Lisa Shea Forums Parakeets General Parakeet Chat I'm a new parakeet owner..

I did not open the cage to change the water all I did was walk to the cage to change the water and he lunged behind the bars. And perhaps I have been looking at him under a microsope I'm not an experienced bird owner and I don't understand anything about his behaviour so I've been trying and I am also the type of person who stresses over details. A bird was obviously the wrong choice of pet for me but at least I was willing to try and understand.thank you for your help.

never said you opened the cage to change the water or food in fact I mentioned with the type of cage you have I suspect you don't have to open the cage to do this at all...that it has doors that simply slide up and down ...guillotine style...

you did however open the cage to remove perches you said to clean the cage...again less than 24 hours after tess and I try to explain to let the bird have its space right now...and disturb nothing.

a bird is not the wrong type of pet... but learning to take the advice being offered ...that you ask about...is important...and we keep repeating ...and not stress so much ...

paying attention to details is GOOD ...and the BIRD is also in stress mode with all that's going on with it and you...

tess and I have both said to be patient with all of this ...give it time...give the bird time...its scared and keeps biting because of all its going through for the first time also just like you and doesn't understand just like you...

and the biting issue was set up to happen with offering food from your fingers...which you did not know at the time...then was and is being compounded by breeding mode and molt time and it not being able to just do its own thing for now without being disturbed...and you in and out of the cage doing things of one sort or another....

once again..let the bird go thru its major molt and hormones for now which as ive mentioned you can count on being at least a MONTH maybe even a bit more...

this does not mean you can not clean the "bottom tray" of the cage or feed and water but it does mean do not try to interact with the bird at this point on any level except to use a perch when you have to when its out...

in time once chiko figures everything out and you take small steps...like most of our birds chiko will long for your presence and become a playful friendly Velcro bird...but that's going to take not days or weeks its going to take slow steps over a course of months...

achieving that sort of trust with "A BIRD" is a huge accomplishment...and can be done ...just slowwwwly....

all in all they require less attention than a puppy or kitten or dog or cat etc and are less demanding...

they are much easier to keep...and end up being quite amusing and friendly...but the most intelligence you can expect from a bird is the age of a 2 1/2 year old child...and just like a child...it may take 2 1/2 years to get him to be your "everything"....

baby steps...patience...your dealing with a birds mindset...not anymore than that...your a giant monster with giant talons that's how it views you...try and put yourself in that position...you understand nothing and here is this giant coming at you all the time even in what you think is your safe zone.

it does all not have to be so frustrating for you or chiko if you relax more in the next several weeks....

its unfortunate in this case you just happened to purchase a bird just at this time of his major molt AND hormone change...and like all new owners want to immediately establish a friendship...

Marie...it WILL come...it WILL happen...and then you will be trying to tell and explain to someone else all of this and understand....

here is another thing for you to consider...let me break this down for you...

here is a baby...leaves the nest either falling out or being pushed out...now its in this new foreign space huge compared to the nest box and mommy and daddy are not feeding me as often...

then its plucked from mommy and daddy and thrown into another cage with strange birds it doesn't know...other babies...all scared and confused...having to figure out how to even eat on their own...

then it stays like that for who knows how long and once again gets plucked away and brought to a completely different place with different sounds and noises..(pet store) and every one is poking and staring and again its scared to death...

then againnnnn its chased caught up grabbed and thrown into a tiny black dark box and brought to ANOTHER cage and place...(owners new home or even possibly another pet store in the process of rotating stock)

now do you really think this bird is going to trust and becoming trainable in days or weeks after all its been through and all it knows about hands is fear ..discomfort...confusion and NOT tenderness or love???

then is going thru molt and hormone changes ...sigh...

Marie102 you are actually doing a good job and a bird is/will be a great pet for you because you care and you are devoted. You just need to relax and slow down a bit.

Everyday thousands of dogs and cats are abandoned or given up to shelters because they were not a perfect pet. Dogs jump on people, bark, chew up belongings, pee in the house and people get frustrated and let them go. Cats are given up because they shred curtains, claw the furniture and are aloof and not what humans expect them to be.

No animal will ever be perfect, but can make a perfect pet with time, patience and training.

You seem to be intensely focused on Chiko and I know how badly you want interaction with him but give it a chance and relax a bit. Right now may be the best time to select a phrase and repeat it over and over while he is within an earshot. At least he may learn to say his first words while you are not having a contact relationship with him.

This way he may begin to talk and he gets his space and you feel like you are doing something for him.

You say you are the type of person "who stresses over the details" well maybe Chiko entered your life to teach you to relax and practice patience. Every creature will provide something to its human and maybe Chiko is giving you a chance to learn too.

Hang in there and please do not get discouraged. There is no perfect pet. Pets become perfect companions over time and with training.