weird 'behavioural' issue

[Skidood]

I now know why my conure's previous owner sold her.
I have had Coco for almost 3 months and everything has been going well. She is out of her cage all day, most days.
On 4 occasions now, she attacks me when I take a pill. She hears the pills or vitamins rattling in the bottle and she will fly across the room and bite me very very hard and its clear she is angry. This is a problem since I take a plethora of supplements and vitamins as well as daily medications throughout the day.
It happened an hour ago, she zoomed over and bit the side of my neck, (I was trying to be very quiet with the pills rattling but she still heard it) I was amazed I wasn't bleeding, and I almost killed her in anger. I threw her back into her cage and covered it completely with sheets. As a rule, she does not like going back in her cage at night (she is spoiled by being out all day) even though she goes to sleep quickly and has a very nicely equipped cage.

Does anyone have any tips for trying to stop her from taking chunks out of me when I grab a pill bottle?

 

[Jaime1215]

I’m no expert... but can you cage her or possibly close a door just for the minute it takes to get the pills out? Perhaps make a time once a week to put daily meds into a pill box of some sort? Then maybe try desensitization while she is caged for a short while? It sounds like she may have some fear or bad experience associated with the sound.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I agree with Jaime - put her in her cage while you get the pills out, and try to desensitize her to the sound while she is caged. Don't let her attack you; prevent the situation from happening. Also, give her a treat after she waits in her cage while you take your pills. If she knows she will get a treat, she won't avoid going back in the cage.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I agree with the above statements. Also perhaps change the pill taking routine to before she gets up in the morning and or goes to bed. Or perhaps step outside the house and shut the door and take them. Sometimes birds just don't like something and will never like it. That's just what birds are like! The silly little things. Ollie hates small blue objects...what are you going to do eh? *Shrug*

 

[LordTriggs]

thing is you say you think they got rid of her because she attacks when a pill bottle is used but here's another line of thought. What if pill bottles or similar sounding items were used in punishment? There are people out there who as punishment or even just for their sick amusement will throw things at pets, who's to say a pill bottle wasn't thrown at her whenever the previous owners wanted? Also it could be she's trying to save you from the bottle? It's common that when they feel threatened and see their partner not attempting to run a bird will bite their mate to make them run away whilst they stay and defend

just get her in the cage and shut the door before you take any is the simplest solution. Like Sunnyclover said they can be weird with things, my conure went crazy trying to "save" me from a red hoody I had on and completely freaked over a red bag I brought in once, but he loved hanging out on the red sofa in front of his cage. Even then I knew he had never been abused by red as I got him from a baby

 

[T00tsyd]

I too take pills and Syd decided a little while ago that the pills were food for him and started to fight me for them.

I decided that was just normal so believing that the best cure is avoidance I take them out of his sight. I now put him in the cage for the few minutes it takes to organise and take the meds and he has lost the screaming/attacking that used to be his normal behaviour. I might even give him a seed treat so he has something else to think about.

I look at it this way. If we really were a flock and I suddenly found something that I was eating he would try to join in. He doesn't care if it's good or bad just that I have it. I would also suggest that he spend a little more time in his cage just to re-balance the relationship between the two of you. Syd has out time but I make sure he has time in his cage because then I find he relaxes/eats/sleeps better, also I do find that he is more volatile if he doesn't get that rest. Rather like a toddler that gets overtired and as a result is totally unreasonable.

eg He got up at 8am and transferred from sleep to day cage and it is now 10.30am and so far he has been playing/eating/chatting happily and I will probably get him out by 11am and after lunch he will go back for an afternoon nap. I will then get him out til bedtime. If he has had a short or disturbed night he will get nippy and then I will cage him again to let him relax again. It's just like parenting.

 

[Flboy]

This is a learned behavior, for whatever reason. It can be redirected! But please, not through force! A GCC will never back down!
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

The only bite that can't be rewarded is the one that never occurs.

 

[Skidood]

Thanks very much to all for your wonderful input, it is very helpful. As you can imagine, it is just as stressful for me to have "fights" with my girl as it would be for her. And yes, she didn't back down when I was angry at her during her quick trip back to the cage, and even once she was back inside. Thanx again!

 

[DerTier]

Just a general fyi: just because an animal has a fear reaction doesn't directly correlate to it having said item used against it in any way. Its an easy assumption to make but it is just that. Animals have their own ideas about what is pleasant or adversive, and could easily decide something innocuous is a deadly danger, like a clearly evil pill bottle

That being said, there are millions of ignorant people who still believe in the disproven "alpha" theory and those who use that fake science to justify abuse.

 

[wrench13]

how about not throwing your bird into his cage.

 

[DerTier]

Sorry my phone was dying earlier... instead of being punished for disliking said item, i recommend positive reinforcement whenever the bottle comes out. Just let her see it or hear it in her cage (for your safety), then treat her. Give her a reason to like the pills instead of the current negative reaction

 

[Ckellar]

I am so glad I found this. I've had my Conure for about 8 months now and anytime I take a vitamin bottle or a pill bottle she stomps over in a rage and bites me. I thought that maybe the sound was similar to her getting food in a dish at her previous home...she also gets mad when I am typing...it's a similar sound in away

 

[HeatherG]

Huh. My Quaker, Lucy, did a childproof medication bottle noise (opened lid, pour out pill, swallow pill, put lid on). I miss that. Willow thinks that medication must be a special treat and tries to grab it. So I don’t handle medication when Willow is “on” me.

I am wondering if someone shook pebbles in a pill bottle when this bird screamed? Sounds like something done to dissuade a cat from getting on the counter.

Anyhow it doesn’t really matter why the bird does this, just put her away before you take your medication, or walk into a different room to take it.