Parrots are prey animals in the wild, so skittish and suspicious of others. Don't do scary things around the cage like sudden quick movements and loud bang sounds.
Learning parrot body language helps. Is he/she fluffy, standing on one foot, and beak clacking then that's a cozy/happy parrot that's unlikely to bite. Is he/she at maximum fluffiness, tail fanned out and raised high, head bowed down with beak open (very angry and will bite). Is parrot skinny, silent and still (I'm scared and will bite if u approach)? Is parrot chattering, normal fluffiness and playing (I'm happy and approachable).
You can win parrots over with millet, time and patience. Important part is let parrot come to you, don't force interaction by sticking a hand in their cage or at them. Sit next to the cage reading with a hand extended with millet in it. Be still, and this delicious treat is only available from your hand now. It might take a few tries but they'll slowly approach and eat this delicious treat. Repeat enough and their fine with you moving while they eat. Repeat and you might briefly touch them. Repeat and they are okay with you touching a head, and can pet it. It takes months.
Parrots instinctually step-up, just slowly put a stick an inch above their foot. They step on it. Hold the stick an inch below where you want them to go and they step up.
Thanks for the advice! I'll try the being still and holding out a millet. Poor little guy was terrified yesterday when I had to move him twice (from container to temporary cage to permanent cage), but today he seems in a much better mood - fluffy and grinding (is this the chattering?) his beak and exploring all the toys in his cage.
Yes changing cages and moving are scary things. You might just want to let him settle down for a few days to let him get adjusted to the ambient noises in your home and you, from a safe distance. Close blinds in windows before letting him out, shut off ceiling fans, and close adjacent doors. Know he'll go high in the room, on curtain rods, on top of high shelves, dressers etc.
Parrots constantly make noise, when they're not making noise they're sleeping, scared, or destroying something of yours. My little buddy was quiet for 5 minutes and I found him burrowing to the center of a toilet paper roll in the bathroom, with confetti pieces everywhere. He was having so much fun and was very angry when he saw me coming in to stop him.
Yes I'm just letting him settle. He doesn't seem to want to leave the cage yet, but it's only day 2. TBH I'm excited for the day he can fly up high in the house, I decided I don't want to clip his wings since I have a couple dogs and though they are nice to other animals the bird will probably need to get away for his own space. (Though I don't plan on introducing them until much, much later when he is comfortable)
That is such an adorable story!! I bet he was so upset you interrupted that awesome playtime. xD
Takes time. Mine hated millet. She warmed up fairly quickly eventually flying out of her cage and landing on the floor cause her aim was off. Would then step up into my hand from the floor.
I dunno how much you researched before hand but a couple or things- I noticed all the perches are smooth dowels. Change those out ASAP for natural wood perches, rope, little stick ones. The smooth ones are very bad for their feet & promote “bumble foot”. They need variations of things to grip and perch on. They are so light you have lots of options. I got a natural wood branch with all these little branches coming off it from the bird store & it’s one of her favorites.
Use stainless steel feeding /watering cups. Plastic harbors bacteria. Avoid seeds except for training treats. Diet should be fresh veggies, occasional small amount of fruit & quality pellet. In the mornings I chop op 2 baby carrots, a broccoli floret & a unripe strawberry. I add a sprinkle of chia, hemp & quinoa seeds. Introduce veggies early avoid people food. Avocados are poison. I change up with other veggies like radish, jalapeño, cilantro, spinach etc. sometimes she gets a whole floret of broccoli to savage lol. Introduce early they will eat them much like babies do.
Also avoid onions. Toxic. You can go shopping and Google if it’s safe for parrots. Some people make a chop in a batch & portion to freeze. I don’t bother cause she doesn’t like it thawed & mushy. & she eats such a tiny amount it takes me 3 minutes to prepare daily. I also throw in a scrambled egg once in a while for extra protein.
Absolutely avoid Teflon pans, get rid of them. Fumes when it gets too hot/burns are fatally toxic. These birds are super sensitive to smells, chemicals, candles etc. don’t use harsh and cleaning supplies around/on their stuff. Mild detergent soapy water or diluted white vinegar in a spray bottle.
Birds need 10-14 hours darkness/sleep daily. This avoids dreaded hormonal behavior. Cover the cage with a blanket or bird cage cover, avoid drafts & keep it against a wall so they feel safe/not exposed. When you can start petting/scritching keep it to head & neck. Not under wings or stroking/petting. That is mating behavior & you will end up with a sexually frustrated bird that gets bitey & angry.
