Post by Diane on Mar 17, 2011 10:05:43 GMT -5
Hello!
I recently moved from the midwest to Florida with my GCC, Watson, who will be two in May. He did great on the road trip and now has a beautiful window view of the river versus white walls;)
Before our move, I would occasionally bring him to the office and we would have 10+ people stop in the office to visit the popular bird, pick him, nuzzle him, play with him and Watson never bit. All of my office interns loved him and he would happily allow them to scratch him, go on their shoulder, etc.
However, down here in Florida he hates anybody new that comes near his cage. He puffs out, starts mumbling "Don't bite me" (what he says when he is mad) and pacing his cage, biting the cage hard. I've tried all different approaches and asked people to not touch or go near him until he's more calm, to talk softly to him, to not make direct eye contact and nothing works! Occasionally he will step up on a new person's finger but he bites extra hard when stepping up and looks sideways at me because he knows I will discipline him. He is fine on someone's shoulder or finger until i look away and within a second he is chomping down hard on their finger! He has never done this - never been a biter. He never bites me or my boyfriend, just strangers!
All I can think of is the drive traumatized him or he is still adjusting to the new house that is much bigger. After we arrived in Florida, we were here one day and then flew back to get more stuff so for 10 days he stayed in a new house with my friend and she didn't let him out of the cage - perhaps that did it?! Other then that, he is still the same...just nippy around new people. Someone told me he could be going through the birdie "terrible two's" - possibly?!
Diane
I recently moved from the midwest to Florida with my GCC, Watson, who will be two in May. He did great on the road trip and now has a beautiful window view of the river versus white walls;)
Before our move, I would occasionally bring him to the office and we would have 10+ people stop in the office to visit the popular bird, pick him, nuzzle him, play with him and Watson never bit. All of my office interns loved him and he would happily allow them to scratch him, go on their shoulder, etc.
However, down here in Florida he hates anybody new that comes near his cage. He puffs out, starts mumbling "Don't bite me" (what he says when he is mad) and pacing his cage, biting the cage hard. I've tried all different approaches and asked people to not touch or go near him until he's more calm, to talk softly to him, to not make direct eye contact and nothing works! Occasionally he will step up on a new person's finger but he bites extra hard when stepping up and looks sideways at me because he knows I will discipline him. He is fine on someone's shoulder or finger until i look away and within a second he is chomping down hard on their finger! He has never done this - never been a biter. He never bites me or my boyfriend, just strangers!
All I can think of is the drive traumatized him or he is still adjusting to the new house that is much bigger. After we arrived in Florida, we were here one day and then flew back to get more stuff so for 10 days he stayed in a new house with my friend and she didn't let him out of the cage - perhaps that did it?! Other then that, he is still the same...just nippy around new people. Someone told me he could be going through the birdie "terrible two's" - possibly?!
Diane