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Post by siobhan on Jun 18, 2015 10:08:39 GMT -5
The other day, Rocky was very agitated and tense and he'd had to spend nearly all day in his cage, so I thought that was all it was. Took him onto the porch as usual. He displayed, which is bad, and then chomped me. ME. I'm his person! Granted, Quakers chomp their persons all the time (and I have the scars to prove it) but not 'toos. That's not a 'too thing. Generally speaking, anyway. He didn't break the skin, but it hurt and continued to hurt for some time afterward. The next day, he was still a little agitated, but not as much and last night he was perfectly fine. This morning he was sitting in his cage talking to himself and saying, in his sweetest voice, "Hewwwoooo! How are YOU? I'm Rocky Road! I wuv oooh!" I'm trying to convince him his name is Rocky 'Too, not Rocky Road, now, with limited success so far. He answers to Rocky 'Too, but doesn't say it yet. He's still stalking Bill and Jack, but they've learned to run for their lives when he gets on the floor, and he's not willing to chase them. Poor, elderly, arthritic, overweight Gigi can't run, but she's not about to put up with cheek out of a mere parrot, either, so when Rocky "stomped" (Bill's term) over to her yesterday, he said, Gigi raised her head and gave Rocky a look that he apparently took to mean, "Not in MY town, bub!" and he backed down and went right back to his cage. Gigi has been trained not to hurt birds since the day Clyde joined the family, and I don't think she would, but Rocky doesn't know that. LOL I am really at a loss. I realize he has issues from so many homes and some of them were clearly BAD homes, especially the one we got him from, but he's been with us long enough now to realize we're not like that. It was eight weeks on Sunday. By eight weeks, Clyde had settled in pretty well. Jade settled in the first DAY.
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Post by easttex on Jun 18, 2015 10:37:59 GMT -5
His other homes probably did not start out being bad, either. Eight weeks isn't long for a bird who has no reason to think that life can't turn on a dime.  You may have to continue to be patient with him for a long, long time before he gets the idea that you won't abandon him or mistreat him, too. I've never had a cockatoo, but my observation has been that the larger the parrot, the more sensitive they can be. Not across the board, of course, but I can tell you that Allie is far and away the more high strung of the two I have now. She took to me fairly quickly, but only stopped biting me every time she so much as heard my husband clear his throat in another part of the house within the last year or two. I've had her for over six years. Her previous people said they just didn't have time for her, and I wonder how difficult it would have been if she'd been outright abused. Hang in there, Siobhan. It sounds like there is a wonderful companion inside Rocky. I pored over your signature to figure out what manner of animal is Bill, but finally figured it out from your second reference to him.  |
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Post by easttex on Jun 18, 2015 11:26:49 GMT -5
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Post by siobhan on Jun 18, 2015 11:29:12 GMT -5
Sorry about that. LOL I usually refer to him as "Hubby" because, of course, none of you have met him. People are telling me that 'toos are particularly emotional and sensitive, even as big parrots go, and I've asked myself more than once what possessed me to bring one home. Oy. Then he'll have a day like yesterday, when he leaned off his cage door, crest down, big eyes, and snuggled into my chest with this little sort of sighing sound that's impossible to translate into print, or this morning, when I uncovered him and he said "I wuv oooh." I've even asked him "Are you the same bird who does the tornado siren impersonation?"
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jun 18, 2015 16:26:41 GMT -5
I agree with Easttex - this poor bird needs more time. You are on the right track with him but it is going to take a long time for him to settle down. I know I drive everyone crazy with this, but Rocky really could benefit from the Tellington Touch - it will help him enormously and reinforce the bond with you. I will send you a PM with an email address as I know she has worked with birds and has helped me with Shah from time to time.
