heart.
Alice