More Sammy weirdness

[mh434]

Amazons are weird creatures. My YNA Sammy recently (over the past couple of months) decided he wants nothing whatever to do with people.

He won't step up (with anyone, including me, his "person"), and simply runs away if I approach. Any attempt to get closer results in a full-on facial attack with beak, wings, & claws.

Even food training, with his beloved peanuts, results in either him running away (he used to do ANYTHING for a peanut), or taking the nut, throwing it aside, & attacking. He still WANTS the peanut, but he'd rather kill the person that offers it (me, that is) than accept it.

He used to look forward to being on my shoulder every day, being carried around from room to room, and he clamored for attention daily.

He hasn't allowed the slightest shred of human contact now for over a month, and he gets more standoffish every day. It's like he's reverting to being wild. Unfortunately, with his tendency to attack, we can't let him out of his cage anymore, so he'll soon be a permanently caged, strictly ornamental bird.

It's a shame, it's painful for one who loves him so much, and it saddens me deeply. It seems MY "Sammy" is gone - and I'm a complete stranger to him.

He's gone through periods in the past where he'd be angry & holding a grudge over some "insult" (like, if I was away for a day or two). Every time, though, the period after these "grudges" has gotten longer and longer, from a day or two initially, to a month or more recently.

This last time, I went away in August for a weekend, and my old Sammy simply never returned.

It seems that Amazons can revert to being permanently anti-social, at will.

I miss my "Sammy time"...

 

[SailBoat]

So what really happened about a month ago?

Amazon's just no do revert back to a 'wild state.' FYI: A wild state is not sitting alone! Amazon's are social creatures.

When was the last time Sammy saw his Avian Vet?
I suggest that you get him into seeing his Avian Vet ASAP! Not Kidding!

Yes, Amazons can get grumpy if you are away, but that's for a few hours, maybe a day.

Anti-social at will, for a few hours maybe.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Calling Dr. Amazon... paging Dr. Amazon!

Oh, THERE you are, Sailboat!

 

[Loko]

Could he be starting puberty? Like mentioned birds dont just turn "wild". Something had to happen, whether in his environment (did something physically happen, or change?) or internally (puberty or illness). Definitely see an Avian Vet. I understand it is a hard situation but him now not having any contact is going to just make things more difficult. If the vet gives him an all clear and it is not illness, or a physical trauma that started this and rather hormones, you may need to break out the gloves and a perch and work on training very rigidly to get past this, possibly hormone shots if it is that bad. If you are experienced with breeding, a female bird would ease his desires, but he will not be the same companion he was, and you need to, or have someone around who knows what theyre doing. Regardless, first thing to do is see the vet and see what they say, then you can see how you will proceed.

 

[fowlstack]

How terrible.. I hope you come up with a solution. I would be devastated if Rio did something like that. Please let us know if you take him to the vet, and what he/she had to contribute. Wishing you the best....

 

[wrench13]

Man, I would be devastated too. But don't give up on Sammy. LIke 'Boats said, have him checked by an Avian vet; if he is hurting or not feeling well from something, he might be really angry, and not know how else to let that hurting out. Like imagine if you had a toothache, a bad one, for a few days, weeks, months.... pretty sure you would be anti social too. Keep us posted, please.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Do you live alone? It's terrible to think of, but I knew someone who's human partner was abusing the bird, banging on the bars, because they wanted the bird gone. Hidden nanny cam, and guess who wound up gone. I know, it's insulting to say it, but a hidden cam might reveal something, a noise or direct sunlight or something that is all of a sudden causing a problem? Amazons are smart and they REMEMBER if they been done wrong.

 

[texsize]

I know it's hormone time at my house for my YNA. When this happens behavior can become extreme.
Not saying a vet checkup in not a good idea.
texsize

 

[msdeb]

The idea of that is just heartbreaking to me! I, too, recommend a vet visit ASAP! I cannot imagine being without my Charlie, even when he is an angry, bitey bird. I was having a bad day not too long ago and needed to just sit near my birdie for a while until I began to feel better.

 

[SailBoat]

Amazons are weird creatures. My YNA Sammy recently (over the past couple of months) decided he wants nothing whatever to do with people.

