Hello! I'm new to this site, nice to meet you all!
I have a two year old Kakariki that I inherited from a family member about a year ago. That family member hand raised the bird, but didn't form a deep bond with him. He would step up on command and then fly in the house as he pleased. I inherited the bird and he would step up on my shoulder and would follow me around the house. He would often fly to me when called and would often sit on my computer monitor while I worked. He seemed most comfortable spending time with me perched on my screen or on my stair railing, but I could never touch him. He always kept his distance. I was fine with it, as he would keep me company on the days I worked from home. We also have a dog, whom he would mock and fly around in circles.
I then moved from a big house with ample railings and high ceilings to a moderately small apartment. I purposely added curtain rods, allowed him to sit on the tops of my cabinets and put additional perches but his attitude towards me and others have changed completely. Up until recently, he's never bitten me. He does not come around me while I work from home, rarely interacts with me, and bites at every opportunity. He follows me from room to room but will perch at the highest ledge he can find and watches me.
I tried to offer specialty treats like blueberries and strawberries and he will bite my hand when I offer the treats. I now have to toss the food into his cage bc he is now following my hand in order to bite it. Earlier today he landed on a family member's shoulders and quickly ran up to their face and bit their lip.
He's also loosing some feathers (they're everywhere!) but he doesn't seem ill or sick. He's eating well and drinking just fine. He takes baths every four to five days (it's always available to him in his cage).
Why is he suddenly so upset? Is the change in environment that catastrophic for him? We've lived here now for two months. I live in MN and it's generally cold in my apartment, no matter how warm I turn the heater up. His cage is generally clean, I change his food, update his water... what do I do!?
I have a two year old Kakariki that I inherited from a family member about a year ago. That family member hand raised the bird, but didn't form a deep bond with him. He would step up on command and then fly in the house as he pleased. I inherited the bird and he would step up on my shoulder and would follow me around the house. He would often fly to me when called and would often sit on my computer monitor while I worked. He seemed most comfortable spending time with me perched on my screen or on my stair railing, but I could never touch him. He always kept his distance. I was fine with it, as he would keep me company on the days I worked from home. We also have a dog, whom he would mock and fly around in circles.
I then moved from a big house with ample railings and high ceilings to a moderately small apartment. I purposely added curtain rods, allowed him to sit on the tops of my cabinets and put additional perches but his attitude towards me and others have changed completely. Up until recently, he's never bitten me. He does not come around me while I work from home, rarely interacts with me, and bites at every opportunity. He follows me from room to room but will perch at the highest ledge he can find and watches me.
I tried to offer specialty treats like blueberries and strawberries and he will bite my hand when I offer the treats. I now have to toss the food into his cage bc he is now following my hand in order to bite it. Earlier today he landed on a family member's shoulders and quickly ran up to their face and bit their lip.
He's also loosing some feathers (they're everywhere!) but he doesn't seem ill or sick. He's eating well and drinking just fine. He takes baths every four to five days (it's always available to him in his cage).
Why is he suddenly so upset? Is the change in environment that catastrophic for him? We've lived here now for two months. I live in MN and it's generally cold in my apartment, no matter how warm I turn the heater up. His cage is generally clean, I change his food, update his water... what do I do!?
