Our Experiment with Rio FAILED!

ginziputzi said:

Well that is disappointing news. So bizarre that he started the same behaviour with your daughter. Have you taken him to an avian vet to have him checked out and to discuss this behaviour? I wonder if there is something hormonal going on that is abnormal and if they can treat it. It concerns me for rehoming if this is the way he’s going to be with everyone. That won’t last long unless you’re able to find someone who can deal with this type of behaviour.

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ginziputzi said:

Well that is disappointing news. So bizarre that he started the same behaviour with your daughter. Have you taken him to an avian vet to have him checked out and to discuss this behaviour? I wonder if there is something hormonal going on that is abnormal and if they can treat it. It concerns me for rehoming if this is the way he’s going to be with everyone. That won’t last long unless you’re able to find someone who can deal with this type of behaviour.

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Rubydoo252 said:

If you feel confident, wing clipping can be done at home (it takes two people - one to hold and one to clip). I have always paid for someone else to do it, though, because Tumi HATES to be restrained and will bite hard. Places should be willing to do it for a small amount of money. At this point, it seems worth a try. It changes the attitude of some birds, but if nothing else it prevents the divebombing. I second the avian vet need, though. I know money doesn't grow on trees, but it is worth locating one and asking them how much it costs for their check ups. My vet charges about $70 for our annual exam, and due to the tiny size of our creatures does not have us do blood tests or anything without cause. They also will clip his wings if I need it.

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Rubydoo252 said:

If you feel confident, wing clipping can be done at home (it takes two people - one to hold and one to clip). I have always paid for someone else to do it, though, because Tumi HATES to be restrained and will bite hard. Places should be willing to do it for a small amount of money. At this point, it seems worth a try. It changes the attitude of some birds, but if nothing else it prevents the divebombing. I second the avian vet need, though. I know money doesn't grow on trees, but it is worth locating one and asking them how much it costs for their check ups. My vet charges about $70 for our annual exam, and due to the tiny size of our creatures does not have us do blood tests or anything without cause. They also will clip his wings if I need it.

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ginziputzi said:

Oh Rio. Dude - seriously! You have it made where you are! Stop being such a stinker!!

I totally feel your pain about the cost of care for a senior dog. My girl Paris (who passed last December) would have cost me a small fortune had I not had vet insurance since she was a puppy. As Dana said, I do find that the costs for these small birds are considerably less than for our 4-legged furballs. Something to keep in mind for now. I get that it is also a lot to manage two vet issues at the same time and you have your own health to manage. Lots going on for you, my friend.

Wing clipping will be a good plan for sure and is cost effective. At this point, anything goes! I will keep thinking on it, see if I can find anything else to try. I see how hard you are trying - you’re such a heart! We are here for you both!

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Kitty said:

You, MY friend always seem to say words of comfort. That is a great gift!
My condolences regarding Paris!
My Frank, the dachshund, die what little consisting it brings me, at least will be with my husband when he leaves me. He'll be on to bigger and better things!
Although, Rio could have easily ended up there last evening. He is ALWAYS on me and when I went to sit on the sofa, I came within a hair's breath of crushing him with my elbow.
Give me strength!
Please know, I am trying... only because he was such a delightful little thing not all that long ago.
I will keep you posted!

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ginziputzi said:

Haha! Don’t worry about the typing! I actually do know what you meant. You make the same mistakes/get the same autocorrect that I do. So annoying but funny to read when it’s someone else.

I did not realize your husband had passed. 💕 You do carry a load, my friend. I am glad you get a bit of comfort from my words - they’re just the truth. And it is obvious how hard you try and how brave you’ve been. I know Paris is hanging out with my beloved Mom, eating all the things her pancreatitis prevented her from eating, poor girl. She is in tremendous company, that’s for sure. I will keep Frank in my prayers along with you and that little stinker Rio.

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aanyka said:

Heart felt condolences on your loss' and to have your little guy acting up as well.

My boy has been acting up lately as well. I told him if he doesn't shape up I will change his name from Mochi to Scremlord..dark lord of the screm. I am putting it down to a change in our routine. When I got him I wasn't working for the first 6 months and he was an absolute dream. Then I started working and he was spending alot less time out of cage and not with me. I tried to get him out as much as I could when I would get home. He was unhappy but seemed to be good. Well I had a minor fender bender last month and we are still waiting for the car to be repaired. So I have been back to being home full time and we were both soo happy at first. Suddenly he has become very agressive. Mostly when he thinks he was going to put him up. He has become a bitey, scremy little pear with moments where he seems his usual sweet, spicy, self. I have assumed maybe he was getting hormonal and I have been putting him out of the cage in his room (I have a spare room). I don't use my hands since he loves pets but flies away if you try to scoot him and he does not perch on fingers...fingers are for loving and feeding not sitting I guess. lol He usually sits on my shoulder so I lean towards or get close to a perch or cage and fortunately he gets off. Although there has been more than a few occasions where he just keeps flying back to my shoulder (lol). I just keep at it till I make it out of the room. I leave him in there for 2 - 4 hours. He always ends up going back into his cage after awhile. This seems to be helping. I think he was getting hormonal/over attached because I spent so much time with him.

Maybe something like this might help? I encourage you to not use your hands to put him away if you can, especially if he is biting. Try to get him to get onto a cage by leaning next to it or something like that?

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Kitty said:

Hi and Thank You!
Sounds like Mochi is on the verge also.... let's hope he does not go to the dark side!
Rio never sat on my fingers ... for the moat part, before all this started, he just flew to his cage when he wanted to or when coaxed. Since the raging hormones have kicked in, I cannot get him in his cage, if he does not want to go in!!! He will kick, scream and fight me the entire way. In times of desperation, the only protection I have is my portable home phone....he is, I guess, deathly afraid of it! I can usually just hold it up and when he sees it, eventually he does to the cage.
I'm hoping that when I get his wings clipped, next week, he will ease up on that, as well as his other rude behavior! As they often say..."Let us pray!"

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aanyka said:

So sorry for what you are going through. It hurts our hearts when our little feathered children go on a rampage. I will keep you and Rio in my thoughts and prayers.

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Rubydoo252 said:

Lightweight birds can be very determined flyers. Tumi has special notes in his vet file that when he needs clipping (he is normally flighted, but I clip him when we travel) that they should take an extra feather than normal. Sheer determination can keep them in the air. However, it is the common and established practice to TOWEL a bird to restrain them, so there is a chance that she did not clip properly since it sounds like she did not know how to handle a bird at all. Chasing a bird is a horrible thing to do to the bird!

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