reeisconfused
New member
- Aug 11, 2018
- 137
- 0
- Parrots
- rescued IRN Max and Cockatiel Honey
Sorry for the super long post in advance.
Max meeting Honey has been...interesting.
Quarantine ended early because I was cleaning and I accidentally left the door open and Max flew in (he has free reign of the house). 10 mins in, I walk in to see Max on top of Honey’s cage, looking over. He flew away when he saw me and would come back at every chance he got to see Honey.
So after a few days, I moved Honey’s cage next To Max’s. Now, everytime Max got the chance, he would fly down over, sit infront of Honey’s cage and do his usual birdie noise. At first, I thought that maybe Max was interested and I was happy and thought that this might be the start of a new friendship.
Oh boy, oh boy.
During this time, Max would also try to get in the cage and would fly away again if he saw anyone of us too close. (In case, some of you don’t know, Max is a wildcaught rescue and not tame). Honey did not care that Max was there. He was always busy playing with his toys and never gave him a second thought.
I soon came to realize that Max didn’t care about Honey but the FOOD BOWLS Honey had in his cage. Both their bowls are same and I think he felt like Honey was eating HIS food, even though Max’s food bowls literally 2 feet away. I changed Honey’s food bowls but that made him want Honey’s food EVEN more because there was now something that Max felt (robbed?) of.
Fast forward to their introduction, Honey and Max saw each other for the first time in the TV room, which is mostly a neutral territory since we or Max don’t spend much time there. I only let them see each other for the first few days.
And then, they finally met.
Now, disclaimer: Max and Honey have the same toys. Max has NEVER touched his, no matter how much I tried to get him to play with them. He, however, loves shredding things up. He also has a small basket at the bottom of his cage where his foot toys and small balls are. Never touched them as well.
On that particular day, Honey was playing with a ball and a tissue roll when Max (who was on the curtains) came down to him. There was also another set I kept for Max. I was watching close by, enough to stop anything from happening but also to give them space. So Max comes in, and this is a bird who doesn’t like toys, take the ball in his foot, the towel roll in his beak and starts playing. Hallelujah!
However, after a few minutes, he sets his toys on his side and goes on to try to bite Honey. Honey moves away and he take Honey’s TOYS as well and goes back to space.
This has been happening for EVERYTHING. Max wants WHATEVER Honey has / is eating and he will not stop unless he gets it. He also thinks that everything is his territory and Honey is a trespasser.
Max will not approach Honey IF I am present in the room. This is because the first time he attacked Honey, I was very firm with a NO. (Max fully understands and listens to commands, usually). If he sees that I’m not there, He will come to Honey and try to chase him with his mouth open, trying to bite him.
It’s not a “I want to kill you” thing, but more of a “back off! this and this and this is MINE. LEAVE!!!” thing.
Honey, on the other hand, at first, was very taken by Max. He tried to follow Max around a couple times (before Max chased him away) and was making a lot of cooing noises.
Since then, he’s realized that Max is a bully and flies away if Max tries to get too close.
Ofcourse, I was prepared for this but I have to ask, is there any way that I can get Max to stop bullying Honey?
Max and Honey both have their food bowls at different places outside the cages and Max always eats his and then comes to eat Honey’s. If Honey tries to eat from the bowl when he’s there, Max will again, try to bite him.
Other interesting things I’ve noticed is that Max now copies EVERYTHING Honey does and I don’t know why. If he sees Honey playing with a toy, he plays with his as well. Honey is talking, well guess its time for Max to scream!!! haha.
I can also now get Max to eat just about anything if he sees Honey eating it as well. (if you remember from my older threads, Max came to me on one tomato a day diet and he refused to eat anything but fruit and rice).
Any advice / tips appreciated.
Max meeting Honey has been...interesting.
Quarantine ended early because I was cleaning and I accidentally left the door open and Max flew in (he has free reign of the house). 10 mins in, I walk in to see Max on top of Honey’s cage, looking over. He flew away when he saw me and would come back at every chance he got to see Honey.
So after a few days, I moved Honey’s cage next To Max’s. Now, everytime Max got the chance, he would fly down over, sit infront of Honey’s cage and do his usual birdie noise. At first, I thought that maybe Max was interested and I was happy and thought that this might be the start of a new friendship.
Oh boy, oh boy.
During this time, Max would also try to get in the cage and would fly away again if he saw anyone of us too close. (In case, some of you don’t know, Max is a wildcaught rescue and not tame). Honey did not care that Max was there. He was always busy playing with his toys and never gave him a second thought.
I soon came to realize that Max didn’t care about Honey but the FOOD BOWLS Honey had in his cage. Both their bowls are same and I think he felt like Honey was eating HIS food, even though Max’s food bowls literally 2 feet away. I changed Honey’s food bowls but that made him want Honey’s food EVEN more because there was now something that Max felt (robbed?) of.
Fast forward to their introduction, Honey and Max saw each other for the first time in the TV room, which is mostly a neutral territory since we or Max don’t spend much time there. I only let them see each other for the first few days.
And then, they finally met.
Now, disclaimer: Max and Honey have the same toys. Max has NEVER touched his, no matter how much I tried to get him to play with them. He, however, loves shredding things up. He also has a small basket at the bottom of his cage where his foot toys and small balls are. Never touched them as well.
On that particular day, Honey was playing with a ball and a tissue roll when Max (who was on the curtains) came down to him. There was also another set I kept for Max. I was watching close by, enough to stop anything from happening but also to give them space. So Max comes in, and this is a bird who doesn’t like toys, take the ball in his foot, the towel roll in his beak and starts playing. Hallelujah!
However, after a few minutes, he sets his toys on his side and goes on to try to bite Honey. Honey moves away and he take Honey’s TOYS as well and goes back to space.
This has been happening for EVERYTHING. Max wants WHATEVER Honey has / is eating and he will not stop unless he gets it. He also thinks that everything is his territory and Honey is a trespasser.
Max will not approach Honey IF I am present in the room. This is because the first time he attacked Honey, I was very firm with a NO. (Max fully understands and listens to commands, usually). If he sees that I’m not there, He will come to Honey and try to chase him with his mouth open, trying to bite him.
It’s not a “I want to kill you” thing, but more of a “back off! this and this and this is MINE. LEAVE!!!” thing.
Honey, on the other hand, at first, was very taken by Max. He tried to follow Max around a couple times (before Max chased him away) and was making a lot of cooing noises.
Since then, he’s realized that Max is a bully and flies away if Max tries to get too close.
Ofcourse, I was prepared for this but I have to ask, is there any way that I can get Max to stop bullying Honey?
Max and Honey both have their food bowls at different places outside the cages and Max always eats his and then comes to eat Honey’s. If Honey tries to eat from the bowl when he’s there, Max will again, try to bite him.
Other interesting things I’ve noticed is that Max now copies EVERYTHING Honey does and I don’t know why. If he sees Honey playing with a toy, he plays with his as well. Honey is talking, well guess its time for Max to scream!!! haha.
I can also now get Max to eat just about anything if he sees Honey eating it as well. (if you remember from my older threads, Max came to me on one tomato a day diet and he refused to eat anything but fruit and rice).
Any advice / tips appreciated.
Attendance mandatory!