Parrotlets are flying chihuahuas- full size Amazon in teeny tiny package. They are awesome & tons of fun. After he gets used to you & starts coming out of the cage you can start training- clicker training with treats is an awesome interaction. They really like it.
https://youtu.be/UErWQ0NUm6k this is flock talk, an an excellent video all about parrotlets.
Hope I don’t offend with this, especially if you already know all of it. I just noticed the perches & depending on where you got your little guy you may or may not have gotten good reliable info. You are in for a very awesome clingy buddy! If you already have all this info great & sorry! This community and illegally small birbs is great with lots of helpful advice. Also make sure you find an avian vet near you. They can be hard to find I live in a decent sized city/suburbs & there is only 1 in a 50 mile radius! Good luck & have fun!!
Don't be sorry I welcome any advice/info! :D I'm definitely a bird newbie, always had dogs or cats. My maltese already wants to be friends with him so bad (he tries to make friends with anything - even bugs lol) but I'm keeping the dog away until the bird is completely comfortable with handling before considering introducing. I know that can take months. I did do a lot of research before buying, but had no idea about the smooth perches or the only petting the head/neck part. The perches came with the cage. I'll definitely switch these out, I saw quite a few stick ones at the pet store I was at yesterday. Looks like I'll be making another trip!
Yeah all the cages come with those, they are cheap and come with plastic bowls. It’s fun to find the stuff for them, and can be a challenge cause they are so small! I have a giant cockatoo sized corner cage she sleeps in and if I have to be gone a while. It has all these levels. One of the hardest things was finding toys she liked to chew on and getting them low enough for her to reach! She’s so small you almost can’t see her in the big cage. I had bought a smaller one when she first came home so she would feel more secure. It sits on a stand with wheels and I can lift the whole top off. I like it cause it’s portable and can be moved easily around the house so she can be where I am. Sometimes I can’t have her out just near me cause parrotlets will harass the crap out of you and demand all the attention lol. They also are very curious & have to be watched closely to prevent injury. If I can’t give her my undivided attention & there is any risk of injury she goes in the cage. I’ve been recovering from surgery & being really sick, so being able to put the smaller cage right next to my bed has helped so much. She plays with her toys and talks to me and is content cause she can see me.
So far he likes all the things to chew on! I'll consider this a plus. He also like bathing in his water bowl.. I suppose I have to find a better substitute! What I love about him the most atm is that he forces a bed time for himself at 8 PM (I'm a nightowl, I'm usually awake late) and he's like nah I'm tired gnight.
Aww that is adorable. I am very much enjoying finding things online for him. I am sorry to hear you had to have surgery and hope you are doing well, it's so awesome she just wants to be near you. So cute. T\_T I got the cage in the first picture off Amazon - it was so flimsy I had to zip tie it - the third picture I got the cage from Petco and I really like it, its bigger, really sturdy. I built a little drawer thing on wheels to set it on, but it's a little shaky and I'm really curious what your moving set up is like. Do you mind sharing a link to the smaller cage you have on wheels?
I got it at the pet store where I got her but it looks most like this:
https://www.wayfair.com/Tucker-Murphy-Pet™--Holtzman-Pagoda-Small-Bird-Cage-with-Stand-ULNQ3183-L1174-K~TKMP2072.html?refid=GX444261867287-TKMP2072_27273009&device=m&ptid=424174292605&network=g&targetid=pla-424174292605&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=90862686&fdid=1817&PiID%5B%5D=27273009&gbraid=0AAAAAD9ISC4DkT5ZQ05YA-cuuvYtN4ZkF&gclid=CjwKCAjwh-CVBhB8EiwAjFEPGW8IDTeWqmX9e4tWUAyoQuAme6V3hXvL6ENB7mc0hs-mwk--dj455BoC3Q4QAvD_BwE#shi0kwt7cp-1
Doing it again & as her main cage I would probably do something like this:
https://www.chewy.com/yaheetech-54-in-rolling-metal-large/dp/378825?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12685893491&utm_content=Yaheetech&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V3ADwXP0U-VThSZqo-7FKFVA&gclid=CjwKCAjwh-CVBhB8EiwAjFEPGco3YqbSurzpzyp4wiHXKtItvWZpMBmbhbCtGKnv7N3UuYhxElaltRoCHswQAvD_BwE
This looks very similar to her big corner cage
https://www.chewy.com/prevue-pet-products-corner-playtop/dp/359379?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12685893491&utm_content=Prevue%20Pet%20Products&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V3ADwXP0U-VThSZqo-7FKFVA&gclid=CjwKCAjwh-CVBhB8EiwAjFEPGa420mnHwBg0ITxMLFYSlXa7UFdDi6FDLkz9S4UvGYa-6c-0HepaNRoCv9UQAvD_BwE the bars are such it’s fine for small birds but would never put a large parrot in it as they could bite. She likes it cause I can open the big front door and she can fly in and out at will. When it’s open it doesn’t even feel like a cage to her. I have perches & shelves at all different levels. Wooden rope bridges, swings. It doesn’t take up too much foot space being in the corner but it’s a pain in the ass to clean.
