Terrified of gloves!

[adz1984]

So I bought new gloves to try out as my alex is cage territorial and has drawn blood but she is absolutely TERRIFIED of the gloves.. she jumped off her perch sceaming at the sight of them (more scared of gloves than a complete stranger) and i can't understand why!

I mean I can handle her with all different kind of towels, objects but gloves a big no no.

 

[SilverSage]

Most birds are...


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[adz1984]

Most birds are...


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Do we have any idea why? i'm really suprised by her reaction!
Should I try comfort her to the gloves slowly (really would prefer to use them) or probably hurt our trust too much?

 

[SilverSage]

I honestly never recommend the use of gloves. Much better to establish trust and understanding. As to why, I imagine they simply don't recognize what they are and are terrified of the strange beings chasing them.


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[adz1984]

Yeah I would think it's strange and scary too but that doesn't explain why I can put table cloths (different colour/sizes) completely over her without her acting terrified even full sized towels, she would just try and escape them not go crazy like with gloves, its gotta be the hand shape of them or something

 

[davefv92c]

gloves are a no,no. get some sort of playstand or use the cage but let her come out of her house on her own. sounds like you have a lot of work to do to get your bird to a handling stage. also find their special treat to get them back in the cage when needed. my U2 will die for some cheese and any kind so if he is not wanting to go home I treat him, and let him see me putting some in his food dish and he steps right up and is happy to go back into his cage.if I where you I would start spending a lot of time cage side talking and treating to get her to trust you more around her house always use your bare fingers. I have an Amazon that wont let you in her cage so I open the door she comes out on the door perch and from either there or her cage top she will step off onto my arm, never the hand and strikes toward the hand at times. and only on sleeves never bare skin since I was wearing sleeves when we started this. but to be honest if I came at her in gloves or a towel it's on cause she ain't going for none of that crap

 

[Flboy]

If she is territorial, respect that! Have her step up on a stick to take her out. Always give her a treat or two through the bars.
You may find, after a while of respecting her home, she won't feel such a need to protect it!

 

[adz1984]

I've spent alot of time with her (cage side included)
Everyday I take her to the couch for training and playtime and she's never bit me there or lunged.. let's me pet her sometimes and pick her up..maybe because she doesn't feel as safe there? don't know..
When it's her bedtime at 8pm or so, she always travel's to me and climbs up my arm to take her back to cage if I put her down she keep coming back.. If someone else try's to handle her she will get super scared jump off her perch and go crazy but with me she trys to fight me so I think she trust me in a way.
I'm able to feed her treats inside the cage but she almost always lunges at me if she doesn't see it or want it
Sometime's I need her out fast to clean her cage or whatever else and even if I did wait for her to come out she would just go to cage-top stand and is still territorial there, she basically never happy to leave those two places.
so what I've been doing lately is giving her 3 chances to step up/not lunge if not I towel and bring her out and today she didn't lunge everytime.
I'm not even sure if this is cage territorial or just never wanting to leave her cage to be honest because she won't go out of her way to bite/lunge it's only when my hand is close to her in the cage, can change her food etc if she not close

 

[JBassset]

That sounds like cage territorial to me. You'll have to keep working with her. The stick thing is a great option. She can bite that all she wants and it won't hurt you.

As to gloves I have a theory. Remember, many birds first reaction to new things is "OH MY GOD IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!" So you put gloves on and she might see that as they're eating you and now they're chasing her.

I think you've already got the best advice anyone can give you: be patient, keep working with her.

 

[Flboy]

Most likely, she will not bite at the stick! You should have her practicing stepping up on a stick even while out of the cage, it is a good option to always have! Do not, I repeat do not chase her with the stick, she should never fear it! Once she is used to the stick then someone else can move her if they have to!

 

[davefv92c]

As to gloves I have a theory. Remember, many birds first reaction to new things is "OH MY GOD IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!" So you put gloves on and she might see that as they're eating you and now they're chasing her.

ROTFLMAO thanks so much that made my day. lol

 

[adz1984]

As to gloves I have a theory. Remember, many birds first reaction to new things is "OH MY GOD IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!" So you put gloves on and she might see that as they're eating you and now they're chasing her.

Thank you for sharing your theory, I am now contemplating life itself

 

[JBassset]

As to gloves I have a theory. Remember, many birds first reaction to new things is "OH MY GOD IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!" So you put gloves on and she might see that as they're eating you and now they're chasing her.

Thank you for sharing your theory, I am now contemplating life itself

Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again (I should probably just make it my signature)

Birds are jerks. Weird, demanding, obnoxious jerks. I can't imagine my life without them.

Trying to understand why she hates gloves is probably futile. Just settle for knowing that she hates gloves!

 

[Notdumasilook]

My Amazon Cookie was wild caught young over 30 years ago. Just guessing... he was handled by his captors with gloves. To this day he freaks if I put on gloves...to go outside, not to handle him. He remembers. I've never used gloves with him, but bled A LOT in the early days before we became best buds... It takes time.

 

[SilverSage]

Just a question; when she lunges, does she actually bite? I have a very sweet bird who lunges every time I put my hand in the cage. He gives a vicious looking lunge, then steps up and begs for kisses; no biting involved.


Sometimes cage aggression can be solved easily; by switching cages.

Other than that, I would use a stick if your hands are actually in danger, rather than gloves. Much less traumatic for the bird.


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[adz1984]

Just a question; when she lunges, does she actually bite? I have a very sweet bird who lunges every time I put my hand in the cage. He gives a vicious looking lunge, then steps up and begs for kisses; no biting involved.

I been giving her my fist lately she definetely bite's and knows flesh is the prize so she looks for that, I try not to show any emotion just twist my hand slowly to get her away from flesh.
Could this be bluffing she is a 18 week old alexandrine, I would think so if she wasn't only aggressive in the cage, maybe she's just scared everywhere else because It seem's like she tolerates me outside of the cage but doesn't enjoy it if that makes sense.
I did try glove's a second time to see if maybe she was more calm but no, it seemed traumatic for her so no more gloves. She was panting from trying to fly and screaming i felt bad
Her cage is kind of big