Brian’s parrot has stopped trusting him ever since he had his nails and wings clipped at the vet. He now seems to be shy and afraid. What can his owner do to regain his African Grey’s trust?

Question

Hi,
My 3 year old African Grey who I hand raised and who loved me up until 8 months ago has broken my heart.
8 months ago I took him to our local vet to have his wings and nails clipped; this was after he nearly flew away and during which I had to grab him to stop him flying. ( He spends all day on top of his cage outside in the garden.)

About 2 weeks after taking him to the vet, he will have nothing to do with me, he is afraid of me, he does not bite me but tries to fly away when I get close to him.

I have tried ignoring him and have spent hours sitting close to him but to no avail? When I approach his cage he will sometime give me a very cautious kiss.

What can I do to regain his trust?

Regards,
Brian

Hi Brian
Be creative, so that your African Grey will learn to trust you again.

Use his favourite treats as motivation and start from square one… move very slowly, one baby step at a time. I think you may be trying to regain his trust  too quickly which isn’t going to work. Do not force it but rather allow him to call the shots - reward him with food every time you get a step closer to your goal.

Secondly I think you are taking a huge chance leaving him outside all day. Poor guy is a ‘sitting duck’ for the neighbourhood cats, not to mention the local birds of prey and small furry predators who are looking for an easy meal. Please place him in a safe environment where he is protected from serial killers! Could even be the reason he’s stopped trusting you?!
Remember, safety first.
Glynne