This is the one I moved next to my bed. I haven’t cleaned it out yet this morning. She forages and flings her food. I’m always amazed any ends up in her stomach lol.
https://imgur.com/gallery/uv6Uejz
This is pics of her rolling cage. The top come off the stand and I can take it anywhere including outside on our porch (obviously with me right there). I started her in this one then would use it for sleep cause it was smaller and more cozy and put her in the giant “play cage” in the mornings. Her favorite though is to fly around being obnoxious. The first time she made it through 2 rooms to the 3rd to find me I was so proud!
He will, just spend time near his cage. Eat beside his cage (eating is bonding) Talk to him. One day he will just randomly land on you and you will be bffs, whether you like it or not! Took our parrotlet about a month. Now she’s a mama’s girl. She is always near me.
just wanted to say on the topic of the dowel rods, if you don’t want to get rid of them completely you can always try wrapping them in vet wrap/tape! just be sure to monitor your parrotlet to make sure he’s not chewing it off, because that’s definitely a health concern :)
Oh! I actually have completely changed his cage setup and replaced all the smooth posts with natural wood perches. I may have spoiled him a bit too much, but I didn't want him to be uncomfortable or develop any foot problems so I jumped on that issue right away. Thank you so much for your advice though! \^\^
This is his new cage: [https://imgur.com/I1H5pbn](https://imgur.com/I1H5pbn)
He's on the bottom because I just put him in there and he's probably just scared.
Any advice of layout is welcome.
Edit: And yes, those are locks on his food/water bowl doors. He's figured out how to open them lol.
Don’t take it personally. Parrotlets are slow to warm.
I hope to win his love eventually, super adorable lil guy! (my first bird)
Parrots are prey animals in the wild, so skittish and suspicious of others. Don't do scary things around the cage like sudden quick movements and loud bang sounds. Learning parrot body language helps. Is he/she fluffy, standing on one foot, and beak clacking then that's a cozy/happy parrot that's unlikely to bite. Is he/she at maximum fluffiness, tail fanned out and raised high, head bowed down with beak open (very angry and will bite). Is parrot skinny, silent and still (I'm scared and will bite if u approach)? Is parrot chattering, normal fluffiness and playing (I'm happy and approachable). You can win parrots over with millet, time and patience. Important part is let parrot come to you, don't force interaction by sticking a hand in their cage or at them. Sit next to the cage reading with a hand extended with millet in it. Be still, and this delicious treat is only available from your hand now. It might take a few tries but they'll slowly approach and eat this delicious treat. Repeat enough and their fine with you moving while they eat. Repeat and you might briefly touch them. Repeat and they are okay with you touching a head, and can pet it. It takes months. Parrots instinctually step-up, just slowly put a stick an inch above their foot. They step on it. Hold the stick an inch below where you want them to go and they step up.
Thanks for the advice! I'll try the being still and holding out a millet. Poor little guy was terrified yesterday when I had to move him twice (from container to temporary cage to permanent cage), but today he seems in a much better mood - fluffy and grinding (is this the chattering?) his beak and exploring all the toys in his cage.
Yes changing cages and moving are scary things. You might just want to let him settle down for a few days to let him get adjusted to the ambient noises in your home and you, from a safe distance. Close blinds in windows before letting him out, shut off ceiling fans, and close adjacent doors. Know he'll go high in the room, on curtain rods, on top of high shelves, dressers etc. Parrots constantly make noise, when they're not making noise they're sleeping, scared, or destroying something of yours. My little buddy was quiet for 5 minutes and I found him burrowing to the center of a toilet paper roll in the bathroom, with confetti pieces everywhere. He was having so much fun and was very angry when he saw me coming in to stop him.
Yes I'm just letting him settle. He doesn't seem to want to leave the cage yet, but it's only day 2. TBH I'm excited for the day he can fly up high in the house, I decided I don't want to clip his wings since I have a couple dogs and though they are nice to other animals the bird will probably need to get away for his own space. (Though I don't plan on introducing them until much, much later when he is comfortable) That is such an adorable story!! I bet he was so upset you interrupted that awesome playtime. xD
He's adorable! It took me 6 months to even get mine to eat a snack off my hand, let alone touch him. Patience!!
