# hissing and biting :'(



## Heidi (Mar 24, 2009)

i have had her about 4 weeks now, within the first week i had her feeding out of my hand, sitting on my finger and she let me stroke her on her cage and sometimes when she was out, but recently, she has started hissing at me and going to bite me, she backs into corners when i come near with her tail up. when shes in her cage she has started to avoid me when last week she would hop onto my hand. i dont know what im doing wrong!
i clean her cage out regularly, make sure she has fresh water and food, give her treats regularly and whenever i'm in i leave her cage open so she can get out. i spend as much time as possible with her too.


----------



## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Sounds to me like she's getting hormonal. Make sure you're not rubbing her back, only her head, otherwise...well, you're turning her on. See http://www.biseinen.com/shango/tielbodylanguage.html to make sure the tail up that you're describing is not their mating "dance". It's normal for girls to hiss but although Baby gets moody and does that she never acctually bites- just hisses and when she gets near ends up preening my hand. It's just this moody thing they do if you give them scritches the wrong way or if they're a little hormonal. Don't move away when she lunges.


----------



## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

It's great when they start getting hormonal.  

Just keep giving her treats (only when she's showing good behavior don't give her treats if she's not behaving) show her you still love her no matter what, keep giving scritches if she wants them. 

It shouldn't be long before she gets out of her "moody stage" and goes back to her normal old self.


----------



## Heidi (Mar 24, 2009)

oh dear... i always stroke her back...!!! glad i asked now! i have just put her back in her cage just now for the night and she was fine with me, it is just sometimes! how old do they mature? because when i bought her i was told she was no older than 10 weeks (4 weeks ago)??


----------



## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

could also be she's settled in to the new environment, when you were able to get her to step up, eat out of your hand and such, She most likely was doing it out of fear (even if she didn't look scared) it's common for a new bird to let you stroke it, feed it, and all then a month or so later start biting and it's entire attitude changes -because it's familiar with its surroundings and isn't scared any more. 

Just start over with gaining trust. usually works every time.


----------



## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

If she's 14 weeks, that's old enough to get hormonal. Harley started his first moult at 14 weeks.
He had never hissed or nipped before that, but he started hissing and 'biting' (by biting, I mean fake biting, not an actual drawing-blood-bite) when he was moulting. He started that behaviour at about 16 weeks and it continued for quite a few months after, although it did settle down a bit. 

He finished moulting while I was interstate and since I've been back home he's even more cuddly than before the moult, although he will sometimes hiss if he's alarmed by something. He has his cranky moods, but that's normal. We're closer than ever now, so there's definitely light at the end of the very trying tunnel.


----------