He won't step up (with anyone, including me, his "person"), and simply runs away if I approach. Any attempt to get closer results in a full-on facial attack with beak, wings, & claws.

Even food training, with his beloved peanuts, results in either him running away (he used to do ANYTHING for a peanut), or taking the nut, throwing it aside, & attacking. He still WANTS the peanut, but he'd rather kill the person that offers it (me, that is) than accept it.

He used to look forward to being on my shoulder every day, being carried around from room to room, and he clamored for attention daily.

He hasn't allowed the slightest shred of human contact now for over a month, and he gets more standoffish every day. It's like he's reverting to being wild. Unfortunately, with his tendency to attack, we can't let him out of his cage anymore, so he'll soon be a permanently caged, strictly ornamental bird.

It's a shame, it's painful for one who loves him so much, and it saddens me deeply. It seems MY "Sammy" is gone - and I'm a complete stranger to him.

He's gone through periods in the past where he'd be angry & holding a grudge over some "insult" (like, if I was away for a day or two). Every time, though, the period after these "grudges" has gotten longer and longer, from a day or two initially, to a month or more recently.

This last time, I went away in August for a weekend, and my old Sammy simply never returned.

It seems that Amazons can revert to being permanently anti-social, at will.

I miss my "Sammy time"...

So, is he any better? Yes? No? or What?

 

[GaleriaGila]

Man, I would be devastated too. But don't give up on Sammy. LIke 'Boats said, have him checked by an Avian vet; if he is hurting or not feeling well from something, he might be really angry, and not know how else to let that hurting out. Like imagine if you had a toothache, a bad one, for a few days, weeks, months.... pretty sure you would be anti social too. Keep us posted, please.

Perfect example of a human equivalent.

Hoping for an update.

 

[mh434]

*Update* For no apparent reason, Sammy suddenly got friendly again last night. Wanted to step up, wanted skritches, wanted treats, gentle as a lamb.

Interestingly enough, we have a friend who's a very parrot-savvy woman, and she came to visit. Sammy hates her with a passion but, when she's around, he seems more inclined to want "up". I specifically asked her to visit, and bring one of her own birds with her. She did, and after 5 minutes, Sammy wanted "UP, daddy!!!"

He stayed on my shoulder for the entire evening, except during dinner (ours). Immediately after, he was right back on my shoulder again until it was bed time. Mind you, I can't rule out what may have been a very-long (6 weeks? 8 weeks?) hormonal episode, as yesterday he was also "exercising" his favorite toy before she arrived, something he hasn't done for quite a while.

It's such a huge turnaround from the day before - I think I have a bipolar 'Zon. There were tears of joy (LOTS of 'em), I can tell you!!

Unfortunately, of course, we're going out of town for 2 weeks, starting Tuesday, and that always precipitates another antisocial episode for a month or two upon my return.

Sigh. Living with Sam is never...boring.

 

[Shine]

I'm so glad things are better! I'll keep my fingers crossed that hes over his issue, whatever it was!

 

[mh434]

I'm sorry to report that Sammy's "nice" period lasted exactly one day. It's been six weeks or so since anyone could get near him without being attacked. I've let him out twice, and both times he flew at me and went for my eyes. Thankfully, both times I was wearing reading glasses, although he did take a piece out of my neck once, and a piece of my cheek the other.

In order to feed him, one of us has to distract him to the other end of the cage and, while he's hissing & attacking through the bars, the other tries to slip a dish of food in before getting attacked.

I'm at my wits end. Our avian vet says he's perfectly healthy, so it's not a health issue. He's just gone back to being completely, utterly wild.

It's so painful - he calls for me, like he always used to, and as soon as he sees me he goes completely insane, ripping and tearing at everything within reach.

At this point, I no longer see any light at the end of the tunnel. In our area, it's extremely difficult to find anyone who will take on even a friendly, well-socialized parrot. It can take months, or years, to find a new home. For an insanely angry, mean bird like Sammy has become, re-homing would be impossible. On the other hand, making him spend the rest of his life caged seems mean, and his quality of life would be awful.

