Cage Aggression??? All of a sudden - HATES HIS CAGE.....

[lovemyecho]

Hi all, first this may be a bit long winded - but it's really got me stomped. I've had Echo since he was 2 weeks old. I hand fed him and he is now 10 months old. He only eats pellets and fresh veggies. He talks up a storm and is a very snuggly little guy. I have a cage for him with a bungie so he can climb down and go to his favorite other play area during the day. That also has a bungie up to a play stand and then continues up to almost the ceiling. He loves his play area and stays there most of the day. When he gets hungry for his pellets, he climbs down and goes across the 2 rooms to his cage, climbs up and goes inside to eat.

Here's what is weird. He always liked going 'nite nite' in his cage until about 2 months ago. I would always sing a special nite nite song and he would know what time it was and just go inside his cage and be fine. Now, when I start singing the song, it's like he KNOWS what time it is and hates going inside his cage. The cage is big enough (as I was told, maybe it was because the cage was too small). Also when I start singing the little song, he's like a toddler, interrupting me with 'peek a boo' 'I love you', "yay", "step up', and anything else he can do or say just so he doesn't have to go to bed.

I try to ignore the little tantrum, as I don't want it to be a 'game'. I just put him in, and have to be careful, as he will turn around and try to bite me. Also, as I'm trying to latch his door, he keeps attacking me. I thought of just leaving him perch up on top of the cage as it has the option to keep the top open, but don't want to take the chance of him getting into things. One time, during the day, he hopped onto the table where I had a wireless keyboard (a mac, no less), and before I noticed him, he had chewed up the "E" key - LOL - but not really, there went that keyboard in the trash.

He's such a sweetie, is this just a testing he's doing, and I should hang in there, or does anyone have any suggestions. Sorry for rambling on, but I just wanted all the information to be here. I've also tried to give him a treat as I'm putting him to bed - didn't work. Stopped with the song - he's too smart for that. Would tell him , be a good boy, see you in the morning, i love you, nite nite, all that......

The best IRN I've ever owned, but this thing is really stumping me. I have Quakers and know they can be cage aggressive, but this is different - it's like he HATES ANY CAGE I'VE TRIED HIM IN.

Thanks all for any suggestions... Linda

[MissK]

Linda, Linda, Linda..........

[lovemyecho]

Thanks MissK, of course he is most probably spoiled with love and attention. I've tried the little snack trick - he's on to that. He takes the snack, throws it to the bottom of the cage and comes after me. LOL - he's just a smart little guy.

I was just wondering why he seems to hate his cage and want to bite me. I try to calm him down before bed, cuddle with him and do things that won't excite him. He REALLY 'pinions' his eyes a lot. Once he's in his cage, he still tries to get me through the bars. I ignore that, tell him nite nite and go about my business. He then goes to his favorite perch and settles in to sleep. But, I've never been so baffled by the aggression towards me when he knows I'm going to put him in his cage. Maybe he gets too much 'out of his cage time'? But I always do that with all my birds.

Oh well, anyone else ever had this happen?

thanks all, linda

[MissK]

let me know!

-MissK

[Sixty Fiver]

I have seen this in many of the birds I have worked with... many who were aggressive when they were being asked out and then after bonding and being eager to come out to cuddle and play, get right ticked off when play time is over.

I agree that before it is bedtime that one needs to settle down the house and step away for a bit and then take your bird to it's cage or offer a super treat to reward them for going in when asked.

Lunging and biting will be met with a closed hand to prevent any serious bites and one needs to differentiate from being grabbed (this is often from frustration) to actually bites... a grab will hurt a little but if a Ringneck really wants to inflict damage they are going to do it and the thing is, if they love you they rarely bite.

When I tell my female Amore it is time for bed or to go in her cage she usually follows my requests while her boy Lucce thinks it is time to play catch me if you can but he never gets aggressive... I think he is waiting for that treat while Amore will not be bribed with any kind of food.

She likes her cage and once she is in for the night she will also tell Lucce it is time to go to bed and he listens to her better than he listens to me sometimes.

My Senegal is always resistant to going back in her cage if I am taking her there but will go into her cage on her own when it is close to bedtime... I can't let her sleep on her play perches as she hates being disturbed after dark and gets downright cranky but again, never bites but will sometimes grab me quite firmly before releasing. More often than not she just tells me "NO" when she does not like something.

[ellieelectrons]

Here's my 2c worth!

My Janey will sometimes bite me if I attempt to put her to bed myself too.

The ideal thing is to teach him to "go to bed" on command, on their own. See http://youtu.be/8nf78f9jPu0

Also, if you don't do it already, get your bird to "go to bed" lots of times during the day - sometimes don't close the door, other times close it for a short time and then let him out shortly after. This gets him used to going in there when you want him to and lets him know that it won't always be for a long period of time. I also try do this with their travel cage.

I used treats to train mine to "go to bed". The other part of the equation here though is that your bird must want the treats enough to "go to bed". Mine don't do it 100% of the time but they do it reasonably regularly. Increasing foraging made a huge difference to these types of behaviours for me. For more information on foraging see these links:
http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... 01&p=69400
http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =4&t=13466
http://www.parrotenrichment.com/ - this site has some free ebooks to download

Best wishes!

Ellie.