Post by siobhan on Apr 13, 2018 15:19:42 GMT -5
Rocky has decided I am the enemy.
Just this week, he has bitten me badly three times -- blood but not stitches. A few weeks ago he bit me so badly that I have a scar from the puncture wound he gave me. He has climbed down and charged at me several times to attack. As far as I can discern, nothing has changed that could account for this. We don't have different furniture or smells or critters or haircuts. It's more than just spring hormone behavior. He was aggressive toward my husband early on in his time with us and bit him badly a few times, but they've come to an understanding and he hasn't changed toward him at all. It's all aimed at me. Bill can't handle him without a T-stand, but they're fine when he uses that. I can't even use the T-stand. Yesterday he was so bad that he had to be locked into his cage. I couldn't even be in the room with him otherwise. I've consulted two people I know who I consider parrot experts and I had already tried all their suggestions. So we're at an impasse. If I thought it was just hormones and he'd settle after a while, maybe we could wait it out and he'd just have to be locked in his cage a lot for a week or two. I've had to do that with Clyde a couple of times and in a few days, he'd get over it and go back to normal. But there's a giant difference between a Quaker chomping you and a cockatoo trying to amputate your arm. Yesterday, I was changing his paper and he aimed for my ear and missed and got my shoulder and gave me a vicious bite and tried to tear a piece of me off. It's only by the grace of God that he didn't actually get my ear or I would be missing a piece of it today.
I've been in contact with a friend whose cockatoo died and who has other big birds and she not only will take him, she WANTS to and is experienced with cockatoos. She has offered to take him temporarily if that's what we want, just a sort of respite care situation, or take him permanently. She's okay with either option. If I hand him over to her, it would have to be permanent. I don't want to shake him up by moving him there and then moving him back in a week or a month or whatever. On the one hand, I can't live with keeping him locked up all the time. That's not fair to him, and it makes him scream, which isn't fair to us and our dog's sensitive ears. Neither can I have an attacking bird chasing me around my own house and injuring me. On the other hand, I promised him a forever home, and living with him is so difficult that I have considered rehoming him more than once. When he's sweet, he's darling. But when he's not, he's horrible, and I have never seen him like he's been this week.
Just this week, he has bitten me badly three times -- blood but not stitches. A few weeks ago he bit me so badly that I have a scar from the puncture wound he gave me. He has climbed down and charged at me several times to attack. As far as I can discern, nothing has changed that could account for this. We don't have different furniture or smells or critters or haircuts. It's more than just spring hormone behavior. He was aggressive toward my husband early on in his time with us and bit him badly a few times, but they've come to an understanding and he hasn't changed toward him at all. It's all aimed at me. Bill can't handle him without a T-stand, but they're fine when he uses that. I can't even use the T-stand. Yesterday he was so bad that he had to be locked into his cage. I couldn't even be in the room with him otherwise. I've consulted two people I know who I consider parrot experts and I had already tried all their suggestions. So we're at an impasse. If I thought it was just hormones and he'd settle after a while, maybe we could wait it out and he'd just have to be locked in his cage a lot for a week or two. I've had to do that with Clyde a couple of times and in a few days, he'd get over it and go back to normal. But there's a giant difference between a Quaker chomping you and a cockatoo trying to amputate your arm. Yesterday, I was changing his paper and he aimed for my ear and missed and got my shoulder and gave me a vicious bite and tried to tear a piece of me off. It's only by the grace of God that he didn't actually get my ear or I would be missing a piece of it today.
I've been in contact with a friend whose cockatoo died and who has other big birds and she not only will take him, she WANTS to and is experienced with cockatoos. She has offered to take him temporarily if that's what we want, just a sort of respite care situation, or take him permanently. She's okay with either option. If I hand him over to her, it would have to be permanent. I don't want to shake him up by moving him there and then moving him back in a week or a month or whatever. On the one hand, I can't live with keeping him locked up all the time. That's not fair to him, and it makes him scream, which isn't fair to us and our dog's sensitive ears. Neither can I have an attacking bird chasing me around my own house and injuring me. On the other hand, I promised him a forever home, and living with him is so difficult that I have considered rehoming him more than once. When he's sweet, he's darling. But when he's not, he's horrible, and I have never seen him like he's been this week.
It must be very hard for you and your family.
