Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

Lisa N.  writes:

Hi Catherine,

We are having a really difficult time with our Pineapple Conure.

We know he’s going through puberty but he has always been good with my husband now he bites all the time and won’t go in his cage.

When we try he just flies away and he has his times where he can be sweet but most of the time he’s a little hellion.

We’ve done the 72 hr. light therapy procedure and he was fine for a day or two but then right back to being his little trouble maker I’m at my wit’s end.

I’ve tried everything I’ve read everything piece of advice and my husband has Alzheimer’s and Pee Wee bites him and won’t listen to me it’s getting more difficult we love him but it’s hard with my husband’s condition and our GCC is really a good girl and yes he’s a boy but they pretty much stay away from each other please help I would hate to think of giving him away.

Dear Lisa

This is the time of year when even our boys are acting up. They don’t have girls to get them going, but they are ALL super revved up. Today Mitch could not even get Barney the cockatiel to go to his daytime cage in my office.

Mitch just finally gave up and let him stay by his regular cage. But then he had to go out so he had to resort to using the (butterfly) “net” to catch Barney and lock him back up.

A first. 

Hormones are raging for ALL the birds at this time of year. Every other email we get is from people telling us their birds are out of control.

Well, they are and there is nothing we can do for them but wait it out and avoid getting bitten.

This will pass over the next month as it does every year. Yes, you can try the light treatment, but some things are just so ingrained that we just have to deal with them as they come.

Keeping them caged, their lights on 12 hours and 12 hours off, and waiting it out will be the best.

How Pet Bird Keepers Get The Lighting Thing Wrong

My husband has suggested using a net I thought that might hurt the bird is there a certain kind you use because he is really hard to get to go in the cage.

Thanks for your response.

Dear Lisa

All we have is a simple butterfly net we picked up at a dollar store. You can use a towel or you can try to wait until later in the day before letting the birds out so that way come evening when it is time for them to go back to bed you can turn out lights and as such the birds will be more subdued and likely to want to go to their cages with less hassle.

Hey Catherine

I wrote to you about our Pineapple Conure a few hrs ago and I forgot to also ask about our female GCC Reggie.

All she does is yell and scream lately for most of the day and early evening nothing has changed but is there a way to stop her from doing that, it is quite loud and now Pee Wee has picked up on it.

Thanks, Lisa N.

Well, they are and there is nothing we can do for them but wait it out and avoid getting bitten.

This will pass over the next month as it does every year.

Yes, you can try the light treatment again, perhaps for 168 hours (7 days and nights).

Some things are just so ingrained that we just have to deal with them as they come.

Keeping them caged, their lights on 12 hours and 12 hours off, and waiting it out will be the best.

The only other option is drugging them. Nope. We can wait this out.

Regards,

Catherine

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Mitch Rezman

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