Help! New bird refuses to get in cage. Won't do it even for favorite treat.

[Kratze]

I let my new bird wander around in the day for the last 2 days (since I got her). She's really good so far and it's been fine. I don't mind have her out, I did the best birdproofing I can and it seems to be working.

The problem comes when I need to put her away so I can go places. Right now, I have to go to the gym. Last night, I needed to go to bed. Tomorrow, I need to go volunteer at a local parrot sanctuary that's an hour drive away (so typically a 3.5 hour thing for me and I have to leave early).

I tried offering her favorite treats and it does no good. She hates going back in her cage and she knows I'm trying to get her in there. We had a few sweet moments today, I read her a book and she actually got invested in it, she let me pet her head again, though briefly, and she had a nice, trusting little nap on my leg. And then I wanted her to go in her cage a while later and she was like, uh, NOPE. And took off running and flapping.

So in order to get her there, I have to chase and catch her, which freaks her out and makes her try to fly (she's a plucker so she has two wing feathers on one wing, a few more on the other, and zero tail feathers. She cannot fly, and probably never will as the plucking happened at least 10 years ago).

Every time I do, I'm aware I'm breaking the rules, we're never supposed to chase and catch the birds against their will. But I don't have three or four hours to patiently try to get her to go in on her own, assuming she even would. She has already started to associate being on my hand with being put in her cage, so today when I temporarily got her to step up sort of she immediately freaked and "flew" off.

What do people do when the bird is so determined to stay out of her cage she refuses all efforts to get her back in? PS, the cage is an exact copy of her old one but technically new. I just got her two days ago.

Or should I make her stay in her cage all the time? I hate that idea but I can't keep terrifying her just because she doesn't want to go back in on MY schedule.

 

[MichelleC]

This is always a tough one. I went through this with my CAG same thing. I taught her to target train and so she makes the decision to go into the cage on her own and i didn't have to chase her. If she is free fed she may just not be hungry. I kind of use the rule if I don't think I can get her back in I don't let her out. I know that sounds mean but for now to reset her. training her in an around her cage may help reset her. When I got my CAG I only let her out in my bedroom and fed her meals in her cage so she associated it with only positive. I left the cage open and would drop a pine nut here and there in the dish so she knew that was a cool place to be, also with cool toys . I hope this helps.

 

[Kratze]

This is always a tough one. I went through this with my CAG same thing. I taught her to target train and so she makes the decision to go into the cage on her own and i didn't have to chase her. If she is free fed she may just not be hungry. I kind of use the rule if I don't think I can get her back in I don't let her out. I know that sounds mean but for now to reset her. training her in an around her cage may help reset her. When I got my CAG I only let her out in my bedroom and fed her meals in her cage so she associated it with only positive. I left the cage open and would drop a pine nut here and there in the dish so she knew that was a cool place to be, also with cool toys . I hope this helps.

Thank you! I'm struggling on targeting so far, she's scared or wary of the stick so it's super hard to get her to touch it. But then, I just need to let her get used to the major changes she just went through. I hear Sennies are neophobic and I'm kind of pushing her boundaries a lot right now - new home, new human, new cage (couldn't keep the old one), new foodstuffs, etc.

But little good things happen too. She was very friendly yesterday afternoon, she's beak-grinding right now next to me in her cage, which has wheels so I'm wheeling it around a bit to ensure she can at least hang out close. Most importantly: I learned tonight that fresh popped popcorn (popped plain with a bit of olive oil, which is fortunately how I've been eating it anyway - from the kernels, not from a bag) is a HIGH VALUE treat for her. Enough for her to overcome her fears of the new cage and dive for the food bowl I set up nearby, which she was otherwise refusing to touch. I was worried about her not eating much so I was feeding her by hand a lot. Now she's tipped her own hand and I know she isn't too afraid to get to the nearby food! I can relax a bit and make her work for it.

I let her stay in the cage today, because I had early errands to run (drop off the two non-tame budgies that came with the deal to a permanent sanctuary where they will spend their remaining days flying around in a massive aviary with many of their own kind). Georgie was not at all happy with me but it worked out. I'll let her out again tomorrow or maybe the next day though, I don't plan to keep her there forever.

I'm ordering a little ladder for her that will drape to the ground, allowing her to climb up or down to her cage. It's worth a try for the price. She can't get back in by herself otherwise, so this gives her a second option to being scooped up and deposited inside by big scary hands. Hopefully I can teach her to use it as an alternative.