I hate to even contemplate what's left, but we're about out of options. We spend each evening wishing things could improve, hoping we could at least give him a treat without getting attacked, but they get worse with each passing day, and I fear for the safety of ourselves and our other birds (which he has demonstrated he will kill, if he gets the opportunity).

As friends have said, what would we do with a dog that viciously attacks every time anyone approaches him, and would have to be kept in a pen to protect those in the household?

Tears, yet again, but not of joy. I fear the end is near.

 

[SailBoat]

None of this follows what I and the expects that I have consulted over the years, both in speaking with them and as part of their writings understand about Amazon behavioral responses. Yes, there is always the outlayer, but this follows nothing I am aware of in the body of Amazon knowledge.

There is something that is driving this huge swing in behavior.

Starting from the position of: Its NEVER the fault of the Amazon! Its ALWAYS the fault of the Human! There is something that your Amazons sees as a reason to halt trusting being around Humans and is tying you into this group.

Who else has access to your home?
What other Pets to you Have or Visit your home?
What changes have you are are you making to your appearance, others appearances and/or the home itself.
When you are away, Who visits? What do they do? What do they Bring with them?
Are your travels business or vacation based?

Something is causing this and with your AV visit, its likely your Amazon is reacting to Something in Your Home or that Comes into your Home.

Strongly consider getting a Go-Pro Or like Video equipment. TELL NO ONE, that you have gotten it and sit back and learn.

 

[mh434]

That was our first thought, that some change in his environment has caused this. We've racked our brains, but absolutely nothing has changed - his cage, the room he's in, the flock in the room with him, his food, the household routine, nothing. I'm even being careful to always wear clothing he's liked in the past.


We can't think of even the tiniest detail that has changed since he was a loving bird. We have a friend who's a parrot "expert" (has rescued and raised many species of parrots for decades, and has several Amazons currently), and she agrees she's never seen anything remotely like Sammy's decline into wildness. Her only advice is to keep doing things the way we always have, the routine that always kept Sammy happy in the past, in the hopes that one day, maybe he'll come around.

That's what we've been doing for several months, and he just keeps getting relentlessly wilder. He's perfectly happy and content, as long as there's no one around him, but as soon as we're near him, he's furious and violent.

I just don't have any answers. I've spent hours and hours on the 'net, trying to find answers, but I can't find reference to anyone, ever, being faced with this.

 

[SailBoat]

That was our first thought, that some change in his environment has caused this. We've racked our brains, but absolutely nothing has changed - his cage, the room he's in, the flock in the room with him, his food, the household routine, nothing. I'm even being careful to always wear clothing he's liked in the past.


We can't think of even the tiniest detail that has changed since he was a loving bird. We have a friend who's a parrot "expert" (has rescued and raised many species of parrots for decades, and has several Amazons currently), and she agrees she's never seen anything remotely like Sammy's decline into wildness. Her only advice is to keep doing things the way we always have, the routine that always kept Sammy happy in the past, in the hopes that one day, maybe he'll come around.

That's what we've been doing for several months, and he just keeps getting relentlessly wilder. He's perfectly happy and content, as long as there's no one around him, but as soon as we're near him, he's furious and violent.

I just don't have any answers. I've spent hours and hours on the 'net, trying to find answers, but I can't find reference to anyone, ever, being faced with this.

Well, you're expert caused a switch with her last visit! Try another visit, but this time, Video It! there keep it running until the 'switch back.'

 

[Owlet]

Odd suggestion / question but does anyone in the household wear any musk-y perfume or Cologne or something? I don't now how strong a parrot's sense of smell is but there could be a scent that's driving him crazy.

Is he in the same room as the other birds? If so maybe move him to a different part of the house and visit him a lot and talk to him a lot.

 

[wrench13]

I'd go with Sailboats - video . Someone or thing is messing with your bird.

 

[JBassset]

As friends have said, what would we do with a dog that viciously attacks every time anyone approaches him, and would have to be kept in a pen to protect those in the household?

I wouldn't put up with it. If he was a beloved household pet that changed on me I'd do everything I could to figure out why he changed. I'd work with him and help him settle back down. (I can say that cuz I've actually had to do it.)

Like everyone else says: get a camera. Video what's going on. For all you know some neighbor is pestering him by ringing the door bell all day.

He didn't change, something changed him.