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Post by siobhan on Jun 18, 2015 16:42:51 GMT -5
I'm going to have a phone conference tonight with a woman who specializes in parrot rehab and whom I have been emailing incessantly with questions. When Rocky gives me that liquid-eyed, slightly open-beaked look of "Wow, I love my mommy" or snuggles into me, I can't imagine giving him up for anything. Then he starts the tornado siren routine or I see how easily he can destroy a piece of 2x4 (no, I'm not kidding, one chomp and it's in splinters) and I think, HOLY SHEEP DIP, BATMAN, WHAT THE HECK?  ? |
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jun 18, 2015 19:38:38 GMT -5
I have a scar on one of my fingers from a cockatoo - he was a pet that I was rescuing and transporting to a carer. The owner wasnt home - she said he was tame and would be no problem. As I had handled many wild birds, I took her at her word. That cocky came out of the cage at a million miles an hour, latched on to my finger and wouldnt let go. When he finally let go I had to go to a friend of mine who lived close by who could treat my finger due to a lot of bleeding from a very deep gash. I am still nervous of large beaks to this day and can fully appreciate the power behind the bite. Not so long ago I was in a bird petshop and a macaw stepped onto my shoulder - I freaked out when I saw the size of the beak so close to my face. The owner wasnt impressed when I asked him to remove the bird as he kept assuring me that the macaw was friendly. I had heard that before |
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Post by aaron on Jun 18, 2015 23:39:51 GMT -5
Wow, intense stuff Siobhan. Those beaks are scary. From my limited knowledge and experience I would say that the 'toos I have handled have struck me as being significantly more emotionally complicated than any other birds I have handled by quite a bit. But that has to mean that when they are emotionally stable they are incredible companions. I agree with the others that it seems like Rocky has a lot of potential and probably just hasn't had enough time. It could take quite a while, I would imagine. It does seem like the tellingon touch could be very helpful. I have no experience with it but for a creature with damaged psychology, this kind of approach seems promising.
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Post by siobhan on Jun 19, 2015 9:56:05 GMT -5
The last couple of days he's been a model parrot. Sweet, not even screaming much other than a couple of minutes night and morning, which is what parrots do. He kissed me good night last night and goodbye this morning, he sat on my lap after work yesterday and behaved perfectly. Went to bed meekly last night and talked quietly a while and then off to bye low like a good boy. He's a puzzle.
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Post by aaron on Jun 20, 2015 0:17:18 GMT -5
Glad to hear things have been good the past couple of days!! He's probably having the same kind of mood swings a person has when they don't feel confident in the situation they find themselves in and don't feel in control of their situation. One moment you might be fine and happy, because things are good, but the next you are in the throws of concern that everything good that you've gained might be gone in a moment, and possibly angry at the losses you've already experienced. Possibly questioning your own self-worth as a result. Maybe you don't want to let yourself experience the good because you don't want to lose it. Maybe you lash out as a result. I think these 'toos are fully capable of feeling all of these things in this kind of situation. I would imagine as time goes on, the good periods are going to get longer, and the outbursts will become less frequent. And eventually they will probably stop.
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Post by siobhan on Jun 20, 2015 10:51:14 GMT -5
I talked to my parrot expert last night and she said that we're doing lots better than it appears. She also said 'toos remember everything, so we're not going to make him forget his past, and we have to earn his trust and show him every day, possibly for a long, long time, that things are not going to go south for him here. We don't know anything of his history, really, so we might inadvertently do something that triggers an association and that might make him freak out, with us not having a clue what we did wrong. Hooray.
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Post by biteybird on Jun 20, 2015 22:03:41 GMT -5
Well done, Siobhan. You're doing a great job. |
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Post by aaron on Jun 20, 2015 23:01:13 GMT -5
I will second that. Nice work!
It's too bad he can't tell you what he's been through. I am sure you will figure this out though.
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Post by siobhan on Jun 21, 2015 12:47:10 GMT -5
This morning he got on the floor and marched over to me and grabbed a beakful of my flip flop, missing my foot, thank goodness. I asked him if he wanted to step up (one does not order a 'Too around) and put him on the back of the couch so I could clean his cage and he proceeded to attempt to destroy the floor lamp. I finally got him off the lamp and back on his cage, but he's been yelling and making a fuss every time I'm out of his sight. I'm getting over a migraine and really, really wish he'd be quiet. The other parrots are raising the roof because they want me back there, too. Hubby's at the hospital with his seriously ill dad so it's just me here trying to juggle all these critters by myself.
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Post by aaron on Jun 21, 2015 22:15:44 GMT -5
Ugh, that sounds brutal.  All I can really say is hang in there... I wish I had some sort of experience that would help, but I've got nothing. Keep us posted! |
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You may have to continue to be patient with him for a long, long time before he gets the idea that you won't abandon him or mistreat him, too.
? 
All I can really say is hang in there... I wish I had some sort of experience that would help, but I've got nothing. Keep us posted!