I think I brought home a velcro bird

[Okayestmom]

I went to Petco today and came home with a conure...she ran up to the glass when I walked past and begged to be scratched...I asked to interact and she climbed right onto my hand...One of the employees had been working with her, and said she was super sweet and friendly, and she was sad to see her go (I feel a bit bad about that). So despite my plan to get in touch with a breeder and get a baby green cheek in a month or two, and the crazy price tag, she came home with me.

I do have a few things that will need some work...if I put her down she cries until she gets back on my shoulder. It was really hard to get her to go into her cage for bedtime and to eat her dinner (she had lentil pasta and sweet potato...she loved it)
I wanted some bonding time so I gave her some food while she was chilling on my shoulder...I'm thinking that won't be a regular thing...the trick will be getting her off...
The other thing that she does that needs to stop is that she bites my glasses and rings...the rings I can take off...not that I really want to, but I really cant have her destroy my glasses.

I'm not really sure what tomorrow will bring...I had totally prepared myself for a long process to get to a point that my bird would want to be held and cuddled...I'll try to get some pictures up...

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oh, wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...

This sounds like what *I* did 35 years ago. A total impulse buy... it was a wild and (some say) foolish ride, but it gave me the bird love of my life. Maybe some things were just meant to be.

I'm glad you found us. This is a great Community.

I'm excited and optimistic.

May I offer my story?
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/77615-patagonian-conure-tutorial.html

Good luck, pilgrim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Inger]

Welcome to the crazy-bird-people family!

At risk of sounding cynical, give up on your jewelry and probably your glasses too. [emoji23] And keep feeding her while she sits on you-great way to bond!

Since you were already contemplating a bird, hopefully you know all the “don’ts” - no nonstick cookware, candles, wax melts, air fresheners, chemical cleaners, etc. If not, look around here for the extensive lists of things to avoid.


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[Okayestmom]

Thanks for sharing your story, and for all the good information.

Today was great...started my morning with feathery cuddles, and then she hung out on the play area of her cage most of the day and watched me attempt to rearrange my family room and help my kids do their school work. She took a bath and splashed water all over the place. She was super quiet all day, until dinner time when she started yelling a bit (I let her out when i was done cooking)...after dinner we cuddled a bit and the kids played ball with her while she was sitting on my shoulder.
I just put her to bed and she called a few times, but settled down once I put some soft music on.

It was a good day...and I didn't get pooped on

 

[clark_conure]

conures are REALLY good at bonding......enjoy having them on you most the time.

They love attention and will do anything to get it...and not for nothing, even if you get another they will both still gravitate to you....

I let zods wing feathers grow out for the winter and everyone was like DO RECALL TRAINING!!! and I'm like I can't get her to leave me alone! I sit her down and five seconds later she's on my shoulder all...um you forgot me....

 

[RemiBird]

Petey flies upstairs and sits on the banister every morning waiting for my son to come out of the bathroom. She is obsessed with him. And we only have had her since summer this year.
Remi is just as clingy but, most of the time, he is too lazy to fly.

 

[Inger]

conures are REALLY good at bonding......enjoy having them on you most the time.

They love attention and will do anything to get it...and not for nothing, even if you get another they will both still gravitate to you....

I let zods wing feathers grow out for the winter and everyone was like DO RECALL TRAINING!!! and I'm like I can't get her to leave me alone! I sit her down and five seconds later she's on my shoulder all...um you forgot me....

That’s recall training [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]


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[Okayestmom]

I ordered pellets and bird bread from Harrison's. I just got a 1 lb bag to start and one for my budgies...I will feel better getting everyone off a seed diet.

I've been taking her off my shoulder when she attacks my glasses...if she runs at them again she goes to the cage top for a bit...hopefully that will work...I can't see a thing without them and if they break I would be basically blind for a week or so waiting for new ones.
She yelled at me while I was cooking dinner (she gets locked in the cage for safety) so I played a game with her, when she used her quiet voice I would answer back "good quiet bird" but when she yelled I ignored her...by the time i was done we had a nice conversation going on and no yelling.
The kids decided to name her Mango...I guess we just name pets for a food that is the same color as they are.
I'm so glad I found this forum...I've learned a ton

 

[noodles123]

Just make sure you aren't setting a precedent that will be sexual in adulthood. No petting anywhere other than the head/neck and no shadowy spaces.. Cuddles feel great, and birds often like them, but they can quickly become toxic.

If your bird is "velco"-esk, you have to teach independence now, or you will pay the price later and so will he/she.

 

[fiddlejen]

I ordered pellets and bird bread from Harrison's. I just got a 1 lb bag to start and one for my budgies...I will feel better getting everyone off a seed diet.

