Hiya everyone!
I've kind of been ghosting around the site for a little while, reading some helpful threads, and finally decided to say hello. My name is Sebastian, I'm 22 and a university student here in Ontario, Canada.
I got my Cinnamon Conure this week and he is 9 weeks old, his name is Samson!
I've always really loved birds. When I was younger and lived in the family home we had a collection of budgies in a home-built cage that wrapped around our basement wall. I think there were a whole 20 of them at the biggest peak. I've never had a pet of my own and so I decided that this little parrot would be a perfect companion!
It's definitely a bit of a challenge so far. The man I got him from said that he won't really start 'recognizing' me until his nine/ten week mark, so right now I'm just focusing on bonding with him. He loved to be on my shoulder and he will fruits / veggies / pellets / nutriberry balls from my fingers when I hold it to him-- but otherwise he's not a big fan of my hands. I'm pretty sure this is just a normal first behaviour, and with time and practice he'll warm into stepping up and understanding my fingers are not bad things. Right now he tends to run away from my fingers if I hold it out for a step-up, or he'll kind of freeze up and bow his head (as if he wants a scratch) but more like to get below it or just hide from it?
I have an appointment for the avian vet tomorrow morning to get a check up-- I'm a little worried about him. He seems to be missing a claw on one of his back toes, and it looks a little inflamed. His beak looks a little scraggely too, so I'm just questioning what kind of first weeks of life he had before I met him. Hopefully I can be the solution to any of his problems and he'll come to trust me in time.
I heard a really helpful statement about parrots that I've been repeating to myself in a mantra when I feel rejected or discouraged:
"It's a marathon, not a sprint."
ANYWAY, thanks for listening! That was a lot of first text, sorry about that. Good to meet you all.
I've kind of been ghosting around the site for a little while, reading some helpful threads, and finally decided to say hello. My name is Sebastian, I'm 22 and a university student here in Ontario, Canada.
I got my Cinnamon Conure this week and he is 9 weeks old, his name is Samson!
I've always really loved birds. When I was younger and lived in the family home we had a collection of budgies in a home-built cage that wrapped around our basement wall. I think there were a whole 20 of them at the biggest peak. I've never had a pet of my own and so I decided that this little parrot would be a perfect companion!
It's definitely a bit of a challenge so far. The man I got him from said that he won't really start 'recognizing' me until his nine/ten week mark, so right now I'm just focusing on bonding with him. He loved to be on my shoulder and he will fruits / veggies / pellets / nutriberry balls from my fingers when I hold it to him-- but otherwise he's not a big fan of my hands. I'm pretty sure this is just a normal first behaviour, and with time and practice he'll warm into stepping up and understanding my fingers are not bad things. Right now he tends to run away from my fingers if I hold it out for a step-up, or he'll kind of freeze up and bow his head (as if he wants a scratch) but more like to get below it or just hide from it?
I have an appointment for the avian vet tomorrow morning to get a check up-- I'm a little worried about him. He seems to be missing a claw on one of his back toes, and it looks a little inflamed. His beak looks a little scraggely too, so I'm just questioning what kind of first weeks of life he had before I met him. Hopefully I can be the solution to any of his problems and he'll come to trust me in time.
I heard a really helpful statement about parrots that I've been repeating to myself in a mantra when I feel rejected or discouraged:
"It's a marathon, not a sprint."
ANYWAY, thanks for listening! That was a lot of first text, sorry about that. Good to meet you all.