Joey

Question
QUESTION: i am working with a 28 year old cockatoo and find that he gets over the top with his emotions.this tends to lead to biting, another problem of his is that he loves to dig so much so that he will not step up onto the arm and tends to bite. therefore we have to resort to using a stick to get him up and back into his cage. he is not interested in toys,so i find it hard to do new interesting things for him.Is there anything that can be done for him to try and get him out of this digging and biting mode?

ANSWER:  How long have you had him?  Do you know where he came from or the circumstances of his previous home?


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: i have only been working with him for about a month or so on and off as i have other birds in my care. His back ground is unknown to me...this i understand makes it hard for him to communicate with me and me with him. all i know is that he was privately owned and then given up due to his behaviour.he can be over protective of me when other people are around, some people he will be ok with and the select few he really dislikes he tries to jump off me to get at them. I don't want to give up on him as i see potential but this behavior needs checking.

Answer
I'm glad you're trying to remain in this for the duration.  Let's keep this perspective:  He's been taken out of the place he felt familiar with and thrust into new surroundings without anyone asking him how he feels about it.
 Remember, just as you're having a communication problem, so is he.  These are highly, highly intelligent birds and they "think". He's displaying all the behaviors of a bird who has decided that YOU are the flock leader here, someone he wants to stay with and he'll protect you at all costs.  He doesn't want to leave again. Period.

All of these actions are what's causing you distress and by trying to make him stop, he's likely to find other behaviors to act out with (these birds are very prone to self mutilation/feather plucking).

A month in the span of their lifetime is like adopting a 5 year old human child, taking them away from what they believe is their family and their home and expecting them to be acclimated to you, your home and your requirements for behavior in a month, or two... or even several more.  

Please give him more patience, more time.  

Check my site for more about behavior modification techniques and let me know how this goes.  I'll try to support you all the way.

www.4AnimalCare.org