Newly Adopted Cockatoo

[kristyemac]

I have had Bentley, an umbrella crested cockatoo, for two days now. His former owners got him as a baby so I am only his second (and hopefully final) home. Bentley's dad passed away and due to major changes in his mom's life she had to give him up. I have known Bentley for several years and he was always receptive to me. It seems that for the past 6 months he has not had much interaction other than feeding and occasional bathing. He's been with me now for 48 hours...hasn't made a sound and seems terrified every time i go near his cage. He IS eating and drinking his water. Please someone help me with ideas on how to help Bentley accept me and the new changes in his life. He's 10 years old, if that helps.

 

[Flockmate]

When we rescued a Miniature Macaw several months ago, we didn't have the report that you already have, but she was super quiet for about a week and then slowly started to engage us. Be patient as everything is new (the view out the window, the smells in the house, different sounds, perhaps other pets) Give him time to take it all in and know that he is safe. Continue with his same brand of food - similar toys that he had at his original home, perhaps same music/songs (things that are familiar) Most importantly - BE CONSISTENT! Continue to talk, sing and engage with him daily. The books I've read say it takes a year to fully have a parrot adjust. Good luck and enjoy :O)

 

[kristyemac]

Thank you! I have his original cage, original toys and am feeding him his regular food. I am just worried for him and know that he is missing his former home. Bentley and I are both lucky that his other family loved him enough to help with the transition from their house to mine. It just breaks my heart to see him so afraid! Any suggestions are welcome and hope to post again soon that he is adjusting.

 

[MikeyTN]

It will take him time as he's still rather new to you yet! Sit there and talk to him, offer him treats, sing to him, act silly around him, rattle baby toys around him, etc. They enjoy stuffs like that!

 

[Jayyj]

You just need to take your time and let him set the pace - it's natural that his new surroundings are intimidating to him, and that he will miss his previous family. Spending time in the room with him, talking softly to him and not making too much eye contact will help put him at ease.

I know it's hard to watch in the early days, but he will get there!

 

[kristyemac]

OK..it's 4 days now. Bentley still will not let me near him, hasn't made a sound, just stands guard staring at me so he'll know when to flee if i go near his cage. He is still eating, seems to be plucking the feathers on his legs. Should I make an attempt to touch him inside of his cage? Or should I still just leave him alone and continue talking to him, minimal eye contact, etc. I don't know if this is harder on him or me!

 

[Marc.cheshire]

I think you need to be a little more patient.

My grey needs at least a week or two to get used to a new perch/stand/toy and is terrified of everything new. I can imagine if he was put into a completly new home it could take months for him to adjust.

I would suggest talking to him still. Learn to read the body language and build a good relationship and trust before attempting a stroke!

 

[Jayyj]

The trouble is if you try to push things you run the risk of making it worse. I vividly remember spending the first week with my cockatoo convinced I'd bitten off more than I could chew and that the bird was suffering for it, but I stuck to what I'd been told, spending each morning and evening sat on the sofa a few feet from the cage watching tv and talking to her every few minutes. By the end of the first week she was making signs that she was open to being approached by edging out onto the top of the cage door or onto the drop down hatch, so I'd let her step onto my shoulder, sit with her for a few minutes then let her go back to the cage as soon as she started to look stressed. By the end of the second week she seemed comfortable staying out for longer periods, and by the end of the month she'd extended her territory to the cage, couch, and java tree. I'd say it took about three months to get to a point where she was fully confident of her new home.

It may be that your bird takes longer than this - every bird is different, and I've heard of umbrellas and other large cockatoos taking upwards of a year to settle into a new home. Is he playing with toys in the cage yet? What does he do when you're out of the room?

I really do feel for you - taking on an older bird is a huge undertaking, it's awful when you can see them suffering and the fear that making mistakes or doing the wrong thing will hurt the bird was overwhelming when I was going through it. But it does gradually get easier, and once you start to see progress and get to know the bird better it's an incredibly rewarding thing to do.

 

[kristyemac]

Thanks for any and all help. I know it's going to take time, just hoping that he will be able to adjust. I think the plucking of his leg feathers is bothering me the most. He's eating but as for his fresh food is only eating sugar snaps when I am also giving him all of the favorite things he's used to eating. I guess the positive is that he's eating!

 

[Karigan]

When I got my greys, I just sat by the cage for hours. At first they were massively confused, but after a while they accepted my presence I began moving closer and doing things of interest to get their attention.

 

[kristyemac]

Well, we had our first adventure today. Bentley's cage has one of those LARGE plexiglass seed boxes in it and it needed cleaning. I had been putting it off because he was so afraid when I tried to go in his cage. Yep, you guessed it....he got past me and flew out. I just went ahead and cleaned his box, sat down in my chair and let him explore the house for about 10 minutes and when I put my hand out and called him he climbed right on! Just to make sure he didn't fly off and hurt himself I had a soft piece of fabric and he let me put it over his back and he hopped right onto his perch when I put him in the cage. No biting threats. No shaking. He went right to eating his fruit and nuts! I think we might make it! Thanks for your support!

 

[Jayyj]

That's really good to hear, well done!

 

[Kimmied]

I have a little girl U2. She is afraid of everything. She is very timid. (She is not even 2). When I first brought her home I spent A LOT of time reading quietly on the floor next to her cage. Sometimes I watched a movie on my computer if it was a chick flick and I didn't think it would be loud or exciting. I put an ihome by her cage and made playlist to calm her. It took about 1 month for her to totally trust me to the point when she hears a loud noise she comes to me for safety. Try some of these things ang give your little one time.

