I am so upset! i just got a parakeet from my friend. His name is chipper. he is so sweet and pretty. He is very old. he is 10 years old, and when i got him, his former owners old me that he loves his bell. so i took the bell, thanked them and left with him, his cage, is stands, his playground so he would feel right at home. He did! When he got home with me he acted like nothing ever happened. I made the set up just like he had it in his old house. But i am realizing that he really is addicted to his bell. I have had him for only 1 day so far and literally all he has done, is play with the bell. He seems happy and healthy, but it makes me upset that he won't get on my hand or play with me unless i have the bell.

how can i get him to stop loving the bell soooooo much! i took it away from him for just like 5 seconds and he started to fly all over the place frantically looking for it!

you dont want him to stop loving his bell...its good he loves his bell...he is VERY new to you and he wont get on your hand yet as he doesnt know you to trust you and he is in new surroundings...the only thing he knows right now is his bell and his cage...its wonderful he is ten years old thats right up there in years with birds..so go easy on the old man

dont ever take that bell away you will stress him very very much and maybe cause him to become ill...as i said he doesnt know you yet and that bell is his best friend all his life probably...to take it from him is cruel and why should he trust you then if you do.

i think your quite young ...i could be wrong but im guessin you are because you dont understand what you did to him...

give him a good week to just settle in WITHOUT even TRYING as yet to get him to come to you or sit on your hand or a perch...just let him be and get use to you being around the cage and reaching in to feed and water and clean the cage and his other new surroundings.

and welcome to the forum...just remember if he never trusts you then he wont ever want to be with you...be patient for another FULL week to ten days...

Welcome to the forums. I am new here too. As illusive said this is probably his best friend.He has been alone all this time.10 years ols is quiet old for a parakeet.

Yeah thanks for the advice. And I'm not Exactly "quite young" but that's fine. To some i could be Young! I'm new to parakeets....that's for sure. well. I am certain he hates me now...before I saw that I shouldn't take his bell away, I took it away which panicked him. And so whenever he got on my finger (he is hand tamed by the way. He gets on anyones hand) he bit me...and I mean HARD. So I didn't move because I know that's what he wants me to do.

So like a dumb girl I put on gloves that are the color black. He is terrified of the color black. So I picked him up and he was going crazy on my hand. Pecking and scratching me! So I just flung his bell in his cage and shut the door. Then I shut the lights off and got into bed. I can see him now. He looks fine. I just feel so bad! I acted like a retard! I want to bond with him, but he won't play unless I have the bell and if I am holding the bell he gets mad at my hand. 😭 please help

i would return the bird ASAP to its former owners and let them know it is not going to work out ...and that is the truth.

your actions to date are harsh and overbearing and not what is needed with this bird...you and this bird are not a match... in my opinion what from you have demonstrated.

especially when the former owners also let you know the bird was very attached to his bell and you just want what you want with no obvious concern to the birds attachment with the bell which btw is acceptable behavior for a bird...but yours has not been. It is not a "addiction" for a bird to like its toys.

this bird has for ten years obviously had a very good home and i dont think this is what the former owners had in mind for it when they let you take it...

returning the bird is in its best interest and the kindest thing you can now do...and it will be a shame if they wont take the bird back and id then suggest find a animal shelter and bring the bird to them.

im certain this is not the answer you wanted but i believe its the most responsible answer.

this bird is very old for a keet and im hopeful you would not want to be responsible for stressing it out to the point it dies...and this certainly can happen.

you will return the bird if you truly care till you can learn more about birds.

i am truly sorry if this offends you but my main consideration is with the bird and if your honest with yourself you will see this is for the best.

sometimes birds are just not a match for some folks and there is nothing shameful about that,....perhaps a different pet would make a better choice.

Hi and Welcome to the forum.

I know Illusive sounds harsh, but she has the keets best intentions at heart

If you really want to make it work with this bird, you must listen to the advice you're given. It's not becasue we want to annoy you that we tell you these things, it's because the people on this forum have years of experience and know what they are talking about.

Put yourself in the Keets position and look at it from his point of view. The bell is likely shiney, or at one stage was - so he saw his reflection, so for the past 10 years the bell has probably seen as a mate to him. He likely saw it as another bird, so therefore you taking it away suddenly would be like someone taking away our much loved partner. Of course this is going to cause him a lot of stress. - I'm just trying to get you see the reasoning behind it.

Also, you are a complete stranger to this bird, imagine someone passing you to someone who youv'e never seen before? You are not going to jump up and down with excitement are you!. The same for the keet, he needs to warm to you, very slowly. If you rush this, you will cause permenant damage to the trust you two can form.

10 years is no spring chicken. You are not talking about a baby that you can mould and tame and grow with, you are talking about an old bird very set in his ways who is use to a routine, a scenery, and a way of life that has all suddenly changed....and then to throw some massive big black scary gloves coming for him into the picture- you see my point?

Stress is one of the quickest ways to kill a bird, and believe it - it will happen fast.

I would leave him settle for at least a week, with minimal contact, don't go putting you hand in unless it's to feed or change water, don't go moving the cage around, don't go trying to touch him or get him out - let him just adjust to his new surroundings for at least a week, somewhere quiet in the house. When you are around him or in the same room speak softly and dont' directly approach the cage...

Move in tiny baby steps, and you may have a chance.

