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conure won't stop licking me

44K views 34 replies 13 participants last post by  MiniFlock 
#1 ·
Help! My conure is driving me nuts. She licks me constantly when she is on me, which is most of the time. Is she liking the salt on my skin (maybe she is deficient in some mineral???) or is this mating behavior or what?

Has anyone experienced this? she also has been pulling feathers out for a few months now, and the vet and I figured that was hormonal/mating behavior. I tried changing her cage around and making it dark for more hours and it didn't help so she had a hormone shot. That didn't help either.

She is 9 yrs old and I've had her for 7 of those years. She is a rescue, and a wonderful companion.
Thanks for any insights,
Vicki
 
#2 ·
Licking could just be for affection, I've had sun conures lick me tons and not want to be away from me, you could try giving her extra vitamins and minerals etc if that is what you feel may work best.

Her plucking may be due hormones, it depends, is she housed in a big enough cage etc? And if you believe you're making her want to mate more then remove any nest like things from cages eg, snuggle hut things

Other than that, welcome to the forum!
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the welcome. I have taken out anything that I know could be a mating stimulant. As for supplementing her food, is there some specific mineral or vitamin deficiency that has licking as a symptom? If so, I'd know what to give her extra of.
Thanks, vicki
 
#4 ·
You can get iodised licks for birds, which is what may be causing the licking. Its a small pink block, you can get them at any good bird/pet store or easily find one online :)
 
#6 ·
Did you know that parrot tongues have two bones in them? Helps them manipulate seeds and nuts for cracking them open. I learned that in an anatomy seminar at our bird club.

My conure now has a salt lick and a mineral block in the cage. So far she won't go near them. I suppose it'll take some time for her to get curious and explore them. I'll keep you all posted.
Vicki
 
#7 ·
Yes they do haha!
That's good, you could try introducing it in your hand or something if she's avoiding it
 
#8 ·
I had no idea about the tongues having bones. Thanks for the information.
 
#9 ·
Goober used to do that, it drove me nuts :giggle: I dont mind some licking or nibbling, but she got to where she worked up a bunch o spit so it was wet, soggy licks lol. I used to just gently tell her no and distract her with something, either food or toys that she could nibble or lick on instead
 
#10 ·
Jenny, she sounds like a laugh :lol: I can see why you wouldn't appreciate it
 
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#11 ·
If it were my arms or something I wouldn't have minded as much... but it was always my face! Specifically my cheeks and forehead :shrug: :rofl: She used to also do it to my laptop screen, so i had these nasty spit smears across the screen... made a good conversation piece, tho!
 
#13 ·
Hi. I just wanted to follow up with this group about my conure. Unfortunately she passed away last Friday. She was fine in the morning, then was dead at the bottom of the cage in the evening. She was only 9. I had taken her to the vet just a few weeks ago, even had blood work done. I guess it was just her time. I am consoling myself with knowing I gave her a very good life, even if it was short. I miss her a lot.
Vicki
 
#19 ·
Thank you to everyone for your kind words. I don't like perfume or lotions with any smell to them (which is all of them!). I just like clean fresh air. I use Dial soap, but have used that forever, and haven't changed anything that I could think of. In another thread, someone mentioned their bird died of PDD and infant to learn more about that. Autumn had started plucking her feathers, so I'm thinking it might have been a symptom. At the time the vet and I thought it was hormonal, but I did all I could think of to stop that, even a hormone shot.
 
#35 ·
Thank you to everyone for your kind words. I don't like perfume or lotions with any smell to them (which is all of them!). I just like clean fresh air. I use Dial soap, but have used that forever, and haven't changed anything that I could think of.
Well, if she was so insistent about licking you, who knows what sorts of toxins she might've ingested when you weren't looking -- Curiosity has killed more than just cats. Our Krikkit thinks it's a great game to try to outrace me if I drop a pill; if you've never had to force a bird to spit something out, trust me -- you don't want to!

- mf
 
#20 ·
Hehehe, that makes me laugh! My Sun will lick me sometimes but not as ferociously as that. I hope things get better. My cockatiel has had a lot of hormonal issues as well. She was egg bound at one scary point!
 
#23 ·
I, too, suspect the licking was a sypmtom of her illness. I do NOT think she became sick because of licking you, but I do think she had some physical issue that caused her to lick. Perhaps she was trying to get extra salt into her system. I have no idea what she could have been seeking. That is just one possibility.

I am sorry for your loss. You did all you could have done. You are a great bird owner. I know this must have been quite a shock.
 
#24 ·
Thanks, Nanay, for the encouragement. I try to give my pets the best quality of life. I feel that is so important, since they are dependent on me and really have no control...like little kids. The parents are responsible for treating the kids well (can you tell I was abused as a kid?)
 
#25 ·
Vicki,
Do you have other birds or was she an only bird?
How are you doing today? I'm sure there are ups and down in your grieving process. Share with us however often you feel led to share.
 
#26 ·
I have two little parrotlets now. One is 19 years old. She is my miracle bird! (they have been known to live 20 years, so she is quite an old lady, but still my 'baby girl'). She is in a heated aquarium, and has special food and I have to put meds in her water. She has kidney disease and some arthritis, but still spunky. Then there is the boy, who is younger and doing well. His cage is on my coffee table, since I learned that he likes to be 'in the middle of everything'. I really enjoy interacting with them. But still miss Autumn, who was my Cuddle Bug (one of her nicknames). I've been doing some reading on this kind of bird, and they do seem to like cuddling. Still thinking about getting another one. Her cage is still in its spot in the dining room.
 
#27 ·
I'm glad you have your other birds, but I understand how you felt about your conure. My Shira is my cuddle bug, too. Actually, all of my birds are cuddly with the exception of one, but there is still just something more cuddly about Shira. I can't put it into words.
 
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