Wrong decision

[Catalina]

Having second thoughts about the Catalina macaw that I left a deposit on yesterday. It was so nice in person and went to all family members in the store. But now I'm reading horrifying stories about biting. I thought as long as we take good care of the bird and give it attention it wouldn't bite. I dont know much about birds. I just fell in love with this baby and bought it. I'm scared. I have 3 children and need them to get bit. They would be scared of the bird should this happen. What should I do? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Here is what I just finished writing in your welcome thread:

Hmm. I've had my Niko (Blue & Gold Macaw) for over 3 years. I brought him home when he was 4 months. We met when he was just a wee baby, but I visited him twice a week until he was fully weaned. He has bitten me twice. By biting I mean he's applied enough pressure to break the skin. I did NOT need medical attention. He LOVES to pinch, which sometimes leaves bruises. He is not mean in any way, shape or form, he's just ornery and full of himself.

Then I have Ripley, my GW Macaw. He is 2, and he's only been with me for 6 months. He's never bitten me, but he can get carried away and give a good pinch, too.

Considering the damage these guys "could" inflict, I won't ever say mine are biters. They can and will pinch me out of sheer mischief, nothing more.

Now my husband dropped Ripley the other day when he was holding him on his arm, and Ripley pinched him. Those beaks can be quite intimidating, especially if they open them and put them on your flesh. I had good "chat" with hubby about NOT dropping my bird, lol. Well, he hasn't picked him up since then.

IF you feel the slightest hesitation about bringing home a Catalina, I would recommend against it. All babies are sweet, soft and cuddly, but as they grow and mature, they WILL test their limits. Please, don't take offense, this is just my opinion.

 

[Catalina]

I'm not worried about a nip or pinch. Worried about someone loosing a finger or a bad bite that requires stitches. Or getting a child's or myself face mutalated.

 

[fishstick600]

As a bird owner you will get bites.. Its inevitable.. As the previous poster said you will usually just get pinched which is normal. I've been really bit once and it was my fault because I caused my U2 to lose his balance so he clamped down to keep from falling. There are methods to train a parrot biting is not acceptable and I would recommend looking into it. Yelling/scolding is not one of them. I agree that if u have an reserves for bringing him home then don't. Try starting smaller first. Don't make the mistake I did and buy an umbrella as your first bird lol. If you do wind up getting one there are a lot of people here who will give you good advise and help you becoming a good owner

 

[fishstick600]

I'm not worried about a nip or pinch. Worried about someone loosing a finger or a bad bite that requires stitches. Or getting a child's or myself face mutalated.

There's always a chance of that with large birds.. That's why you should never allow a parrot around your face or on your shoulder no matter how much u trust them. Sydney bit my finger down to the bone and he wasn't even being aggressive.. Just imagine what he could do if he wanted to hurt me. If u are this concerned now you may want to start off with a budgie

 

[JerseyWendy]

Asides from the possibility of getting bit, are you aware of the chores that will be involved with a Big Mac?

Here's a little preview, but remember, I have 4 birds, so it won't be quite that bad.

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/27542-macaw-chores-big-mess-makers.html

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Macaws can be intimidating and love to play with people they can successfully bluff. Since you only put a deposit on a baby I see nothing wrong with you with drawing that deposit and choosing a different species.

Maybe try interacting with the macaw a few times first, and see if the owners of the store have any adult birds you can interact with. as well as different species.

 

[U2gal]

All baby animals are sweet and cute and cuddly and loving and friendly to everyone. Humans too! And then they grow up

 

[tab_xo]

I think just because you are concerned then a macaw might not be best!

Macaws are very big on bluff, and if they know you are scared of them biting, they will take advantage of that!

Fargo has never been aggressive to me (yet), he has bitten me once when his leg got caught and i had to free him, got about 6 punctures in my hand!

He will let ANYONE pat him, aslong as they arent scared, if you have confidence, straight away he will just close his eyes and absolutely love scritches, just complete strangers, however my mum is scared of him biting, and so he will bluff and pretend to attack her!

Fargo has never bothered biting me, because i dont find the beak scary at all, he knows it wouldnt get a reaction, and he is very well trained!
After working with big horses that rear, and buck, his tiny beak is nothing in comparison!

He actually did pinch for the first time the other day! But that was because i was putting alot of pressure on him with training on the floor, he thought it was a game, he had enough, ran over to me, pinched, and then ran away I actually thought it was hilarious, so did he, but he knows that he isnt allowed to do that, and he has been an angel ever since

But that pinch hurt alot more than the 6 bites i got in my hand hahaha

U2Gal, thats not entirely true! Both my horses would just sit with me all day if they could, they love me, i even fell asleep with one of them lying down together outside! And they are grown up!