Yeah well the problem is, that I can only have a bird in the house we are staying in. Until we get a house chipper (bird) is all I can have pet wise. Trust me, if I could have pets (other than birds) in this house, I would have my cats with me in a heart beat. And now I know you're Going to lecture me about having cats, (3) and a bird. But the way I figure it is that chipper is old and we arn't getting a house any time soon. So when we get a house he will have passed. (probably) if not I have no trouble keeping chipper in one room that the cats can't go into. And I HAVE had experience with "preditor and prey" situations. I had 2 cats and a rabbit, 2 hamsters and a cat, etc. all of the animals died of old age and not of each other. Not to mention chipper came from a house with a cat.

As for returning chipper, I have no intention whatsoever to do that. I havnt even had him for 2 days. And let me assure you that I DO have the birds best interest in mind. I have always had my pets best interest in mind. ALWAYS.

That being said, I am also very stubborn and determined about everything I do. And I plan to not mess with chipper at all (other than basics food water newspaper ) for 10 days. Then I will slowly try hand taming him. He seems not to be mad at me anymore and I plan to tell the WHOLE Story to his owner at church today. And whatever she says is what I'll do.

The only problem with the bell that I truly have is actually FOR his best interest. Literally he does nothing but sit on his pertch and peck at his bell. Other than eating occationally. And I know he needs exercise and all he is doing is sitting and pecking. He has his bell now and is quite happy.

Completely understand. I know you guys are just trying to help. But I have met chipper before and played with him ( and his bell) several times before. All of his old things were given to me. And he was put in the exact place in my house as his. I honestly don't even think he knows he moved. Because when I let him out of the carrier, he didn't run to the cage for protection, he just flapped around to his tree stand and played with his bell for a while until going to his cage for some food.

I have only had cats and rodents before and I know of they are scared or nervous they dont want to play and all they want to do is hide. Not eat. So that's why I don't think I stressed him out that much.

And, if he bonded with that bell for life, doesn't that mean he will never be close to me? I think it does. That's what made me sad.

But as I said in my reply to her, I have NO intention of returning the bird yet.

no he will bond with you ...eventually...as long as there are no mirrors in that cage for toys...all birds bond with their toys..cappy has a ton in his cage but his favorites are his bell toys and he plays with them the most other than when i let him out i have a infant baby rattle which omg...he makes it known NOBODY touches and shares that with him...or one other toy as well...so i respect that...

the bird will eventually treat you just like another one of his beloved toys but its gonna take a lot of time...luckily with this bird being so old he is already trained just not with you...and when it comes time...just do like the rest of us and in the beginning once trained ..which this bird is already...then when you let it out...you have the toys on the floor and you sit on the floor as well and offer to play with him and his toys sharing...like kids in a nursery school...giggle

but ..when he shows obvious signs that he doesnt want to share specific toys as those are his favorite you respect that...this is how each of you learn to respect each others ***space.(toys)

not only that...the fact he loves that bell so much...this is how retrieval training comes into the picture as "that bell" would be used to call him when he otherwise would not want to come to ...go back into his cage lets say...or gawd forbid...he ever escapes ...which would of been a good thing for others birds in here that have escaped to have something like that. But you would never use it and play with it otherwise...its SPECIAL ...and he was just letting you know...its off limits otherwise...sometimes as i mentioned there may even be a couple toys like this...cappy has three total like this...and i use the bell as a retrieval training toy to keep him brushed up on that ...otherwise...he has also learned sort of a sign language thing where i raise my arm and tap it vigorously an say..."cappy come" and he does...but the bell is good when he cant see me do that..but would hear the bell ring.

and yes many folks in here who have other pets cats or otherwise do as you mentioned and thats close them off when its time for the bird to come out and play...and **everyone adjust to that ...

im glad you understood my concern as a bird can never speak and say help me please ...like we can...giggle...and i was really concerned for helping the bird because of that.

bottom line is time lots of slow tiny steps an not rushing things as marley said and lots of patience...most of the work has been done with this bird as its 10yrs old...however you may want to check and see if when they let the bird out did they also interact with playing with the bird...as i think this will be your only problem till it gets to know YOU better as everything at age 10 sounds like its been done.

but NEVER use a glove of ANY color ...with or without gloves as i keep saying to folks remember any bird sees a hand in its mind as a giant CLAW / TALONS and your a predator...thats why they are not nuts about being held within a hand either...and fight and squirm so much...

both bird and handler believe it or not train each other and its just as important to learn what the bird tries to teach "you" as the bird learn what your trying to teach
it".

im so glad you took my previous comments as "constructive caring criticism" which is totally how it was meant...and didnt see it or tag it as being harsh...thanks..and wishing both of you "trainees" a smoother future into learning about each other..however, allll that being said...there are those times when it just doesnt pan out and i would hope you would consider something as a alternative.

you BOTH wont regret taking the time to be patient with each other and both respecting a show of each others turf.

Okay and thanks again for all your advice, you have really helped me. I asked his former owners if getting another bird might be good for him. I asked that because this morning when he heard a bird call, he immediately stopped playing with the bell, and looked around the cage. That really peeked my interest. So I went on YouTube and found a 5 min long thing that's just budgies chirping. And whenever that plays, he seems not to care about the bell whatsoever. So suddenly, I wondered, would it be good for him, and me, If I got another bird. I thought possibly that he might realize the other bird is actually more fun than a bell. But when I asked his previous owners they said it would be fine and they know a breeder I can get one from. But they also said that chipper doesn't really react to the bird that much at all. So it would be like, chipper bonds with the bell and I bond with the new bird and then everyone is happy!

I will, of coarse give chipper lots of love an care still, but that way all of us (The birds and I ) will get what we want. Do you have any advice about getting a new bird when you have an old one already? I only have one cage, and I'm worried that if they don't get along, what I can do? I have a big cage (room enough for 3) and when I get the new bird, will he attack chipper? Or will most likely chipper attack him?