My cockatiel, Buster, died this weekend. I miss him horribly! I bought the birds for my children and ended up loving them as my babies. I was told that Lilly, his mate, would benefit from another mate ASAP. Even though I feel like I'm betraying Buster, I did go out and purchase a Lutino, Hoover. When we were looking over one store's supply, we heard a 'tiel calling. We asked if they had any more and they said no. The call was heard again and the salesman admitted they had one more. He had been returned within two days of purchase. The woman who bought them couldn't control them and tried to catch him by the tail, resulting in no tail. Our hearts broke for him and we brought him home knowing that our loving family could make up for the unhappiness he had suffered. My question is, will he get over this trauma? He is beautiful, and perks right up when we come near, only to stay away from our attempts to show any attention at all. He never nips when we change food or put up treats, but he never comes to us either. What are your thoughts on Hoover's future ability to trust us?
Thank you.
Mary-Anne B.
Mary-Anne,
It's really great that you took this bird into your home. Since the bird seems to already get excited when he sees you coming, it shouldn't take long for the bird to trust you. Don't rush him, give him plenty of time to get to know you and the family and before you know it, he will be a very spoiled companion. Cockatiels are very hardy birds and he shouldn't suffer from his experience with the previous owners.
We would suggest you limit the toys for the first few weeks. He needs to be more interested in getting to know his new family instead of a lot of toys. You might also try holding a piece of spray millet out to him. This may show him that he doesn't have to be afraid of hands.