# Not sure if my cockatiel likes me or not!



## amberwydell (Oct 13, 2013)

Wow... I haven't been on here in a while! Heya guys 
Basically, I've had my cockatiel, Cosmo for almost 7 months now. We bought him as a bird who hadn't been hand reared, and so I know that he'll never be quite as tame and loveable as other cockatiels, but I'd still like to know where I stand with him being a pet! It's just that sometimes he seems lovely and sweet, and then other times he's a beast! :blink: I'll make a list of all his positive and negative characteristics: 

Positive


Follows me around my bedroom

Loves sitting on my shoulder

Chews my hair

Sings happily on his perch all the time

Eats from my hands (at times)

Lets me kiss his stomach and forehead

Grinds his beak when he's sitting with me


Negative


Sometimes changes mood suddenly

Doesn't allow you to scritch his head/under his chin

Won't let you touch his wings

Doesn't mimic any sounds we make/sing to us (he sings to himself, mainly!)

Sometimes bites if you try to get him off your shoulder

Hisses

Any advice? I'm not expecting him to become a perfectly tame animal, as I know he grew up unfamiliar with human company, but I would like for him to gain more trust in me eventually. I love him all the same, but I'd hate to think that he'll never fully bond with me! Thank you! :grey tiel:


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

Some singers bloom later than others. If he is a boy, everybird gets annoyed now and then, and like people they can be grumpy. Quite a few birds dislike their wings being touched. Some birds never want scritches, and some just need longer to trust you. 

Are you sure he's a he?


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## amberwydell (Oct 13, 2013)

Tisena said:


> Some singers bloom later than others. If he is a boy, everybird gets annoyed now and then, and like people they can be grumpy. Quite a few birds dislike their wings being touched. Some birds never want scritches, and some just need longer to trust you.
> 
> Are you sure he's a he?


Thanks for the advice! I guess patience is key  And I'm fairly sure... The pet store said it was most likely. Plus, he's lost his pearl markings, which is what occurs with males, if I'm not mistaken?? I could be wrong though!


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

Yep a male then  Mack hasn't copied anything for us yet, unsure how old he is but we've had him nearly two months and he likes laughing and sounding like a chicken.

I know someone who's baby cockatiel didn't start whistling til he was 9months old


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## karendh (Mar 25, 2013)

It sounds to me as if Cosmo has bonded with you pretty well for a young bird. Give him time to develop his personality. As for the negatives, they are pretty normal for most tiels, they have their bad moods as well as good.


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