I've been taking her off my shoulder when she attacks my glasses...if she runs at them again she goes to the cage top for a bit...hopefully that will work...I can't see a thing without them and if they break I would be basically blind for a week or so waiting for new ones.
She yelled at me while I was cooking dinner (she gets locked in the cage for safety) so I played a game with her, when she used her quiet voice I would answer back "good quiet bird" but when she yelled I ignored her...by the time i was done we had a nice conversation going on and no yelling.
The kids decided to name her Mango...I guess we just name pets for a food that is the same color as they are.
I'm so glad I found this forum...I've learned a ton

About your glasses. I suggest going to dollar store getting several extra pairs of plain reading glasses to put on your head as decoys to let her play with. I doubt you’ll break her of playing with Your Toys that you wear on Your face. So just give her some alternatives.

 

[Alehner529]

I have a velcro conure too, a sun. And I also have glasses. She like to nibble on them. I would suggest removing her from your shoulder when she does this, even if only for a little bit. If she is that glued to being with you, she will get the hint quickly. If I fall asleep on the couch, I do wake up with teeny little tongue prints of her licking my glasses.

Also start messing with her feet now while she is still young and wants to be with you all of the time. It will make it much easier to trim nails later if she is comfortable with you picking up each of her toes.

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[Okayestmom]

Yesterday was a bit rough...Mango bit me really hard a couple of times...not sure what that was all about...the first time she was playing like a crazy bird and got my finger...The second time I think she was mad at me for some reason...Probably for being put back in the cage the first time. She also screamed in my ear for a while...ouch.

Today she's acting normal...so I'm not too worried...it's only been a week. I got my order from Harrison's today, they sent a sample of high potency pepper flavor...Mango went NUTS over it...Yay!...I'll still offer seed for a while, but I'm hopeful we can switch over easily.

 

[Inger]

Bumble loves the pepper flavor but they don’t make it in fine or super fine so it’s too big for her.


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[Okayestmom]

Bumble loves the pepper flavor but they don’t make it in fine or super fine so it’s too big for her.


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They sent a sample of the fine (a 1lb bag) with my order. I emailed them and they said they are sending samples now and if there is good feedback they will be selling it in May or June...I really hope enough birdies like it.

 

[Inger]

Oh heck! I think I’ll email them!!!!


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[Skittys_Daddy]

Sounds rather similar to what I went through with getting Skittles. He 'chose' me and when I took him home, he took right to me. We bonded instantly.

If I can just offer some advice, particularly when it comes to sunnies- they are VERY sweet and cuddly birds. BUT they are also VERY intelligent and can be VERY manipulative too. Don't underestimate them, lol. I found out the hard way just how stupid they can make us look. lol. I also found that giving in every time and letting them have their way is just an invite to disaster. As much as I hate doing it, setting limits and enforcing boundaries is vitally important to maintaining a healthy relationship with your sun. Try and find a balance. I KNOW its hard to say 'no' and to enforce limits, but trust me, you'll regret it down the line if you don't.

Skittles became a monster during the first year I had him and I didn't know what to do. Fortunately, a close friend told me outright what I was doing wrong and I corrected it and things have been fine since. He has his moments and his 'off days', but he is NOTHING like he was the first few years. You CAN have a strong and deep bond with your sunnie AND have healthy boundaries. In fact, its likely to strengthen your bond when you have them. You'll learn to read each other. Once they know that being out of the cage and/or on your shoulder is a "privilege", they'll learn to respect. Their intelligence can work for you as well.

Congrats!

 

[Okayestmom]

So it's been a couple of weeks and Mango has settled in nicely.

Some things I've learned
She is quite happy to hang out in her cage and destroy her toys, but she also likes to come out for a bit and hang out with me.
The kids like her, and will scratch her head, but don't want to hold her.
She HATES my video game controller...I got a nasty bite this morning, She was hanging out with me and chomped my thumb...left me bleeding...I won't make that mistake again...
She starts yelling around 7:30 wanting to go to bed, settles down quickly once I cover the cage.
In the morning I let her out around 8 and she goes to the same spot on top of her cage and takes an enormous poop...it's kinda impressive...

She's amazingly quiet most of the time...and amazingly loud the rest of the time...

She flies like a brick (thanks to a Petsmart wing clip ) but keeps trying anyway.
She eats Harrison's pellets and we are working on getting switched over, giving the seed mix 3X a day for 15 mins and pellets always available...she's eating the pellets, so I think it's working.

I'm so glad to have found this forum...I'd be totally lost otherwise...

 

[Inger]

And I’m glad you found us too! I love watching you two get to know each other.


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[fiddlejen]

My Sunny bites very rarely and even then not very hard. The reason is I’ve spent a lot of time pressure training with her. For me it’s always been night time when she’s sleepy. (because I get home late.) Basically I let her chew on my fingers, which she loves. I use the word “be gentle” if she chews Too hard. I take my fingers away quickly if she continues. Since she likes chewing on my fingers, that teaches her not to bite too hard. I did this a lot at the beginning, and continue it occasionally now.