In Cage Time

[Drumphan]

So I've had a GCC for a little over a week now. He's 3 1/2 months old and is a pill! There's a few issues I'm dealing with, but here's the one I'm most concerned about...

I let him out whenever I'm home. When I get him in his cage, usually when he's gone in to eat or drink, and close the door, he freaks out and runs around the bottom of the cage beaking everything, squawking, trying to find an escape. My cage has the doors that slide up so you can put the food/water bowls in and he is starting to figure out that he can open them and get out that way, although he hasn't yet figured out the mechanics of actually getting the door up and himself out at the same time. He got his foot trapped in it a few times and I had to lift up the door to get his foot out.

Now I know I need to secure the doors somehow to prevent him from getting caught up again, but is his intensity something I should be concerned about? Last night he tried for a half hour and got so worked up I had to cover his cage until he calmed down. He's only been doing it the last couple of days, before that, he was just fine in the cage. He's got plenty of toys and he's in the room with me so I don't think it's the isolation. He's not affectionate and not much for contact at this point, so I don't think it's because he can't be with me.

I work 8 hours a day, and already feel guilty about leaving him here for that long, but the thought of him being here and being that anxious troubles me. I wonder if maybe he'd be better off with someone that could be around all the time, so he can be out of the cage more of the time.

Thoughts?

Thanks again,

-Bob

P.S. I realize he's getting adjusted and all of that, but I can't help but think if it's better for him to be with someone else, that it happens sooner rather than later so he doesn't become one of those "problem birds."

 

[weco]

He's new to your house & yes, probably still getting adjusted, but is he young & also new to being a companion bird...if so, was he in a larger cage...that could be part of his actions/display when the door is closed.....

You say he's got plenty of toys, but does he know how to play with them.....depending on the size of his cage, it might be that you two have some toy training sessions.....clear the table, set his cage on it, get a couple of his toys out & start playing with them/him, all the while making ooohs & ahhhhs, smiling, laughing & having a big time about it.....again, depending on the size & design of the cage my patty likes to play with a couple of small wiffle balls & will bring me one if she wants some play time.....if he's young, you're both on a learning curve...him on how to & what to do with toys.....you on how to teach him to interact with & play with toys on his own.....believe me, after he sees you playing with things & having a big time, he will at least test them out, though maybe on the sly, when he can't vie for your attention.....like we send our children to school to learn, we often have to play birdie teacher ourselves.....

Good luck.....

 

[U2gal]

The cages I've seen that the doors slide up are really small finch breeder cages or budgie/canary cages. Please make sure he has a nice big cage, full of variety of perches (not just dowels or plastics that come with cages) and lots of toys.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

I was thinking same thing about size of cage. Also, is he able to walk safey and comfortably on the bottom of the cage. If you have some of the plastic coated twisties, you can use them temporarily to lock those doors up tight so he doesn't get hurt or his head stuck. Also, a pipecleaner is good too if he doesn't chew on it. Then when ready you get stainless lock or links. If he doesn't chew on the other stuff, then u can use those as long as they aren't rusty or dirty.

I don't see why there would be a need to rehome him at this point without giving him some time. think of it this wway, a few days ago he was fine when u locked the cage, now he is upset, and in three days he may be fine once he adjusts.

Am wondering something -- you wrote "and he's in the room with me so I don't think it's the isolation." If he is only locked in when u r out, then he's not in the room with someone when locked in.

 

[Drumphan]

I'll admit the cage is probably a bit small. It's one of those kit cages (20x20) I got when a chain pet store was remodeling and trying to get rid of stuff. I thought it would be plenty big enough, and he seems fine, but I'm going to get a bigger one when I can.

He does have plenty of toys and we play with them outside of the cage a lot of the time, so I'd guess he knows how to play with them. He's got shredding toys, foraging toys and regular toys. His perches are varying size branches with one dowell, just in front of his food and water bowls.

Wanna - when I said that, I meant I've been trying to make sure he has in-cage time while he's getting adjusted as well as out-of-cage time... and I'm in the room for both usually, except when doing normal, daily activities. My house is pretty small so I'm always within screaming distance when I'm home, lol! The only time he's alone in his cage is when I go to work, and over night, which he's OK with one he's calmed down. So I'm in the room when he's both in the cage and out. I can understand if he was anxious, or whatever he's going through, when I leave in the morning, but I was concerned that he was doing it when in-cage when I was right there in the room with him.

He seemed fine last night when I put him in, and this morning when I left for work as well. He didn't fuss at all, so maybe it's just a thing.

-Bob