# Found the key to being Bandit's friend



## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

And it is: accept that I am his slave, not his master. :rofl:

Basically, he HATES being told what to do! lol. He's very independent. For the past week all I've been doing is offering him scritches. Ever since I stopped asking him to step up he's been so much less grumpy. I'm not even putting him in the cage to sleep anymore. And today, he hopped on my shoulder by himself and wanted scritches.

I think we all know that aside from being birds, tiels are little people.  And some are more easy-going than others. I'm lucky I can give Bandit the freedom he has, but I just think it's funny how stubborn he is.


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## BirdCrazyJill (Apr 23, 2013)

funny how those things work


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

He is so stubborn! :lol:


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Grumpy boy. He's learning from Astrid


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Blech, I feel terrible. I did something really stupid today. Bandit looked like he wanted to get down and hang out on the floor and explore, but couldn't figure out how. I offered my hand but he backed away, and like a total tool I tried to corner him and make him step up so I could show him I was just trying to help. Well, now he's mad at me. Runs away from my hand and won't let me give him scritches. I hope he gets over it soon so I can stop being annoyed at myself.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Hahaha. King Bandit.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

Nah, he will get over it.


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## scootergirl762 (Aug 27, 2013)

Awww. Don't feel bad - we all do it, think we'll just help them out. They don't stay mad too long. I can't remember if you said you tried to teach him step up with a perch - was that a no no too? 

They are such bossy little birds


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

He finally fully got over it, haha. Only took five days. Today he hopped on my shoulder again and wanted to hang out.

I haven't tried getting him to step up on a perch but I imagine it would have similar results. It's not the hands themselves he dislikes, it's doing things against his will. In the time since I've stopped making him sleep in the cage, he hasn't gone in it on his own once. Until last night, when he ventured inside for a minute. I think he has bad memories of being forced to stay in a small cage for long periods of time in his previous home. His owner was a lovely gal who really cared for him, but I think she was uneducated about proper cockatiel care for a long time prior to deciding to rehome him. She said she worked so much that he didn't get out of the cage much anymore (and it was really small -- I know because she gave it to me).


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