# How do I get my Cockatiel to bond more with my wife?



## John (Mar 4, 2011)

A week after we brought her home, she bonded with me immediately with hardly any effort on my part. She makes a sad chirp every time I leave the room. She also flies to my shoulder randomly or sits on my knee fluffed up. 

She is aware of my wife's presence and is not scared of her nor does she refuse any head scratches from my wife. But our bird tends to ignore my Wife while begging for attention from me.

Though I love birds, I don't love them as much as my wife does. Is there a way to condition our Cockatiel to shower as much love to my wife?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Your wife would need to spend some one on one time with her but I do have a question...was this a hand fed baby? If so was the the breeder a guy? I ask because if so she sees men as caregivers and that may be why she bonded to you.


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## Belinda (Oct 9, 2010)

If the cockatiel is female she will probably choose you as her mate and therefore bond to you more than your wife. Unfortunately this is just part of owning a female tiel who is on her own. You may need to consider getting a friend for her down the track if you do not want her too closely bonded to you.
Chances are she is still bonded to your wife, but sees you as her mate and therefore she favours you, and will want you around her all the time.


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## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

Ha! Now it's nearly as if I was reading a story written by my partner. I got a tiel from him as a present, but my tiel ignored our idea that she was supposed to be "mine" and chose Chris nearly straight away without him showing any effort. I was the one spending three times as much time, feeding her, looking after her, playing with her, buying tones of stuff for her and still nothing, nada. She is a female, hand-fed and tame and her breeder was a male and she generally has a fixation on adult men. After sharing a few tears on my part, (really wanted to bond with her ) after a few months I finally decided to get a pup. And now everyone's happy. I'm afraid your tiel will never form this kind of connection with your wife, would love to be wrong though.


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## .mpeg (Oct 6, 2010)

that's like what mister does! i got him for me, my partner was like yeah whatever. within a couple of weeks, she was the bee's knees! i get attention and even scratches, but i rarely get scratches if she's in the room. it's rather odd, considering that i was the one who gave him most of his syringe feeds (got him unweaned), have always taken him to the vet, cleaned his cage, get him his veges and water every morning, weigh him every day.. i dunno. 'tis odd. i know he loves me but i hate that he prefers her. little bastard 
no advice sadly. i suppose just get her to pay the bird lots of attention when you're not there so that there's no jealousy etc.


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## kat (Jul 7, 2009)

This is interesting, my first tiel is from a male breeder and she loves my boyfriend. the second was parent raised and she thinks we are ok but dosent have a favorite. the third is a hand raised male but im not sure who hand raised him and he loves me. I dont think the bird is going to changer her mind and start loving your wife as much as she loves you if shes anything like my babies sadly. try getting another tiel from a female breeder. maybe that will work..


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i got dally from a female breeder. dally is a female and well, dally's definately bonded to me over everyone. tsuka was parent raised, tends to like men more--had originally liked my fiance best but i paid more attention to him so now im tsuka's favourite. he waddles over to me when i talk to him and gives me kisses. 

so its very possible for tiels to change loyalties... but its not always easy


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## Belinda (Oct 9, 2010)

Arnie was raised by a woman and loves my boyfriend. She flock calls when she hears a man -- the other day we had a tradesperson over and she was flock calling him. What a little hussy...


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

belinda, arnie is so full of personality, she makes everyone jealous! lol


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