I have a Goffin cockatoo that I have had for almost two years. I got him when he was 5 months old. We had an amazing relationship, we'd play, I'd give him a weekly bath and blow dry his feathers (which he loved). He'd ride in the car with me and just everything was great. I made the mistake of moving his cage from our livingroom to our bedroom and I changed his food. When his problems started, I was advised to change his food back to the old and move him back to the livingroom. So I did and I gave him like 2 weeks thinking he'd come around and he still didn't. Then I found out that I needed to put him back in the exact spot of my livingroom that he was originally in, and I did. Now it has been like a week and a half to two weeks and he is still scared to death of me. He quivers when I approach his cage and if I do cathch him , his heart is beating so fast and I can hear him breathing. Is is over between my cockatoo and I? Is there still hope? What can I do?
I am so in love with this bird and it breaks my heart to know I cannot even hold him.
Firstly, Goffins are adorable:)
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Whenever you notice a big change in behavior, you should take him to the vet. Bird's are really great at hiding illness, because in the wild if an animal shows it's illness, it will make them easy prey. Changes in behavior could be a sign that something else is wrong.
Assuming that he is completely healthy, you should begin re-training him. Try clicker and pointer training him. There are great videos online on youtube which show you how to do this.
Try giving him his favorite treats.
I'd also recommend going to this forum: www.theparrotforum.com
There are parrot trainers on their, and they could help you more than I could. It has a plethora of information.
I hope that nothing is really wrong, and that he will come around and be the loving pet which you know he is.
Maybe the bird is in pain. Have you taken it to the Avian vet?
The only suggestion I can make is to start all over like he was a new bird. Talk to him while he is in his cage, read to him, give him his most favorite treat (with my birds it is almonds) Take it slow and easy. Have you changed hairdos, nailpolish, clothes styles? Apparantly you have a very sensitive bird. Perhaps he is going through a molt? Has anyone new come into the household? Any new pets? It could be hormones kicking in. If it was my bird and he was acting normally, I would give him another week or 2 and see if he starts behaving better. If not at the slightest sign of the abnormal ---- Off to the avian vet. It is never a good idea to switch diets suddenly . It would probably be a good idea to get his yearly check up now anyway. He sounds like an amazing bird and you want him back to his old self.
Ashley,
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All is not lost. Take a deep breath and clam yourself each time before you do anything with your bird. He will pick up on your anxiety and will react with fear. He sense that you are afraid and this contributes to his fear. If you are calm he will sense that too and you will progress faster.
Put everything back to the way it was, then put him on a strict schedule. A strict schedule will make his life predictable and predictability breeds security. Make sure you feed him and give him treats at the same time every day and put him to bed and wake him up at the same time each day. Once you see him returning to normal, begin making small and slow changes in his activities and his food. This teaches him to be adaptable. Keep this up until you are making major changes. It will take time.
He will decide when he is comfortable, if you try to force him it will only increase his fear. Allow him to let you know when he is ready for change. Once he is comfortable and if you still want to move his cage into your bedroom , take it slow. Take it very slow. Take him on trips to the bedroom at first just walk in the door and walk out again. Put a different cage in the bedroom and place him in the cage while you stay in the room with him . Take him out the moment you see any discomfort. You can slowly increase the time he spends in the bedroom.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
I am not certain that he will want to live in your bedroom. It seems like he would be isolated and alone in there. I expect that the living room is a lot more interesting.
