# i made a grave mistake



## chkinut (Dec 9, 2011)

well, today both my tiel and i had a terrible incident. all started by me. i was in a rush today and i needed to put her back in the cage so i could go pick up my son from bowling. so i went to get her to step up, and she never likes to, and every time she steps up, she either steps right back down or flies off (even though her wings are clipped). so i tried to pick her up and she whipped that head around and bit me. well, i remained calm and didn't get upset, i just tried to reposition my hand so she couldnt get me. nothing seemed to work and she just kept biting me hard in various places....all the while i remaining calm. and i figured i would sit down on the couch and show her i wasnt going to hurt her (even though i was in a rush, lol). then she bit me on my finger and it went right through the nail and i had to literally pull her off of me. it was horrible for the both of us. she flew off into the hallway and i got a paper towel to soak up all the blood on my fingers. then i went to get her, had her step up, and then i put my hand in front of her so she couldn't fly off and i put her in her cage. i'm so upset now at myself. i've only had her or about a week or so and we've been doing great, i've been talking to her, whistling to her, reading to her, etc etc...making small baby steps (she is not tame). now i wonder what tomorrow will hold. maybe i shouldn't even let her out of her cage cuz i feel i need to take a step back.....back up and kinda start over again. please try to refrain from telling me what a bad owner i was today, i already know that. just only friendly advice please.


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## Dekey (Apr 21, 2011)

Leave her for a little while and she should calm down , take it day by day and put ur hand in the cage good luck


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Try to use food bribery to get her on your finger


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Awe. It was an accident. You didn't intentionally do anything to scare her. Just bribe her with food. Tiels tend to be pretty forgiving creatures.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Yes, they do forgive easily. I'd say the most traumatizing thing I've put any of my birds through was clipping the nail for blood samples (toweling them first)...they acted like I had never done it by the next day.


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## chkinut (Dec 9, 2011)

well that's good to know. thanks, i'll see how it goes.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Your not a bad owner, i have got to catch some of mine when it comes to bed time or i have got to turn out the lights so they cant see, it can take up to half an hour lol
I also have a long stick to get them to step up which it works when they are being good lol


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## LeopardPrintBee (Nov 22, 2011)

Oh no, poor you  

They are very forgiving, indeed. Gertie hates being picked up but she's over it so quickly. The first time we had to clip her nails we were a little timid as she has dark nails, and we'd not picked her up before, so it did take a little while and we kept having to put her down, and try again, and she was pretty cross with us lol but over it within half an hour!

So try not to worry  x


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

I think you are being harder on yourself than anyone here would be, or even your bird will be. My Oink still makes me chase him around my room sometimes to put him away, and I end up grabbing him sometimes. Your bird will forgive you and maybe you just bribe him with millet for a bit


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## chkinut (Dec 9, 2011)

thanks guys, yes, i could've kicked myself, that's for sure. but today has been good, considering. i've sat next to her cage and talked to her, put my hand/arm in her cage....played with some of her toys, perched on her perches with my fingers....just tried to be her cage mate and she wasn't freaked out or anything, she did very well. i even held her bowl for her as she ate. although she DID give me these little opened beaked warnings, but i just calmly kept my hand there. it may be a couple steps back, but we're gonna be just fine. she's actually teaching ME quite a bit! i'm really so new to all this since i've only had chickens and finches in the past, and the chickens are easy cuz i always had them since day 1 and therefore they were easily tamed. but i'm learning from Ida, to accept her for who she is, at HER pace, and to be PATIENT with who SHE is and to be happy for the successes when they come. i'm really so happy for our relationship and what she's taught me already. she's a good girl.


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## Delgadido (Jan 6, 2012)

The same thing happened to me after reading this thread... -_- 

I wasnt bleeding that bad but there was a scare


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## Fortunate (Oct 31, 2011)

this is a regular occurance in my house - 2 untamed tiels and 1 thats easily spooked - aftert a while all is forgiven and we get on just fine.


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## Tristania (Jan 16, 2012)

I'm not a very experienced Tiel owner, but I've realised this (like others have said) - that cockatiels are very forgiving and trusting souls and your birdie will settle and forget all about it. Especially with treats and loving chat. I had a similar incident with my adopted Tiel, where he tried to follow me out the door and I nearly squashed him in the doorway. He got through the narrow space regardless and we were both trembling after!


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## TheBirdman (Jan 20, 2012)

I know how you feel, Joe bites like a hydraulic press. He will usually step up with no problem, but he gets pretty territorial about his cage. When I try to get him to step up there, I usually distract him with one hand and swoop in with the other one and he hops right on.


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