biting Cecil

[parrotntn]

Today was a first. We've had Cecil in our home for two weeks. He hissed at my wife a couple of times as she walked by me and he was on my shoulder. But today, it APPEARED he wanted to befriend her as she walked by the cage. HE moved towards her like he wanted on. She let him, he moved up her arm, sat down and was looking content. Then, all of a sudden, he reache around and bit her jaw! BIT, not nip, bit. it bled, but it's ok.
Sup with all this??? He had been particularily playful with me just a little before and seemed sort of out of sorts, just not acting right. Not aggressive, just extra figidity. A few downy feathers are coming off. He's eating good appears healthy. Just "odd" acting. So, I put him up, that's when he acted like he wanted to be on wife's shoulder.
He didn't want to get off of her, I had a stick that came with him, (see introduction as I'm birdsitting) so I sort of pried him off of her and onto the stick in fear that she would get hurt.
As I said in my introduction, the owners dont' spend much hand time with him. He's mostly an entertainer.
Thanks,
Mark and bruised wife.

[Cindy215]

edited to remove 2nd dup

[Cindy215]

edited ANOTHER DUP

[Cindy215]

edited to remove yet another dup cheech

[Cindy215]

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[Cindy215]

Poor Cecil. First of all make sure he gets 11-12 hrs sleep no lights tv computers or other human noises. Preferably from dusk to dawn. Parrotlets are famous for needing a long nights sleep or they get upset and cant help it.Then they act many versions of "that". A cover isnt enough.

(curious if your wife has a freckle where he bit her?)

The couple feathers are he's probably reacting to the heat. Hopefully. I'd move the cage away from heat. But against a wall if possible Offer a little saucer with some water for a bath before noon so he can dry.
H

He's wanting attention but not properly socialized so forgive him. Also he's not with his family. And I guarantee you he's not getting enough sleep most dont, Be very very careful of accidents. But if you are letting him out, (thank you for that) let him on his terms. Put a toy of his or something safe on top to sit on. And for something to do. They love shredding. If you dont know about birds dont substitute human stuff just his own stuff. Same with food. Then put a big plate of veggies, dark greens, grains or fruits. Parrotlets LOVE LOVE eating. Bribery. lol no onions avocado chocolate or apple seeds. Be careful the number one cause of death is accidents. They told you to dump and clean his bowls and replace at least once a day, right?

Then when he wants attention you can offer the perch and say step up Cecil and good boy when he does. The question is where to put him lol.

He'll enjoy climbing you on the floor but WATCH OUT dont crush him or throw him if he bites. And no eating the carpet or other dangerous stuff like the sofa or furniture they can die from stuff like stainsafe.

Take a toy down. One of his.

Remove all dangers like cutlery, sink of water, trash cans, ashtrays, close toilets NO CEILING FANS, lock the doors.

OR try this ( SEE BELOW)

lol ....he'll love it and spend all day on it,,,,which i dont recommend as a babysitter it's tricky he's so small. Does he fly?

Thank you for caring about Cecil. They are sweet, funny and smart. They also get lonely. As did my hen until she chose a mate, which takes alot of coordination as they have been known to get violent. (I'm saying that so you dont rush out and get one for him lol)

[Cindy215]

sorry the site is acting wacky...my photo got trunkated

[parrotntn]

well, I'm curious. Ok, I have two kids, 10 and 13. We want to keep Cecil or his replacement, WITH us and not in a separate room. We usually all bed down about 9 or 9:30 and that's when we cover him. (his owners NEVER covered him). and he gets uncovered about 7 or 8.
How do family people integrate 11 hours of sleep with a bird and still keep him WITH the family and his cage not in a nother room?? I don't want him secluded.
Thanks!

[Cindy215]

Well if you work it's tricky especially in the winter. YOu have to think of what is best for your bird not your desires (no offense) because you're intentions are good but not best for him and his health.

They only need to be in a secluded room for sleep. Some people keep a smaller sleeping cage for this purpose in a designated bedroom. They WANT THIS believe me, it's not a punishment. And their bodies need a gradual reduction in light just like outside.

But the working part and family part is the challenge. So they get to spend time with their families and not sleep all the time, yeah I get that. I follow a strict natural daylight schedule including dusk and dawn. Meaning no artificial lighting because they have a sensor in the brain that regulates the metabolism. Every bird's entire body is on a clock from this including breeding and molting. They're designed to happen at specific times.

