Post by Cat on May 27, 2017 14:58:15 GMT 10
Hi all,
I'm new. I'm in Melbourne and I have a 3 year old blue Quaker called Frankie. We've had him since he was 6 months old. He hasn't been sexed so he's just a he for the sake of it. He is hugely intelligent, funny, talkative, interactive, he plays games and is hugely responsive to human interaction. Frankie free ranges in our house, unless we are out, using baskets as his base which sit on the kitchen bench and dining table, or got moved to wherever we are. He eats seeds, nuts, fruit, veggies, eggs and pellets, plus whatever he sources from our plates. He has regular baths too.
But........Over the past 12 months he has been becoming more and more aggressive. It started with my daughter's friends who come over to play. He would fly at them and chase them around the house. That was easily resolved as I put him in his cage before they came over. Then he started to get a bit aggressive my youngest daughter (8) and my husband. He is fine with me and my eldest daughter 10. When me or my eldest cuddle him, talk to him, pick him up of feed him, he is fine. But if my youngest daughter or husband do, he bites them. Hard. And now when any of us hug, he flies and attacks the person hugging me or my eldest daughter. Or he will torment my youngest by standing in front of her on the bench so she is too scared to eat her lunch or drink her drink. This is a very deliberate action on his part and he is clearly possessive of me and my daughter.
He also does it with my friend and her dog when they come over. He loves my friend and kisses and cuddles her and then deliberately teases the dog, and laughs when the dog can't reach him. The same with our cat, who is disinterested in Frank, but frank will bite at his ears to get him to respond.
He is now becoming destructive. If i leave the room, he files to my handbag and chews it. He has chewed the beanbag, computer, clothes hanging on chairs or the clothes horse. I have tried toys and sticks, grass, branches, balls, bells and other items in his cage but he is not interested. The only toy he likes is his 'buddy' a rope toy that he sleeps with, and boxes with seeds and nuts in them, otherwise he just wants to be with me.
So because he is teasing people, when friends come over I have to put him in his cage because he harasses them, and when I do that he screams intermittently. It's fast becoming a no win situation.
I spoke with a bird breeder in Melbourne a year ago or so (Nikki from Bird Boarding and Brunswick vet) who gave me some training tips. The problem is that he is trained really well and does everything i ask him, or what my eldest daughter asks of him, but refuses with my husband, youngest or guests. I am at a loss as to what to do.
Is this an age thing?
Is this habit possible to break or has it gone too far?
Can I get him a friend, or will this cause further problems?
Or do I rehome him? I think ideally he would suit a single person house as he is clearly territorial with me and my daughter.
Many thanks in anticipation of your help.
Cat
I'm new. I'm in Melbourne and I have a 3 year old blue Quaker called Frankie. We've had him since he was 6 months old. He hasn't been sexed so he's just a he for the sake of it. He is hugely intelligent, funny, talkative, interactive, he plays games and is hugely responsive to human interaction. Frankie free ranges in our house, unless we are out, using baskets as his base which sit on the kitchen bench and dining table, or got moved to wherever we are. He eats seeds, nuts, fruit, veggies, eggs and pellets, plus whatever he sources from our plates. He has regular baths too.
But........Over the past 12 months he has been becoming more and more aggressive. It started with my daughter's friends who come over to play. He would fly at them and chase them around the house. That was easily resolved as I put him in his cage before they came over. Then he started to get a bit aggressive my youngest daughter (8) and my husband. He is fine with me and my eldest daughter 10. When me or my eldest cuddle him, talk to him, pick him up of feed him, he is fine. But if my youngest daughter or husband do, he bites them. Hard. And now when any of us hug, he flies and attacks the person hugging me or my eldest daughter. Or he will torment my youngest by standing in front of her on the bench so she is too scared to eat her lunch or drink her drink. This is a very deliberate action on his part and he is clearly possessive of me and my daughter.
He also does it with my friend and her dog when they come over. He loves my friend and kisses and cuddles her and then deliberately teases the dog, and laughs when the dog can't reach him. The same with our cat, who is disinterested in Frank, but frank will bite at his ears to get him to respond.
He is now becoming destructive. If i leave the room, he files to my handbag and chews it. He has chewed the beanbag, computer, clothes hanging on chairs or the clothes horse. I have tried toys and sticks, grass, branches, balls, bells and other items in his cage but he is not interested. The only toy he likes is his 'buddy' a rope toy that he sleeps with, and boxes with seeds and nuts in them, otherwise he just wants to be with me.
So because he is teasing people, when friends come over I have to put him in his cage because he harasses them, and when I do that he screams intermittently. It's fast becoming a no win situation.
I spoke with a bird breeder in Melbourne a year ago or so (Nikki from Bird Boarding and Brunswick vet) who gave me some training tips. The problem is that he is trained really well and does everything i ask him, or what my eldest daughter asks of him, but refuses with my husband, youngest or guests. I am at a loss as to what to do.
Is this an age thing?
Is this habit possible to break or has it gone too far?
Can I get him a friend, or will this cause further problems?
Or do I rehome him? I think ideally he would suit a single person house as he is clearly territorial with me and my daughter.
Many thanks in anticipation of your help.
Cat