Cage rage!

[Mchal]

Hi all,

I just have little bit of a dilemma! Bert has pretty serious cage aggression and I just don't know how to deal with it. Once he is out of the cage he is fine, he's a happy little chappy and very gentle and has a very sound temperament.
The difficult thing is getting him out. When we go in to get him out he usually just bluffs to let us know to get out of his space, but it has resulted in a serious bite for my partner.

But the thing is whenever we're home he sings out to me and he gets very excited and I can tell he wants to come out and be with us. But then when I put my arm near the cage of his door (not in his cage) so he can just jump on, he gets aggro!

The frustrating thing is that I know, I can tell he wants to come out and be with us! He's so social and curious and I just don't know what to do about it!
I know that his cage is his personal space and we should respect it etc. but I don't know whether I should just leave him to come out of his own accord, which is not often, or "force" him to come out for his own good.

:52:

 

[Mudkips]

I can't tell, it sounds to me like it's a 50/50 between actual cage rage, or you misinterpreting his body language. It actually sounds like chasing your fingers has become one of his favourite games.

What happens if you place your hand into his cage while he's busy (e.g eating)?
Does he drop everything and run over to you to bite you, or does he ignore you and keep doing what he's doing? Or maybe he drops what he's doing to scream and hiss at you - that would be cage rage for sure!

 

[suebee]

leave him to come out on his own, he may want to be with you, but being out of his cage is too scary!!

i have a perch on the inside of the door, so nut can step off that, as soon as we go near her cage, in front of the door, she climbs onto it, now she likes to climb to top of her cage, then step off or fly off. i would never make her step up in her cage!

you can stick train him as well, which is great when they fly onto something high and you can't reach them, something i need to do with the nut

 

[lizardsmells]

I think a bird's cage should be the 'safe space' and off limits for humans unless they're invited 'in'. Open the door and let him come out on his own. If being with you is better than being in his cage, he'll come be with you. Can you sit near the cage with the door open and surf the net or read a book or whatever? Maybe bribery would get him out sooner if he has a favorite food he rarely gets to eat. I think bribery is one of the greatest inventions in the world when it comes to parrots

 

[MaraWentz]

Okay to cause some arguement here I am Okay, my red front Erin was the same way. She cling to the bars sometimes for attention and the moment you got close or reached in to pick her up from inside the cage or even on the roof or door she'd try to nip. However, outside she was a LOT calmer and nicer. S this went on for a week and we eventually ended up on a stand all day, except at night. But after a week of that it was just continuing fighting in the morning to get her out. So we went out int he woods and chopped down some safe tree limbs and created in one daya huge tree stand that would've cost us a grand or two at the store but really cost us some labor and $20 in screws and drill bits. We put her on there to live and threw out the cage. Went great. No more aggression- of course, she still has those days once in a while where she tries to nip but some days she just doesnt want to be held. We have a bird safe room and she doesnt climb down or chew so we know she is safe. Its an easy and cheap idea if your bird wont destroy your house. Its rather simple. If your bird has cage aggression take away the problem: the cage. The stand is still he personal space. I'm not sitting under the stand or perching on her branches, so that's no problem with her privacy. Good luck!

 

[IcyWolf]

Our alex is the same way, she doesn't like when I ask her to step up inside the cage. I would suggest target training and then perch training. That way you can get him to step up onto a perch and then take him out of his cage.

 

[friedsoup]

Here is another fix I've heard that worked but it was for a Quaker who are notorious for cage aggression they got him one cage for day time and a sleep cage and another cage (small travel size) for when house cleaning (i.e. his cage cleaning) it seemed it was too much territory for the bird to keep up so he gave up on aggression for his cage and then it was just his happy hut that was off limits to everyone. It's a thought.

 

[Mchal]

Thanks every one
I don't think removing his cage would be an option, he is SO destructive and much too curious! I think I might try with perch training and see how that goes!

 

[azdesertrhino]

Mac, our B&G, at times would get aggressive if we put hand/arm in his cage to bring him out.

we now use a wooden dowel type perch.

If he doesn't step up on the perch, we leave him for a bit. He usually calls out "Hi Baby" when he is ready to come out.

No more issues with "invading his space"!! <<GRIN>>

For the most part, he lives outside his cage on his play perch and only sleeps in his cage or is in there when we have to go out.

 

[PetoftheDay]

Do let us know how it goes - perch training can be such a helpful thing, and of course a perch doesn't bleed if it gets chomped on, either!

I once pet-sat for a family with a sun conure, and to give him some cage-free time during my visits, I'd just bring the perch to his cage and open the door, and he'd step out onto, and then he'd sit on his perch and supervise from the kitchen island as I fed the dog, fish and the turtle. When it was time for me to leave, I'd bring the perch back to the cage, and after climbing around on the tope for a bit, he'd step back onto the perch and I'd bring it to the open cage door, and he'd hop right in! Made life for a pet sitter much simpler!