# Hissing and biting



## Spyro (Aug 3, 2013)

Hello I have had my cockatiel now for a couple of weeks he is about 14 weeks old. I have tried to bond with my cockateil but all he does is his and try and bite me if i go near him. I have taken advice from here to help but nothing seems to be working.

At first he was squarking alot when he wanted to come out of his cage which we have stopped, he can come out when he is quiet, i open the cage and he brings hisself out as if i try he hisses so i leave him to it. I CAN sometimes hand feed him millet if he is ontop of his cage i go towards him slowly and he will eat the millet with me holding it.

Spyro (my cockatiel) will not let me hold him he will go at me hissing and biting and then he will try to fly away (he has had his wings clipped) he will let me pick him up of the floor no problem but thats as far as he lets me go. If I am changing he food or water he hisses at me which i am asuming that is him being defensive over 'his cage' which i understand but even when he is out of it he will not let me bond with him. 

He loves his baths though! I spray him and he does his little rain dance for me which is lovely but like i said he wont let me. I cover him up at night and again, he hisses at me, i uncover him in the morning he hisses at me so ye! He is so grumpy! 

So any advice on what to do? As i no they are social birds but how can i be social with him if he wont let me?! I sit by his cage talking to him etc but nothings working :frown:


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## cheery (Nov 15, 2012)

I think you have just got to give it time and keep up with the treats from your hand. He should come round eventually. 

Oscar has been playing up lately and seems to have bonded more with me than my OH. He will fly onto her shoulder and bite her ear and then fly off. I am out of the house all day and when I come in he flies straight to my shoulder and says hello. He then flies off and does his own thing before coming to sleep on my chest. He doesn't come to my finger on the chair for tickles but will headbutt my chin when he wants attention. Beauty on the other hand knew when you tapped the arm of the chair he could be fussed and came waddling over (he couldn't fly).
If I had put my hand in Beauty's cage when he was younger he would have drawn blood. I can get Oscar to step up while still in his cage and lift him out.


So you see, all birds react differently and at their own pace. Don't get too disheartened, remember he is only a baby and you are going near his territory.


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## New2tiels (Feb 11, 2013)

well since he eats out of your hand, lets you pick him up off the ground and bathe him why dont you sit on the ground and try hand taming him there.
you can pick him up a few inches off the ground and feed him some millet
just an idea but it makes sense  good luck


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## Spyro (Aug 3, 2013)

thank you for the advice guys! ye i knew that they have their own personalities but i have only had budgies before and i found them easier to tame! lol

ill give it some time 

its just anoying that he dont like me yet


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## Batman (Aug 15, 2013)

I'm in a similar situation. I adopted a 5 year old bird about 2 weeks ago and he hates fingers but when I get him out of the cage he is happy to come up to my finger and shoulder. The problem is once he is there he starts biting my neck and ear while making that angry noise. I'll take him off but then he will walk around the floor a bit and try to come back on. It's disheartening when he bites me 


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## Spyro (Aug 3, 2013)

Batman said:


> I'm in a similar situation. I adopted a 5 year old bird about 2 weeks ago and he hates fingers but when I get him out of the cage he is happy to come up to my finger and shoulder. The problem is once he is there he starts biting my neck and ear while making that angry noise. I'll take him off but then he will walk around the floor a bit and try to come back on. It's disheartening when he bites me
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Ye its the same as me he is starting to get abit better now i can actualy feed him inside of the cage with a tiny peice of millet instead of the entire sprig lol i found taking my spyro into a different room away from his cage so its just me and him and no distractions and i found this has worked abit with bonding aswel


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