AlexHenretty
New member
- Jul 20, 2019
- 6
- 0
- Parrots
- I have 3 budgies, Athena, Aris, and Percy. I also have two tiels. 3 year old Wuapo and 31 year old blind Sammy
Hello, so I am new to owning cockatiels and my boy Wuapo is my first. I've had budgies before, but never had this problem. So I've had my boy for quite a while now, he is very friendly. He enjoys having his scritches and kisses, but he won't come out of his cage or step up from inside his cage. I can't even get him up onto a perch. When I tried teaching him to step up onto a perch he would go around it, and this is when he would come out. the only way he would. Once he's out he's fine. He steps up onto my hand (occasionally with a bite) but if he's on my shoulder, he refuses to step up. The only thing I found that works as a positive reinforcement for him were scritches. When I try to train him to step up (from the cage or even on my shoulder) He doesn't give a warning scrape like I've heard most tiels would, he would just bite me. I've tried luring him out with treats, but he's not too interested. If he can see my hand, he goes for it rather than a treat. If my hand is above neck level, he accepts it and bends down for a scritch. I can't even have my hand inside the cage without him getting upset and trying to bite. Turns out, his previous owners used to grab him in order to take him out of his cage, they even gave me the cloth they used, which I threw out.
I don't want to keep having to use the perch to get him out, especially since he's just avoiding it. I've been told to train him outside the cage, but the problem is, without him avoiding the perch I can't get him out of the cage. I know birds like cockatiels need time outside of their cages. His door is open all day when I'm home, he will just sit on the perch in front of it, but never comes out. Any advice? I honestly don't know what to do to convince him to come out of the cage.
I don't want to keep having to use the perch to get him out, especially since he's just avoiding it. I've been told to train him outside the cage, but the problem is, without him avoiding the perch I can't get him out of the cage. I know birds like cockatiels need time outside of their cages. His door is open all day when I'm home, he will just sit on the perch in front of it, but never comes out. Any advice? I honestly don't know what to do to convince him to come out of the cage.