My Macaw hates the cage during the day! Help!

[zackothecatalina]

I have a 7-8 months old Catalina Macaw, and he hates to be put inside the cage during the day!

Here is what happens:

In the morning at around 9am, I take him out of the cage and put him on his tree, where he hangs out. At first he will fly around the room just to stretch his wings and then settle on the tree again. He is a flighted bird (indoors only).

I give him his hand-feed (just a bit) to kick him off for the day, and then he eats his pellets and nuts for breakfast. Lunch is fresh foods (fruits and veggies). Both the breakfast and lunch is on the tree bowls as he doesn't eat inside the cage.

Whenever we put him in the cage for lunch, or after lunch, he would continuously pace the cage with periodic screaming. If we leave the room and ignore it for a while, he would stop screaming, but he would not eat anything, and will just sit on one perch. We have waited hours, but he just doesn't eat inside the cage. If we do not leave the room, he will continue pacing and screaming forever!

The only time he is happy to go to his cage is at bedtime after his night handfeed.

Sometimes when none of us are at home, we put him inside the cage and go out, but he doesn't eat anything until he is let out again.

Additional notes:
Note (1): He does not respond to his treats (sunflower seeds) or toys inside the cage. He just doesn't want them. The cage is well setup, meaning there are toys, perches of different sizes, and even treats inside! (This is his cage.)

Note (2): He is a very happy and joyful Macaw who enjoys playtime with all the family members, and is not fearful or nippy at all!

Any help to keep him happily inside the cage for a couple hours a day would be appreciated!

 

[tfw]

Whenever we put him in the cage for lunch, or after lunch, he would continuously pace the cage with periodic screaming. If we leave the room and ignore it for a while, he would stop screaming, but he would not eat anything, and will just sit on one perch. We have waited hours, but he just doesn't eat inside the cage. If we do not leave the room, he will continue pacing and screaming forever!

I'm no expert, but if he eventually stops screaming, I don't think it's a huge issue. Even if he doesn't eat. I doubt the guy is starving . Mine has pellets in his cage at all times and also doesn't really eat when in his cage during "nap/quiet time". Sometimes he lets out a loud squawk when he hears us making a lot of noise. He will just sit in his favorite boing and just chill out.

Oh and we only have a couple of toys for him in his cage and he largely ignores them (he is out of his cage majority of the day so really his cage is just his sleeping place).

But yours sounds like he is happy and healthy and loves his family.

 

[Laurasea]

I had to go through this screaming in Cage with my little ones. I used to leave them out all day all the time. Then I got very sick, and I had to cage them for a few days. They never ever stopped screaming for all the daylight hours. Very hard to deal with when I was so sick.

So I decided they were going to learn to be caged a couple of hours a day. So I could when needed without screaming. This was a process.... But I started out having them out and active like you. Then when it was time to cage them I got them to take a bath, either in their big dish or by spray bottle. Then I put them in the cage with apples, popcorn, or millit, or one of those treat sticks. Screaming was ignored, being quiet was praised. I usually got a good 40 min after the bath , and working in treats. Then I slowly increase the time. They soon got used to the new routine, and I have blissful quiet with them in the cages right now.

You can shape behavior in small steps too..put him in the cage, wait till the first time he is quiet for a few seconds and take him out again quickly. Keep repeating that, waiting for longer periods if quiet to take him out, like a minute, then a few minutes of quiet and he comes right back out. Work up to the hour or two. Praise for being quiet. Do establishe a flock call, and answer flock calls tho, sometimes when you leave the room you use the flock call to him first.

You can also pattern to music. I have an article I'll get that has many helpful tips.
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/