# To persist, or re-home ...



## Chez (Feb 17, 2011)

I haven't been here since April 2011, how time flies!

Our boy, Billie, was bonded to both my husband & myself, & was excellent company. My husband however was away from the house for 3 weeks (hospital) & from the minute he returned, Billie has not once accepted him as a friend again. He will in fact, fly to him for the purpose of attacking him. I thought it may take him a few days to reconnect with hubby, but it's now been 4 months & Billie still attacks him - savagely drawing blood. 

My agony now, is whether or not to maybe re-home Billie, as it's just a very unpleasant situation having a bird that we both spent countless hours earning his trust & affection, to now having a bird that will hisses at hubby whenever he comes near to us.

Any ideas please? 

Many thanks,
Chez


----------



## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

Chez said:


> I haven't been here since April 2011, how time flies!
> 
> Our boy, Billie, was bonded to both my husband & myself, & was excellent company. My husband however was away from the house for 3 weeks (hospital) & from the minute he returned, Billie has not once accepted him as a friend again. He will in fact, fly to him for the purpose of attacking him. I thought it may take him a few days to reconnect with hubby, but it's now been 4 months & Billie still attacks him - savagely drawing blood.
> 
> ...


 
I'm not sure if you tried this but, has your hubby ever tried just sitting next to his cage gently talking to him letting him and the bird get re-aquainted? While still in the cage of course by maybe trying the re-training approach?


----------



## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

It sounds like your tiel is jealous of your hubby? I've had limited experience with tiels but when we first got Sunny (about 4 months) ago, he didn't like my fiance. So, I would have him come and sit by Sunny's cage with me to show Sunny that the fiance was our friend. And the fiance would try to spend sometime talking to Sunny without me while he was in his cage and feeding him sunflower seeds through his cage. Eventually I would have Sunny sit with us outside of his cage. And he gradually warmed up to the fiance. I'm still Sunny's favorite human but he will now flock call to for the fiance if he's not in the same room with us and the fiance takes him out and plays with him when I'm not home. I say don't give up yet!


----------



## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

And I hope your husband is feeling better!


----------



## Chez (Feb 17, 2011)

My husband is feeling much better thanks sunnysmom, he has 2 new knees!!!! hahaha

It also occured to me that Billie is now jealous of Pete -would Billie have forgotten him during those 3 weeks of his absence though? 

Jynxstorm - Pete has made countless attempts at trying to re-bond with Billie through the cage, to no avail. He's given up trying & I can't really blame him as he's been attacked for the past 4 months on EVERY attempt :/


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

It could be that at first Billie was mad at him for leaving and now has decided that he gets a reaction when attacking so that's what he has decided to do. You're hubby may have to start all over again from the top using the trust exercise...


----------



## Chez (Feb 17, 2011)

Roxy, is it only a trust issue that causes a bird to attack?


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Not sure...birds can get jealous as well, so you're going to have to show Billie that sharing you isn't an issue.


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*would Billie have forgotten him during those 3 weeks of his absence though?* 
------------------------------------------------

Cockatiels have good memory. I have had birds react and get excited five years later when their prior owners came to visit. After the excitement they would turn their backs and pout like 'How could you have sold me?'

My first thought are does your husband look different than when he left....such as a new haircut, or wearing different style or color of clothes. many times these changes can confuse them and they can react badly.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

My cookie is like this with my bf which i believe cookie is mad with him as he hasn't spent enough time with him like he did


----------



## Chez (Feb 17, 2011)

srtiels - to answer your question with regard to Pete looking different - yes. The difference is that he can now walk without limping,now he has 2 new knees. Surely these changes wouldn't make any difference though, as his smell, voice & sensitivity to Billie is unaltered? :blush:


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Tiels are funny birds, and know telling what goes on in their minds. have your husband try to walk like he used to and see how he reacts.


----------



## Chez (Feb 17, 2011)

I will ask Pete to hobble around the house like he used to & see if Billie reponds. Silly as it seems, we will do it in a bid to regain their bond :excited:


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Ity will be interesting to see how Billie responds.


----------



## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Lol. Im interested to see how srtiels advice works on this one. Im giggling at the thought of chez's hubby wobbling around to please the tiel. Haha.


----------



## Chez (Feb 17, 2011)

I'm laughing at the idea of it too meggiedear, but one must be willing to conduct such experiments ... er ... in the name of ... er ... tiel psychology ..   :wacko:


----------



## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Others on here have said their tiels have freaked out when they changed their hair color. My tiel won't go near the fiance if he's wearing a baseball hat. They're funny little creatures. So maybe the way he is walking is throwing him off. I hope they rebond!


----------

