Quaker Cage Aggression: How to Step Up?

[FieryPhoenix]

I cut a perfect sized perch from a disinfected branch. Willow stepped up on it for a weekend (maybe because he was surprised?) and now he pushes it away with his beak or bites it.

Try offering a treat. Maybe he will do it if he knows he will get something good out of it.

 

[HeatherG]

Try offering a treat. Maybe he will do it if he knows he will get something good out of it.

Nope. He won’t.

 

[HeatherG]

Yesterday and today I have just been stepping willow up onto a hand towel from inside his cage. He stepped up right away; no coaxing or bribes. He’d been scolding me to come get him.

He really is ok with it and seems confused and conflicted if I try to persuade or bribe him to come out onto his door.

I think he just didn’t learn these things in his first home, and he has lots of fear of new things, so me asking for or offering something different was upsetting.

It was a relief not to have to persuade and wait and get frustrated.

He’s out on his basket now and being pet. He had to warn me about a scary stack of books on the bookshelf but I moved it and now he’s happy getting head pets. Of course now Jasper’s calling. Can’t make everyone happy.