We even had a cow who we had since she was a calf, she is about 9 years old now, and she thinks she is a dog, and loves everyone

and i have my cat who i rescued when she was 5 days old, she is 7 now, she is the most cuddliest cat i have ever met, all she wants to do is sit on you and get cuddles!

Just because they grow up doesnt mean they dont stay sweet, friendly and loving to everyone!

I know Fargo is still classed as a baby, but he is ALOT more affectionate and cuddly now, than he was when he was when he was younger!
Of course i expect him to be different when he is older, just have to wait and see!


That was a very big post! Sorry!

Good luck with your decision, i think you need to interact with your baby and see how you feel, if you are scared of her beak and biting, then it might not be the best choice, but if you do think you could overcome it, then you will have a best friend for life!



and yes, Wendy is completely right with the mess they make! Fargo turns wood into splinters all over the floor, plastic toys chewed up and chucked everywhere, leaves and branches everywhere But i actually love cleaning, so thats no troubles! haha

 

[U2gal]

What I meant by the "then they grow up" is that they are no longer those babies. And they're adults. They have adult behaviors in the equation too. Hormomes come into play. They change.

 

[Mayden]

In all honesty, Tab probably gets bitten a lot less than I do with my two 'small' parrots. Those horror stories happen - but you get a ton of lovely macaws too. You are going to get bit no matter which species you get. Some are 'less likely' to bite than others and that's something you might want to look in to. BUT, again. You will get bit.

Even Antionette who has probably the sweetest african grey in the world got a real nasty bite a few month back despite Mishka "never biting me before". So whether it's the day you bring that baby home, or a few months or even years down the line. A bite is inevitable. You give them love, show them boundaries but they will push it.

I honestly think your best bet is to go for an older bird who has gone through all the hormone fluctuations (and so is reasonable settled) and who has a pretty sound personality. Meet the bird and then decide on bringing him home. He'll still have to settle and you'll still get a bite! But by learning to read bird body language and teaching your kids to respect the birds boundaries and I'm sure it'll all work out okay!

 

[Catalina]

Thanks for all the advice. We are going to visit the bird on Saturday and go get some training on how to handle it. I'll keep you posted.

 

[JJones1719]

Welcome to the forum.
Here are the facts about Macaws, you only get back what you put into them.

Will a Macaw bite just for the sake of biting, no, they bite when they are scared, to excited, threatened, or if the owner reads their body language wrong.

Macaws show signs as to when they will bite, feathers get puffy, this is them saying (see how big and scary I am) their eyes will get smaller in size, they lower their body almost in an attack mode. This when you back off, give them some time and try again. Never give into them or else they win and you lose.
You must be the alfa in your relationship and they must see you as the protecter, the flock leader and provider.

Will you get bit?
As for biting, there are many ways to train the Macaw not to bite, Macaws are not like Dogs and cats. They are much smarter. They take longer to learn, process, and understand what you are asking of them. They will even place words with the commands.Once an action or command is learned, they never forget.

Some Macaws grow up to be a one person bird so please keep this in mind. Macaws do pick their owner in the Family and once the choice is made, it if very hard to change it. It can really take years.

Macaws are very messy. Their cages require a lot of cleaning. Below, i will give you tips. Macaws can be loud at times so be aware of your Neighbors. Macaws are expensive. Between their price, cages, play stand or play trees, vet visits, food treats, toys it all adds up.

okay now that I have really scared you, (good) because if you read on after this point, I will give you all the reasons as to why your should have a Macaw in your life.

You will never have an animal that will touch your heart the way a Macaw can, they show love and form the strongest bonds with the one they love. They go out of their way to do and say things that warms the heart. I am greated everyday when entering my home from a bad day at work with hello daddy and who loves you MMMMMMEEEEEEE.
They love to bath with you, eat with you, watch TV specially if your watching a show where they is a lot of action on the screen, or weird sounds like music, dancing, laughing. For some reason, this really gets their attn.

My Neleno is a Green Wing macaw and are known as the Gentle Giants of the Macaw world, he was not that Gentle when I first purchased him. In fact when I made an error and clipped his wings, I took my attn off of him and he bit through my ring finger and I ended up with 3 stitches, but this was my fault not the macaw, he was a baby and I should have known better and should have allowed my Vet to trim his wings and nails. Now, it's not big deal and he allows me to do whatever I want to him with complete trust. Our relationship is so strong, nothing would ever come between it.

You stated that you have Children, if your Children are tought early on to respect the Macaw, keep their distance, allow the Macaw to trust them and with gentle handling, your Macaw could form bonds with all three of them with no worries. I would advise you when your Macaw is out of the cage, to be higher then the children can reach. Only allow handling while in your care. teach your children to be a part of the Macaw's life, this means giving them water by changing their bowls, adding food to their bowls. Sitting with them while in the cage and read a book or share their food through the cage bars, Macaws love this when I have small children over, My Niece and nephews love to interact with him while Neleno is on his play tree or in the cage.