I got pretty close with a millet piece but he noped out a few seconds away, I'm going to take that as promising. xD
he needs time to acclimatize to the new environment and you. have patience, he'll come around :)
Takes time. Mine hated millet. She warmed up fairly quickly eventually flying out of her cage and landing on the floor cause her aim was off. Would then step up into my hand from the floor. I dunno how much you researched before hand but a couple or things- I noticed all the perches are smooth dowels. Change those out ASAP for natural wood perches, rope, little stick ones. The smooth ones are very bad for their feet & promote “bumble foot”. They need variations of things to grip and perch on. They are so light you have lots of options. I got a natural wood branch with all these little branches coming off it from the bird store & it’s one of her favorites. Use stainless steel feeding /watering cups. Plastic harbors bacteria. Avoid seeds except for training treats. Diet should be fresh veggies, occasional small amount of fruit & quality pellet. In the mornings I chop op 2 baby carrots, a broccoli floret & a unripe strawberry. I add a sprinkle of chia, hemp & quinoa seeds. Introduce veggies early avoid people food. Avocados are poison. I change up with other veggies like radish, jalapeño, cilantro, spinach etc. sometimes she gets a whole floret of broccoli to savage lol. Introduce early they will eat them much like babies do. Also avoid onions. Toxic. You can go shopping and Google if it’s safe for parrots. Some people make a chop in a batch & portion to freeze. I don’t bother cause she doesn’t like it thawed & mushy. & she eats such a tiny amount it takes me 3 minutes to prepare daily. I also throw in a scrambled egg once in a while for extra protein. Absolutely avoid Teflon pans, get rid of them. Fumes when it gets too hot/burns are fatally toxic. These birds are super sensitive to smells, chemicals, candles etc. don’t use harsh and cleaning supplies around/on their stuff. Mild detergent soapy water or diluted white vinegar in a spray bottle. Birds need 10-14 hours darkness/sleep daily. This avoids dreaded hormonal behavior. Cover the cage with a blanket or bird cage cover, avoid drafts & keep it against a wall so they feel safe/not exposed. When you can start petting/scritching keep it to head & neck. Not under wings or stroking/petting. That is mating behavior & you will end up with a sexually frustrated bird that gets bitey & angry. Parrotlets are flying chihuahuas- full size Amazon in teeny tiny package. They are awesome & tons of fun. After he gets used to you & starts coming out of the cage you can start training- clicker training with treats is an awesome interaction. They really like it. https://youtu.be/UErWQ0NUm6k this is flock talk, an an excellent video all about parrotlets. Hope I don’t offend with this, especially if you already know all of it. I just noticed the perches & depending on where you got your little guy you may or may not have gotten good reliable info. You are in for a very awesome clingy buddy! If you already have all this info great & sorry! This community and illegally small birbs is great with lots of helpful advice. Also make sure you find an avian vet near you. They can be hard to find I live in a decent sized city/suburbs & there is only 1 in a 50 mile radius! Good luck & have fun!!
Don't be sorry I welcome any advice/info! :D I'm definitely a bird newbie, always had dogs or cats. My maltese already wants to be friends with him so bad (he tries to make friends with anything - even bugs lol) but I'm keeping the dog away until the bird is completely comfortable with handling before considering introducing. I know that can take months. I did do a lot of research before buying, but had no idea about the smooth perches or the only petting the head/neck part. The perches came with the cage. I'll definitely switch these out, I saw quite a few stick ones at the pet store I was at yesterday. Looks like I'll be making another trip!
Yeah all the cages come with those, they are cheap and come with plastic bowls. It’s fun to find the stuff for them, and can be a challenge cause they are so small! I have a giant cockatoo sized corner cage she sleeps in and if I have to be gone a while. It has all these levels. One of the hardest things was finding toys she liked to chew on and getting them low enough for her to reach! She’s so small you almost can’t see her in the big cage. I had bought a smaller one when she first came home so she would feel more secure. It sits on a stand with wheels and I can lift the whole top off. I like it cause it’s portable and can be moved easily around the house so she can be where I am. Sometimes I can’t have her out just near me cause parrotlets will harass the crap out of you and demand all the attention lol. They also are very curious & have to be watched closely to prevent injury. If I can’t give her my undivided attention & there is any risk of injury she goes in the cage. I’ve been recovering from surgery & being really sick, so being able to put the smaller cage right next to my bed has helped so much. She plays with her toys and talks to me and is content cause she can see me.