 

[kristyemac]

Well, guys...I'm happy and I'm sad! I had questioned whether Bentley's hesitation might be because he loved his dad, who passed away, so much. We've been making very small, but positive progress and I was happy. I'm a single woman in a house with no men. A friend of mine, male, came over tonight and the minute Bentley saw and heard him he started dancing, singing and doing his funny stuff! The two of them had a ball for about an hour and I left them alone. When my friend left, Bentley went back in his shell and doesn't want anything to do with me. We shall overcome! I was so excited for him to see him happy and acting a fool! Question...should I provide more male visitors for Bentley, or would it be best if he is only around me until he bonds with me?

 

[Kimmied]

This all sounds pretty recent for your little guy. I would think that with time he will over come his loss of his favored person and become attached to you. However they do seem to prefer one sex over another. So he may love you because you care for him but he may just like men better than women. Also he may like some men and hate others. Their funny little birds. I really feel he will come out of his shell once he knows you aren't going anywhere and that you love him. He is just grieving right now.

 

[ShellyBorg]

I agree. I have a bird that for 10 years has hated all men. My best friend moved in with me for a while and he is the only male who has ever been able to get him to step up to come out of the cage and will happy hang out with him. Give him time, he will come around.

 

[kristyemac]

I keep coming back in and re-reading your kind message. Thank you and it gives me hope that Bentley will adjust. He still will not let me have anything to do with him. I've found that it is not a man/woman thing...for whatever reason it's me. He perks up and begs to be rubbed and taken out by others but is still in fear when I go anywhere near the cage. I pretty much think it was his original "mother"s advice that I put a cloth over him to get him in and out of the cage. I did that twice. He didn't like her either. I will never do that again. As I sit here frustrated, the poor baby has been out of his cage now for 4 hours and nothing I do will get him to let me approach to get him back in. I've placed a walk-up board if he will use it, have hung some of his longer cloth toys over the side so he can climb up....no such luck. I've even gone in to my bedroom and closed the door so he'll know I'm not "gonna get him". I HAD to let him out to clean his cage, couldn't put it off any longer. Looks like it's gonna be a long night for both of us. I'm hoping that at some point he will give up and either let me put him in or get in himself. He is SO miserable around me and I want so much to be accepted. He's a sweetie...if he can get over his terror of me. Reading your post above helps me when I'm frustrated. Thank you.

 

[jenphilly]

Give him time... we recently adopted a bare eyed cockatoo girl, about 4 years old and she had been in an all male home since she was a baby. She picked my husband out and originally it looked like she would be 'his' bird, tho she was social and liked attention, she would get all bouncy and call for him as soon as she heard him walk in. But after a short month, she is turning into a momma's girl. I am home with home more then anyone else and I am the one to feed and clean. At first I would open her cage and let her come out on her own and talk to her, offer treats and such. Now even when my husband is home, Ivory will sit with me the majority of the time. I never expected her to bond closer with me even if I fed her, I just figured she'd always be a bird who preferred men after being in a male environment for the first almost 4 years of her life.

I agree that the toweling / cloth may have made him skittish or leery, but if all you do from this point out is positive and things to make him happy, I believe he will forget your early interactions and see you as a happy flock member

I think others have given you great advice for interacting with him to build trust. I would hand feed him his favorite foods or treats and try different music, see if there is something he likes and sing and dance along with whatever music he reacts to. We joke if anyone had looked into our window when I was working with Ivory they would think I'd gone crazy! She likes Maroon 5 and I would stand in front of her cage and sing and flap my arms like wings, she eventually started bobbing and flapping her wings with me.

If you can try to think of how he might be feeling, if you've lost someone in your life... he will recover from his loss, just needs time and patience and I think you are definitely the right person to give him both!!

Jen

 

[Kimmied]

You need to find a snack that he loves and give it to him. Try almond slivers from the baking section or pine nuts in the salad section. No peanuts please. Oh or cashews. Once you know what he likes ya for him. Start by putting one of each in the food dish see which one he gobbles down. Now put 2 of that and one of the others just to be sure that is the treat. Now. Don't put anymore in the dish. That night talk to him and hold the cherished nut when he comes and takes it say quietly good boy. Ya got him now open the cage door and see if you can get him to come to you at the door don't reach in. Make home come to you. When he does got him good boy. He will most likely go back in the cage and the next day you will have to start all over but now that you have that treat. It will make things a little easier. Don't forget that man was his mate and he just lost his lifetime mate. Cockatoos are very sensitive. They are also very manipulative. He will come around. I think he's playing hard to get.

 

[GaryBV]

Kristy I have no doubt that over time he will adjust well, and I think you will too lol. I understand your impatience, but you need to let things just 'go' and take it's own time. I'm a big believer in baby talk to my pets, just talking in a soft, soothing voice, saying his name, what I want for him, etc., just whatever, so he gets used to your voice. I'd also move the cage near to where you sit most of the time (mine has wheels on it, maybe yours does too) and just sit quietly, watching TV or whatever. My birds don't really like quiet, in fact, the more hectic and noisy it is the more they seem to love it lol, but I wouldn't recommend that for a new bird. I think that slowly, but surely, over time, you might not even notice it, but he will come to trust and look forward to seeing you. I make a big fuss over my birds when I first see them in the morning clapping my hands, and baby talking to them, and they seem to love that. Remember it was the tortoise that won the race, not the hare. Good luck with your Bentley, you seem knowledgeable and you care, so that means everything.