I’m not going in my cage and you can’t make me syndrome

kme3388

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 17, 2021
Messages
1,667
Reaction score
4,566
Location
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
Sun Conure: Charlie (male)
B&G Macaw: Blue (male)
IMG_0096.webp

This is what that looks like. The struggle is real.
 
Yep. I’ve been there. My Quaker knows when I’ve changed clothes and grabbed my purse that I’m going somewhere and he needs to go in his cage. He will sit on his favorite outside perch and threaten to bite me if I try to put him in. Usually, if I pretend like I don’t care if he goes in his cage or not and just walk out of the room, he’ll climb in all on his own a couple minutes later. It just has to be HIS idea 🙄. However, he doesn’t have that gigantic nutcracker beak your big boy does so his “ threats” aren’t nearly so intimidating 😬
 
I respect any animal bite force. The bite of a parrot is 3-400 psi with a sharp edge. Your big guy has a larger beak. What are you doing to get him in cage? My CAG had this problem way back. So she only gets food and water in cage. Treats are give sparingly out of cage.
 
I respect any animal bite force. The bite of a parrot is 3-400 psi with a sharp edge. Your big guy has a larger beak. What are you doing to get him in cage? My CAG had this problem way back. So she only gets food and water in cage. Treats are give sparingly out of cage.
I have to fill up his puzzle toys with treats. He gets really excited over them. Otherwise he’ll argue until he gets hungry. If I walk away he’ll go back in his cage, but if he hears me coming he’ll pop right back out. When I first adopted him I could trick him that way.
 

These are the toys with treats & paper I have to put in his cage. No fun means I’m not going back in my cage. It’s only a matter of time before this doesn’t work either.

Anyone want to see what it looks like to have a gigantic parrot hanging upside down..?!? Here it is.
 
The only time, usually, I put Salty back in his cage is at nite for bed. Most times he is compliant and steps right up, but when I go out for the evening or I am away for a few days, he is not happy at all and WILL bite me if I try. Thats when I get the rolled up bath towel. He will step up onto that and allow himself to be placed in the cage.

You might try with a good sized dowel perch to get him to step up on, for cage placement. I find any 'trick' used to get parrots to do anything they dont want to do is at best a temporary thing.
 
The only time, usually, I put Salty back in his cage is at nite for bed. Most times he is compliant and steps right up, but when I go out for the evening or I am away for a few days, he is not happy at all and WILL bite me if I try. Thats when I get the rolled up bath towel. He will step up onto that and allow himself to be placed in the cage.

You might try with a good sized dowel perch to get him to step up on, for cage placement. I find any 'trick' used to get parrots to do anything they dont want to do is at best a temporary thing.
You are lucky. The only time I can let Nameliss out is if I can have 2 eyes on her. My brain must be engaged too. I never know what will trigger her fancy. It never fails to be aggravating. As a result two of her favorite words is...why and how.
 
I have a dowel I carry around with me when handling Blue. If Blue is snippy I have him step up on that for my safety and his. He will 100% bite if he is pushed to do something he doesn’t want to. I feel honored he even comes out of his cage for me. He won’t come out for my husband at all. If my husband doesn’t go away he will come out but to attack or lunge at him. He has no shoulder privileges. If something is scary, or alarming he goes right for my face. I was informed from one of his vets that this is what they do in the wild to warn their flock of dangers. He will more than likely always be a forearm parrot. This is not a “tame” parrot in any way shape or form. He wasn’t handled much throughout his life. Probably minimal until he hit the shelter I got him from. He was rehomed I assume for his aggression issues.
 
Very true about that behavior in the wild. Parrots will bite the nearest other bird, to alert the whole flock of something - the resulting scream or outcry gets everyones attention! Smart for the flock, not so nice for the bitee! The hard thing for people (aside from the blood) is to not take it personally.
 
I have to say Solo also does the not going in occasionally, he will refuse to step up and just fly to another perch squealing and all alert..
or he steps up and as soon as I’m near the cage then he flies off. He doesn’t bite though. he just escapes by flying.
The only thing that works is half an almond placed on his corner shelf. or small treats in a forager wheel. He is very food driven and follows high value food anywhere and he goes in
mainly he lives out from 11 to 4/5 (between finishing breakfast & dinner) . He doesn’t get any main food or water outside his cage but his cage is open all day for him to use, his bell is also in his cage which is his favorite toy, he will often go in to play with it. Today he’s just gone inside for a nap.
I would definitely recommend a corner perch that you can slide a nut or treat onto from the outside. Find his favorite treat and only use it on that perch.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3890.webp
    IMG_3890.webp
    114.1 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
Very true about that behavior in the wild. Parrots will bite the nearest other bird, to alert the whole flock of something - the resulting scream or outcry gets everyones attention! Smart for the flock, not so nice for the bitee! The hard thing for people (aside from the blood) is to not take it personally.
Maybe that explains one of my CAG's weird behaviors. She grabs me with beak. I am expected to yell...Oww, or owiee or ouch. If I don't the next grab is harder. If I still don't respond she grabs holds and applying pressure saying...oww, owie, ouch. The vet tech noticing brought it to my attention. She wanted to know why since it obviously wasn't painful I acted like that. My response was she expected me to at least act hurt. I guess it's part of my CAG's version Human Training 101.
 

Most Reactions

Gus: A Birds Life Gus: A Birds Life

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom