Farnoosh
Well-known member
- Aug 7, 2020
- 122
- 485
- Parrots
- Paisley, pineapple green cheek born February 12, 2021, and
Daisy the most beautiful Pineapple green cheek, currently flying in paradise RIP February 2, 2020 – August 14, 2021
I am in tears as I type this.
My sweet pineapple green cheek conure, who has always been a gentle, tender, and sweet soul, is not the same bird anymore.
A bit of a background:
about a month and a half ago, I got an eviction notice from my landlady as she is downsizing and I need to move out. This, combined with my mother having a bad fall and breaking her foot, has shifted and changed Paisley's routine (and mine), creating a lot of stress in the home.
Paisley loves my mother and always looked forward to seeing her – which was on a regular basis – and getting a bit of socializing, as most people who visit me in my place never really paid any attention to Paisley and she doesn't like that. So she appreciates my mother and unfortunately as a result of the fall, Paisley hasn't been able to see my mom in over a month. Also, I've been quite stressed and anxious about all of these changes myself, and I know that my emotions have impacted her immensely. She began acting out about a couple of weeks after my mom broke her foot. She began to vocalize a lot and also, interestingly, was absolutely not about any noises coming from the hallway – such as people talking, elevator sounds, etc., and would fly to the door and act as though she wanted to get out in the hallway. As if she's desperate for socializing with someone out there, or maybe, I'm wondering, if she is just waiting for my mom.
She also doesn't appreciate that I've been on the phone so much trying to get in contact with people for finding a place. I noticed now that every time I grab my phone, it's like she gets anxiety. In short, she hates my phone.
On one unfortunate occasion, when I was in the midst of my own stress, and I am NOT okay with what happened, I got really angry and yelled at her! Another time she bit me super hard, and again I got angry with her and screamed at her. Ever since then, she's not the same bird anymore. I know it's my fault, that I should have been a better human and not yelled at her even though I was super stressed, but it happened and I'm not proud of it. I have to admit that I am just a flawed human and guilty of acting as such, and I feel so bad about it that since then I've been depressed and I can't stop the tears that I really shouldn't have lost it with her because I feel like now I've lost my bird.
Don't really know what to do and I'm not sure if she will ever come back to herself again. There are moments when she acts like herself, and that's usually in the evening, but during the day, it's like she just wants to escape and go out in the hallway and all day she keeps on saying: "hi baby" (her usual words to me) over and over to me and I have to respond every single time and if I don't she will scream. I feel like she is constantly in fight or flight mode and no matter how much attention I give her and how sweet I am with her, she's just not herself.
I think I freaked her out by my behaviour, and she was already stressed and confused with all the changes. I don't know what to do except that I am thinking of taking her over to my mom's place for a few weeks so that she can get some space from me and be with my mom.
I think if she stays here she will just get more and more stressed because I have a lot of work to do and things to take care of with my move and I need help myself.
I just don't know what to do but I know I will talk to her doctor about it when she sees her next. She always seems to be unhappy and complaining, but I don't really know what she wants, and I think she just wants to get out of my apartment.
… Sadness filled my heart and I just don't know if my Paisley will ever come back to herself again.
My sweet pineapple green cheek conure, who has always been a gentle, tender, and sweet soul, is not the same bird anymore.
A bit of a background:
about a month and a half ago, I got an eviction notice from my landlady as she is downsizing and I need to move out. This, combined with my mother having a bad fall and breaking her foot, has shifted and changed Paisley's routine (and mine), creating a lot of stress in the home.
Paisley loves my mother and always looked forward to seeing her – which was on a regular basis – and getting a bit of socializing, as most people who visit me in my place never really paid any attention to Paisley and she doesn't like that. So she appreciates my mother and unfortunately as a result of the fall, Paisley hasn't been able to see my mom in over a month. Also, I've been quite stressed and anxious about all of these changes myself, and I know that my emotions have impacted her immensely. She began acting out about a couple of weeks after my mom broke her foot. She began to vocalize a lot and also, interestingly, was absolutely not about any noises coming from the hallway – such as people talking, elevator sounds, etc., and would fly to the door and act as though she wanted to get out in the hallway. As if she's desperate for socializing with someone out there, or maybe, I'm wondering, if she is just waiting for my mom.
She also doesn't appreciate that I've been on the phone so much trying to get in contact with people for finding a place. I noticed now that every time I grab my phone, it's like she gets anxiety. In short, she hates my phone.
On one unfortunate occasion, when I was in the midst of my own stress, and I am NOT okay with what happened, I got really angry and yelled at her! Another time she bit me super hard, and again I got angry with her and screamed at her. Ever since then, she's not the same bird anymore. I know it's my fault, that I should have been a better human and not yelled at her even though I was super stressed, but it happened and I'm not proud of it. I have to admit that I am just a flawed human and guilty of acting as such, and I feel so bad about it that since then I've been depressed and I can't stop the tears that I really shouldn't have lost it with her because I feel like now I've lost my bird.

Don't really know what to do and I'm not sure if she will ever come back to herself again. There are moments when she acts like herself, and that's usually in the evening, but during the day, it's like she just wants to escape and go out in the hallway and all day she keeps on saying: "hi baby" (her usual words to me) over and over to me and I have to respond every single time and if I don't she will scream. I feel like she is constantly in fight or flight mode and no matter how much attention I give her and how sweet I am with her, she's just not herself.
I think I freaked her out by my behaviour, and she was already stressed and confused with all the changes. I don't know what to do except that I am thinking of taking her over to my mom's place for a few weeks so that she can get some space from me and be with my mom.
I think if she stays here she will just get more and more stressed because I have a lot of work to do and things to take care of with my move and I need help myself.
I just don't know what to do but I know I will talk to her doctor about it when she sees her next. She always seems to be unhappy and complaining, but I don't really know what she wants, and I think she just wants to get out of my apartment.
… Sadness filled my heart and I just don't know if my Paisley will ever come back to herself again.