Guilt by association
Alex and I were sitting on the couch together yesterday when the power was out. I had Loren (the red-lored Amazon parrot) on my lap--on my right knee, because Alex was on my left and she doesn't like him.
It's not just Alex, actually. She's as cuddly as can be with me, but doesn't like any one or any thing that's not me or (sometimes) Robin. She even turned against Yolanda when she (Loren) adopted me. She's narrow minded like that.
Anyway, I was petting Loren and talking to Alex, and every once in a while Alex would poke his hand toward her and pull it back when she lunged at it. I gave him a chance to pet her by scratching her neck the way she likes and blocking her view at the same time. Then I tried what I've done with other people on occasion - presenting my hand for her (gentle) nibbling pleasure and sneaking one of his fingers in between my own.
Well. That didn't fly at all. Not only did she take umbrage at the offending digit, she got mad--and stayed mad--at my entire left hand. I kept petting her with my right hand, and she kept lapping it up, lifting her feathers so I could reach the skin of her neck, but as soon as I lifted my left hand she started lunging at it like she does at Alex. Normally when she lunges at me, it's a form of communication more than a threat of personal violence, so I didn't pull back and she went ahead and bit the offending hand (although, granted, not as hard as she would bite Alex. Or a stranger.)
Today is a new day, however, and she has forgiven my left hand its transgressions.
7 comments:
Recently I was reading an article about parroty type birds kept as pets. The person who was interviewed has written a book about these birds and their problematic relationships with humans. The author is a bird behaviour specialist and helps people in England with their difficulties. Anyway the information given was that sometimes the birds decide that their 'owner' is their 'spouse'. >shrug< Seems perhaps your Loren (?) considers you to be the partner and anyone else is a threat?
That could be. In fact, she (we say "she," but we don't actually know) does seem more willing to make friends when she's feeling amorous.
I think she was in such a phase when I had my first breakthrough with her - the sudden transition from suspicious & snappy to friendly and willing to be petted.
Same with Robin,as previously noted!
I've never had any luck with my left hand
Jen -- never let the right hand know what the left hand is doing, and all that.
Holy flawless skin & nails, Batman. Have you considered hand modeling?
Julie. Um. Bwahahahaha!
But thanks :)
Can I interest you in a matching but parrot-scarred right hand? (Different parrot!)
I did not realize it was such a pretty bird before I ate it.
I got tired of yellow goat.
And I second the motion for you to be a hand model.
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