This is random but, I've noticed a big change in our Cockatiel, Moss. So for everyone who has had experience with Cockatiels (or not), please let me know what you think.
My mom bought bought Moss (along with his brother, Brady) in December, 2008 as a family Christmas gift from some people who smoked a lot and hadn't handled them at all. They were both 3 years old at the time. They were both aggressive and frightened of everyone. They would let me hand feed them, but would bite really hard and hiss/scream at me when I put my hand near them.
After about 2-3 years of the being with us, Brady somehow managed to get out last Summer and flew away.
We never saw him again. We worried that since Moss had lived with him for so long and they were brothers (or at least that's what the people who owned them said), he would be depressed and lonely. But my mom didn't want to buy another friend for him at the time.
For the months after that and until just recently, Moss seemed fine. At times he was lonely, but my siblings and I gave him a lot of attention and he got a lot of time outside his cage (just last year sometime he actually sat on my finger without biting me, so now he comes outside of his cage).
Yesterday when I came back from my dad's house, Moss seemed different; he was pacing back and forth excitedly on his perch in his cage, whistling and calling to any sounds he heard that sounded like a bird. Usually when I don't see him for a while and come back, he doesn't act excited. He just acts normal. But now when I reached into his cage, he flapped his wings and climbed along the cage, then hopped onto my finger. He has never done that before!
I have always had to use his wooden ladder to take him out of his cage because he would bite me really hard if I tried to get him on my finger.
When I took him out, he sat on my finger and started preening as usual. But suddenly he lowered his head and held it that way. I've seen him make this gesture to Brady once and a while, and it meant he wanted him to preen his head. So, I gently started rubbing his head with the tip of my finger. And he actually let me!
He tilted his head and closed his eyes, obviously enjoying it. This was the first time since we had bought him and Brady that he let me do this. Before he bit me even if I tried to touch his head. Now he was willingly letting me "preen" his head with my finger?
I'm guessing that this is showing trust and affection because he used to only let Brady do it once and a while because he knew him.
Today he let me preen his head again. He still nips at my fingers once and a while and he will hiss and screech at me when I put my hand in his cage, but I'm still surprised that he let me preen his head.
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So I was wondering, anyone have any idea why such a sudden change has come over him??? I'm thinking maybe he's finally becoming lonely and misses the attention and company Brady sometimes gave him. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
P.S. we are thinking about bringing him to my dad's house because he has a bunch of Parakeets that Moss might get along with. That way he may not be so lonely, even though he gets plenty of attention from us (in fact right now my sister has him sitting on her shoulder watching TV).
My mom bought bought Moss (along with his brother, Brady) in December, 2008 as a family Christmas gift from some people who smoked a lot and hadn't handled them at all. They were both 3 years old at the time. They were both aggressive and frightened of everyone. They would let me hand feed them, but would bite really hard and hiss/scream at me when I put my hand near them.
After about 2-3 years of the being with us, Brady somehow managed to get out last Summer and flew away.
For the months after that and until just recently, Moss seemed fine. At times he was lonely, but my siblings and I gave him a lot of attention and he got a lot of time outside his cage (just last year sometime he actually sat on my finger without biting me, so now he comes outside of his cage).
Yesterday when I came back from my dad's house, Moss seemed different; he was pacing back and forth excitedly on his perch in his cage, whistling and calling to any sounds he heard that sounded like a bird. Usually when I don't see him for a while and come back, he doesn't act excited. He just acts normal. But now when I reached into his cage, he flapped his wings and climbed along the cage, then hopped onto my finger. He has never done that before!
When I took him out, he sat on my finger and started preening as usual. But suddenly he lowered his head and held it that way. I've seen him make this gesture to Brady once and a while, and it meant he wanted him to preen his head. So, I gently started rubbing his head with the tip of my finger. And he actually let me!
Today he let me preen his head again. He still nips at my fingers once and a while and he will hiss and screech at me when I put my hand in his cage, but I'm still surprised that he let me preen his head.
________________________________
So I was wondering, anyone have any idea why such a sudden change has come over him??? I'm thinking maybe he's finally becoming lonely and misses the attention and company Brady sometimes gave him. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
P.S. we are thinking about bringing him to my dad's house because he has a bunch of Parakeets that Moss might get along with. That way he may not be so lonely, even though he gets plenty of attention from us (in fact right now my sister has him sitting on her shoulder watching TV).
