Pets are great companions, whether you’re taking care of a dog, cat or bird, you can expect animals to offer loyal friendship if you care for them right. Regardless of what type of pet you own, the animal may need time to get comfortable with you. You have to give the animal time and have patience if you want it to form a bond with you. But what happens when you’ve given it all the time and patience a bird might need? What if it hates you after all your effort? This article explores the question of ‘why does my bird hate me’ 

If your bird is showing antisocial behaviour, to an extent where you think that it hates you, the reasons behind this can include: previous neglect, stress, hormonal changes, protecting its territory and selfishness. All these factors can cause the bird to act as though it hates you

 

Why does my bird hate me?

Birds aren’t able to express emotions like hate and love as humans can, but they can express some negative behaviours that seem like hate. Birds are generally prey to larger animals and because of this, they will have their guard up with any larger animal 

Chances are, if your bird acts as though it hates you, you’ll know. The bird may hiss at you when you go near their cage, nip at you when you try to put water in its bowl or get very uncomfortable if you go near it. There are many reasons as to why a bird may seem to hate you, these include: 

Past neglect: If you’ve adopted a bird that has previously been neglected by a family or an owner your bird may exhibit some antisocial behaviour towards you. Neglect can include keeping the bird covered all the time and it being its own companion. In this case, the bird will only see itself as a companion and will be nervous around you and reluctant to play nice. 

It is self-serving: Fundamentally, birds are most interested in their own survival and safety. The negative behaviour that the bird may be showing you may be happening because it is self-serving and you aren’t all that beneficial to it. If this is the case, the bird will withhold affection as it does not believe that you serving it in any way. If you don’t give the bird snacks and toys it may be cold and hateful towards you 

Other reasons why birds may seem as though they hate you include: hormones, protecting their territory or stress. Hormones cause birds to become aggressive and even hateful. Also, a bird will protect its territory and be aggressive towards you if it thinks you’re overstepping boundaries. Lastly, stress will also cause birds to act out in antisocial ways 

What do you do when a bird hates you?

If your bird hates you you’ll need to show that you aren’t a threat, after a while, the bird will get curious about you and interact with you. These are some things you can do to get the bird to warm up to you: 

Sit by the bird: Start off by calmly and quietly sitting close to your bird’s cage while reading or watching tv. This will show your bird that you have no interest in hurting them, this will also make them more comfortable around you 

Talk calmly: After the bird is comfortable with you being in the room you can start to talk to them. Keep your speech low and inviting when doing this, this will keep the bird calm and relaxed. Avoid talking loudly as this can scare the bird 

Move slowly: You not only need to move slowly with your approach to boning with the bird, you also need to move your body slowly when moving around them. Sudden movements can startle your bird. Slower movements will create a calmer environment around your bird and this will make them feel safe

Offer a treat: Once the bird becomes even more comfortable with you, you can put your hand in their cage and offer some millet, fruit, a vegetable or another treat for them to enjoy. Birds love treats and will think more positively of you if you give them treats 

Socialize with it: Birds, as with any other animal, enjoy being social with others, include humans. You can build a strong bond with your pet by creating positive interactions with the bird. Slowly socialize with the animal in a way that is comfortable to them, if they are nervous, simply sitting by their cage is a good start 

How do you tell if a bird likes you?

There are many ways to tell weather a birds likes you, these include the bird: 

• Preening you 

• Regurgitating for you 

• Wanting to play with you 

• Clicking their tongue at you 

• Flapping their tail at you 

• Grinding their beaks against you 

• Singing to you 

• Cuddling you 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, reasons why a bird hates you vary from previous neglect, being selfish, hormonal changes, stress and being protective of their territory. The best way to get past this is to calmly sit in the room with them, gently talk to them, socialize with them and offer them treats 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can birds eat Quaker Oats?, Why does my bird lick me?, Why does my bird tap its beak on me?, Can baby birds eat bread?, Why does my bird nibble on me?