My Parakeet keeps Biting Me

User Question
I luv my new parakeet, and in fact she seemed to think the same of me. Recently though, she's been biting me, and I can't see any reason that would provoke such behavior. I desperately want her love what can I do to teach her that biting is wrong without hurting her fellings?????? Thanx.

Lisa's Answer
There are several answers here. The general covers-all-situations answer is that parakeets LOVE to gnaw. It's how they keep their beaks trimmed. In the wild, parakeets gnaw their way into trees to build their nests. Are you sure you have plenty of things for your parakeet to gnaw in her cage? You need at least one cuttlebone and a few wooden toys are also good. Also, give your parakeet vegetables to gnaw, that keeps her full of vitamins that she needs and also lets her gnaw. She may be biting you in desperation because she has nothing else to chew on.

Next, with each of my parakeets, I found that they were REALLY cuddly when we first got them, then they would go through their "sullen teenage years". Parakeets only live to 10-14 years old so their teenage years come maybe in years 1-2. They get nippy and bitey at this point and don't want to be interacted with as much. They get through that stage relatively quickly and become much more friendly again, but it's part of how they grow up.

Finally, something could really be bothering your parakeet and this is how she's showing her unhappiness. Do you hang out with her a lot? Parakeets HATE to be alone so if you're away for a lot of the day it might be wise to get her a flock-mate. Parakeets are flock animals and in the wild they live in gigantic flocks with hundreds of birds in them. A bird that is all alone feels like they are in extreme danger and need to get back with the others. If that's you, and you're away a lot, that could cause a great deal of stress for the parakeet. So do your best to keep the parakeet in a location where there are people, or to get her a friend!

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