Idea to prevent cage aggression ....

[lemonypickett]

Ok, you all know I am very new to this, but..... I was thinking how nice it is that Eddie doesn't bite me when I go into his cage. So I was thinking, how do I keep him from becoming cage aggressive?

So, I decided to try out the rearrange the cage game. I had read that lovies get bored with the same toys, so I should rotate them. So, that is what I do, I also move perches, ladders, swings, his birdie tent and so one. Only food and water stay the same. I was thinking this reiterates that I am the boss. (Or that I pretend to be)

Is this a good idea, or am I stressing my boy out? He seems to not care that I rearrange every 5 - 7 days or so.

What do you think?

[michael]

Eddie may be thinking.....wow!....He cleans my cage, gives me food, rearranges my furniture.....what more can I ask for?......and I don't even have to order him around :)!

I move around my Goof's toys every now and then. There are so many he hasn't tried that get re-introduced into his cage or play area's. Often I'll introduce them outside the cage first before adding them to his cage so he knows they won't "get em':eek:" Like you, I don't move his food bowls but I have switched them around vice versa food and water. His cozy I keep in one place as long as he continues to go in it. He's very touchy about that and only prefers the blue one he's got now. Really, he's pretty easy going with moving stuff around. I think if it helps to keep them curious and occupied and has no effect on eating, drinking or sleeping its a good thing. Moving their cage/home around....now that would be a different story. You know, the one thing I'm not entirely sure of is whether it affects females(hens) different from the males. I've heard it does, but then I've never kept a female lovebird......yet......:)

[thebubbleking]

Hrmmm lucky i am not close to you michael or i might have gifted you a hen just to get you to post more here lol

[unstuckpilgrim]

Moving their cage/home around....now that would be a different story.

I take Lucky with me anytime I can. He's regularly in different carrying cases and I move his cage often, as well. My bird is the "travelin' bird" and he seems to totally love it - particularly watching the scenery pass by in the car while trying to outscreech the radio.

Is moving him around so much bad? He's very affectionate and friendly and doesn't seem at all distressed.


RE: cage agression... the only time I've seen him do anything like that was when he had his happy hut thing. I took it out and there have been zero problems since.

[lemonypickett]

What kind of traveling cage do you have that the bird can see out the window?

[unstuckpilgrim]

What kind of traveling cage do you have that the bird can see out the window?

I have one like this:
http://www.birdalog.com/index.cfm/S/37/N/141/Airline_Approved_Carry-On_Travel_Cage.htm

I put a towel in there for him, otherwise he just hangs onto the bars the whole time and it seems uncomfortable for him.

I have another one that I can't seem to find a link for, but I've seen people talking about it on here before. It's soft like neoprene and outrageously colored. I don't like it as well, and neither does Lucky.

I also let him ride around in his small cage. I just take out the stuff that can move around too much so it doesn't knock into him and he sits and chirps. It's hilarious to see him crane his neck to get a better look at everything zooming by.

At first I was nervous about it, but we've got the routine down and I've figured out how to get his cage in there so that it's snug and he can get a view as well. I suppose it also depends on what kind of car you drive.

[lemonypickett]

I have a 4runner. I was wondering how to get the cage up that high so he could see.

[LauraO]

Any bird can become cage aggressive, and the aggression is often a bird protecting their territory. There are some things you can do to prevent or help you deal with cage aggression, but there is no guarantee a bird won't become protective. The most important thing to remember is that cage aggression is a natural behavior.

Spending time with Eddie consistantly over time is a great way to build a relationship with him, and will give you a leg up when dealing with cage aggression. I would also work on teaching Eddie to step up on a small perch or stick, and once he has that down then work on having him step up on a stick to get out of his cage. This is a great tool if Eddie does become cage aggressive, because more times than not, once a bird is away from their cage they are no longer aggressive. Stick training allows you to get the aggressive bird out of the cage with little or no blood.

I've always found that birds become more cage protective the more it stays the same. You may want to move the toys around the cage every couple of weeks, and to change different toys out. I would also suggest moving the perches around as well. Finally, moving the placement of the cage in your house is also a good idea. This will not only make Eddie more comfortable with change in general, but I've found that birds are more protective of their area the more they get comfortable with it.

If you have a cozy or happy hut in the cage, you may want to start removing it during the day and returning it to Eddie to sleep in at night. Cozies often perpetuate breeding behavior, which is often the source of cage aggression.

I would also limit shreddable material from the cage. This can also perpetuate breeding behavior in lovebirds especially if Eddie turns out to be a hen.

Taking Eddie out of the cage and giving him/her different play areas in different rooms is another good idea. This helps broaden his play area and keep him from only hanging out in his/her cage. A bird that becomes cage aggessive or protective often spends a lot of time in their cage even if they have access to other areas....I have a bird room and my hens are laying eggs so they and their mates want to stay close to their cages even when they have access to come out of their cages and the room. So I've been letting them out of their cage and shutting the doors and making them play in the bird room. Of course, the room is a sort of bird safe aviary that has food and water outside the cage, but this keeps the hens from hanging out in their cages and nesting.

Unfortunately, no matter how much you try to stop a bird from becoming cage aggressive, there are no guarantees. Also remember, a bird can become aggressive over other area of the house that are dark and comfortable, including your shirt or blanket. The key is to become familiar with your birds behavior to better manage and predict it.

Good Luck:)

[lemonypickett]

Wow LauraO, that was a great reply. No cage agression yet, I'll let everyone know if my idea works. I've been re-arranging his cage everytime I do a complete strip clean, twice a week. I may just start rearranging once a week though, I think it is more fun for me seeing the new enviroment than for him :)

[Janie]

None of my three have ever shown any cage aggression. I would imagine that it (as usual) depends on the individual bird. :) I can put them in their cozies and I can physically remove them, they just don't care. They probably wouldn't mind if I crawled right into their cages and spent the night with them. :D

Yes, great reply from Laura. :) Tips that could help if you notice your lovie becoming aggressive.

[Mydoona]

I was wondering this as I am soon to put my two lovies together and as I have NO space for THREE cages.then the new bird will go into the old birds cage.
I let Keiko out to play on her gym but all she wants to do is fly and land on the new birds cage and wont get off it.
Should I get Keiko to come out of his cage,change it around,put the new bird in it and then put Keiko back in the cage?...is that the best idea?
I won't be doing it for a couple of weeks yet.