The cockatiel I tamed suddenly started refusing to get back in the cage

[DiscotheCockatiel]

I have a about 1 and a half year old tiel that I tamed since he was about 5-6 months. He has come a long way and now enjoys scriches and hanging out with me and my other tiel. But today he has been refusing to step on my finger to get back into his cage (its a large flight cage). He flys up on my curtains and then back to the cage back and forth and he?s stressing himself out! I?m worried for him and dont want to stress him out or not be able to let him out of the cage. Please help!

 

[Ria.345]

Hi,
I see you are having some trouble with your cockatiel. All I can say is that dependency issues can be a thing and sometimes too much time out of the cage can create an overly dependent bird. So make sure you are considering exactly how much time you?re giving your cockatiel outside of his cage. I think this could be the case since im assuming when you first got him, he was able to go to the cage just fine. But if he?s unwilling to go back in now, maybe he became a little too comfortable with you and became overly dependent. So adjust times and be consistent of when you let him out or have him play on his own. Also, make sure you have enough and plenty of shredding, foraging, and a variety of toys in the cage, which helps your cockatiel to create a positive relationship with their cage and they can enjoy being inside as well as outside. If getting in the cage really becomes an issue then I suggest target training and/or providing his most favorite treats towards the cage so that he could be enticed to go in. Hope this is of some use.

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

Thank you! I’m giving him about 3-5 hours outside the cage every day. There is not a lot of things to do outside the cage but fly around the room. In the cage there is a huge variety of shredding,foraging, and more toys. There is also lots of different varieties of perches including natural wood, ladders, and swings. When I got him he was very wild but with a lot of slow progress we were at a great place. He does also share a cage with my other male tiel (who is very well behaved). Im almost wondering if he’s scared of me for some reason.

 

[Flboy]

You, your hands, and cage = treats!

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

Ok thank you! What treats would you recommend? I try to give seeds as treats but he can’t see them in my hand and my hand being so big coming towards him makes him nervous. He also tends to show aggressive behavior as well. When I go near the cage he screams and hisses with an open mouth but once I pick him up he is calm.

 

[Scott]

You, your hands, and cage = treats!

^^^THIS!!^^^

Ok thank you! What treats would you recommend? I try to give seeds as treats but he can?t see them in my hand and my hand being so big coming towards him makes him nervous. He also tends to show aggressive behavior as well. When I go near the cage he screams and hisses with an open mouth but once I pick him up he is calm.

Some universally loved treats include sunflower seeds, slivers of almond, bits of walnut, pine nuts, (very $$) pecans, dried pumpkin seeds. Portion control is crucial tiels given small size.

Another potential clue mentioned is sharing cage with another tiel. How are they together, any squabbling or tendency to inhabit opposite ends of flight cage?

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

....and sometimes is just "NO!!! I dont want to!!" My little guy who is super bonded to me,if he doesn't want to do something,he wont!
I think he thinks it's a game. " No daddy,try and get me" (flap flap flap as he flys away) I go after him and more flap flap flap. I have had to get his wings clipped more than once to calm his *** down. He's good for a while then starts right back up.


Jim

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

You, your hands, and cage = treats!

^^^THIS!!^^^

Ok thank you! What treats would you recommend? I try to give seeds as treats but he can?t see them in my hand and my hand being so big coming towards him makes him nervous. He also tends to show aggressive behavior as well. When I go near the cage he screams and hisses with an open mouth but once I pick him up he is calm.

Some universally loved treats include sunflower seeds, slivers of almond, bits of walnut, pine nuts, (very $$) pecans, dried pumpkin seeds. Portion control is crucial tiels given small size.

Another potential clue mentioned is sharing cage with another tiel. How are they together, any squabbling or tendency to inhabit opposite ends of flight cage?

Ok thank you for treat suggestions I?ll have to try some more of those they do enjoy sunflower seeds. The only time they squabble is when the one who is (much) less tame one, Storm gets to close with the other one, Disco, sexually. Sometimes Storm trys (all attempts have failed and he doesn?t try to do it that often anymore) to mount Disco and he does not have it! They are quite good with each other otherwise. Disco does get a little jealous if storm gets scrithes and he doesn?t so that doesn?t happen anymore (they both get them or only Disco does when Storm doesn?t want them).

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

....and sometimes is just "NO!!! I dont want to!!" My little guy who is super bonded to me,if he doesn't want to do something,he wont!
I think he thinks it's a game. " No daddy,try and get me" (flap flap flap as he flys away) I go after him and more flap flap flap. I have had to get his wings clipped more than once to calm his *** down. He's good for a while then starts right back up.


Jim

I feel like Storm is trying to play a game as well! When I got him his wings were clipped but he would fly into walls and it would be just to dangerous to clip them (he made himself bleed and I couldn?t let him out) so I let him be fully flighted.

 

[Scott]

OK great, so Storm and Disco are not fighting intently or staking territory. Not likely an issue with returning to cage.

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

Yes I’m very lucky they get along so well! Storm seems to be actually much better I spent some one on one time feeding him some yummy veggies and he seems to like me again. I spent some time working on the problem and I think it’s that he wants to go in the cage before disco or at the same time so guess I’ll be doing that from now on.

 

[Scott]

I spent some time working on the problem and I think it?s that he wants to go in the cage before disco or at the same time so guess I?ll be doing that from now on.

That's a keen observation and may be a clue. When my pair of Citrons were housed in standard cage, they spent much time atop the playpen. The female would only willingly go inside (by hand) if male went first. Who knows why, but whatever works!