# neglected cockatiel



## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

Hi,

I don't have a tiel exactly, but my boyfriend knows someone who does and the poor thing is neglected in the garage all the time. It has food and water but is deprived of any companion besides a mirror. My boyfriend and I have decided to bring the boy here and try to socialize him and find him a good home. I've never had a cockatiel before though, only budgies. Is there any advice anyone could give me? The bird is 15 years old and was neglected all his life and at one point was plucking his feathers out. He also screeches in a very distressed manner if someone takes his mirror away.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Hello and welcome I must congratulate you on rescuing the tiel, I don't know how anybody can neglect there pets, honestly 15 years wow poor thing.
Just be there for him talk to him, trust exercise using this method http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTiYpobrG8Q
I think the mirror was only its friend for 15 years so thats probably why he acting like that
Feel free to ask anything else im sure we will be able to help you
Must post pics of him if you got any


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

That is very sad, could you tell us where you are located? It might help in finding him a loving home.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Pay gentle attention to him without being pushy - he isn't used to it so it might be alarming. Hold treats (like a clump of millet spray) for him to nibble through the cage bars. If he isn't ready for that, then drop a treat in his food cup every time you approach the cage and make sure he sees you do it. You're giving him the idea that good things happen when humans come around.

Let him keep his mirror, and take advantage of his mirror fixation by holding one in your hand and using it to lure him out of his cage, encourage him to step up, etc. You can use food treats for the same purpose if he'll go for them.


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

Thanks for all of your replies! I will try being gentle and patient with him. I'll also try to post pics of him soon. 

I'm living in Davis, California. I have tried looking for bird rescues in the area without much success. My boyfriend says the boy is a loud one. I'm hoping he won't be too loud since I live in an apartment and the other tenants might complain.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Yea boys are loud which iv noticed this is the reason why they dont want them cant handle them  I dont understand as people who want the males to begin with thats how they get rehomed and unwanted.
Would people kick out their babys because they were teething stage or any child who act up
Sorry to sound a bit full on but i hate irresponsible pet owners as pets have feelings too


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

I took on a lonely loud one, he took to one of my hens straight away, he not's loud anymore, he was calling because he was unhappy at not having another bird for company after their elderly budgie died.


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

lperry82 said:


> Yea boys are loud which iv noticed this is the reason why they dont want them cant handle them  I dont understand as people who want the males to begin with thats how they get rehomed and unwanted.
> Would people kick out their babys because they were teething stage or any child who act up
> Sorry to sound a bit full on but i hate irresponsible pet owners as pets have feelings too


I dislike irresponsible pet owners as well. It turns out the owner of this bird actually kept the bird because someone else didn't want it and gave it to him. He didn't want the tiel either, but didn't want him to be abandoned so he took him in. From what my boyfriend said, it doesn't sound like he knows much about birds. 

My boyfriend is driving back in a bit. The tiel was shrieking for 20 miles nonstop because there wasn't a mirror in his cage, so he had to pull over to give him another one. (The original mirror was stuck on a wall in the garage)


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

I would take him no problem if you lived near me that is


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

Ah, too bad you don't live nearby! I'm not sure what to do if the neighbors complain about him. (Your bunnies are very cute. I have two netherland dwarves.)


I have another question for all of you.

Would this tiel need another tiel to keep him company since he's distressed without his mirror? Maybe I could try to find a home for him with another tiel.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Thankyou
Cookie is loud believe me lol but neighbours cant do anything at all untill its 10pm
he has got loud at 1am a few times but im sure they were in bed.
If cookie does get on my nerves i simply go to him and he is quiet, he would me happier with another tiel might calm him down a bit lol but if your going to rehome i think you should find somebody who already got a tiel.
My budgies are louder than cookie lol


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

We'll have to see, I guess. I'll put up a listing for him on craigslist and maybe someone will want a companion for their tiel. My boyfriend says this bird is the loudest parrot he's heard in his life (His mom has some pretty noisy budgies). 