 

[Kratze]

Thank you! I'm struggling on targeting so far, she's scared or wary of the stick so it's super hard to get her to touch it. But then, I just need to let her get used to the major changes she just went through. I hear Sennies are neophobic and I'm kind of pushing her boundaries a lot right now - new home, new human, new cage (couldn't keep the old one), new foodstuffs, etc.

But little good things happen too. She was very friendly yesterday afternoon, she's beak-grinding right now next to me in her cage, which has wheels so I'm wheeling it around a bit to ensure she can at least hang out close. Most importantly: I learned tonight that fresh popped popcorn (popped plain with a bit of olive oil, which is fortunately how I've been eating it anyway - from the kernels, not from a bag) is a HIGH VALUE treat for her. Enough for her to overcome her fears of the new cage and dive for the food bowl I set up nearby, which she was otherwise refusing to touch. I was worried about her not eating much so I was feeding her by hand a lot. Now she's tipped her own hand and I know she isn't too afraid to get to the nearby food! I can relax a bit and make her work for it.

I let her stay in the cage today, because I had early errands to run (drop off the two non-tame budgies that came with the deal to a permanent sanctuary where they will spend their remaining days flying around in a massive aviary with many of their own kind). Georgie was not at all happy with me but it worked out. I'll let her out again tomorrow or maybe the next day though, I don't plan to keep her there forever.

I'm ordering a little ladder for her that will drape to the ground, allowing her to climb up or down to her cage. It's worth a try for the price. She can't get back in by herself otherwise, so this gives her a second option to being scooped up and deposited inside by big scary hands. Hopefully I can teach her to use it as an alternative.

Well, I think I've really messed this one up. I had to chase her around again to get her back in. I might just leave her out next time. I don't want to make her stay forever in her cage; that goes against my beliefs. But having to chase and catch her is really doing a lot of damage to a brand new relationship.

Maybe next time I'll just let her stay out and put food where she can get at it. She'll poop all over my couch (which is her safe zone when she's out) but it was free and I only use one spot on it so it's not a huge deal. I am getting her a way to get back in her cage if she likes.

I think she's just terrified right now. Everything is new, everything is scary, and I'm NOT helping by chasing her around and making her panic. It's so discouraging! I have made virtually every loser mistake in the book and that's with prior research, that's with knowing better. It's very different in the moment.

I'm giving it a month and if things haven't gotten better, I'll send her over to a parrot rescue I know of and never, ever allow myself get a pet again (I tried a dog before this and it wasn't a good fit so had to give it back to the original owner - there's a happy ending for the dog in that case as they soon found a neighbor who is a perfect fit for him). Sorry, this is really making me depressed. We have good moments then it all goes out the window because I don't have as much patience as I thought I would and I make some change that scares her, or pick her up. I hope there's hope.

 

[OttoVonRuthless]

What about starting fresh with training? Don't allow free roam in the room anymore just yet. Restart. Start in the cage with step up. Only give treats and favorite foods / toys in the cage. Try to associate the cage with fun and yummy things. Lots of praise while she's in the cage, lots of attention while she's in there.
Don't give up!

 

[MichelleC]

Well, I think I've really messed this one up. I had to chase her around again to get her back in. I might just leave her out next time. I don't want to make her stay forever in her cage; that goes against my beliefs. But having to chase and catch her is really doing a lot of damage to a brand new relationship.

Maybe next time I'll just let her stay out and put food where she can get at it. She'll poop all over my couch (which is her safe zone when she's out) but it was free and I only use one spot on it so it's not a huge deal. I am getting her a way to get back in her cage if she likes.

I think she's just terrified right now. Everything is new, everything is scary, and I'm NOT helping by chasing her around and making her panic. It's so discouraging! I have made virtually every loser mistake in the book and that's with prior research, that's with knowing better. It's very different in the moment.

I'm giving it a month and if things haven't gotten better, I'll send her over to a parrot rescue I know of and never, ever allow myself get a pet again (I tried a dog before this and it wasn't a good fit so had to give it back to the original owner - there's a happy ending for the dog in that case as they soon found a neighbor who is a perfect fit for him). Sorry, this is really making me depressed. We have good moments then it all goes out the window because I don't have as much patience as I thought I would and I make some change that scares her, or pick her up. I hope there's hope.

Hang in there! Keeping her out will make it worse for you and her. Maybe just keep her in her cage and start training with her while she is in the cage. You can show her the target stick slowly from outside the cage and click when she touches it and treat her. She will naturally be curious about it if you do it slowly and if she doesn't touch her beak on it just take it away and try again a bit later maybe when she is hungry and see what happens. Hang in there! Keep us posted on how you two are doing, good luck!