Cleaning and care, You must clean their cage at least 1 time per week and change the paper every other day. Here is how i clean Neleno's cage. I take towels that are ready to be washed and soak them in just really hot water, I lay them on the bottom of the cage, perches, and drape them down the sides. I let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes, this will make the waste lose and easy to wipe up, Then i toss the towels into the washing machine. Then I take a bucket of hot water with a little lemon juice and wipe everything down including the toys, after that, then I wipe everything down with just hot water. My cage is 7 feet tall, 6.5 feet wide and approx 4 feet deep, This takes me 40 to 50 minutes to clean.
Macaws shoud be bathed at least once a week. Macaws normally love showers. Neleno's perch is in the shower with me.
After the shower while wet to the bone, I use a nickel size amount of 100% pure aloe vera. I rub my hands together and wipe it into his feathers and skin. Then on a low setting and approx 36 inches away, i blow dry him or take him outside on a hot sunny day with little wind and let the sun dry him.

Macaws eat in the Morning with either fresh fruit or veggies, I keep pellets in his cage throughout the day, and again at night right before going to bed. Macaws get fresh water 3 times a day.
macaws should be out of the cage when ever you are home. I give 1 cup of treats everyother day. best of luck to you on what choice you make and please do what you feel is right for your Family. take care Joe

 

[Mando]

Wauw JJones 1719 Nicely writing down how live is with a Macaw.
Love it !

 

[horsesculpter]

The love of our lives is a Catalina. That said I would NOT get one for a first bird or any macaw for that matter. Macaws will rule the house if they can and birds do bite. Period. They are prey animals and if they can't fly away, it is all they have to defend themselves from a world of much larger creatures. With lots of help you can be fine but if you go into this afraid of that bite you may be in trouble. A smaller bird may be a lot less intimidating and give you the opportunity to learn about bird psychology without the fear. What ever you decide just remember that this is like bringing a small child into your home. They need lots of time, love and attention like any baby.

 

[goalerjones]

The size of the beak was a major deciding factor for us. I know a Hahns can do damage, and I have been on the end of some tantrums. But I will always respect the larger beaks enough to know I don't like even the thought of knowing what can happen.

Hahnzel is loved and a dear part of our family, but his little can opener beak is all we feel comfortable with.

 

[mtdoramike]

My bird groomer lost the tip of her index finger to a Macaw while she was grooming him. Fortunately they found the piece of finger and was able to reattach it. I would reconsider a macaw as well unless you have big bird experience. A bird at the breeder acting wonderful can change once they come home and get settled in, especially if the breeder didn't have children around the house or the bird was VERY WELL SOCIALIZED.

Then again, you may lose your deposit. A lot of breeders will not return hold deposits.

 

[davisn456]

Wow, this thread has some incredible advice in it on all aspects of being a parront. Like the others said, you will get bit at some point, the key to all of it is minimizing the chances and training yourself on how to react. Birds remind me so much of little kids testing their parents. They really do push you to see how far they can go.

I had cockatiels previously, and while for the most part they were gentle, I did take several pretty nasty bites and have a couple of scars to prove it. Frankie, my B&G macaw has bit me a couple of times, but mostly because I was either ignoring her signals or she was startled. Even when she's in a bad mood, she prefers to push my hand away rather than clamp down. However, she does like to play a little rough sometimes and that has resulted in a few pinches here and there. But in those cases, you can clearly tell that she's playing and not being aggressive.

You absolutely have to condition yourself not to react or be jumpy though when working with a bird. I think Tab's reference to how Fargo doesn't even bother to bite her because she doesn't react is a perfect example. Once they realize that you're not going to freak out, the actions towards you change.

While I personally wouldn't recommend a macaw as your very first bird, I expect that if you educate yourself and are patient, you could probably make it work. It's very easy to get frustrated and/or disappointed though, especially in the early days. I admit that I was really worried a few times in the first week or so that I had Frankie that I wouldn't be able to handle her, but now we have a routine that works well for both of us. JJones' post really nailed it though...they're a lot of work, but the rewards are incredible. Frankie rarely fails to put a smile on my face when I get home from work. She runs out of the cage and looks at me so excited to see me. The fun time we spend together is worth more than anything else in the world, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[Catalina]

Well I have decided not to get the macaw. I'm too afraid. So what suggestions do you have in getting a different type of bird

I really love the bright colors.

 

[U2gal]

Well you should do some research on birds and bird behavior.

Maybe a species that does bite hard? A dove? A handraised canary or finch? They're all very cuddly (handraised doves, finches and canaries) and are very beautiful.

Maybe a toucan or toucanette? A mousebird?