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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Nov 4, 2014 19:20:54 GMT -5
He is really smart. He learned in only 1 day that if he lunges at me and tries to bite me when I am trying to feed him, I stop for a bit and try again later. On Sunday, I fed him small portions, many times a day, trying to get him used to allowing me to remove his food and water dishes. The dishes slide out of a door that is unclasped from the outside but I still have to get my hands close enough to the bars of the cage to work the clasp that he can grab my fingers. So on Sunday, every time I went near his food dishes, he lunged and tried to bite me. I asked him very calmly and politely to please not bite me when I trying to feed him. Then I stopped what I was doing, food dish in hand so he could see it, and waited for him to back off. We did that repeatedly.
Yesterday (monday) I noticed that although he still doesnt like me near his cage, he was definately NOT lunging at me anymore when I tried to feed him! Progress. Today, when I walked out of the room with his empty dishes, he actually hung on the bars of his cage, closest to where the door to the room is, waiting for me to come back with his food. He still does not really like me near his cage, but he is beginning to tolerate me.
I have to take him to the vet on Thurs morning for his intake exam. I have to get him in his travel cage. I am planning on putting the travel cage next to his regular cage tomorrow, with food dishes in the cage (it's his travel cage, it came with him)so he can see the dishes. Tomorrow nite, I plan on removing his food dishes in his big cage before I cover him for the nite. Thurs morning, I plan on filling the food dishes in the travel cage while he's watching, then opening the door to his big cage and the travel cage and I hope he will just walk in. His previous owner said this is the way she got him in there.
Everyone say a little prayer to the Pionus gods that this works, I don't want to force him into the travel cage and his regular cage is too big to fit in my car unless I lay it on his side, not a good idea with him in it.
Once his wings are clipped (bye the vet), I will be letting him out. His cage has a nice cage top playstand
Thanks for asking!
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Post by cnyguy on Nov 4, 2014 22:17:02 GMT -5
Sometimes, when George the YCA would get stubborn about moving into his travel cage, I'd use exactly that method to get him to move, and it worked. Took a little time, but it worked.  Hope all goes well for you and Pele. By the way, I asked a friend who used to live in Hawaii, and she tells me that Pele is the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire of the volcano Kilauea-- who has been a busy goddess recently, as Kilauea has been quite active. |
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Nov 6, 2014 8:52:18 GMT -5
Luring Pele into his travel cage was a piece of cake. As soon as he saw the filled food dished in there, he climbed right in, took about 5 mins or less. He didnt even really try to hurt me when I closed the travel cage door and locked it up even though my hand was right near his face. Guess he was too busy eating. I really thought Mr P was the most food oriented bird I had ever met but Pele puts Mr P to shame. Not such a bad thing really as it's nice to have a motivator handy  Vet appt shortly, then the fun begins since the vet will be clipping Pele's wings and I can start letting him out of his cage |
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Post by biteybird on Nov 7, 2014 1:23:50 GMT -5
Maybe you need to swap their names around  . Or have "Misters (plural) P". You could even do a study on whether bird owners in your area have more food-loving parrots than those elsewhere....the possibilities are endless! |
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Nov 7, 2014 13:26:11 GMT -5
Pele is FAT according to the vet! So yeah, maybe I should change their names. Mr P was never diagnosed as fat Pele also has a vitamin A difficiency brought on by a crappy seed diet. The vet told me to convert him to pellets, (I already knew that part) and feed him 10 drops of cod liver oil in his food daily. Interestingly enough, the vet told me that she didnt think Pele had ever really been handled, although that is not what I was told by his owner. He did not know or was unwilling to step up onto the vets hand when he fluttered to the floor. Once I got him home, I let him out of his cage and he hung out on his cagetop playstand and LUNGED at me whenever I got close to the cage. He was not doing this anymore from inside his cage, this is new behavior now that he is out of his cage. I have been given permission to work with the Florida Parrot Rescue behaviorial specialist in hopes of getting him socialized enough to be adopted out. At this point, unless someone wants a "project", he will be with me for awhile. At least he's quiet |
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Post by cnyguy on Nov 7, 2014 23:39:14 GMT -5
At least he's quiet As with most parrots, this is subject to change without notice.  |
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Post by easttex on Nov 8, 2014 4:41:38 GMT -5
Lucky Pele, to be fostered by someone willing to really work with him to make him adoptable. I admire your devotion. You'd have a hard time getting the equivalent amount of cod liver oil down my throat, but hopefully it won't ruin his gustatory pleasure.  |
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Nov 12, 2014 17:11:13 GMT -5
We had a breakthrough today and I'm so excited I needed to share it with other bird people.