Unfortunately, I live in an apartment with a lot of college students and if they complain to the management, they could make me get rid of the tiel if they wanted to.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Ha ha http://www.youtube.com/user/lperry11?feature=mhum cookie whistle is best one as he does this for hours and hours, he at it now lol
Never know they might fall in love with him


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Would this tiel need another tiel to keep him company since he's distressed without his mirror?


He's bonded to the mirror, so it's possible that he would see a live bird as an intruder. He would eventually form a flock bond with the live bird, and if the mirror is taken away they might even become mates. But there's no guarantee that they will ever like each other. 



> My boyfriend says this bird is the loudest parrot he's heard in his life


Cockatiels are definitely louder than budgies, but conures, cockatoos, macaws, and many other parrots are louder by a huge margin. Some of these birds can literally be heard a mile away (or further).


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

The tiel is here! He is very loud, which worries me. I think the neighbors upstairs might be able to hear him. He is very nervous, of course. We put him in a larger cage with some toys and food. He's a little bitey but I have a glove I can use.


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

Here's a picture of the tiel.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

He's a handsome boy!

The glove can be useful if he attacks when you're changing his food and water. But try to avoid grabbing him with it unless it's absolutely necessary. Grabbing a bird against its will doesn't build trust and will make him more fearful of hands.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Awww, he is a cutie...I hope he calms down soon. Rescues can turn into really wonderful pets...it just takes time. I have two rescues and I love them like crazy. My one his name is Rambo was very afraid and screamed a lot at first. He had his back to us all day, everyday and hardly moved from his perch. About two weeks later I heard him whistling the wolf whistle and as soon as he seen me he would stop. Eventually he did start trusting me, but here is the key, I never pushed him. That was back in July 2010 and now he will climb onto my hand and when I start talking to him, he leans forward and gives me kisses and I am the only one he does that to. At first he hated me, would lean low and try to bite me everytime I even walked by his cage and now he flock calls me to pay attention to him and give him love...I really hope this tiel has a happy ending too and he will learn to trust and what love is


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

Ah, I don't really touch him for now, since he's so scared. I had to clip his nails though because they were crazy long and getting caught in everything and that's when I used the gloves.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

He is gorgeous


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

He let you clip his nails...that is a good sign...mine are tame and they give me a really hard time clipping their nails. Hoping for the best


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

We've decided to name the boy Fredward. He sits on his blue perch all day long and he's in a quiet room. I don't think he's moved from his perch yet.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Awwww bless.... hello fredward


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> I don't think he's moved from his perch yet.


This is normal behavior for a bird in a new home - they feel very very nervous at first. Sometimes they're too nervous to eat for several days, which obviously isn't good for them. Hang up some millet spray close to his favorite perch and maybe some veggies too. This will encourage eating - he can nibble on hanging food and watch for danger at the same time, which feels a lot safer than letting down his guard to stick his head in an unfamiliar food cup. Putting a water cup within easy reach is helpful. Veggies will also help provide moisture if he recognizes that they're edible - he might not if he hasn't had them before.


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

He has finally started moving around now. He tried the seed and roudybush mix I put in his cups. I managed to get him to get out of the cage with his mirror. He climbed out and went on my leg to get to the mirror. When I put the mirror back, he went back to his cage.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Ha ha guess you can get him to do stuff with the mirror now like step up


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

I don't think he trusts my hand yet though. He lightly tapped at my fingers holding the mirror and walked over again. I'll have to try this daily and see if he can learn to trust me enough to eat millet from my hand eventually.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

When i got lucky i had my hand in the cage for about 15 mins each hour untill she got used to them


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## Spongebob (Feb 16, 2010)

awww well done for rescuing this poor boy.

sounds like u are making progress already


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Watch...you are going to fall in love with him...Rambo was really afraid and bit me a lot, but when he started to trust me, my heart melted. Yours probably will too, because you build a special bond with them


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## Helenor (Dec 31, 2010)

Yeah, he's really cute. I think we'll be keeping him at least until he's tamer. But by then we might not want to let him go!


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Helenor said:


> Yeah, he's really cute. I think we'll be keeping him at least until he's tamer. But by then we might not want to let him go!


We all know you wont give him up because sounds like you have fallen in love already and you already named him lol


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