Hi, I'm new here. I have come seeking advice on how to deal with some recent behavior changes in our 10 year old Greenwing named Lola. We've had her since she was 4 months old. She's always been very easy going and easy for my husband and myself to handle, though not many others can. She has her own space in each area of our house that we hang out in, so she can be with us, as well as her own bedroom with a cage that she sleeps in. She stays in her room while we are out of the house but we don't usually lock her in during the day. (So she's basically cage free, except at night). She's never laid an egg.
About 4 weeks ago she adopted a red rubber ball and began sitting on it as if it were an egg, she sat on it on the floor, she never got down off her cage before this. She was very protective of it and was threatening to bite us, so we took it away. She found another toy, a loose woodblock and started to sit on that, so we took it and all loose toys away. Unfortunately, her behavior got worse after that. She started doing what I'd call nesting on the floor. She sits in the corner with her beak tucked. She is very threatening every time we come in her room, spreading her wings as high as she can and making every feather stand on end. My husband can still handle her most of the time if he's very careful, but she's worse with me and I can only get her to somewhat cooperate some of the time. She's refusing to stay in any area of the house except her private room. If we bring her to the other areas she gets very agitated (dancing and making noises) and flies down to go back to her room. If we try to make her stay with us she purposely poops on the carpet or where ever she knows we don't want her to (something she's never done before unless she just couldn't hold it). Where she used to have 1 or 2 'accidents' per month, she's now having them every 10 minutes when forced to be somewhere she doesn't want to be.
I was hoping it was a hormonal phase she'd pass through, but we are on week 4 and she is definitely getting worse, not better. As I see it, we have three options, 1.) continue on as we have, trying to keep our routine as normal as possible with her fighting us and pooping on everything. 2.)Let her have her way and stay in her room, bothering her only when necessary. 3). Make her room completely off limits, caging her in another area of the house.
I'm not sure which route to take here. Any suggestions, opinions, experience welcome. The think I most want to know is if this is likely to be a short term change or long term change? Have you had a bird change like this and how did it turn out?
Thanks!
About 4 weeks ago she adopted a red rubber ball and began sitting on it as if it were an egg, she sat on it on the floor, she never got down off her cage before this. She was very protective of it and was threatening to bite us, so we took it away. She found another toy, a loose woodblock and started to sit on that, so we took it and all loose toys away. Unfortunately, her behavior got worse after that. She started doing what I'd call nesting on the floor. She sits in the corner with her beak tucked. She is very threatening every time we come in her room, spreading her wings as high as she can and making every feather stand on end. My husband can still handle her most of the time if he's very careful, but she's worse with me and I can only get her to somewhat cooperate some of the time. She's refusing to stay in any area of the house except her private room. If we bring her to the other areas she gets very agitated (dancing and making noises) and flies down to go back to her room. If we try to make her stay with us she purposely poops on the carpet or where ever she knows we don't want her to (something she's never done before unless she just couldn't hold it). Where she used to have 1 or 2 'accidents' per month, she's now having them every 10 minutes when forced to be somewhere she doesn't want to be.
I was hoping it was a hormonal phase she'd pass through, but we are on week 4 and she is definitely getting worse, not better. As I see it, we have three options, 1.) continue on as we have, trying to keep our routine as normal as possible with her fighting us and pooping on everything. 2.)Let her have her way and stay in her room, bothering her only when necessary. 3). Make her room completely off limits, caging her in another area of the house.
I'm not sure which route to take here. Any suggestions, opinions, experience welcome. The think I most want to know is if this is likely to be a short term change or long term change? Have you had a bird change like this and how did it turn out?
Thanks!