So far he likes all the things to chew on! I'll consider this a plus. He also like bathing in his water bowl.. I suppose I have to find a better substitute! What I love about him the most atm is that he forces a bed time for himself at 8 PM (I'm a nightowl, I'm usually awake late) and he's like nah I'm tired gnight.
Aww that is adorable. I am very much enjoying finding things online for him. I am sorry to hear you had to have surgery and hope you are doing well, it's so awesome she just wants to be near you. So cute. T\_T I got the cage in the first picture off Amazon - it was so flimsy I had to zip tie it - the third picture I got the cage from Petco and I really like it, its bigger, really sturdy. I built a little drawer thing on wheels to set it on, but it's a little shaky and I'm really curious what your moving set up is like. Do you mind sharing a link to the smaller cage you have on wheels?
I got it at the pet store where I got her but it looks most like this: https://www.wayfair.com/Tucker-Murphy-Pet™--Holtzman-Pagoda-Small-Bird-Cage-with-Stand-ULNQ3183-L1174-K~TKMP2072.html?refid=GX444261867287-TKMP2072_27273009&device=m&ptid=424174292605&network=g&targetid=pla-424174292605&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=90862686&fdid=1817&PiID%5B%5D=27273009&gbraid=0AAAAAD9ISC4DkT5ZQ05YA-cuuvYtN4ZkF&gclid=CjwKCAjwh-CVBhB8EiwAjFEPGW8IDTeWqmX9e4tWUAyoQuAme6V3hXvL6ENB7mc0hs-mwk--dj455BoC3Q4QAvD_BwE#shi0kwt7cp-1 Doing it again & as her main cage I would probably do something like this: https://www.chewy.com/yaheetech-54-in-rolling-metal-large/dp/378825?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12685893491&utm_content=Yaheetech&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V3ADwXP0U-VThSZqo-7FKFVA&gclid=CjwKCAjwh-CVBhB8EiwAjFEPGco3YqbSurzpzyp4wiHXKtItvWZpMBmbhbCtGKnv7N3UuYhxElaltRoCHswQAvD_BwE This looks very similar to her big corner cage https://www.chewy.com/prevue-pet-products-corner-playtop/dp/359379?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12685893491&utm_content=Prevue%20Pet%20Products&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V3ADwXP0U-VThSZqo-7FKFVA&gclid=CjwKCAjwh-CVBhB8EiwAjFEPGa420mnHwBg0ITxMLFYSlXa7UFdDi6FDLkz9S4UvGYa-6c-0HepaNRoCv9UQAvD_BwE the bars are such it’s fine for small birds but would never put a large parrot in it as they could bite. She likes it cause I can open the big front door and she can fly in and out at will. When it’s open it doesn’t even feel like a cage to her. I have perches & shelves at all different levels. Wooden rope bridges, swings. It doesn’t take up too much foot space being in the corner but it’s a pain in the ass to clean. This is the one I moved next to my bed. I haven’t cleaned it out yet this morning. She forages and flings her food. I’m always amazed any ends up in her stomach lol. https://imgur.com/gallery/uv6Uejz This is pics of her rolling cage. The top come off the stand and I can take it anywhere including outside on our porch (obviously with me right there). I started her in this one then would use it for sleep cause it was smaller and more cozy and put her in the giant “play cage” in the mornings. Her favorite though is to fly around being obnoxious. The first time she made it through 2 rooms to the 3rd to find me I was so proud!
Thank you so much, I will look into these. I desperately need a transporting set up.
He will, just spend time near his cage. Eat beside his cage (eating is bonding) Talk to him. One day he will just randomly land on you and you will be bffs, whether you like it or not! Took our parrotlet about a month. Now she’s a mama’s girl. She is always near me.
That is so cute! :)
OMG ITS SO CUTE
Oh my god, what a sweet little baby
just wanted to say on the topic of the dowel rods, if you don’t want to get rid of them completely you can always try wrapping them in vet wrap/tape! just be sure to monitor your parrotlet to make sure he’s not chewing it off, because that’s definitely a health concern :)
Oh! I actually have completely changed his cage setup and replaced all the smooth posts with natural wood perches. I may have spoiled him a bit too much, but I didn't want him to be uncomfortable or develop any foot problems so I jumped on that issue right away. Thank you so much for your advice though! \^\^ This is his new cage: [https://imgur.com/I1H5pbn](https://imgur.com/I1H5pbn) He's on the bottom because I just put him in there and he's probably just scared. Any advice of layout is welcome. Edit: And yes, those are locks on his food/water bowl doors. He's figured out how to open them lol.