Dear Parrots magazine,
Nervous but affectionate
I thought I would drop a line in case this is something you can include, which might help other owners with nervous birds. Is it worth asking your readers for contributions to a hints and tips section? This can be reduced right down if you have somewhere to slot it as a tip in the magazine. I feel silly that it took me so long to resolve.
“I am foster mum to a rescue cockatoo. She is a sweetie, gentle and obedient, but a little on the nervous side. Over the last year she started to try to hide – behind the sofa, in the box in her cage, up my trouser leg! She was obviously distressed and it was so upsetting to see her in a state. So I kept the curtain pulled part way across the window, but she was still unhappy. But not all the time … a challenge.
We had some snow this spring and she sat happily looking out of the window for a couple of days. But when it melted there she was again, hiding away.
It has taken an age for me to get there, but I concluded that the birds throwing moss off the roof might be the problem. Engaged roofers to clean the roof in February… since when no hiding away. Except she does still like to pop her head up my trouser leg at times, but I like to think that is just affection.”
Regards,
Janet, by email