Keno Has Suddenly Turned Naughty

[Memphis]

So all of a sudden my seven month old female has become a very, very naughty bird. She's gotten into this very strange habit of following me around in her cage and trying to bite me when I brush against the cage, get dressed near the cage or point my finger at the bars. She used to NEVER do this. Granted, she's not the most affectionate parrotlet on the planet, everything is on her terms. Now don't get me wrong, she will still step up and allow herself to be scratched and pet but the biting thing is just bizarre.

I don't want to laugh but when she does it she becomes very puffy, which is quite funny to see, and seems to almost enjoy the little game we're playing...even though she's trying to bite me. She's spoiled rotten, not ignored, gets plenty of attention, has a plenty big enough cage, toys...you get the point. So I know she's not attention starved or bored.

I suppose my real question has to be is this common behavior for a female or young bird? Is she going through some sort of stage? I mean I hate to almost break her of the habit since she gets such a rise out of it but at the same time I don't really want to encourage it.

Odd thing is, she doesn't do this when I clean her cage, change her food and water over or reach in to get her to step up on my finger. It's only when I'm on the outside of the cage and she's on the inside. It seems to happen more in the morning right when I uncover her. And if I don't play this weird game with her, she gets a little bent out of shape and starts squeaking for me to come over or Keno will climb to the corner of the cage where I'm closest to get my attention.

I'll have to take a picture of the moment when she's doing it because it's really is funny to see her with her beak open and all puffed up like, "I'm going to get you!"

[chapala]

I wouldn't interact with her or encourage her in any way when she's puffed up and you know she's going to bite. Avoiding the bite helps to keep biting from becoming a habit.

[Memphis]

So I take it this puffing up isn't really a good thing.

She was at it again when I came home from work. But instead of going along with it, I gave her a piece of hardboiled egg white and a few new toys. She now seems to be too preoccupied with them to bother with the "Come here so I can bite you" game.

I suppose this is what I will need to do. When she's looking to be all naughty, focus her attention on something else.

I really appreciate the help. Thanks so much!

[Sally]

When Chipper is puffy etc, I just don't pay a lot of attention. She calms down. No big deal. It is what they do sometimes. They have different moods. Chipper can be feisty and bitey, calm, playful and really, really sweet. I just give her tons of attention when she is cuddley and calm.

[Memphis]

I've had Keno for about five months now and she's never really been a very cuddly bird which is strange because I give her a lot of attention. But I'm beginning to think the puffing is due to over stimulation.

I think she may have ADD (lol). I'm surprised to see how quickly she loses interest in wanting to play the 'biting game' when I give her something else to focus her attention on until she gets sick of that and moves onto something else. She can never sit and chew on one thing for too long without getting bored.

I think she throws fits too. I don't know if it's just Keno, but she'll bounce around her cage then she'll just suddenly stop and flap her wings as hard as she can. She sort of sounds like a helicopter.

She's pretty weird at times.

[chapala]

Parrotlets do that, at least mine does - not so much anymore that he has a lot of out time to fly. When I first got him, he did the helicopter quick flapping in his cage fairly often. They are active and opinionated birds, that's for sure!

[Sally]

Chipper flies a lot so she doesn't flap her wings much. They do that though.

[Memphis]

Well, Keno seems to be getting worse. Now she won't even let me change her toys over or her food without viciously biting me. I can't understand why she's doing this.

I've tried just letting her biting me without pulling back and it's not really having much effect other then my index finger becoming very bloody. I still make her step up nightly several times, give her kisses on her beak and play with her. Oddly enough, she never bites me during these activities. Only seems to happen when she's on top of her cage.

I wonder if she's just extremely territorial of her cage and toys.

[Phenomenon]

Appears to me, that giving her treats when she's "puffy" and "bitey" has taught her this is the way to get treats? So, she may be stepping up the game?

[Memphis]

If that's the case then she learned this behavior rather quickly. I've completely stopped paying attention to her when she's in her 'bad moods' in hopes that she'll learn that if she bites me she gets no love. It's hard but I'm hoping this will pay off.