I've had Pele 2 weeks now. Every day I spend some time sitting on the floor next to his cage talking to him. Since he's had his wings clipped, I've been letting him out but I still come into the quarantine room (my bedroom) a few times a day and sit on the floor next to his cage. Lately he seems as though he has been looking for me and actually trying to interact back.
I have a ladder propped up on the outside of his cage as occassionally he gets spooked and flutters off, then can't get back up.
So, today I sat down on the floor as usual, but before I sat down, I showed him the almond I had in my hand (he was on his cage top playstand). Once I was on the floor I held up the almond so he could see it and said something about wanting a yummy or whatever I said.
He has not really been taking food from hand on a regular basis so I was sorta surprised that he was interested. He climbed down the side of his cage, climbed down his ladder, walked over to where I was sitting on the floor and took the almond from my hand. Then he decided to explore the bedroom for a few more mins. After he was satisfied there were no monsters under the bed, he walked back over to his cage and climbed back up his ladder
I just sat there, amazed, not only that he came down to the floor while I was sitting there, but he actually took food (and ate it) from my hand.
This is HUGE
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Post by cnyguy on Nov 12, 2014 21:10:58 GMT -5
Congratulations are in order-- that is a big step in a good direction. |
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Post by biteybird on Nov 13, 2014 5:59:58 GMT -5
Go Pele! Well done, both of you.
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Nov 13, 2014 8:55:52 GMT -5
We are going to start clicker/target training. Anyone ever done this and been successful? This is something I have always wanted to learn how to do properly as, once the skill is mastered, I can apply it to bigger birds that I don't want within reach of my hands!
The only pre-requisite for this is that a bird must take food from you, either via your fingers or off a spoon or fork. Now that Pele will take food from my hand without biting (he took an almond from me this morning while he was sitting on top of his cage so it wasnt a fluke)we can move forward with clicker training, then eventually using that, teach him to step up.
He is smart and loves food, shouldnt take long for him to understand what he needs to do, the weakest link in this chain is ME, since I've never done this before
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Post by easttex on Nov 13, 2014 14:08:51 GMT -5
Can't help on the clicker front, but I was happy to read about his progress. I think I've fallen in love with him a bit just from his one picture and your account. It's probably a good thing I don't live anywhere near you. |
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Nov 13, 2014 17:32:29 GMT -5
He's going to make someone an awesome companion eventually. He is smart and he has decided he likes me now, so he tries to interact. He makes the cutest little noises and will hang from the side of his cage calling for me, but in a cute sweet voice, not a loud SQUAWK like someone else I know |
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Nov 15, 2014 9:44:31 GMT -5
So, we had another breakthrough today! Pele accidently flew onto my bed (he IS supposed to be clipped but he's such a strong flier) and stepped up onto my hand so I could get him off. First time I have seen him step up onto anyone's hand since I've met him!
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Post by easttex on Nov 15, 2014 10:25:48 GMT -5
Even a clipped bird should be able to glide. It sounds like he is making great progress under your care. Let's see, how far apart are Texas and Florida... |
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Hope all goes well for you and Pele.
. Or have "Misters (plural) P". You could even do a study on whether bird owners in your area have more food-loving parrots than those elsewhere....the possibilities are endless! 