So following what is going on outside... in whatever season it is, means different amounts of light. Yesterday was the longest day of the year Winter Solstice. Long nights in the winter, long DAYS in the summer.I know this time of year my birds are going to bed at 4:30 and getting up at around 7.

[This schedule is what triggers "breeding season" in the spring and why NO BIRD should be laying eggs now in the Northern Hemisphere since it's not breeding season and very unhealthy to let them throw eggs all year long. Which is a big problem in the captive bird house. Some people never knew and others can't or won't change things]

Anyway, with Parrotlets it's a bit different bec they are a PITA if they dont get the right sleep and not happy. Parrotlets need to need more time overnight than others, some hypothesize because of their HUGELY FAST metabolism they need to regenerate. Meanng they don't ADAPT well at all. They're nippy by nature anyway LOL. Till they figure out what's going on.

Alot of people say "they adjust" but that's not really true. They adjust bec they have no other choice but at what cost? Living captive is an unnatural condition to begin with for birds, they are not a domesticated species but a wild animal. So imo it's really unfair to demand even THIS from them....sacrifice sleep and health to entertain US. But people do it.

Anyway, here's how:

This time of year in the Northern Hemisphere my lights go out at 3:00.Then natural lighting takes over. And my birds are RUNNING to their roost at 4:30. Dusk. At that time I take them into their sleeping room (bedroom) and they stay in that room in the same ambient lighting as it is outside no tv computers radios humans etc,,,till it is dark, then I lower the miniblind and they're out for the night. It's dark by 4:45-5:00. The blind is down at about 5-5:15 Then they get up around 7:00 am.

In the summer, it's more like 830 pm to 6am for other birds but not the parrotlets. They go in first at 6:30. That is their choice, too, they made the schedule.

In ONE way this is a great thing. IT's healthy, just like birds outside notice you dont see birds AWAKE outside after dusk they are bedded down. You dont have to mess with artificial lighting and stuff you follow the sun. YOu always know your schedule and just do it. NOt introducing wierd things like baths at 9 pm. Which is totally against nature and bad.

BUT you need to be home or have the bird set up correctly to do it if you're going to be out. And they will need to have eaten by 2-4 pm and you have to be organized and not mess around or you screw up the metabolism.

Which is the case with birds who's caretakers wont try this and keep them up because they work. In those cases you would fake it with dimmers and black out drapes (which I use in the summer). It's not that hard but I dont care for it unliess I had to since you have to get the dimmer thing etc right.

SO for working (say) people you get a lamp with a dimmer. Simulate dusk and dawn. The turning dimmer you put in the lamp bulb (walmart has) not the tapping kind it only has three levels.

Whatever time you want to be their dusk you stick the lamp on the FLOOR and slowly over 15-30 minutes turn it down. They need to be in their sleeping room (no cover is necessary) for this. YOu'll hear them grind their beaks signal they want sleep. It sounds wacky but it's the angle of the sun too going down. not just how much light, that's why the floor deal. All my rescue friends and I do this as does my vet. I know the floor thing to be true bc when I messed up and was being lazy dimming my floor lamp my birds ALL were flying to the curtain rod to sleep and I thought What the Heck they never do this....duh and as soon as i put the lamp BACK down on the floor it stopped. This was during daylight savings switchover when I was running late at first.

Anyway, it can be done but always please give them as much quiet sleep as possible. YOu'll see a tremendous difference in a Parrotlet too, all the "following you with their open beak" (LOL) behavior stops pretty much.

Sounds like your considering keeping Cecil? That would be so nice so he'd have more of a family that wants to work with him and give him a better life. It must be painful to live by yourself for 20 years with no family life like so many birds. They're not wired that way they are wired to have constant companionship in nature. Even if it means a nip or two lol. But I"m sure that will stop in time.

[Cindy215]

Sorry all the blah blah blah I forgot to even say....the cover really doesnt do much It the lighting. He's probably under there munching away at 7 or whatever time it gets light in his room. A cover is a last resort for people living in, say, a studio and it has to be one of those big heavy ones which arent great for them to inhale their dander and waste all night.

My Parrotlet hen used to go in her happy hut in the summer at 6:15 or so and stick her face all the way UPWARDS with her nose in the air to get her eyes up in that crack of the hut. I realized it was the light. She changed her position with it got dimmer earlier.